— — — — — — — —
Joey spoke with Compote, and three days later, he left the Mixed Martial Arts Club Alliance to head toward the agreed location in the Grand Line.
However, one reason for his departure was that he had received some news from Perospero the day before.
So—
...
Flashback a day before to Perospero
Splash!—
A ship slowly cruised across the vast sea. Onboard was none other than Perospero.
"Ugh..."
Rubbing his temples, Perospero sighed helplessly. "Counter, you really didn't need to come along. Totto Land is the priority!"
"Heh heh heh..." Counter scratched his head awkwardly. "Perospero-nii, it's not even that far. I just wanted to tag along for some fun."
"And I can't take it anymore! Those trash attackers are driving me insane! It's the same thing over and over again—worthless pests, nothing but trash!"
"Sigh..." At the end of his rant, Counter shook his head and let out a deep sigh of frustration.
Perospero remained composed. "Their goal is no longer to attack Totto Land."
"Do you think invading our territory is that easy? With our population growing and our strong fighters increasing, our defenses are stronger than ever."
Counter nodded in agreement.
Perospero continued, "Put simply, they're trying to spy on us. There are only two ways into the Whole Cake Sea, and the hidden route is known only to our family."
Option one: Charge headfirst through the sea route guarded by the Five Sweet Generals.
Option two: Take the secret passage.
But here's the thing—Did they really think they can just find the hidden route?
It's downright impossible!
And even if they did…Did they think the Charlotte Family would be caught off guard?
On top of that, the outer perimeter of Totto Land is surrounded by treacherous whirlpools. Avoiding them? Not a chance.
"In any case," Perospero said, "Counter, listen up. We're here for a trade deal, so don't stir up any unnecessary trouble. Got it?"
Counter grinned. "Relax, Perospero-nii! I'm not an idiot." He playfully flashed an 'OK' sign.
"Heh heh heh..." Perospero chuckled, shaking his head. "You little punk."
Splash!—
The ship continued its steady course toward the horizon.
---
The Dark Trade Alliance!
With Joey's orders lifting previous restrictions, the Dark Trade Alliance was expanding at a terrifying pace—
Growing like a wild beast, devouring everything in its path.
It was downright terrifying.
But what could anyone do?
The Dark Trade Alliance's rapid rise was shocking, yet thrilling.
The Big Mom Pirates were the Dark Alliance's powerful backers.
That terrifying name alone loomed over everything.
Beyond that—The Charlotte Family's influence was undeniable.
At first glance, the Dark Trade Alliance might seem like an unchecked force, but in reality, they were merely cashing in on their connections and resources as quickly as possible.
That's just how things worked.
---
Splash!—
Counter smacked his lips. "Tsk tsk tsk… This place sure is lively!"
As their ship neared its destination, an island that glittered with neon lights under the night sky came into view.
"Hmm?" Perospero's sharp gaze landed on him. "Don't mess around. If you're interested in women, I can introduce you to some proper ones—royalty, nobles, whatever you like. But the women of Pleasure Island? Off-limits."
"Heh heh heh..." Counter scratched his head again. "Come on, Perospero-nii! I was just joking. But I did hear that Big Brother is planning to find you a wife. You're already 13, after all. He thinks it's time to start looking."
Hearing Counter's teasing laughter, Perospero twitched.
'This little brat...'
He really wanted to smack him right now.
But there was no escaping it. Joey had laid down the law: By 18, every man must be married.
Find a wife on your own, or Big Brother would find one for you.
Plain and simple.
"Sigh..."
Every time Perospero thought about this, he could only sigh helplessly.
Was this an arranged marriage?
Absolutely. A real, no-escape, old-school arranged marriage.
As the second son, Perospero was only 13 now, meaning he had—at most—five years left.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
He glanced at Counter, who was grinning mischievously, but he couldn't be bothered to argue with the brat.
Instead, he mused to himself, "Should I just find a wife myself?"
Then again... Is it even necessary?
After some thought, he dismissed the idea entirely.
It didn't matter. It wasn't a big deal.
Worst case? It was just an arranged marriage.
It's not like Big Brother would set him up with some nobody.
Besides, given his status, whoever he was matched with would be of high standing, beautiful, and well-connected.
So really, there was nothing to worry about.
Perospero finally relaxed.
In reality—What was there to stress over?
It was just marriage.
At least they were assigning him a good match.
"Huh?" Counter noticed Perospero's brief moment of contemplation but quickly shrugged it off.
"Better not ask."
Splash!—
Their ship finally docked.
