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Chapter Text

It was a rainy day when three new souls were born into this world by a certain Emperor of the Sea. 

Her name was Charlotte Linlin, and despite what is supposed to be a taxing and even at times life-threatening ordeal she has gone through, she has stayed unaffected. 

She is a very strong woman, no doubt about that. After all, no ordinary woman can endure twenty-nine continuous pregnancies year after year, with multiple births sprinkled in between. 

And one of Charlotte Linlin’s many, many quirks, both good and bad, this one either good or bad, was not deciding on a name until the babies were born. 

The midwives and nursemaids knew not to question why, including the many, many things that are certainly not seen anywhere else in the Grand Line. 

They diligently cleaned up the babies, two boys and one girl, fraternal triplets, like Mama’s first set of triplets, Katakuri, Daifuku, and Oven. They gently wiped off the fluids, ensured that their lungs were clear of it, swaddled them in soft cloth and diapers, bundling them before presenting them to Big Mom, who held them with eyes soft with something that could be vaguely called pride, and a small, very small hint of motherly love. 

“Mamamama! I’m glad they look very healthy. Of course, that’s because I gave birth to them.” Linlin mused to herself, a part of her mind focused on cradling her newborns, while the other, calculating, ruthless part of her already mapped out the purpose of these triplets right after their birth. 

By using Soru-Soru no Mi and her own Observation Haki, she could peek into the souls of people and evaluate their lifespan and the strength of their souls. That is how she saw a very curious oddity about the only girl in her triplets. 

“Oya~? How curious~!” She sang.

A brave nursemaid stammered. “What is it, Mama?”

Linlin chuckled, “It seems I have given birth to strong children. Exceptionally strong children! Especially this little one…” She gestured to the only girl among them. 

As if sensing the attention, the three began to cry loudly. 

“Mamamama! They have such strong lungs on them, too~ Speaking of, call Streusen and have him prepare me madeleines filled with Bavarian cream, as well as potato fries, will you?” She ordered one of the midwives, who nodded and dialed the Den Den Mushi perched on one of the many side tables in the birthing room. 

While waiting for the call, Linlin gently hummed and rocked the crying babies until their cries subsided. She already had an inkling of what they would look like grown up. The three were born with soft, downy hair that, after getting cleaned up, showed what their hair colors would look like. 

The oldest one had black hair, the middle had blonde hair, and the only girl in the set inherited Linlin’s pink locks, yet they are somehow muted, like being washed in grey. 

She didn’t have time to muse for another thought before Streusen came into the room, wheeling a cart filled with shell-shaped pastries and a heaping pile of potato fries complete with various dipping sauces. He gestured at the midwives and nursemaids to leave them be, and they complied. 

“I take it the birth had gone well, Mama?” Streusen commented as he came to stop beside Linlin’s bed. 

Linlin held her triplets in one arm, cradling them against her chest, while her other hand started grabbing multiple fries and dipping them in the creams and sauces before munching on them. “Mamamama! Look at these three, yes yes, they’re well and healthy~ Don’t you think, Streusen?”

He nodded in agreement and voiced the question that is present in everyone’s minds. “What are you gonna name them?”

Linlin looked at the fries in her hand, the pile of shell-shaped pastries with Bavarian filling in them, and pointed a clean finger to each of her new kids. She pointed at the black-haired baby, “His name shall be Charlotte Snack.” She moved to the blonde-haired baby, “This one shall be Charlotte Bavarois.” And lastly, she moved to the pink-haired baby, “And this little lady here shall be…

Charlotte Madeleine.”

It was at that moment that lightning and thunder boomed in the background, illuminating the faces of the three children, who began to cry at the sound. 

On October 29th, 1494, of the Age of the Sea Circle, a sixth set of triplets was born to the Charlotte Family, a set of fraternal triplets, two boys and one girl, named after the sweets and food Big Mom, at the age of 48, ate after giving birth to them. 

Charlotte Snack, Charlotte Bavarois, and Charlotte Madeleine. 

Just another set of children born to a family that functioned more as a business, rather than an actual family of love and warmth. 

How will they fare?

Chapter Text

For the older siblings of the Charlotte Family, their thoughts regarding the yearly addition of new faces into their family range from positive excitement and anticipation, to negative indifference, to outright hatred. 

Of course, those who don’t like how competitions keep appearing knew how to keep those thoughts to themselves, lest they bring down he might of their idol on their heads.

Their said idol? Why, it’s blasphemy if you’re part of the Family or the Big Mom Pirates if you don’t know his name!

Charlotte Katakuri. Even at only 19 years old, he has already attained the position of a Sweet Commander, already has a bounty since he was 10, is the perfect older brother to his siblings, and is Mama’s perfect son and weapon against her enemies. 

His mere presence alone serves to deter crews from attacking Totto Land and harming the Charlottes simply due to his overwhelming power. 

That said, it’s not a secret that Katakuri deeply cares about his siblings, and there are rumors he has taken a Vow to protect them, even at the cost of his own life. 

Bottom line is, the reason why no fratricide or sororicide is happening within the Charlottes is due to the older siblings’ best attempts at parenting them, Katakuri included. In fact, some subordinates would go on to even say that Katakuri substituted for a father figure for his younger siblings due to his duty as a steady, unmovable, unbreakable pillar for his family. 

And it’s an unspoken duty for stand-in parents to attend the first birthday parties of the newest addition to their family. 

It’s a sunny day, and a less-grandiose celebration among the siblings, Mama not included, since she is busy heading to another country to raid and pillage them, occurred at Whole Cake Island, set in the party hall of Charlotte’s main residence. 

It’s where Charlotte Linlin lives, and within it was a daycare for Charlotte siblings aged from months old to four-year-old toddlers. Attached to it was a party hall often used to host private conferences with VIPs that Mama summoned to, but is often yearly used for the celebration of the newest additions’ birthdays. 

