— — — — — — —
Joey narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "No need to rush. Since they're testing us, let's see what they're planning."
"Huh…?"
"Understood, big bro!"
The others nodded seriously, finding no reason to object.
After all, the Charlotte Family's army was mostly made up of Cracker's Biscuit Soldiers.
As expendable pawns, they were perfect for testing the enemy's strength. No matter how many fell, as long as Cracker was around, he could keep producing more.
BOOM! BOOM!
The deafening roar of cannon fire echoed across the battlefield.
Everyone's expressions turned solemn as they observed the unfolding battle with extreme focus.
At this moment, not a single person dared to let their guard down.
They needed to analyze their opponent's capabilities thoroughly.
Only then could they devise the best strategy to crush them in the shortest time possible.
---
Opera's gaze sharpened. "Their cannon fire is insanely strong—way stronger than any weapons Totto Land has developed."
Cadenza nodded in agreement. "Yeah, no doubt. But since we're testing them, we need to see just how prepared they really are. Let's assess their true strength."
"Agreed!"
The five brothers exchanged serious glances and nodded.
Of course, none of them had any intention of charging into the enemy ranks like reckless fools.
That was an army of a million soldiers, all heavily armed. No way in hell was anyone going to blindly rush in.
If anyone actually did that, they'd be dead in seconds.
Just because you're strong doesn't mean you can take on an entire army alone. That's just a delusion.
Finally—
With the continued bombardment, splash!—a fleet of biscuit ships emerged from the water.
These were Cracker's creations.
Unlike regular ships, they weren't affected by seawater.
Only special acidic rain could dissolve them.
Now was the perfect time to test them out.
"Ugh…"
Seeing the biscuit ships, Cracker's face twisted in frustration. He looked like he was ready to die from sheer exhaustion.
No one could understand what he had gone through these past few days.
It was pure, endless suffering!
Honestly, Cracker felt like he was on the verge of breaking down.
Day after day— Biscuit soldiers + Biscuit ships.
Who knew how many he had created at this point?!
Slap!
Daifuku patted Cracker's shoulder with a grin. "Cracker! This war is all thanks to you. The ships, the soldiers—they're all your work."
Oven even gave him a thumbs-up, smiling.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
Cracker's mouth twitched. "Daifuku, Oven… If you think it's so easy, why don't you try it?! I won't stop you!"
The eerie smile on his face made the others shake their heads quickly.
Yeah, no thanks.
It might not be physically exhausting, but the sheer mental strain…
Just looking at Cracker's twisted expression was enough to know how painful it had been.
Nope, better to sit this one out.
Cracker sighed in defeat.
That time had been absolute hell.
"By the way!"
Joey spoke gently. "Cracker, your job isn't done yet. We're running low, so keep them coming."
Cracker opened his mouth, then sighed in resignation. "Got it…"
"Hahaha!"
Hearing his exhausted sigh, the others burst into laughter.
Cracker pouted. "I may not be a saint, but you guys are demons!"
Everyone continued to laugh at his misery.
Cracker simply lowered his head and sighed helplessly.
Once this war was over, there probably wouldn't be a single biscuit soldier left.
— — —
"General, should we continue the attack?"
"Proceed."
The cold, emotionless general issued his command. "Test their biscuit soldiers and ships. Also, assess the new weapons the Charlotte Family has developed."
"Yes, sir."
The soldiers responded without an ounce of emotion.
They weren't human—just well-trained machines.
Clearly, their training had been extreme, bordering on inhuman.
"Attack!"
The ships clashed.
Soldiers and biscuit soldiers collided.
But the moment they engaged—The battlefield shifted dramatically.
Biscuit soldiers were falling in packs.
It wasn't that they were weak.
But on average, 2.5 biscuit soldiers were needed to kill a single enemy soldier.
And the enemy was terrifying.
Individually, they weren't overwhelmingly strong. But their teamwork was deadly.
Their formations, their tactics—everything was executed with precision.
They weren't just soldiers.
They were pure, mechanized war machines—trained for the sole purpose of winning battles.
---
Joey narrowed his eyes. "This isn't something you can achieve in a short time. Even in the face of death, they fight without hesitation—no fear, no emotion. It's as if their humanity has been stripped away."
In mere moments, Joey had assessed his enemies.
These weren't just ordinary troops.
They were soulless death soldiers—trained solely to complete their missions.
Considering this, Joey murmured, "They're strong… But…"
At that moment, Amande asked softly, "Big bro, should we train our own army like this—emotionless and ruthless?"
The others waited for his answer while observing the battle.
Joey smiled gently. "No need. Numbers don't decide everything. The Charlotte Family raises elites. In the future, we'll need strong individuals capable of standing alone, but we'll also need an elite force. That's what really matters."
"Understood."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
---
All eyes were on the battlefield.
There was no doubt that the black-armored army they faced was top-tier.
As time passed, the leading force of roughly 3,000 soldiers was gradually being wiped out.
But! The cost was nearly 10,000 biscuit soldiers.
The difference in numbers was staggering.
"Biscuit soldiers are losing!"
Katakuri and the others looked at Cracker who couldn't help but complain, "So what?! That's nothing! Just you wait! If our strength isn't enough, tomorrow I'll show you what it means to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers!"
Clearly, Cracker was not happy with the way his siblings were looking at him—like his biscuit soldiers weren't good enough.
Sure, he didn't like working.
Sure, he was exhausted.
But! That was no reason for them to look down on his creations! His biscuit soldiers were definitely useful and capable!
With that, Cracker stormed off like a madman.
No way was he going to let this slide! Not when his own family was doubting him!
"Heh..." Joey chuckled. "You guys are really something, huh? You knew how much pride Cracker takes in his biscuit soldiers, yet you still went ahead and questioned them."
Katakuri remained calm. "We just wanted to give him some motivation. He hasn't been putting in enough effort lately."
"Uh..." The others twitched slightly at that comment.
…Cracker not putting in effort?
He was practically on the verge of collapsing from overwork!
Shaking his head with a smile, Joey turned his focus back to the battlefield.
---
As time passed, the three ships and 3,000 soldiers had all been wiped out.
However, something about it was unsettling.
At this moment, everyone's expression was serious.
Opera narrowed his eyes. "Do you think the enemy will retreat now?"
Cadenza answered calmly, "Opera, I doubt they'll attack immediately. This battle was more of a test. After all, they only sent three ships with 3,000 soldiers. It's clear they were trying to gauge our strength before making their next move."
Gala nodded in agreement. "Exactly."
Opera and the others continued their observations.
Meanwhile—The enemy general finally spoke.
"We've gathered enough intel on their strength. Return to base, compile the data, and prepare for a full-scale assault."
"Yes, sir!"
With that order, all enemy soldiers immediately began their retreat.
They withdrew about 30 kilometers away from the battlefield.
Then—Their fleet anchored in place.
Waiting.
Waiting for the inevitable war that was about to shake the entire world.
.
.
.