One Piece: It's always been you

Chapter 75 She said she was there to meet her future son-in-law in advance.

“Sister-in-law Yu doesn’t have a family. She was picked up by Katakuri and joined our pirate crew.” Praline’s words were all true.

If You knew, she'd probably faint from anger. What do you mean, "picked up"? It was an accident. Don't make her sound so pitiful. Besides, she has a family fortune, the kind that's terrifying if you tell me.

Aladdin was quite interested; picking one up and taking it home was quite a coincidence, so why couldn't he? Sigh... if he could, he'd like to pick up a wife too.

"You picked her up?" Jinbe asked doubtfully. And that name... Yuu, the Marine Little Witch also has that name, though she hasn't appeared at Marine Headquarters for a long time. "In that case, I reckon Big Mom won't agree."

"Why? I think Sister-in-law You will definitely marry my brother."

Why? What else could it be? Big Mom would never do a losing deal. If it couldn't strengthen her Whole Cake Island, she would never agree to it. Besides, that person was Charlotte Katakuri, the most important child among Big Mom's crew. It's only because she let him stay that she was giving her son some face, and probably because she thought he was still somewhat useful.

Another point is that BIGMOM has always married off its daughters; there is no precedent for having its sons marry into alliances.

Of course, Jinbe didn't say that; he just thought it to himself.

"The eldest brother just thinks the wife he picked up is a bit unreliable," Aladdin explained for him.

Praline was unconvinced and floated up, pointing at Aladdin's nose. "What do you mean! So what if he was picked up? He might even be someone with status! Katakuri and Yu's sister-in-law are very loving, so why do you say that someone picked up is unreliable?"

Aladdin was a little confused by the pointing finger; he hadn't meant anything by it. "Wait, why are you so agitated?"

“You’re questioning my brother’s love! You can’t be prejudiced against Yu-jie just because she was adopted; that’s wrong. Of course, you can’t be prejudiced against me just because I was adopted by you.” Pralinne continued her barrage of criticism.

"Okay, okay, I understand." Aladdin raised his hands in surrender, also hoping to use this to distance himself from Praline. Heaven knows why this little girl is so fiery, outspoken, and a bit domineering.

She was satisfied with Aladdin's performance and stopped pursuing him, nimbly wagging her tail and retreating. Seeing him get his comeuppance made her very happy.

"By the way, which way do we go now?"

“Go to the shore. Katakuri’s ship will definitely be there. Once you find him, we can leave,” Jinbe said.

Praline nodded, stealing a quick glance at Aladdin before looking away.

The further Katakuri went, the more uneasy he felt. The island's center seemed to be gathering strength, poised to unleash its power. But he still hadn't found Yu, and Praline was completely unaware of her whereabouts.

The crystal's color deepened, and thinking about it, he quickened his pace.

There was a rustling sound in the grass not far away. Katakuri stopped and was about to use his Observation Haki when a pair of small, white hands emerged from the grass. After groping around for a while and finding no obstruction, a pink, fluffy head poked out.

"This place seems... I've been here before..." How many bushes has she crawled through now? Why is it always the same? When will this end?! "Waaah, Katakuri, when are you coming to find me..."

Yu was already ready to give up. She saw a rock nearby and took two steps forward, intending to sit down and rest for a while. But then she remembered that she had just sat down for a bit and then lost her bearings.

The island was inside a bubble ball, surrounded by the scent of the sea. At first, she could sense which side had a stronger sea scent, but at some point, the scent of the sea also appeared in the opposite direction, becoming increasingly pronounced.

Then...then, she sat down to rest for a while, and then she couldn't tell which way was which.

"Damn Samojiu! You let me go, fine, but couldn't you at least give me directions? And if you can't, fine, but why is this island so weird? It smells like the sea!" Yu finally sat down on a rock, legs crossed, cheeks puffed out in a huff, grumbling. "What if Katakuri can't find me...?"

"I was brought in here out of nowhere, and I don't even know if he's still in that vortex, or if he's safe... It's all that Samo's fault!"

Katakuri walked in while secretly smiling. How could his Yu be so cute? Even the way he scolded and got angry was so funny.

Katakuri had intended to eavesdrop a little longer, but the unsettling feeling on the island was stronger than before. He coughed and said, "Turn around, Yu, I've found you."

The small figure in front of him paused for a moment, then pounced on Katakuri, shouting, "Katakuri!"

Katakuri was caught off guard; Yu's speed was consistently fast, and he was somewhat taken aback. Fortunately, he managed to catch her steadily with his outstretched arms.

"Why did you take so long to come? I thought you hadn't gotten out of the vortex yet. I thought you couldn't find me." Yu's small arms couldn't even wrap around Katakuri's neck, but she was still trying desperately to encircle him.

"I met someone on the way, which delayed me."

"Anyone you know here? Are they in the Navy? Are you alright?"

Katakuri didn't reply. He looked in the direction behind Yu for a while before turning his gaze back to Yu and smiling. "I'm fine. I'm not a Marine. It's someone related to you."

"Me?"

“Hmm, but she said she’ll meet you later, it’s not the right time yet.” Katakuri rubbed Yu’s head, turned around and led her towards the shore. “It seems like something’s coming to this island, let’s go to the shore first. We still haven’t heard from Praline.”

Katakuri didn't tell Yu that the person he met was Yu's mother; the two were practically identical, making it hard not to know their relationship. However, Yu's mother didn't say much to him; she simply met him and chatted about some very ordinary topics.

As for why Katakuri listened patiently, it was because she was Yu's mother, and also because she said she was there to meet her future son-in-law in advance.

To be honest, he was a little nervous at the time. It was his first time meeting his future mother-in-law, and he had to make a good first impression. But fortunately, he remained quite serious throughout.

"And you? How did you end up here after being carried away by the vines?" Katakuri couldn't help but worry about Yu's condition.

Yu lay on Katakuri's scarf and said, "I saw Samuki. He removed the poison from my body. The attack on Whole Cake Island was carried out by someone in collusion with the island's inhabitants, and the poison came from Queen of the Beasts Pirates." Yu told Katakuri everything Samuki had said.

Katakuri stopped in his tracks after hearing this. Why would the Beasts Pirates target Yu?! "The Beasts Pirates, if they can't recruit you, are they going to kill you?"

Yu, perched on Katakuri's shoulder, noticed movement in the grass not far away. Was someone following them? Her attention was diverted, and she didn't reply to Katakuri's words for a moment. She only snapped back to reality when Katakuri called her again.

"I don't know, but his poison won't kill me. I guess it's just a way to intimidate me."

"A show of force? The Beasts Pirates wanted to recruit you because of your abilities, but you refused. I think they would have eliminated you to prevent your abilities from threatening them," Katakuri analyzed, feeling there were other reasons behind it. "But they haven't done that yet. There must be another reason why they want to recruit you."