It’s a fairly modest affair, with the only outsiders being the staff and nannies that supervise the youngest kids, with the kids 5-year-old and above being surrounded by their older siblings, which is rare in that five had attended.

There are the fixtures, Charlotte Perospero with his dotted hair, lips face lined with lipstick and eyeliner, already sporting a tall candy hat and a trenchcoat as his signature look. At 21 years old, he is the proud oldest brother of 47 siblings and more coming, and is undoubtedly the one holding the most seniority and the biggest holder of ‘big brother rights’ among the siblings. 

Next to her was their oldest sister, Compote. At 20, she already boasts a healthy mane of turquoise-colored hair, a sun hat decorated with fruits befitting her position as the Minister of Fruits, eyes lined with killer eyeliner and lips shaded in lavender, and a well-toned figure accentuated by her humble dress paired with a cyan cardigan and kitten heels. She has taken the role of being a mother figure most of the time, yet she could be just as jolly and friendly like an older sister should be. 

Another notable character was Amande. The tall, snakeneck lady with an astounding lack of her usual sun hat (because it wouldn’t fit the doorway), already wearing her signature dress, had a smattering of hearts decorating her long neck. At already 18 years old, she has gained an epithet among her crew and marines alike as Mad Moiselle, a powerful swordswoman who has the disturbing habit of cutting through enemies painfully slow, akin to torture. That persona was shed off, though, in favor of watching over her younger siblings along with Compote with a soft expression and kind smiles. 

Twins Cracker and Custard attended as well, the 16-year-olds playing and making their younger siblings laugh. Said younger siblings consisted of 11-year-olds Moscato, Mash, and Cornstarch, with 10-year-olds Compo and Laurin laughing as they were launched high into the air by their strong older brother, a 9-year-old Mont-d’Or watching in awe at his big brother’s strength, alongside 8-year-old twins Mozart and Marnier. Meanwhile, 7-year-old High Fat is busy carrying around his much smaller and younger twin, Tablet, for the two are born with the condition of Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction, resulting in High-Fat being much bigger and stronger, leaving Tablet looking like a preemie when he was born. Until now, the younger twin has had to be physically carried after intensive physical activities, being born with reduced endurance and stamina. The three longleg sisters, 6-year-olds Smoothie, Citron, and Cinnamon, are bugging the nannies on when they will finally see their youngest and newest siblings, the birthday boys and girls, they claimed, with the 5-year-olds Saint-Marc and Basans nodding furiously at them. 

The nannies must’ve popped a vein or something since they signalled the MC, who tapped the mic to get everyone’s attention before saying, “Now presenting, the birthday triplets! Snack, Bavarois, and Madeleine!” 

Applause followed his words, as the nannies wheeled a raised basket where the three 1-year-olds lay, all of them awake and blinking curiously at their new surroundings. 

The three longleg girls swooned, taken by their cuteness, while Saint-Marc and Basans peered curiously at the babies, who stared back. Mozart asked if they were that cute when they were young as well, prompting Compo to say they’re still young as well, sparking a familiar spat between the two older twins, with their younger twins attempting to diffuse the situation between them. Mont-d’Or sighed and instead joined Smoothie, Citron, and Cinnamon in swooning over his youngest siblings, with Cornstarch asking their big brother Cracker if the triplets would grow as strong as him. Custard chimed that they will, and maybe grow even smarter than their dumbass triplet brother, making the 11-year-old batch laugh and Cracker sputter to recover his dignity. Compote and Amande sighed at their antics, while the oldest brother, Perospero, chuckled indulgently. 

1-year-olds Snack yawned, Bavarois is already falling asleep again, while Madeleine made a grumpy pout when picked up carefully by 10-year-old Laurin, who joined the longleg sisters and Mont-d’Or is swooning over their cuteness. “Look! Madeleine-chan is making such a face towards us! Isn’t she so cute~!” He remarked, causing Smoothie and Citron to go ‘awwww’ while Cinnamon clutched her heart jokingly. 

“Now now, be careful when you hold her, Laurin,” Compo muttered, a few new scratches present on his appearance after the scuffle with Mozart stopped. “I remember Brulee-nee telling us to be mindful of supporting the neck, since babies can’t hold them up really well.” Marnier chimed in, “Brulee-nee isn’t the right way to say it, Compo-nii, it’s actually Brûlée-nee, not Brulee-nee.” Compo sighed. He can’t exactly refute that without causing Marnier grief and then Mozart trying to rip his throat out, can he? So he busied himself adjusting his younger twin, Laurin’s hold on little Madeleine-chan. Why do his older sisters and brothers have difficult-to-say names anyway? Is Mama that particular?

“Look at them holding the newest members of our family. This takes me back, doesn’t it, Peros-nii?” Compote remarked with a fond sigh, remembering when she used to hold Zuccoto and Nusstorte like that. “It doesn’t escape my notice that they already knew the proper way of holding Charlotte children.” Amande chimed in. “I guess your teachings have been passed down, haven’t they?” Perospero just chuckled. “I’ve been a pretty good teacher, haven’t I? Perorin~” Compote and Amande chuckled alongside him, as they watched their younger siblings try and compete for the new triplets’ attention. Snack is currently carefully cradled in Moscato’s arms, who is babbling happily at his older brother’s attention, laughing when tickled on his belly by his adoring older brother. Mash and Cornstarch joined the swooning club, this time on Snack, since Madeleine already had admirers in the form of Laurin, Mont-d’Or, Smoothie, Citron and Cinnamon, with Mozart, Marnier, and Compo quietly watching over the sleeping Bavarois. 

