As the second son of the family, Katakuri knew Charlotte Linlin quite well.
Not only was he born earlier, but because of his strength, Charlotte Linlin would sometimes take him along for training and learning experiences, so he spent more time with her than those less talented children.
Charlotte Linlin herself had a habit: she would show special gentleness to children under the age of ten. Even if they used her arm as a slide, she wouldn't mind.
If the children had any ideas, she would listen, but only if she herself hadn't already decided what to do about it.
If Charlotte Linlin had already made up her mind, she wouldn't accept her children's opinions or consider their thoughts at all.
If it were any other sibling acting like Nanamo, Charlotte Linlin would have already knocked them out with a slap and brought them home for a proper reflection.
[Maybe having a father… isn't such a bad thing?]
This thought flashed through Katakuri's mind, but he quickly pushed it aside.
Katakuri actually knew a little about why Charlotte Linlin acted this way. Based on her behavior and things Nanamo had told him before, Katakuri had come to his own conclusions.
Nereus truly respected his daughter's choices; if she chose to live with Charlotte Linlin in the future, he wouldn't stand in her way.
This was basically Katakuri's understanding of things, which wasn't far from the truth.
Since she couldn't beat Nereus and take the child by force, Charlotte Linlin started this sort of "soft approach."
[Listen up, you must respect this big sister, just like you do with me! In the future, when she comes to play, you all need to go along with whatever she wants!
And today, none of you are allowed to tell Nanamo anything!]
This was what Charlotte Linlin said to a few of the older children when Nanamo wasn't around, telling them to keep an eye on the younger ones.
When her eating disorder wasn't acting up and she was in her right mind, Charlotte Linlin was very shrewd. Coming up with schemes and showing tolerance was totally normal for her.
As for Nanamo herself, she didn't really think about things that deeply.
First of all, there was the difference in strength. Nanamo had always been raised by Nereus, so she was naturally closer to him.
Nereus also didn't forbid Nanamo from associating with Charlotte Linlin either. After all, on these seas, having both parents alive and knowing their names isn't easy.
Plus, her life was actually better with Nereus. She was his only child, and the Merfolk and Fish-Men who followed Nereus took great care of her because of him.
Just like Hermes called her "Princess Nanamo," over on Nereus's side she really was a little princess.
As for the number of Charlotte Linlin's children…
Even Nanamo couldn't keep track. Gloriosa once described Charlotte Linlin's fertility rate as "popping like popcorn"—every year, there were new half-siblings.
Usually, just dropping by and playing like visiting a neighbor's house was fine, but the thought of actually living together with such a big family made Nanamo's head spin.
After that, nothing special happened. She checked in on the injured Brulee, played for a while, and then returned to Nereus's place.
Meanwhile, after Nanamo left, Charlotte Linlin suddenly looked over at her son.
"Katakuri, who do you think is stronger now, you or Nanamo?"
"Mama… You know how Big Sis is. If I really fought her… I probably couldn't even break through her defense."
Charlotte Linlin's question left Katakuri momentarily speechless. Faced with the "Iron Balloon" talent, there was nothing a still-growing Katakuri could do.
The amount of damage he could cause was zero. Katakuri couldn't imagine how he could possibly beat that big sister right now.
"Mamamama~, she is, after all, the only one who inherited my defensive ability. That's only natural."
Katakuri's answer was just what Charlotte Linlin expected. Right now, she seemed like a normal mother, praising her daughter.
But as she spoke, Charlotte Linlin's tone started to become a little resentful.
"It's only natural for a child to be with their mother, isn't it? Damn you, Nereus, if it weren't for you… how could Nanamo not choose me…"
Katakuri said nothing. Even though Charlotte Linlin wasn't yet the crazy old hag she'd later become, this was still a topic he didn't want to get involved in.
After all, Charlotte Linlin's thoughts were impossible to fathom, and saying the wrong thing could easily make her unhappy.
Not long after, at Nereus's residence, Nanamo had already returned and found Nereus in his study.
The shelves were lined with all sorts of books and picture albums; if you looked closely, you could see titles like Dracula, Nightfall, Hotel Transylvania, and other books with vampire themes.
Compared to the slight discomfort she felt around Charlotte Linlin, Nanamo was now completely at ease in her expression and posture.
She pushed herself up with both hands and sat down right on Nereus's desk.
"Dad, I'm back. Did something big happen? On my way back, I saw a lot of people getting ready to set sail."
There were a lot of pirates on the island, but they usually acted on their own. Seeing this kind of coordinated activity was rare.
"Mm, you could say that. This time… it's the end of an era and the start of a new one."
"An era?"
The word "era" seemed to confuse Nanamo; she couldn't quite grasp what it meant, but she still looked eager, as if she wanted to take part.
"It's too early. That's not a place you should set foot in yet."
"Aww, Dad, I'm really strong! If you don't believe me, go ask the others. Just today, Katakuri and I took down an entire pirate crew by ourselves!"
"Nanamo, that place is different."
Even Nereus himself didn't know the specific details of God Valley; he only remembered the outcome and fragments of events from his past life.
With his skills, Nereus wasn't afraid of what was over there, but bringing Nanamo would make things far too risky.
"I understand…"
Seeing Nereus's expression turn serious, Nanamo didn't say anything more. Nereus's attitude made it clear; he wasn't going to change his mind.
"Don't be discouraged. You still need a bit more time. Right now, you're still too young. When the day comes, I'll take you to experience the view from the top of the world."
"I'm about to have a little meeting to arrange what comes next, why don't you stay and listen in?"