Chapter 153: Who Gave Them the Courage (Patreon)

Chapter 153: Who Gave Them the Courage

Fish-Man Island.

As soon as Bahr stepped onto the dock, he saw Nico Robin walking toward him against the sea breeze. She wore a light purple dress, its hem fluttering gently in the wind, revealing her slender ankles.

When her gaze landed on Bahr, her trademark composed smile appeared on her face. "Boss, you're back."

Bahr nodded, his eyes sweeping over the neatly stacked wooden crates on the deck. "How are things with the weapons?"

"Everything has been prepared as you instructed," Robin replied, her gaze naturally drifting past Bahr to Viola and Rebecca behind him. Viola's wine-red curls were impeccably styled, while Rebecca clutched the hem of her clothes with a hint of timidity.

Nico Robin showed no surprise, merely pausing for an extra two seconds before asking softly, "And these two are...?"

She had never been one to dwell on such matters. Even if Bahr had brought back two unfamiliar women—or even more—she would simply take it as his usual way of doing things, not worth paying much attention to.

"Liaisons sent by Doflamingo," Bahr said flatly, his tone devoid of any fluctuation.

Robin's long lashes cast a faint shadow under her eyes as her gaze flickered slightly before she nodded. "Understood."

No further explanation was needed. She had already grasped the subtext—these two were merely accessories to a business arrangement, not true allies.

Knowing Robin's sharp intellect, Bahr didn't linger on the topic. Instead, he asked, "Has there been any trouble here on Fish-Man Island?"

"Everything has been proceeding smoothly," Robin said, then paused, her expression turning serious as she added, "However, there is one thing. The Big Mom Pirates sent someone, saying they wanted to see you, Boss."

"Big Mom?"

Bahr's brow furrowed slightly. He had never had any dealings with the Four Emperors, especially that notoriously sweet-toothed and temperamental woman. Why would she suddenly send someone to find him?

"What do they want?"

"Their exact intentions are unclear. They insisted on speaking to you in person," Robin replied, shaking her head. "The one who came is Charlotte Smoothie."

"Smoothie?" Bahr's steps faltered momentarily as he blinked in surprise.

The name was familiar to him—Charlotte's fourteenth daughter, one of the Sweet Three Generals, the woman who could squeeze people into juice.

Towering like a giant, her brute strength with a spear was terrifying, and her bounty exceeded 900 million Berries. She was one of Big Mom's most capable frontline fighters.

For someone of her caliber to come all the way to Fish-Man Island specifically for him—this was definitely no small matter.

"Seems like trouble's brewing," Bahr murmured, the corner of his lips curling into a cold smirk as he strode forward. "Let's go meet this 'Juice Minister.'"

As the group approached the Ark Maxim, they saw a mountainous figure standing beside the ship's hull.

Charlotte Smoothie had clearly seen Bahr's wanted poster before. Now, she looked down at the approaching group, her indifferent gaze lingering on Bahr for a moment, as if confirming something.

When Bahr stopped before her, the height difference between them was almost that of an adult and a child. Smoothie only needed to tilt her head slightly to completely engulf him in her shadow.

"'King of Original Sin' Bahr," Smoothie said, her voice steady as she took half a step forward, her massive frame dimming the surrounding light. "Just as you appear on the wanted posters."

Bahr looked up to see the figure before him wearing a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over the nose, with waist-length white hair cascading like a waterfall, its ends lightly brushing against the pink-and-white military-style skirt.

Most striking were her impossibly long legs, extending from the waist down in astonishing proportions that accounted for two-thirds of her total height, tightly encased in pink thigh-high boots.

The tattoos peeking above the boot tops spiraled upward, making her twice as tall as an average person—like a moving tower.

The sheer oppressive presence from such height was beyond any ordinary powerhouse—this was unmistakably Charlotte Smoothie.

People often joked about "legs worth playing with for a year," but these legs... were hardly playable at all.

"Big Mom didn't send you here just to admire my wanted poster," Bahr said, his tone unreadable as he averted his gaze. "Get to the point."

Smoothie slowly removed her white gloves, revealing slender, pale fingers with calluses from years of swordplay.

Her eyes swept past Robin and the other two behind Bahr before settling back on him, her voice calm yet brooking no argument: "Mother's will is for you to return to Totto Land with me."

"Return to Totto Land?" Bahr arched an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance. "I've had no dealings with your Big Mom Pirates. What business would I have there?"