Compote’s face however, sobered. She turned to her older brother and younger sister and questioned. “Did you remember what Mama said during the annual Officer meeting?” Amande nodded, grave and solemn like her future self. “Indeed. I have never seen Mama so subdued… it honestly scared me, what was it that she said again during that meeting?” She asked her older brother, who furrowed his brows and replied. “It’s about how little Madeleine-chan’s soul… is abnormal.” Compote and Amande both sported looks of alarm. “Now now, don’t be hasty. Snack and Bavarois turned out healthy for full-term babies, don’t they? Safe to say, this isn’t like High-Fat and Tablet’s case at all, perorin~” Perospero placated both of them, who both relaxed. “Rather, I think what Mama meant to imply is that due to Madeleine-chan’s soul having….unique properties, she told us to be ready to teach her Haki as soon as possible, perorin~” 

“Unique? What exactly is unique? I have my Observation active, and I may not be as good as Katakuri-nii sama, but I don’t see any changes in Madeleine-chan’s Haki. It’s infantile, just like how she is.” Amande piped up, eyes having a faint glow to them like how Observation Haki users often have. “Same here, what did you mean, Peros-nii?” Compote added. 

“I think it’s unique to only Mama, my dear sisters. She hasn’t disclosed it yet to us, but I think she will the moment Madeleine shows promise in unlocking Haki, perorin~” Perospero replied. “For the foreseeable future, let them enjoy their childhood along with their siblings. When Madeleine, maybe alongside her batchmates Snack and Bavarois do proceed to show promise in Haki… I trust you both to train them to the best of their ability, right, perorin~?” 

Compote and Amande nodded. “Yes, Peros-nii.”

Perospero clapped his hands, turning to his younger siblings who all got their attention to their oldest brother. “Alright, everyone, for those who are holding the triplets, you can either keep holding them or you can hand them to nannies so you can eat the delicious cake for this occasion, perorin~” He said to them, and Compote and Amande watched as they all communicated and came to the same solution. Amande laughed, and Compote sputtered when Laurin and Moscato started to chase Cracker and Custard, attempting to make the 16-year-olds hold the now babbling Snack and Madeleine, the latter grumbling more so, so they could eat cake. 

At the end, all the rascals ate cake, while Cracker grumbled with no heat behind them as he held Madeleine in one arm while eating the special cake with the other. Custard sighed and smiled when Snack babbled from her other arm, and used her finger to tickle the happy baby who chortled from his older sisters’ ministrations. 

“Angel sure had outdone herself again, didn’t she?” Custard remarked, proud of her youngest triplet sister. “Never knew coconut and vanilla could produce such exquisite flavors, oh, there are even almonds within as well~ How considerate of our younger sister, isn’t it, Compote-nee-sama?” Amande sighed in delight, eating more of the special cake. “Just Compote-nee is fine, Amande-chan. Indeed, Angel sure is getting more and more skillful in making birthday cakes. Maybe I’ll gift her a new undiscovered kind of fruit for her birthday?” Compote mused. “You mean OUR birthday.” Cracker chimed in, now switching to holding a baby bottle so Madeleine could drink milk. He shifted his hold so that the baby wouldn’t drown from drinking. “She’s truly a Charlotte, isn’t she? This is already her third bottle!” Cracker chortled. “I would be more worried if she isn’t drinking that many…” Compote mumbled between bites. 

“Remember when Mama had to literally conquer a whole-ass nation just to have milk to feed the quintuplets?” Cracker mused. “Mmhmm. I remember Opera’s surprised face when we returned carrying veritable wagons of Berry Moos and Choco Moos, and Zuccoto’s wail of despair when he, alongside Nusstorte, Basskarte, and Dosmarche, is ordered to lead the increasingly wild cows into their pen.” Amande chuckled, shaking her head. “I heard Zuccoto is staying away from that pen as far as possible. What could have possibly happened?” “The Moos happened.” Cracker and Custard intoned in one, then burst out laughing. 

The day was filled with joy and laughter, a happy celebration of the newest additions to the sprawling Charlotte Family, where even though it functioned as a business to outsiders, its countless children are very much tight-knit, at least for some. 

The day ended as gifts were given to the triplets, with all of them getting onesies from Moscato, Mash, Cornstarch, a crocheted blanket that has their hair colors from Tablet, baby rattlers from Mozart and Marnier, bonnets from Smoothie, Citron and Cinnamon, fruit-shaped teething toys from Compote, a miniature almond-shaped stuffed toy that Bavarois latched onto and never let go, bread-shaped pillows from Cracker and Custard, and lastly, swirly lollipop-shaped pacifiers from Perospero. 

Overall, it’s a good day.

Chapter Text

Her name tag, pinned a little crookedly on her crisp new uniform, felt impossibly heavy. Charlotte Family Daycare. The words were embroidered in a cheerful, looping script that seemed to mock the nervous flutter in her stomach. This was it. She was on her first day as a newly recruited nanny.

She clutched the strap of her sensible work bag, trying to match the measured pace of Head Matron Gertrude. Gertrude was a mountain of starched efficiency, her silver hair pulled back in a severe, impeccable bun. Her presence alone made the new nanny stand up straighter.

"The children will begin arriving at 7:30 sharp, dear," Gertrude said, her voice a low, steady rumble that somehow carried over the quiet hum of the empty facility. "The key to this job, Miss... ah, Miss Elms, is preparation. And routine. Always routine."

They turned a corner, and there it was: the main toddler room. It was a wonderland of soft blocks, miniature wooden kitchens, and shelves lined with brightly colored books. Sunlight streamed through large windows, illuminating dust motes dancing over a tiny red rocking horse. The room smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and the promise of impending chaos.

"You'll be working primarily with the three-year-olds down to 1-year-olds today," Gertrude continued, gesturing toward a neatly arranged set of little cots in a quiet corner. "Ensure naps are consistent. Any deviation, and you'll find yourself chasing a minor revolt."

"Keep in mind the flow of the other age groups," Gertrude added, her gaze sweeping over the door. "The five-year-olds will be ushered through on their way to the art studio at nine. The six-year-olds use the restroom adjacent to this room, so expect a few loud bursts of activity around ten. And the seven-year-olds often drop by to read a book in that corner chair during their 'quiet time' before lunch. We're an ecosystem, Miss Elms. Everything affects everything else."

