One Piece: It's always been you

Chapter 76 It can't be that he's after my body, right?

"Other reasons? Besides my special abilities, I'm also pretty. Could it be that Kaido likes me and is after my looks?" Yu's sudden joke prompted Katakuri to lightly tap her on the head.

Only You could still have the mind to joke with him at this moment, saying, "Be serious."

"Hey, Kakashi, we can't even think of that right now. I barely survived, so don't be so serious." Rubbing the spot where she was hit, Yu complained a little, "Do you know that this will affect the child's growth and development? You have to keep me in a happy mood."

Sighing, seeing that nothing she said would make a difference, she simply skipped the topic and asked, "Miss Yu, how can I keep myself in a good mood?"

"No problem, no problem, just watch how our Lord Katakuri performs." He kept rubbing his head against his scarf.

Katakuri kept walking, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He had just seen Samaki and Sora; they had followed him here, and Samaki had said something to him from afar—"Give her a little shock."

This is likely related to Yu returning to her original form, but it seems difficult to provoke her. At least, it's unlikely given the current situation.

The person in front was struggling with how to provoke You into turning back, while the two behind were locked in a dilemma: one gritted his teeth, and the other offered kind words of advice.

"You, you, you, did you see that?! He actually, he actually touched Xiao Er!" Sha Mojiu also endured until the person was a little farther away before emerging from the grass, peeking out from under the green leaves. "Xiao Er was even snuggling against his shoulder! She's never done that to me!"

As Sha Mojiu spoke, tears welled up in his eyes. He thought about how his old father had worked so hard, and how he had only held You twice when she was very, very young. Just those two times!

"Alright, alright, everyone's gone now. What's the point of saying this now?" Kong Mingwei comforted her. "But don't you think this is a good thing? At least now Xiaoyou has someone who trusts him, and he's very good to her."

"So what! My daughter! Waaaaaah, I didn't even get to hold her properly before some other guy snatched her away! It's outrageous!"

Looking at this man, Kong Mingwei felt both amused and helpless. How could she have fallen for him? He wasn't like this before; he's completely changed now.

However, Kong Mingwei suddenly thought of something, "If Xiao You suddenly grows bigger, won't her clothes change too?" It seemed like she was talking to herself, but this was a question that really needed to be seriously considered.

"Of course not, we must believe in science! Although it was illogical for you to suddenly break through space and appear in front of me, the basic conservation of mass for clothing will not change!" Sha Mojiu said earnestly, not yet noticing anything amiss.

Kong Mingwei realized, "Then we should remind Katakuri, otherwise we might be holding our grandchildren soon." Resting her chin on her hand, Kong Mingwei thought about it and decided that there was no need to remind him, but it seems that You is not yet an adult here, still a few months away. Should she still wake him up?

"If he dares, I'll go up there and break his legs right now! If he dares to do anything to my daughter, I'll turn the entire pirate world upside down!" Samojiu said, rolling up his sleeves.

Kong Mingwei immediately tore open space and teleported the two of them back to the original center of the island.

"what are you doing?"

“Katakuri isn’t as reckless as you. You can tell he’s very thoughtful. He would have thought of that himself without us having to remind him,” Kong Mingwei said earnestly.

"Hey, how did I act so rashly?" As people get older, they tend to be childish in some ways and can't always hold grudges against younger people. "Back before I met you, I was dominating the business world, and that's what attracted you to me."

"Alright, alright, you're the best. You're still going strong even in your old age, just as impressive as ever. Is that enough?"

"It's alright, as long as you can't dislike me."

"You're such a character." Kong Mingwei patted him with a hint of disdain; it was just a bit of fun in the life of an old married couple.

The seawater in the center of the island began to spread towards the shore; this seawater wasn't real seawater, but merely an illusion. Its purpose was simply to send everyone on the island except for the two of them back to the surface.

Katakuri and Yu had just arrived at the shore and hadn't even boarded the boat when they heard Praline's shouts.

"Katakuri-nii-san! Yu-sama-sama!"

The two searched for the source of the sound and found the three of them near the Sun Pirate Ship not far away.

“Jinbe? Aladdin?” Yu and Katakuri also recognized the other two people.

The three figures gradually grew larger, approaching the location where the two were.

"Katakuri, it was these two who saved me." Praline floated among the four, addressed Katakuri, and then lowered her head, refusing to look at anyone.

The conversation between Jinbe and the other two was naturally left to Katakuri. Yu's attention was focused on Praline; she seemed to be in a good mood, though a little shy at the moment.

The shark's tail swayed slightly, and although its head was lowered, it was tilted slightly, suggesting it was eavesdropping on the conversation.

While Yu was engrossed in enjoying the gossip, Jinbe suddenly called him over.

"I heard from Praline that your name is Yu?" While Jinbe was talking to Katakuri, he kept looking at the person wearing the scarf. It seemed to match everything, yet it also seemed to make no sense at all.

This person shouldn't be this tiny.

"Yes, you know me?"

Jinbe wanted to say something, but didn't. He knew quite a bit about what happened within the Navy. "I don't know him. Praline said Katakuri, the second-in-command of the Big Mom Pirates, has found a partner. I'm a little curious." He was indeed curious; how could someone so young...

"Oh, thank you for bringing our sister back. It seems we'll have to thank you another time." Yu looked helplessly at the sea that was almost reaching the shore. "Look, this island won't let us stay."

"I look forward to seeing you again next time."

"Goodbye then."

The two groups boarded their respective boats. Once aboard, they realized there was no need to rush. The seawater flowing from the center of the island seemed to possess a spirit, guiding each person back to their own boat before propelling it away.

Katakuri hadn't expected to find anything of value on this mission to the West Blue. He was still figuring out how to report back to his mother when he discovered several extra treasure chests on the ship after leaving. They weren't anything particularly rare, but for Totto Land, they were quite valuable—containing some rare ingredients, exactly the kind of desserts his mother had recently expressed a desire for.

Katakuri didn't realize how considerate and thoughtful his mother-in-law was. As for Samaki, he should be considered his father-in-law. He would consider the matter of bullying Yuu next time.

However, one thing remains puzzling: Yu hasn't returned to her original form. Fortunately, everything else is normal, and she's no longer excessively sleepy.

The situation in the West Sea had already been reported to Perospero via Den Den Mushi beforehand. Mom was a little disappointed, but she was just going through the motions to join in the fun.

Moreover, with these ingredients available, she can enjoy the delicious food she wants.

Therefore, no new tasks were assigned to Katakuri; he was simply instructed to take the ingredients back to Whole Cake Island as soon as possible and hand them over to the head chef.