NOVEL NEXT Me Again, Hello
Chapter 22
Ever since becoming Sweet Commander, I decided to change the way I dressed. It wasn’t like I had anything against the things I wore before, but it was that now I didn’t need to care about anyone’s remarks or opinions. I outclassed or was equal to anyone in the Big Mom Pirates except Mama and informally brother Peros and that meant I could wear anything I wanted.
I put on a thick white hoodie with cat ears (cute) that a two sizes bigger than mine. My arms never made it past the sleeve. I would need to either pull it up or take it off in a serious fight. On the back, the words Charlotte Syrup was there in thick black in case anyone didn’t get the message. I got myself tight black short shorts that would remain hidden under my hoodie. Overall, it made me look like I had just got out of bed, which was true most of the time. While I take my training and lessons seriously, I was also a very lazy girl. I slept most of the time, I took naps when I can, and I liked cute things too. While sis Smoothie would get a fit over my dressing as how ‘I’m not fashionable’ and whatnot, now she can’t make me change. As far as I know, I’m much more huggable now as well.
I left behind my numerous collection of knives and utensils for a simpler combination. A Tachi (blade is 60cm) and a Tanto (blade is 30cm). I had a small sheath for the Tanto on my left hip and the longer sheath strapped to my back diagonally. I know I can ‘Naruto Run’ and hold the Tachi in place when I run should I put it in its traditional place but I would rather have my arms free when I run. The main reason of why I did so was because I found that I could summon them inside my kitchen using my devil fruit. After that, I saw no reason to continue using my own. Besides, my swordsmanship is nothing to laugh at either. I could easily beat any other sword user in the Big Mom Pirates in a sword fight.
I know Luffy must have trained his ass off during these two years but honestly I’m willing to bet that I trained just as hard as he did…if not more. Actually, scratch that. I didn’t suffer as much as he did; instead, I trained smart. I knew exactly what areas I was lacking in and what areas I needed to grow and that was what I did.
Ditching my knives and other tools I picked up the blade and sought after a very specific date. Using the wide information network of Big Mom (which I now had easy access to as a Sweet Commander), I happened across a spar between Rayleigh and Mihawk. I didn’t make my presence known but I sat on the sidelines and observed the entire fight and used mimic on them. My understanding of the sword might not be as ingrained in my muscle as they are but every trick and skill they showed are now mine.
The second most serious thing after the sword was the use of my Devil fruits. Both my old Kitchen-Kitchen No mi as well as the newly acquired Yuki Yuki No-mi and Luck Luck fruit. After the battle of Marineford, I had gone to extensive lengths to test out the limits of the devil fruit when I had come across its awakening. Not only is the Cube much larger, more effective, and less stamina costing. But now I can create and destroy matter within the cube. Testing it on various pirate crews across the New World, only advanced armament haki could barely resist being turned into dust in an instant.
With the Yuki Yuki No-mi as a logia type fruit, my body’s composition and ability has changed dramatically. Using mimicry of Big bro Katakuri once again, I came to steal his abilities one by one. Even compacting snow just like the way he did with his mochi and then covering it with advanced haki like he did to match his strength…to a degree. Being a Logia, I could already create and manipulate snow so that was helpful as well.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to awaken my Yuki-yuki no mi yet. I know exactly what a Logia awakening is capable of and if done correctly, it can be extremely powerful and potent. For one, a logia awakening can permanently the climate of an area. Which is what happened at Punk Hazard in canon between the fight of two admirals. But noticing how the side is snow and not ice; fire and not magma…the effect is useless for my fruit. Should I awaken it in that way, I can probably make the breeze a little bit cooler but that’s it.
But I found another way of awakening my fruit. I happened across the revolutionary army commander who ate a Logia fruit for Tar. Namely the Tar-Tar fruit. Initially I thought he ate the crow-crow fruit or something but in fact he was a logia that awakened his fruit to give life to his element to be able to mimic the powers of zoans. With my snow, I am already able to mold it into any shape I want. Imbuing life to it will be so~ awesome!!
As for the Luck Luck fruit…I’m quite careful with that. I’ve already seen it do scary things in the hands of a weak user like Baccarate. I would be more careful with the fruit and the consumption of its’ luck.
Ever since Fishman Island has come into the protection of the Big Mom pirates, I have asked Mama to be one of their delegates and have frequented my visit there with Knight Tamago. While there was also the thing about collecting the Fishman snacks and candies, I was there personally to learn from Jinbe. Well…not really learn but rather have a spar against him.
