Welcome, Pirate Mafia!

I must say, this chapter has to be one of the most informative and analytically entertaining in a while. We learned about merfolk-fishman genetics, Van der Decken being the scourge of Fishman Island, and that the original Van der Decken died there, and the current one is the ninth generation. We also learned a few things about everyone's favorite female Yonkou, Big Mam, real name Charlotte Linlin. She has a sweet tooth and the cahones to take over the protection of Fishman Island after Whitebeard and the power to back it up. Let's take a moment to examine the bolded word, shall we? Big Mam might as well be Capone Bege's mother purely in terms of historical significance. I knew there was a mafia operation (guessed in an earlier blog), I was just wrong on who the don was (thought it was Jones). This is the first instance of racketeering in One Piece. Let me say that again: THIS IS THE FIRST INSTANCE OF RACKETEERING IN ONE PIECE! I am calling Big Mam's honor into question. What would happen if she didn't get her candy payment? Aside from miss a cavity or two, I think she would be the one to throw a little bedlam into the mix. For anyone who doesn't know, a protection racket is a form of extortion. Mobsters offer protection to someone, say a shopkeeper, the shop keeper pays them, and his shop is kept "safe." Basically, it's saying "Pay me and my friends to not come here and trash the place." I get the feeling that that's what Big Mam is doing here. Notice how Pappug said that Whitebeard didn't ask for collateral and that Big Mam might see it as a business opportunity. It's like The Godfather but with fish. Does the king run the island, or does Big Mam? GRAHAHAHAHA! Geez, Oda, first slavery, now racketeering, what's next? A ponzi scheme? Things just keep getting better and better. Not too mention Caribou's loose, and Luffy (though my money's on Van der Decken) is going to lay waste to the island! A cynic like me can't help but laugh at that. Things just keep getting better and better.