Chapter 63: The Channels Open! Morgans!

The interrupted tea party resumed once more.

However, since the earlier battle between Roya and Charlotte Linlin had completely wrecked the original venue, the tea party was urgently relocated inside the castle.

Fortunately, the queen's residence was quite luxurious, and there was no shortage of banquet halls capable of accommodating all the guests.

Thus, very quickly, in a dining room deep within the castle, the second half of the tea party officially began.

It was just that this particular half of the tea party was rather unconventional.

"Mamamamama! How is it, Roya? Are you satisfied?"

Charlotte Linlin asked the boy sitting beside her with a smile that could genuinely be described as maternal.

Roya held up a thumb. "Pure!"

One side of the dining room had been artificially cleared out. Right now, a group of people were engaged in a hysterical slaughter. Blood and screams, death and weeping, blended together into a movement that should never have appeared at a banquet.

This was the meal Charlotte Linlin had specially prepared for Roya.

What on earth is this monster?

Stussy, who had wanted to leave for a long time but dared not refuse Charlotte Linlin’s second invitation, was now completely soaked in sweat beneath her vest.

Are human suffering and misery his delicacies?

"That's why I keep saying this brat is utterly repulsive."

Stussy frowned slightly, her delicate brows knitting as she complained in a low voice, "Does he even let people eat in peace?"

"So, what is the meaning of all this?"

Morgans whispered softly, "Is this also Roya's power?"

"Walking with disaster, feeding on disaster."

Stussy spoke with a hint of disgust, "That was how Shiki described the brat's power back then."

"Walking with disaster, feeding on disaster?"

Morgans' eyes gradually lit up.

Got it!

He had the headline for tomorrow's newspaper!

Natural Disaster Roya—he was truly a natural disaster in every sense of the word!

Although Roya was chatting with Charlotte Linlin, he had heard the conversation between the two figures nearby.

He didn't really care about Stussy exposing his background.

On the contrary, he actually felt it would be even better if this birdman Morgans added a little exaggeration and spice to the mix.

The more fear-inspiring his reputation became, the easier it was to harvest high-purity dark energy.

"However, Auntie Linlin,"

Roya spoke with a somewhat apologetic expression, "Preparing such a grand feast specifically for me—won't it cause turmoil in your country?"

Perospero, sitting on the other side of Charlotte Linlin, twitched the corner of his mouth.

You've already eaten your fill and now you're saying this?

"Mamamamama! They're just some pirates who got captured so old mama could extract their lifespans!"

Charlotte Linlin didn't care in the least. "Allowing you to thoroughly enjoy a meal means these trash pieces are at least being recycled."

"That's a relief!"

Only then did Roya look as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "If I were to cause trouble for you, Auntie, I would feel so guilty."

"Little Roya! What a gentle and good child!"

Charlotte Linlin also wore a deeply moved expression.

"I can't take this anymore!"

Charlotte Oven rubbed his temples, questioning his very existence. "What on earth did that guy Roya say to Mama?!"

Looking at the two of them, anyone unaware of the situation would think they were a genuine mother and son. Who would have guessed that just an hour ago, the two of them had been locked in a ferocious, knockdown brawl?

Mama has never been this gentle with me!

"Because,"

His twin brother, Charlotte Daifuku, sighed, "the Roya of today is worthy of being treated this way by Mama."

Oven instantly fell silent.

That was right. Roya, who was only thirteen years old, already possessed the qualifications to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mama.

Not a rising star of six years ago, but a present-day apex predator!

"Roya, let's talk about your business,"

His good brother Katakuri, sitting on Roya's other side, asked with genuine curiosity, "You mentioned you've stopped being a pirate. I'm quite curious what kind of business could make you reach that decision."

Roya replied casually, "It's nothing much. I just felt that if I continued being a pirate, fulfilling my dream would be far too distant."

"Hahahaha! You still haven't given up?"

Katakuri instantly burst into laughter, leaning back and forth. "That so-called dream of being a gourmet!"

"If it were that easy to give up, could it even be called a dream?"

Roya said with complete seriousness, "I am a man who will stop at nothing for the sake of his dreams."

"You're as vicious as ever." Katakuri clicked his tongue in wonder.

He was all too familiar with what Roya meant by his dream.

Roya merely smiled.

"Mamamamama! Isn't this wonderful?"

Charlotte Linlin, however, wore a look of utter approval. "A real man stopping at nothing for his dreams—just thinking about it is touching!"

"Little Roya, of course old mama fully supports your dream! Weapons, you say? I'll buy as many as you have!"

"Oh! Then I am truly grateful!"

Roya wore an expression of pleasant surprise. "However, while our weapons are exceptionally sophisticated, they might not be of much use to you, Auntie Linlin."