She paused, her eyes, the color of chipped ice, fixing on Miss Elms. "Do you have any questions, Miss Elms?"

Miss Elms swallowed, the sound suddenly loud in the vast, still room. "No, Matron. Just... I'm ready to start."

Ready to start. She repeated the phrase internally, trying to sound more convincing to herself. Outside, she heard the distant thump-thump of a door being firmly closed. The quiet was over.

"Very good," Gertrude said, her lips barely twitching. "The children are coming. Straighten your collar. Smile. And never, ever let them see you sweat." She gave Miss Elms a firm pat on the shoulder that was meant to be encouraging but felt more like a geological shift.

Miss Elms took a deep breath, adjusted her name tag, and walked to the doorway, placing her hand on the cool metal of the door handle. Time to meet the Charlotte Family. Time to see what kind of tiny, unpredictable people she would spend her days with. Game on.

And game on it is, because the door was opened with such force you thought a grown man opened it, but it was actually opened by a small girl, about 4 years of age, with moose antlers that fixed Elms with a look so fierce it made her smile strain slightly and sweat drip down her temple. 

The girl must’ve seen something in there, since she declared, “You pass! Dacchan, Gacchan, Pocchan! Ya’ll can trust the new face! Bring ‘em here!” 

Elms watched in fascination as if on command, a black-haired boy with pink bat-like wings flew in, impressive in that he was holding a similarly black-haired baby, while two identical-looking girls with pink hair, one with wavy hair and one with straight hair and a panda hood on top, entered, clutching a blonde-haired baby and a pink-haired one on their arms. 

Elms sneaked a look at her boss, expecting Ma’am Gertrude to be making an unpleasant face, but was surprised when her boss remained unflappable as ever, only bending down so the girls handled the babies more carefully. Elms is befuddled. How can kids carry babies almost the same size as them when they’re supposed to be uncoordinated and clumsy? 

“Hello there, Melise-chan. And who might Dacquioise-kun, Galette-chan, and Poire-chan be carrying?” Gertrude asked, somehow transforming into a kind old lady rather than the stern matron Elms had met earlier. 

The brown-haired girl with antlers, maybe of 4 years of age, huffed, “Gertrude-baa! I can’t believe ya haven’t been introduced to the newest addition to the family yet! Alright, you three, line up!” She commanded her fellow siblings, who lined up like uncoordinated soldiers still holding a baby each in their arms. 

Melise pointed to the black-haired baby who seemed the happiest. “This is Snack-chan! He’s very happy, especially when carried or when we make funny faces. He drinks a lot of milk, too.” She narrated, then pointed to a blonde baby that seemed to be peacefully snoring. “Then this is Bavarois-chan! We call him Bava-chan for short. He likes to sleep, and often blinks cutely at you when you hold him up.” Melise almost hesitated, but bravely pointed to the last baby, who, Elms is surprised to have scowled immediately, a far cry from the happy if not neutral faces of her fellow triplets. Were babies capable of furrowing their brows like that? “And this is Madeleine-chan! We debated on whether to call her Rein-chan, but well, since she’s always grumpy-looking, we decided to call her Mad-chan!” Melise finished, proud of speaking a lot. “These are the new babies after Galette-chan and Poire-chan, Gertrude-baa! Aren’t they cute?”

Gertrude chuckled, a fond-sounding thing Elms thought the old matron couldn’t do. “My, they sure are. Why don’t you hand Snack-kun to me, Bava-kun? To Loreine-san over there,” She pointed at an auburn-haired lady, who was busy wrangling the bickering 5-year-olds, Saint-Marc and Basans, who were quarreling over a baby doll of all things, “And… Mad-chan? To Elms-san here.” 

Elms almost squeaked, but managed to recompose herself and sent the now dubious-looking Melise a what she hopes is a friendly smile. “Hello, I’m the ‘new face’, Melise-san. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Imogen Elms. May I hold Mad-chan so you could eat?” She asked. Melise scrunched up her nose, “Call me Melise, I’m not that old!” She demanded. Elms giggled. “Alright, Melise.” 

Seemingly satisfied, Melise ordered, “Poire! Hand Elms-chan Mad-chan!” The panda hood-wearing girl squeaked, and Elms got a view of curiously pointed teeth. “Y-Yes, Melise!” The twin who must be Galette agreed and hurried over to Elms, who crouched down to receive the still grumpy-looking Mad-chan in her arms. 

“Melise-nee! Poire-chan! Hurry up or Galette-chan will eat all the eclairs!” 3-year-old Dacquoise called, pink bat wings fluttering furiously as he flew towards the dining room of the daycare. Poire yelped as Melise waged a war cry and tugged the younger girl towards the dining room with a faded shout of “Galette-chan! I swear to Mama if you don’t leave us any eclairs, I’m telling Custard-nee you’ve been wearing her coats!” Followed by a screech of what is probably Galette retaliating in kind. 

Now left with a grumpy baby in her hands, while Head Matron Gertrude held Snack, sitting in a corner as she made the baby laugh, while Elms' coworker, Loreine, somehow managed to make the twins quiet down as they watched Bavarois in her arms slumber without a care for the world…

…Elms stared at Madeleine, and she somehow got the feeling she was being stared at right back, not just because of reflex, but the baby recognized she was there. 

She broke out in a slightly exasperated yet sunny smile. “Guess we’re the only ones for a while, huh?” Madeleine-chan, or Mad-chan, according to Melise, huffed as if in exasperation, making her chuckle. 