Perospero muttered, "The world's greatest intelligence hub—Pleasure Island… Pleasure District…"
This was the world's top intelligence network.
And behind it was one of the Underground Emperors.
The Queen of Pleasure District—Stussy.
A woman as beautiful as she was dangerous.
More importantly—The world's most powerful figures knew exactly who she was.
Stussy was a member of CP0.
With the backing of CP0, Pleasure Island rose to become the ultimate intelligence hub.
But regardless of the details—One undeniable fact remained: Stussy was terrifyingly capable.
An elite among elites. That much was certain.
— — —
Deep within the Pleasure District
A wisp of white smoke curled into the air.
A tall, stunning woman exhaled gracefully.
Even the sharp scent of her cigarette carried a strangely alluring fragrance.
This was Stussy, the Queen of Pleasure District.
She smiled. "Yuki, has the Dark Trade Alliance arrived?"
Behind her stood an ethereal beauty with long black hair, blood-red lips, and snow-white skin.
"Yes, sister," Yuki answered softly.
"Do you want to meet them, or are you not planning to deal with them?"
Stussy spoke softly, "Let's meet them. The Dark Trade Alliance is only going to grow stronger."
"If we can't eliminate Charlotte Joey, then Totto Land, the Dark Trade Alliance, and the Big Mom Pirates will only continue to expand."
Yuki respectfully replied, "Sister! I understand!"
Stussy smiled gently, "Alright! Don't worry too much about these things. We don't need to concern ourselves with their situation right now. That's a matter for the future. For now, let's just focus on this trade."
"Yes!" Stussy stood up and, with Yuki, left the room.
— — —
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Perospero's ears twitched slightly.
"Hey! Hey! Did you hear about this?"
"What?"
"I heard from a guy who made it out of the Calm Belt alive. He said he encountered a half-human, half-dragon creature in there. Could it be the long-extinct Dragon Clan?"
"This...?"
Counter immediately wanted to ask for more details, but Perospero stopped him. "Counter, we're here for a trade. Let someone else investigate this properly."
Counter nodded, "Got it, second brother!" Without delay, he arranged for someone to look into the matter.
---
"Hehehe," a soft chuckle rang out as Stussy approached, smiling warmly. "Little Perospero, long time no see! This is really exciting~~~"
Perospero smiled back. "Miss Stussy, with my status, I don't think there's much to be excited about."
"Oh, come on!" Stussy pouted playfully. "Little Perospero, don't say that. I'm just a young girl, you know~~~"
Although Stussy was undeniably beautiful, anyone who knew her was well aware that she had looked exactly the same for decades. That alone spoke volumes about the mystery surrounding this woman.
After some light banter, they finally got down to business.
Perospero took the lead. "Miss Stussy, I won't waste time on pleasantries. I'll take the entire batch of goods."
Stussy feigned distress. "Little Perospero, this batch consists of top-tier goods, and plenty of other people are interested in them too!"
Perospero smirked. "Other interested parties? Are we talking about kings from some nations or emperors of the underworld?"
"This..."
Stussy seemed to be weighing her options.
Perospero continued, "Miss Stussy, there's no need to hesitate. If anyone tries to cause trouble, I can have Katakuri 'negotiate' with them. I believe everyone here is just doing business, and my Dark Trade Alliance can offer a better price. That's fair trade, isn't it?"
"Hehehe." Stussy chuckled. "Oh my, little Perospero, you've really grown up. Alright then, let's call it a deal."
Perospero smiled. "Of course."
And just like that, the deal was sealed.
In reality, this batch of goods contained everything from exotic slaves and beautiful maids to Devil Fruits and piles of gold and silver.
Normally, Stussy would have sold these items separately.
But this time—
Perospero took everything in one go.
After the deal concluded, Perospero declined Stussy's invitation to stay and left immediately.
The Dragon Clan rumors needed confirmation.
If they were true—
He had to inform his elder brother as soon as possible.
"Phew—" Watching Perospero leave, Stussy narrowed her eyes and sighed. "What a frustrating deal. Even though they offered enough Berries, the entire transaction was under their control from start to finish."
Yuki coldly asked, "Sister, should we...?"
Stussy shook her head. "It's pointless! Unless someone can defeat Charlotte Linlin and kill Joey, no one in the New World can touch the Charlotte Family. Just wait. As their influence continues to expand, someone will eventually make a move against them."
A sly smile curled on her lips.
Stussy found all of this incredibly entertaining.
How would things unfold next?
.
.
.