I had to hold myself back tremendously as not to kill him and not use my Devil Fruit powers for it to be a fair spar but I got what I came for. I had managed to push him as far as I can without harming him too much for him to begin using the forbidden and harder techniques of Fishman Karate which I immediately mimicked. Since Fishman Karate was only taught from master to student, I needed to practice in isolation and away from the Fishman population but with enough practice and trial and error, I had figured out how to best make use of this martial art. Living in a world where most of the world is covered in water…even much more than my dear old Earth, this skill was very important to me.
Through my constant visits to the island, I had come to earn the respects of the Fishman denizens. While we were no Whitebeard, the Big Mom crew still embodied the motto of welcoming any and all races. If one sees only the good and bright side of the crew, it really does look like a (militaristic) paradise and that was exactly the image we tried our best to show the Fishman here. There is no discrimination based on race in the Big Mom crew.
The bounties printed after the MarineFord came out not to be much of a surprise. I had honestly expected more after jamming a pole up an Admiral’s arm as well as holding my own against another but I guess 1 Billion Beri was just such a big threshold to pass for anyone.
Charlotte Katakuri 1,857,000,000 Beri
Charlotte Smoothie 1,000,000,000 Beri
Charlotte Syrup 1,500,000,000 Beri
Well, I think I can say that I was officially with the big leagues now with my bounty. Well, personally I felt like I deserved more with my strength but this was enough for now. Having a large bounty would only attract more trouble and having over a billion beri bounty would dissuade most bounty hunters from annoying me anyway.
Chapter 22
POV Charlottle Flampe
As the youngest member of the Big Mom Pirates, I normally don’t have things I am jealous of. Due to my natural cuteness, almost all of my big brothers have chosen me as their favorite little sister. Of course, there were a few votes that weren’t in my favor but I still had over half of the votes.
For all my life I thought this was enough. I was loved by my brothers and sisters and taken care for. I had a position in the crew and a family I can lean back on…but it seems like the problem was where it all started after all.
Mother. Our own Mother.
All the Charlotte children knew this from birth but like many things, we tended to ignore them until it was too late. I, for one, am not late but I know what will happen. The same fate that has come to many of the Charlotte children. All of us children know that Mama doesn’t view us as her children as a mother should. She views us as tools…pets…chess pieces should she actually know how to play chess instead of creating those chess piece soldiers just for their looks.
Ever since Sis Lola ran away from the crew to escape the marriage with Prince Loki I had a feeling that something like that might happen one day. The same has happened to many of my sisters who became engaged to different crews around the New World to strengthen the Big Mom Pirates. Heck, I heard news that one of us might end up having to marry into the Fishmans. Yuck! No offense.
But the question is what about me? The truth is I already know the answer. As much as I have talent with a blowgun, I am useless in the crew. In Mama’s eyes, I am nothing more than a disposable piece. Unlike Brûlée nee, I’m not as witty as she is to add value to the crew; I don’t have an exotic devil fruit like Pudding nee for special cases nor am I a fighter like Smoothie or Syrup nee to become a force to be reckoned with even in the New World. All I am in a useless and disposable daughter…a young and cute one at that too. But all that appearance does is probably puts me higher on the list of Mama’s ‘Next to Marry Off for the Crew’ list.
So what do I need to do? Should I get myself an exotic utility type Devil fruit so Mama will keep me for showing off my ability? Should I run away from the crew like Lola nee did? No! No, I mustn’t do that. Lola nee might not have known the consequences of her actions but I am fully aware of what would happen should I leave…and the number of dead bodies Mama would leave behind in her rampage.
So what must I do? I must find a way to tie myself to the crew.
Ever since then I’ve tried to tie myself to Mama. I couldn’t be the fanatic loyalist that brother Perospero is, nor the single beacon of strength and trust that our perfect brother Katakuri is. Nor can I even be the most trusted chess piece of Mama- sis Syrup. I needed to humiliate myself to earn Mama’s attention.
So I became her pet. Her little doll suspended in the air by her thick hands holding and controlling the strings. Her little pet daughter that will smile and laugh at everything she says and agree. Her little fragile pet that loves her mother more than anything or anyone else. That was who I needed to become. Mama’s favorite little pet who she will not give away; because Mama gives away tools…not pets.
Deeply in thought, I wonder what life would be like in a different crew; namely the crew of the rival Emperor- Whitebeard. A crew that is so similar in ideal as our own but so so different in actuality. Both crews built on the idea of family but ending up on the opposite ends of the spectrum. While Mama’s crew is based on ties to blood to hold them to the crew, Whitebeard calls all he deems worthy to be called his children. What would my life have been like…should I have been part of Whitebeard’s crew?