Elms meandered over to the book corner, sitting down in one of the low chairs and tables. How said chairs withstood the weight of a grown woman, she attributed to what its made of: a special kind of biscuit. Actually, the whole daycare adjacent to the Charlottes is made of different kinds of candy and sweets. The tables are genuine peppermints supersized to a degree, with hardened chocolate stubs as legs, while the seats have biscuit frames and marshmallow cushioning. The walls are made of gingerbread, and the carpet is somehow made out of crushed graham held together by a special cream, that only the makers from Graham Island knew how to make. This room looked like a child’s sweet dream come true, which is reality for the Charlottes, like Mad-chan she’s holding. 

Despite that, the books are still an inedible, leather-bound bunch of parchment with words on them. Elms picked up a fairytale book and opened it in front of Madeleine-chan, who now looked curious, instead of grumpy. Elms smiled at the now pacified baby. 

“Want me to read it to you?” Elms asked, really not expecting a response. “Ba!” Madeleine’s fist almost smacked her chin if not for her reflexes. A sweat trickled down Elms’s temple. “I guess that’s a yes, alright.” 

And so she read. She told the baby about a curious story where a princess was trapped in a tower with a dragon, waiting for a prince to come rescue her. But a twist is present—the princess and the dragon are friends, and they made it a test to see if the princes and the knights who come to rescue her are genuinely kind, waiting for the right man who sees the dragon more than the supposed beast they are. They waited for a long time. The princess’s beauty waned as she aged, while the dragon, sleek and powerful, remained untouched by time. The princess and the dragon’s friendship grew deeper over time, regarding each other as siblings, and as the graveyards are filled with more and more princes who saw the dragon as the jailer, not a genuine friend, the princess felt losing more hope and resigned to a romance-less life, which is when the dragon made the plan. Using its magicks, it left a clone behind in its place and took the form of an old woman who begged the upcoming princes in the crossroads for food, knowing the trials that lined the way to the princess’s tower shortened their funds considerably. Predictably, many princes refused to share their food with a beggar, even at times attempting to attack the old woman, who ran away while seething in disappointment that no human could ever be truly kind and suited for the princess. All hope seemed to be lost, when he appeared. 

He was a thin slip of a man, all sharp edges and almost made of ice due to how he was to a fault. When the dragon made her move, she was surprised when the man pulled out a loaf of bread and broke it in half, offering to give it to the old woman in exchange for listening to his story. And so she listened. She learned that the man is no royalty, not of noble blood, not even a commoner, but a former slave who managed to escape his masters and hid in the shadows for fear of getting enslaved again. His heart was hardened due to the torment he faced, yet what lay behind his walls was the same kind body he was before the tragedy happened that took all his family's lives and left him enslaved for years. He confessed that he came to seek the tower where the princess is not to ask for her hand, but a different thing entirely. Upon hearing this, the dragon was shocked. She asked him why he would do such a ridiculous thing, and the man’s answer left him speechless.

He wanted to free both the dragon and the princess from whatever curse must be keeping them tethered to the land. Elms didn’t get to finish the story as the door opened with a bang once again. 

Madeleine-chan’s curious and elated face morphed into disapproval and grumpiness as the storytelling got interrupted. 

And then Elms got her hands full with the 6-year-olds, Smoothie, Citron, and Cinnamon, who were all clamoring to hold Madeleine in their arms, so Gertrude had to appear and assist Elms with handling the situation. The trio came back from the dining room upon hearing a ruckus, and all Elms heard was a screech of “War!” from Melise before the room erupted in chaos. 

She only felt herself being dragged by Loreine, following Gertrude, who settled in the far corner of the daycare, watching as the kids roughhoused each other a bit too roughly to be considered playing.

“Should we stop them? We should stop them, right?” She found herself asking. Loreine shook her head and responded. “You’re new here, right? For your continued health and safety, let the kids do their thing uninterrupted lest we get a Chester situation again.” 

Elms tilted her head. “What’s the Chester situation mean?” Surprisingly, it was Madam Gertrude who spoke up, not taking her eyes off Snack as she fed him with a milk bottle. “Years before you applied for a position here, we had an incident that occurred when a caretaker attempted to mediate the kids’ war.” She stated grimly. “The unfortunate fellow suffered mutilation after one of the kids bit off his finger, and the rest followed through, seeking blood like how sharks have sensed prey. It took one of Mama’s older children to pry them off the traumatized man. The man quit after the debacle, and the kids involved got a heavy scolding from the older ones afterward. Since then, we caretakers don’t interrupt their many fights and wait it out, lest we end up like the poor fellow.” 

Elms was horrified. The kids she thought looked innocent and maybe just a little too heavy-handed mutilated a man for interrupting a fight? She wanted to gulp, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. It was Loreine who stared ahead at the fight going on unblinking. “Don’t let them sense your fear. Grin and bear it, so the baby in your arms stays safe.” She advised the newcomer, who nodded, still feeling horror at the bombshell that was dropped on her. 

What has she gotten into? Elms asked herself. 

Madeleine-chan grumbled, seemingly done with the situation. 

I feel you, kid. Elms thought seeing Madeleine-chan do the best impression of someone done with the world. I feel you.

Chapter Text

If Charlotte Madeleine were any ordinary child, the constant infusion of far bigger, complex memories into her brain would’ve sent her into constant nervous stimulation, which meant constant pain and agony that would’ve eventually resulted in her death, since infant brains aren’t meant to handle that burden of information. 

Thank the Locket, that Madeleine is one of Big Mom’s children, then. 

Inheriting that powerful woman’s genes is a boon. Madeleine only comprehended when she became “aware”.

Which is when the memories eventually started making sense until an “identity” is established. 

The identity recognized that she is Charlotte Madeleine, the youngest triplet sister of her brothers Snack and Bavarois, the sixth batch of triplets within Mama’s growing family. She recognized that she’s the daughter of Charlotte “Big Mom” Linlin, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. 