After all, the enemies of the Big Mom Pirates were not opponents who could be dealt with by advanced firearms alone.

"So if the opportunity arises, Auntie Linlin, you might want to try another branch of our company's business."

"Oh?"

Charlotte Linlin played along enthusiastically. "What is that?"

"War services."

Roya said, "When there are conflicts, we can dispatch troops to assist. If the price is right, I wouldn't mind taking to the battlefield myself, you know."

"Oh..."

Charlotte Linlin nodded slightly.

It sounded rather nice, actually.

If she could genuinely secure Roya's assistance—

"Mamamamama! Let's end the serious talk here!"

Charlotte Linlin laughed heartily. "Little Roya, let old mama taste that cake you brought."

Baragón and Abel had protected that large cake very well.

The atmosphere of the tea party grew exceptionally pleasant, especially against the backdrop of the slaughtering pirates nearby.

A short while later.

Umit walked hurriedly down a corridor.

An obvious, restless heat lingered on the man's face.

With the tea party concluded, he had originally prepared to run for the hills immediately.

Charlotte Linlin showed them no respect, and that monster Roya was infinitely dangerous.

He really didn't want to linger on this island a moment longer.

Yet just before he was ready to leave, Stussy had slipped him a note, telling him to wait in a specific room.

Umit instantly grew excited.

Stussy—she was truly a supreme beauty.

At just over twenty years old, Umit had not yet reached the stage of viewing beauties as mere bones.

To take a step back, even if nothing romantic happened, forging some form of cooperation with a former cadre of the Rocks Pirates would still be a tremendous boon!

Therefore, Umit hurried to the exterior of the designated room.

After confirming that no one was following him, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Stussy was waiting for him inside, her face blooming with a smile. "You're finally here. We've been waiting quite a while, Mr. Umit."

Umit's face flushed slightly, but very quickly, he realized something amiss in Stussy's phrasing.

What did she mean by "we"?

"Roya wants to see you."

Stussy turned slightly, gesturing for Umit to look behind her.

Umit's gaze grew sluggish. With a look of utter disbelief, his line of sight drifted past her to see Roya sitting lazily on a chair before the window, gazing out at the scenery outside.

The titan of the New World's transportation industry swallowed hard, involuntarily.

Didn't Stussy utterly despise Roya?

What on earth were they planning?

"Alright, Mr. Umit,"

Roya stretched lazily, stood up, and said leisurely, "Let's discuss our upcoming cooperation."

"Cooperation?"

Umit's pupils constricted.

A few minutes later.

"Boss, please allow me to join your crew!"

Umit knelt on the ground, looking at Roya with eyes filled with a mixture of terror and fanaticism.

"Mm, very good. Then, Umit, the transportation department is yours."

Roya nodded in satisfaction.

As the saying went, the ability to manipulate negative emotions was simply too useful against weaklings like these.

He had applied the exact same routine he used on Judge to this fellow, and thus, his subordinates gained yet another transportation minister.

"..."

Stussy stood beside Roya. She tried her best to maintain a calm expression, but the terror in her eyes leaked out thickly no matter how hard she tried to conceal it.

To actually be able to reach this degree?

If Roya were to use that kind of ability on her as well—

"Are you that scared, little sister Stussy?"

Roya turned his head back, looking at her with a hint of playful interest.

"How could that be?"

Stussy leaned against Roya obediently, acting coquettishly like a Persian cat. "Whatever big brother Roya does to me, I would gladly accept."

"Hey, hey, hey, what is a pure youth supposed to do with that?"

Roya grabbed the woman's restless little hand. "However, I do like your resolve, little sister Stussy. Of course I won't use that trick on you; after all, who would like a doll whose personality has been completely warped?"

"Oh, stop it, big brother Roya, you scared me to death."

Stussy feigned alarm.

"Let's save the flirting for later."

Roya turned his head once more to look at the main door. "The person outside the door, have you heard enough?"

Stussy froze.

Then her expression shifted slightly.

She had been too terrified and had completely forgotten to maintain her vigilance!

"Hahahaha! I'm truly sorry, I was just passing by!"

The door was pushed open, and a birdman walked inside, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed expression. "Did I interrupt your little romance?"

Morgans' beady eyes darted back and forth incessantly among the three people in the room.

Umit kneeling on the floor, Stussy leaning against Roya, and Roya himself smiling as he looked at him.

He had suspected something was off with Umit, and hehe, sure enough, he had stumbled onto another massive scoop.

Who could have guessed that the relationship between Roya and Stussy was like this?

Calling each other brother and sister—you guys really know how to play!

However, what should he do now?

"You can begin, Morgans,"

Roya said with a smile, "I'll give you two minutes to convince me to spare your life."