"Dealings can begin now." Smoothie's gaze lingered on him as if taking measure, then she enunciated each word: "Mother has decided you shall marry me."

"You?" Bahr let out a low chuckle, glancing sideways at her legs that nearly reached his waistline. "You want me to wed a woman I can't even reach the top of?"

He'd imagined countless scenarios—perhaps Big Mom coveted Fish-Man Island's resources, or sought his alliance against rivals—but never an arranged marriage, least of all to this "walking tower."

Her shadow loomed heavily over him, nearly enveloping his entire frame.

Admittedly, she was a striking beauty—her sun-kissed skin glowing with health, full lips painted vibrantly against her pale hair, exuding an untouchable dominance that held a wild allure.

But marry a woman over twice his height? He'd probably fit headfirst into... The absurdity of the image made him scoff.

The remark didn't ruffle Smoothie. Seemingly accustomed to height-related comments, her eyes beneath the hat brim remained impassive. "This is Mother's decree. Refusal isn't an option."

The air thickened instantly, the sea breeze itself seeming to still.

Robin's composure faltered slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting her skirt. She knew the Four Emperors ruled by force, but never expected them to chain alliances through marriage.

This wasn't a union—it was a declaration of war.

Viola pulled Rebecca closer, her wine-red curls veiling the flicker of dread in her eyes.

She understood better than anyone: marrying into the Charlotte family meant complete subjugation to a Four Emperor—an impossibility for the "ambitious" Bahr.

The smile on Bahr's face gradually faded as he tilted his head slightly to look up at Smoothie, whose features were mostly obscured by her hat's brim. His voice turned grave: "Do you really think I'd fear that bloated old woman?"

What a joke. He'd even dared to kill a Celestial Dragon—why would he fear one of the Four Emperors, a deranged glutton lost in her sugar addiction?

The brim of Smoothie's hat shifted slightly, as though she were lowering her gaze to study the undisguised disdain on Bahr's face. A ripple finally stirred in her indifferent eyes—not anger, but more like the look one would give an ignorant fool who didn’t know his place.

"You have no right to speak of Mother's dignity," she said, her voice still steady but edged with frost. "Those Mother remembers are either allies... or corpses."

Bahr's lips twitched, but he didn’t respond.

Of course, he knew Big Mom's temperament. That woman was a bona fide lunatic—when enraged, she wouldn’t hesitate to toss even her own sons into a stew.

Smoothie took another half-step forward, her towering height exuding suffocating pressure. Her gaze swept past Robin, then Viola and Rebecca, before settling back on Bahr. Her tone carried an unshakable certainty: "You killed a Celestial Dragon. The World Government's bounty, the Navy's fleets, the factions vying to claim your head for their own gain—can you handle all that?"

She paused, her fingers absently tracing the gem on her sword’s hilt, as though reciting a list. "Mother said Totto Land has enough space. Become a Charlotte, and these troubles will vanish."

There was no hint of persuasion, no undertone of threat—just a blunt presentation of pros and cons, devoid of emotional manipulation. Whether he accepted or not seemed irrelevant to her; her only duty was to deliver the message.

"Sanctuary?" Bahr suddenly laughed, the mockery in his voice unmistakable. "You think Bahr needs someone else's protection?"

He was well aware of the consequences of killing a Celestial Dragon, but that didn’t mean he needed to shackle himself to one of the Four Emperors. If that had been his intention, he wouldn’t have killed a Celestial Dragon in the first place.

"Then negotiations truly are pointless." Smoothie's hand fully gripped her sword hilt, the spiral-patterned scabbard gleaming coldly. "Mother's orders must be fulfilled. Either come with me—"

She left the rest unsaid, but the murderous intent thickening the air said enough.

Bahr glanced at her hand on the hilt and let out a low chuckle. Sure, he'd been at a disadvantage against those old monsters and Admirals, but he'd never been defeated.

Smoothie was strong, no doubt—those long legs supported a body brimming with terrifying power. But where did this unshakable confidence to resort to force without hesitation come from?

Did Fish Leong give it to her?

His fingers closed around the hilt of the Black Sword Autumn Water, a sneer curling his lips. "Then let's test it."

The sea breeze suddenly stilled, as though frozen by the tension between them. Smoothie didn’t speak another word—only the slightest twitch of her fingers sent a cold gleam flashing along her spiral scabbard.

For her, action had always spoken louder than words.