The identity also recognized that before she was Charlotte Madeleine, she was a young adult who led a particularly normal life. Maybe filled with excitement during her high school days as she became proficient with the sansetsukon, a three-sectioned staff, often competing in tournaments and having the time of her life. Eventually, she never pursued further heights with her abilities, instead choosing a mundane life of working till the night, heading home, spending some time for herself, and repeating till she got diagnosed with a terminal illness, and instead of spending heaps of money to treat it, chose to live the rest of the months traveling the world.

It was a dreadfully boring life that Charlotte Madeleine now detested. 

Madeleine is full of anticipation for the future her life holds as one of the children of an Emperor. Do the terms Emperor of the Sea even exist in this time?

Nevertheless, even if she was only very young right now, at a tender age of 2, she must plan how her life would go. No longer will she allow anyone to dictate what she can do with her life. And if Big Mom, or she would say, Mama got in the way too? 

There are a couple of ways she could do to make herself disappear. 

But what about her triplet brothers?

Well ain’t that a wrench in her plans. 

While cuddling a baguette-shaped pillow in her pudgy arms, Madeleine’s unchanging grumpy face, which earned her the nickname Mad-chan, as coined by the now 5-year-old Melise-nee, gazed at her two brothers. 

Snack is as jovial as ever, but there’s no hint of comprehension yet behind his eyes, the same shade as hers; all he knows is babbling, laughing, squealing, eating, sleeping, and pooping during his days. He’s like a sugar-high whirlwind; he speaks extremely fast with the limited vocabulary taught to him by the caretakers, plays tag almost constantly with the now 4-year-old Dacquois-nii, who is happy to serve as the untouchable target for Snack’s impromptu games of tag. 

Her other brother, Bavarois, couldn’t be any more different. Meek, shy, and almost constantly sleepy, whenever there’s free time, and even if it’s not nap time, Bava-chan could always be seen napping, still clutching the cinnamon-roll-shaped plushie their now 17-year-old brothers and sisters, Cracker-nii, Custard-nee, and Angel-nee gave to them. Madeleine can’t fault him, the plushies are shaped like bread, somehow smelled like bread, and no amount of saliva drooled on them ever diminished said smell. The caretakers learned fairly early that if you don’t want a crying Bava-chan or Mad-chan on your hands, it’s better to let them drag along their plushies even during meal times. 

Like Snack, Madeleine saw no hint of comprehension behind Bava-chan’s eyes, still somehow on autopilot like many kids her age. She sighed, why is she “awakened” at such an early age? She can’t even talk to anybody else without them cooing over her, attempting to “sound smart”. 

The woes of a genius, she supposes. 

Anyways, as she colored a book with her crayons, she pondered over what to do with her situation. 

If the whole colorful cast of characters, her suspiciously-familiar-sounding surname, her current generation's idol of Charlotte fucking Katakuri or Katakuri-nii for them, the sweet-themed houses and environment she is raised in, always constantly surrounded by smells of sweets and pastries, it’s a no-brainer guess that she’s in the world of the manga she used to read—One Piece. Specifically, as one of Big Mom’s original children, bumping the total children from 85 to 86. 

Does that make her the 20th daughter? Certainly. The 46th child? You got it. 

One good thing about being an original would be that she is free to develop her identity without constraints from “canon”. Said canon dictated that her brother Snack would grow to be a swordsman, and a Sweet Commander as well, only to be defeated by an insignificant, no contributions to the plot, winged bastard that is Urouge, which led him to lose said title, and be a part of Oven-nii’s army to intercept the Straw Hats on Cacao Island. Bava-chan has minor participation too, having command over Tarte ships and judging from what she has seen in “canon”, knew boxing as a way to fight. 

As for her? Oh, Locket, the possibilities were… limited, to say the least.

See, it didn’t escape her notice that Mama began eyeing her older siblings in a new light in the scant meetings she and her brothers are allowed to be present in, cradled in the laps of their 12-year-old triplet siblings Moscato, Mash, and Cornstarch. Said light doesn’t bode well since as Madeleine subtly eavesdropped as a curious 2-year-old alongside her naturally curious brothers in a suspiciously agar door, that 16-year-old Zuccotto-nii should prepare for marriage prospects. 

Madeleine would later ask her caretakers, feigning ignorance, what marriage is, and suffice to say, it confirmed her fears. A barely-aged-out teenager is to be married for political gain to strengthen Mama’s crew. 

That’s when little Madeleine decided that she would become a strong Officer, maybe even steal Streusen’s title as the executive chef of the Big Mom Pirates, so Mama wouldn’t even think of marrying her off to a man twice her age and half her intelligence. She shudders at the prospect of marriage. 

If she has to dream, she has to dream big. She would not leave anything to fate. She has to make steady preparations, build a foundation so she can become what she dreamed of being:

Not only a pirate Officer, but a chef who could prepare sweets and pastries like no other! Maybe a second-in-command of Mama’s still-growing group of most renowned head chefs, currently the WCI 16! 

Madeleine aimed to get Streusen’s position as executive chef within her lifetime. That old cook is only 64 years old right now, right? Madeleine may not have met him, but she will swear it. 

She’ll become the executive chef of the Big Mom Pirates, come hell or high water.

“Madeleine-chan, is anything bothering you?” A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked at the caretaker who approached her, looking concerned at what face she must be making. 

“Nothing, Miss Elms.” She mumbled. An idea popped into her head. She gazed at the caretaker, who looked on questioningly. “Can I watch the cooks prepare food?”

“Why would you want to watch them? Isn’t playing with toys more fun?” Miss Elms attempted to dissuade her, it didn’t work. 

Madeleine shook her head. “I wanna be a chef, so it makes sense to watch how they prepare my food! I want to watch! I want to watch!” She insisted. The uncharacteristic display attracted attention. Galette-nee and Poire-nee came trodding over with Snack in tow, and Bava-chan yawned as he woke up. 

“What are you sayin’, Mad-chan?” Galette-nee asked, yellow eyes big and imploring. “You wanna watch chefs?” Poire-nee continued. Snack just stared. 

