Chapter 664: Gaji's Mediation
How could the Vinsmoke family members, who had just landed on the island, fail to notice the sudden outbreak of battle?
As soon as they disembarked and began unloading the gifts intended for BIG MOM, they spotted the towering black flames shooting into the sky.
They immediately understood that Ian, that reckless fool, had somehow started a fight on Whole Cake Island!
If it were just Ian alone, Gaji and his sons might have gleefully watched the spectacle, waiting to see how BIG MOM would teach him a lesson.
But remembering what they had seen through their telescopes earlier—their daughter Reiju together with Ian—Gaji gritted his teeth in fury and quickly called Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji to rush over.
Damn it! If you want to provoke BIG MOM alone, fine, but don’t drag my daughter into it!
Gaji was burning with anxiety. Though he wasn’t exactly a good father, he still held some affection for Reiju, who resembled his late wife so much. He just rarely showed it.
For one thing, he was worried about Reiju’s safety. For another, he feared that Reiju’s involvement might jeopardize the cooperation between the Vinsmoke Family and the BIG MOM Pirates.
Sure enough, as soon as they arrived at the castle, they saw Reiju floating in midair in her battle suit.
And that brat Ian looked like he was about to start a full-scale war with BIG MOM, making Gaji’s heart tremble.
So, throwing caution to the wind, he stepped forward and shouted for them to stop.
He didn’t know if his intervention would make any difference, but if he let Ian act recklessly, the consequences would be unpredictable.
What Gaji didn’t realize, however, was that the moment the Vinsmoke family appeared, BIG MOM and Katakuri’s eyes lit up.
For them, the Vinsmokes had arrived at the perfect time…
Seeing her father and three younger brothers, Reiju was momentarily stunned. When she looked at Gaji, he was glaring at her furiously, shouting, “Reiju! What the hell are you doing!? Get down here right now!”
Reiju hesitated and glanced at Ian.
Ian sighed inwardly. He understood Reiju’s feelings. Though she had no love for her cold-hearted family, she herself was different—just like Sanji, she was an exception in the family, still retaining human emotions. No matter how much she despised her family, Gaji was still her father.
Understanding this, Ian nodded decisively, signaling her to go down.
Seeing Ian’s nod, Reiju breathed a sigh of relief and descended, landing in front of Gaji.
“Father…” she called out.
Before Gaji could respond, Ichiji sneered from the side, “Reiju, look at what you’ve done! Back then, Ian and his Dragon Hunter Pirates chased us, Germa, for so long, and now you’ve gone and joined him!”
“Yeah!” Yonji chimed in, hands on his hips, mocking her. “I even brought the BIG MOM Pirates to save you back then, and now you’re part of the Dragon Hunter Pirates. What a waste of my effort!”
Hearing her two brothers’ merciless taunts, Reiju felt a surge of anger. But she knew exactly what kind of people her brothers were, so she ignored them and asked Gaji directly, “Father, what do you want?”
“Hmph!” Gaji snorted, veins bulging on his forehead. He scolded her in a low voice, “Reiju, what were you thinking? Don’t you know we’re in the middle of a honeymoon period with the BIG MOM Pirates? You’re a member of the Vinsmoke Family! Following that Ian brat—do you want the BIG MOM Pirates to take it out on us!?”
“…I’ve already joined the Dragon Hunter Pirates,” Reiju said flatly. “Ian is my captain, so of course I stand with him.”
“Ridiculous!” Gaji roared. “What Dragon Hunter Pirates! You’re the eldest daughter of the Vinsmoke Family! Running around with a pirate—what kind of behavior is that!? Now that I’ve found you here, you’re coming back to the family starting now!”
“Come back for what?” Reiju glanced at Ichiji and the others behind him and sneered. “To watch you grovel before the BIG MOM Pirates? To kiss up to BIG MOM?”
“You…” Gaji was furious and about to retort when Ichiji spoke up from behind, “Father, forget it. Reiju’s been bewitched by that brat. Talking to her is useless. Why not tie her up and hand her over to the BIG MOM Pirates? That way, the Vinsmoke Family can wash its hands of this mess.”
“Bastard!” Even Reiju couldn’t hold back her anger at that. Were these really the words of her own brother!?
Because she had been with Ian, Reiju had met Sanji early. That perverted cook, though he couldn’t resist a pretty face, was always gentle with his sister. This made Reiju compare him to Ichiji and the others once again, and she felt even more certain that leaving the family was the right choice…
Just as Reiju was about to lash out and teach Ichiji a lesson, Gaji shot Ichiji a glare and said, “Shut up!”
Ichiji snorted but said nothing more. Gaji then grabbed Reiju’s arm and said, “You stay quiet too!”
Turning to Ian, who was still in midair, Gaji called out, “Brat, stop this! Come down. I have something to say to you.”
Ian frowned. He had noticed Reiju’s expression earlier—it seemed her conversation with the Vinsmokes hadn’t gone well. Now Gaji was calling him down. What did he want?
Still, Ian dismissed the lightning around him, glanced at BIG MOM’s side, and flew down.
