Chapter 120: A Toast to Family and Rumors of Rebellion

“Mama mama mama!”

“We were just waiting for you.”

As the two of them pushed open the door to the cake cottage,

they found Charlotte Linlin, Perospero, and the others already inside.

They’d been waiting at the round table for quite a while.

As for Davis and Ledfield, they’d already finished dinner earlier.

Usually, they didn’t even eat at the same table.

“Sorry to keep you.”

Karl was the first to walk over and sit next to Linlin at the round table.

Katakuri followed and took a seat beside Perospero.

“Mama mama mama!”

“Let’s eat!”

With everyone present, Linlin’s call signaled the start of the meal, and everyone dug in.

“Karl, I’ve got some good news for you.”

Charlotte Linlin started piling more and more food into Karl’s bowl.

“Good news, huh?”

Karl had just picked up his chopsticks when he turned to look at Linlin.

“I’m pregnant.”

A faint blush colored Linlin’s face. She rested her right hand on the table, propping up her head as she gazed at Karl.

“What? You’re pregnant? When did this happen? How many?”

Karl had just picked up a piece of meat, but the shock sent his chopsticks clattering to the floor.

He hadn’t expected it so soon—Linlin was pregnant again. She really did have an easy time with it.

“I found out today.”

“Twins. Though I don’t know if they’re boys or girls yet.”

Linlin gently caressed her belly with her left hand, feeling the two strong new lives inside her. A smile crept across her face.

Then again, they weren’t normal people.

New lives in the womb were already fighting for nutrients with the mother’s own body.

She’d discovered it right away.

“I hope they’re boys.”

“Why, is there something wrong with girls?”

A flicker of anger crossed Linlin’s face.

Seeing that look, Karl forced a sheepish grin.

“No, no. Boys or girls—it’s all good.”

“Hmph, that’s more like it.”

Karl watched as Linlin’s mood improved, letting out a silent sigh of relief.

But from the corner of his eye, he spotted Perospero and the others snickering behind their hands.

“What are you looking at? Get back to eating.”

“We’re eating! Right away!”

Caught laughing and spotted by their father, they sat upright and hunched over their plates, hastily shoveling food into their mouths.

After the dinner party, Karl and Linlin headed to the nursery.

Gazing at their three sleeping daughters, he couldn’t help but feel moved.

“There’s no such thing as absolute loyalty in this world.”

“But blood ties can’t be broken.”

Karl knew that because of the system’s restrictions, his strength could only go so far in this world.

But two fists can’t take on four enemies. He needed more people to help him reach his goals.

Once his children were grown and strong enough, they’d be a force to be reckoned with by his side.

“So, what you’re saying is, I’ll have to work extra hard, huh?”

Seeing Linlin put on a shy little-girl act, Karl quickly pulled her into his arms.

“Of course—it’s hard work for both of us.”

Seeing Karl’s mischievous grin, Linlin knew exactly what he meant.

“Look at you.”

The night passed quietly.

Sabaody Archipelago.

A newspaper was quietly founded here—the World Economic News Paper.

Ever since the public execution of a Celestial Dragon, the World Economic News Paper had become famous across the seas.

In quick succession, they established bases across the Four Seas and both halves of the Grand Line.

With their ever-present carrier pigeons and video transponder snails, their news spread to every corner of the world.

Some of the Navy’s wanted posters were even distributed through the World Economic News Paper.

In the lower right-hand corner of the newspaper, there was a small section.

Recently, it caught the attention of Navy Headquarters and even the World Government.

“Bang!”

“What exactly is the World Economic News Paper trying to do?”

“They’re completely out of control.”

Navy Headquarters.

Fleet Admiral Hill slammed the latest edition of the World Economic News Paper hard onto the conference table.

Kong and a few others took turns distributing copies of the paper to everyone present.

“Everyone is equal. There shouldn’t be oppression—where there’s oppression, there’ll be war…”

The paper was serializing a novel promoting equality, freedom, and harmony for all people.

The novel was meant to inspire the common folk of the One Piece World with dreams of liberty and equality.

But this serialization had caused unrest in kingdoms everywhere.

Almost every kingdom was experiencing turmoil.

And in the shadows, a mysterious organization was fueling the chaos.

The unrest kept growing, spiraling out of control.

Several allied kings had already died under suspicious circumstances.

“But no one’s found the headquarters of the World Economic News Paper.”

“Even CP0 from the World Government hasn’t tracked them down. Where on earth are they hiding?”

Kong’s words sent the room into quiet contemplation.

The intelligence network of World Government’s CP0 was nothing to scoff at.

In theory, there shouldn’t be anything on these seas that escapes their notice.

Yet the World Government couldn’t locate them, and the Navy was even more helpless.

“Let the World Government handle this entirely.”

“For now, our focus should be on several new organizations cropping up in the Four Seas.”

“Their appearance has made the seas calmer, but I can’t shake the feeling something bigger is going on behind the scenes.”

Fleet Admiral Hill knew that tracking down the World Economic News Paper was now CP0’s job.

For the Navy, there was another headache to deal with.

“The Hunter Organization in East Blue, Tongtian Chamber of Commerce in West Blue, Tongbao Arsenal in North Blue, and Heaven’s Net in South Blue.”

“All of them seemed to rise up at the same time.”

“I suspect they’re all connected to this mess.”

Everyone present studied the files in silence, deep in thought.

The timing of these organizations’ emergence really was too perfect.

Nearly all of them were founded at the same time.

And each boasted officers with vice admiral and rear admiral-level strength.

In the Four Seas, so long as nothing went drastically wrong, that meant real security.

“And lately, even the Mafia has been unusually quiet in the Four Seas. I suspect there’s an even bigger conspiracy at play here.”

Vice Admiral Pet stepped forward, handing out the latest intelligence from all four seas to everyone at the table.

“It’s true—the timing is beyond coincidence. You can’t help but wonder.”

“The World Government’s even sent CP0 in undercover.”

“But they haven’t gotten close to any of the core members. These groups are clearly good at sniffing out infiltrators—maybe some Devil Fruit power’s involved.”

The Navy officers weren’t idiots.

It was no accident that so many organizations appeared at once and the Mafia fell silent at the same time.

This definitely wasn’t some ordinary force at work.

“Orders!”

At Hill’s command, the Navy officers stood up at once.

“Kong, you’ll oversee Mariejois.”

“Understood, Fleet Admiral.”

Kong immediately saluted Fleet Admiral Hill.

“Zephyr and Sengoku, you’ll hold the fort at Headquarters.”

“Understood, Fleet Admiral Hill.”

“Jeremy, Luth, Sander, Cook, Julian, Hogan—for you six, form a recon group. Investigate those four organizations and the local Mafia in the Four Seas. I want to know who’s pulling the strings.”

These six were the vice admirals once stationed on Punk Hazard and Rucci Island. Ever since they’d returned from the New World, they’d remained at Headquarters.

“Understood, Fleet Admiral Hill.”

“Everyone else: stay in your positions. That’s all, dismissed.”

“Understood, Fleet Admiral.”

……