Madeleine internally huffed in exasperation. She twiddled her thumbs with a pout in her face. “‘Wanna be a chef.” She muttered. “Seeing chefs make our food can be a first step.” She clenched her fists, “Miss Elms, can we go see the chefs prepare our food, please~~?” She implored the woman, which prompted her older siblings to do so as well, children whose curiosities are stoked on, all with the same desire not to be left out. Bava-chan even toddled over, now clinging to his cinnamon plushie on one hand and on Poire’s sleeve in another. 

“Wha’s a shef?” Snack asked his triplet with a tilt of a head and a lisp prevalent in younger kids. “A chef is a person who cooks our food, yanno!” Galette proudly answered, with Poire furiously nodding. “Wike the ecwair we ate?” Snack brightened. “Yes they do.” Poire added her two cents. 

Somehow coming to a decision, Snack beamed his best smile at Miss Elms and proclaimed with the confidence of a two-year-old, “Miss Elms! Let’s gwo shee shefs!” 

Madeleine stared as the stubborn caretaker finally folded. 

Without further ado, they’re herded towards the kitchens past the kid-sized dining tables, attracting the attention of 4-year-old Dacquoise and 5-year-old Melise who demanded what they’re doing, and when answered by Snack, both boasted they were allowed to assist the chefs in peeling ingredients and mashing them, which sounded very impressive that the four younger kids clapped, with Madeleine deadpanning at the scene. 

‘Those two really are milking admiration from Snack…’ She grumbled in her head. 

Madeleine doesn’t mind them coming along, in fact, it’ll divide the chefs’ attention so she won’t be a focus of their scrutiny. 

And so under the eyes of their boss’s kids, the chefs proceeded as best as they could, even one of them started narrating to keep their attention. 

It was a productive day, after all.

Chapter Text

Dacquoise likes to think that his heritage is something to be proud of. 

It allowed pink wings, although pink, are still fully functional, bat-like wings to grow from his back and offered him a different kind of food and drink in the form of, what was it Chef Streusen called it? Iron-rich food?

Yeah, the stuff that tastes like metal in his tongue. 

Although he doesn’t know who his father really is, because Amande-nee-san and Compote-nee-san would get a very blank look on their faces and refuse to answer his whereabouts, he kinda owes it to the man to have passed his cool wings to him. 

He knew his wings didn’t come from Mama, since she could only ride Zeus to fly, not have wings on her back. Despite that, and Dacquoise definitely knew she wasn’t lying, she loves him and his many siblings very much. 

He tried to ignore the fact that he once overheard Peros-nii-san remarked that it’s one of Mama’s many modes and that her acting this way and saying these sweet, loving words is very, very rare, and is often not seen because Mama is always busy exploring the world and finding treasures to grow their home. 

Anyways, if there’s one thing that makes him happy, is when his little siblings express admiration for his wings and most importantly, the fact that he could carry them in his arms and fly around, making them feel like they’re flying themselves. 

Galette-chan is a certified diva, he once heard from Gertrude-baa and is shamelessly now uses whenever the scarlet-haired menace is acting out, often demanding flights around the grounds of the daycare and one time, even around the Charlotte household itself. It tired Dacquoise to carry a heavy lady, and he said so, only to use his flight abilities to keep out of range of a suddenly enraged Poire-chan’s attempts to bite his arm off. 

Seas, his little siblings can be too feral sometimes.

“Like ya aren’t, ya little squirt.” Cracker-nii-san snickered while ruffling his curly hair. He vehemently refused to believe he’s as rowdy as Galette!

Thank the seas, his newest baby brothers and baby sister are kinder to his wings!

Seriously, they’re leagues better than when Galette and Poire were, with his baby brothers Snack and Bavarois just so adorable to dote on! Snack-chan is a happy little guy—it’s easy to make him laugh, and Bava-chan is a comfy, snug bug in a rug, often preferring to nap, and Dacquoise kinda gets the little guy, since having many brothers and sisters who often come around the daycare to poke their heads in and watch them do anything be exhausting. 

Dacquoise can’t count in two hands the amount of time Gertrude-baa and Elms-san have to intervene when Mozart-nee-chan and Compo-nii-chan got in their daily spats again! He’s usually eating caramel-glazed popcorn alongside Melise-chan, Marc-nii-chan, Smoothie-nee-chan, and High-nii-chan, watching the two squabble and eventually get into fisticuffs. Tablet-kun, Citron-nee-chan, and Basans-nii-chan busy getting their naps in, as if the sounds of squabble and petty fighting are an effective lullaby. 

He’s definitely snitching if Compote-nee-san asks where they learned to place bets and tell her it was Noisette-nii-san who got them into it. 

Somewhere in the training fields, Noisette sneezed so hard it frightened Moscato into dropping his own training sword. 

But if you were to ask him if he has a favorite, it would be the youngest among his new siblings—Madeleine-chan.

Why? 

Because…

“Ne, ne, Dacquoise-nii-chan.” Madeleine made grabby hands towards him, with a pout on her cherubic face. 

“What is it, Mad-chan?” He asked sweetly. 

And with a gummy smile of a saint, Mad-chan replied. “Do you shed your wings every year? Can I have it for my scrapbook?” 

Without skipping a beat, Dacquoise replied. “No, I don’t, Mad-chan.” He turned concerned, “What do you use your scrapbook for?”

“For our family and Mama, of course!” Mad-chan replied, smile going back to her normal look. “It’s… what did Iyashi-san say…? Ah! Documentation!” She replied. 

Dacquoise felt his shoulders loosen; he’s glad it’s not for any nefarious or weird things after all. He nodded seriously. “Documentation is important, yes.” He agreed. “But ask for permission if you want to save Melise’s sheddings from her horns, yes? Basans as well. People don’t like it when things that come out of their bodies are used without them knowing.” He warned little Mad-chan. 