Strangely, BIG MOM’s group seemed to have received some order and made no move, simply watching Ian land.
“Brat, you’re too reckless!” Gaji said as soon as Ian touched the ground.
“I admit you’ve grown stronger,” Gaji continued, “but do you really think you can take on the entire BIG MOM Pirates alone?”
Ian frowned and asked, “What are you trying to say?”
“I can’t let my daughter stay in danger with you,” Gaji sighed in frustration. “Stop for now. Let me mediate this…”
Without waiting for Ian’s reply, he turned and walked toward BIG MOM.
Ian was stunned. What the hell? Why does everyone think I’m bound to lose against the BIG MOM Pirates?
Of course, this was partly because Gaji didn’t know that Ian’s Sky Island was already near Whole Cake Island, and partly because the Four Emperors’ reputation was deeply ingrained in people’s minds. Ian’s rise had been swift, but that also meant his foundation was shallow. Comparing the two, Gaji, who understood the BIG MOM Pirates’ strength, naturally didn’t favor Ian.
Gaji had staked the Vinsmoke family’s hopes of restoring their kingdom after 300 years on the BIG MOM Pirates. His confidence in them was immense…
But because of Reiju, Gaji had to step in and mediate. At least for now, he didn’t want to see Ian and the BIG MOM Pirates go to war. If a war had to happen, it would be after he had taken Reiju away from Ian.
After that, Gaji couldn’t care less about Ian…
Ian was still brooding when Yonji, that idiot, piped up beside him, “Hmph, brat, if you want to die, don’t drag the Vinsmoke family into it…”
Before he could finish, Yonji’s entire body was sent flying like a cannonball!
“Idiot!” Reiju retracted her long leg—she had kicked Yonji away. She had been holding back for a while now.
Ian watched helplessly, lowering his arm that had been reaching for his sword. He had been about to strike, but Reiju beat him to it.
“…!” Ichiji and Niji remained expressionless, offering no comment on Yonji being kicked away.
*Such emotional detachment…* Ian shook his head inwardly at the Vinsmoke family’s bizarre dynamics.
Meanwhile, Gaji had reached BIG MOM and said with a smile, “Mama, why get angry at a young man? Tomorrow is the wedding tea party. If Whole Cake Island gets destroyed, the tea party won’t happen!”
“Hmph!” BIG MOM looked down at Gaji with a dark expression. “Gaji, don’t think I don’t know your daughter is behind Ian. What does the Vinsmoke family have to say about this?”
But Gaji, a shrewd man, avoided the topic entirely and asked, “Speaking of which, wasn’t Ian your invited guest? Why did a conflict suddenly break out?”
“He heard that Mama intended to arrange a marriage between him and Smoothie, and he refused, wanting to leave,” Katakuri explained coldly, arms crossed. “But since he was an invited guest, we couldn’t just let him go. That’s how the conflict started.”
Hearing this, Gaji burst into laughter. “So that’s it! This is nothing but a small matter!”
“A small matter?” BIG MOM squinted at him. “You think someone causing trouble on Whole Cake Island is a small matter?”
“Mama,” Gaji said with a smile, “in my opinion, it really is. Have you forgotten? Ian is only in his twenties. Young people at that age are rebellious. He opposed the marriage because he hates arranged unions. Besides, he’s never even met your daughter Smoothie, so he doesn’t know her. That’s why this happened. I think your approach was also a bit hasty. Maybe you should let Smoothie spend some time with him first. If they hit it off, you couldn’t tear them apart even if you wanted to…”
“Hmm…” BIG MOM pondered for a moment. “You have a point…”
Seeing BIG MOM’s attitude, Gaji felt hopeful and pressed on, “Young people are like that—the more you push, the more they resist. It’s better to sit down calmly and talk things out. Reason with him. Even if you can’t reach an agreement, at least don’t let him ruin your mood for the wedding tea party!”
BIG MOM and Katakuri exchanged a strange glance, then BIG MOM nodded. “Fine. I’ll give the Vinsmoke family some face. Go tell him that I have a secret about Kaido. If he wants to know it, he’d better behave himself and wait until the tea party is over.”
“Understood,” Gaji said with a nod. “Oh, Mama, I’ve brought you a gift—snacks from Fish-Man Island. They’re hard to come by.”
“R-Really!?” At the mention of snacks, BIG MOM’s mood brightened instantly. She laughed heartily, resting her chin on her hand. “Are they really from Fish-Man Island? Ever since that old geezer Whitebeard claimed Fish-Man Island as his territory, I haven’t had their snacks in ages. Don’t you dare lie to me, or the consequences will be severe!”
“Haha, how could I lie to you?” Gaji replied. “And I’ve brought two tons of them—I’ve practically cleaned out the market…”
BIG MOM’s eyes turned into hearts with joy. Gaji waved his hand, and the Vinsmoke family’s clone soldiers carried large boxes forward, presenting the snacks to BIG MOM.
Gaji then turned back, his face cold, and walked toward Ian…