Mad-chan tilted her head, something like contemplation entering her face, uncharacteristic for a little girl. “Like when Poire-chan shed her sharp teeth yesterday?” She asked. 

Dacquoise remembered that. Poire-chan, being half-piranha fishwoman she has, often has to replace her teeth every six months or she’ll risk overcrowding within her mouth. It’s painful during the first few times, and Dacquoise would often have to wear earplugs so he wouldn’t hear Poire’s agonized screams as her mouth bled due to new, sharp teeth replacing her old ones. The pain lessened as years went by, and 3-year-old Poire-chan now likens the pain to when her nails grow. When Mad-chan asked for one of Poire-chan’s fallen teeth, Dacquoise and Galette hurriedly mediated the situation. 

Dacquoise nodded solemnly, “Yes, when Poire-chan shed her teeth yesterday.” 

Madeleine turned contemplative at that, before nodding. “M’kay! I’ll ask Melise-nee for her antler shavings before preserving them in my scrapbook!” She declared and ran to the aforementioned half-moose mink hybrid girl who is one of his many brothers and sisters. 

Dacquoise could only shake his head in mixed fondness and exasperation. At least Mad-chan’s curiosity is mild…

When thinking about Mont-d’Or-nii-san’s unnerving expression of scientific interest and jealousy, Dacquoise shudders. The 10-year-old may be one of his physically weakest older brothers, but when it comes to wit and smarts, Mont-d’Or-nii easily breezes past the complicated problems their tutors places in front of them. Still, Dacquoise can’t help but feel uncomfortable at his older brother’s too, what was the word again? Obsessive, that’s it! Like one of Hachée-nee-san’s former suitors that got ‘handled’ by Amande-nee-san. 

Woe to a sibling that crosses Mont-d’Or-nii-san. He’s definitely flying far, far away from him. 

Dacquoise hopes Madeleine-chan wouldn’t get the same scary look in her eyes in her interest on her other brothers and sisters who have unique appearances.

…

…

…

It’s. Fucking. Amazing!!

Madeleine didn’t have to pretend a squeal as she is handed a preserved antler shedding by one of her best sisters ever, Melise-nee-chan. 

“Dunno why’d you want something like this,” Melise started, “But if it makes you happy, you can have it.”

Madeleine grasped the preserved antler shedding. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!!” She beamed at her sister, who mimicked shielding her face from a nonexistent bright light. “This’ll go great with my scrapbook!” 

“Whaddya collectin’ Melise’s sheddings for, Madeleine-chan?” 6-year-old Basans piped up from where he was lounging on one of the beanbags with his quiet twin, Saint-Marc, or Marc-nii-chan for short, tilting his head in inquiry. 

Unlike what’s shown in canon, both brothers actually have antlers, both born from a deer mink that has a rare mutation of sprouting multiple antlers at once. Basans got the multiple antlers while being normal-sized in stature, while Saint-Marc got his father’s large build even as a child, in exchange for small, microscopic antlers on his head that can be easily covered by a hat. 

It caused a lot of teasing and ribbing, maybe that’s what pushed Marc-nii-chan’s decision to cover his antlers with that helmet in the future?

Back to the question, “I’m having it kept inside my scrapbook of all of our brothers and sisters! Alongside their recent photos! That way, we can keep track of who is who, and their special features!” She beamed at them. 

“A photo album, huh… come to think of it, why didn’t our brothers and sisters think of that earlier?” Basans-nii-chan wondered. 

“They likely didn’t have any time.” 7-year-old Cinnamon-nee-chan piped up from another set of bean bags, where a napping Citron-nee-chan rested, while Smoothie-nee-chan was busy doing the homework their tutors gave them. “What with all the adult business they’re doin’, it’s no wonder they don’t have time to make a photo album.”

As her older siblings chatted amongst each other, Madeleine toddled over to a low-set table and laid out her scrapbook, opened it, into two pages dedicated to her half-mink older sister. 

Charlotte Melise

“The 17th daughter and 40th child of the Charlotte Family.”

Birthday: April 28th

Alongside a huge picture of the current Melise, who grinned fiercely with a peace sign as the camera captured everything. A blurred silhouette of Compo and Mozart is faintly seen in the background, brawling.

The other page has a plastic cover stitched on the sides and bottom, but left opened on the top, creating an in-book pocket. Madeleine slid the preserved antler sheddings inside it. 

Now, you may think it’s creepy, but honestly, Madeleine couldn’t give two fucks about that. 

There are many crazier, creepier, mind-blowing, sometimes literal, things in her current world that her hobby of collecting special features from her siblings pale in comparison. 

Take the fact that Whole Cake Island is literally made of diabetes-inducing, frosting-laden, buttercream-filled cakes that make up the landscape, the ground, and even the buildings, and no ants are spotted gobbling the sweet-filled landscapes!

Isn’t that unbelievable?

Madeleine couldn’t help but marvel at her current world. 

The World where the Charlottes exist and islands such as Whole Cake exist and Mama wields the supernatural in a literal sense! She has siblings who have long necks, long legs, wings, antlers, and even sharp teeth! She has siblings who are hybrids of variants of humanoids, such as Dacquoise’s literal bat-people-like characteristics, and Poire’s manifested fishwoman lineage through her row of triangular, sharp teeth! Her new family is literally colorful in a sense! Being part of said family is such a welcome change to her drab, boring life from before. 

Madeleine would like to say she is happy to be part of the Charlotte Family, but a part of her kept vigilance, waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Because even though she is now technically reborn, standards and values still carried from her last life. 

And if she were to judge Charlotte Linlin’s decision to start marrying off her barely legal sons and daughters to secure political power, it paints her as a self-serving mother who used her own children to further her own goals. 

Madeleine doesn’t know if it’s the veneer that came with being a child, but seeing your parents at this age as the kind, venerable person they are, even if it’s the contrary… She can’t muster up any usual disdain or hate she felt at this act. 

She stared at her scrapbook. 

What does that make her then?