— — — — — — —
"So, you want to use this battle to make a name for yourself on the seas?"
"Fine."
"Then let me use the same method."
There's a saying: "A general's glory is built upon countless fallen bodies."
Clench!
With a single hand forming a fist, the General muttered coldly, "Totto Land... You are the key to my path. Once I wipe you out, the position of Army Marshal will be mine! I've fought for so many years—what for? For this moment!!!"
No one is truly without emotion.
Especially the strong.
A person without emotions can never become truly powerful.
The General had emotions, too.
He was human. And he knew exactly what he wanted.
He wanted the position of Army Marshal.
The Army and Air Force were newly established.
Though they had a few thousand elite soldiers, they weren't particularly strong yet.
The General planned to take this chance to rise through the ranks.
If he could expand the Army's power, he'd qualify to compete for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Three Forces.
That was his true goal.
And now, if he could annihilate Totto Land, he would succeed.
As for the cost? He didn't care.
The people on this battlefield were just pawns to him, disposable at any time.
ROAR!HOWL!
Shouts, battle cries, and the deafening echoes of rage filled the battlefield.
At this moment, the world was plunged into madness.
Standing atop the battlefield, Katakuri observed everything with a calm expression. "War... truly brings out the insanity in people. No one here has any emotion. They only care about one thing—killing the enemy and surviving."
Joey smiled gently. "You're not wrong, Katakuri. War is madness. But war also offers the greatest rewards. These soldiers, if they survive, will reap countless benefits."
"And that General…"
Joey continued, "If he survives and wins, he could gain boundless status. Maybe even claim the position of Commander-in-Chief."
Katakuri nodded seriously.
He wasn't ignorant of these things.
He just didn't always know how to put them into words.
But now, he understood the weight of it all.
Joey's warm voice carried on, "That's why war brings the greatest rewards. No matter the time, no matter the place, it's always the same. Destroy your enemy, and the rewards are yours. It's the simplest truth of all."
"Let's go."
"Huh?" Katakuri blinked in confusion.
Joey smiled. "This war is over. There's no point in watching anymore."
"Oh?"
Katakuri was puzzled.
But without questioning further, he obediently followed.
After all… his Big Bro was never wrong.
— — —
The war raged on for three days.
Yet, something felt off.
Charlotte Daifuku, Charlotte Oven, Charlotte Cracker...
Everyone knew these were formidable warriors at sea.
But...They hardly participated in the battle.
Most of them simply stood at Totto Land's entrance, watching.
As if that was enough.
Meanwhile, the Five Brothers—Opera, Counter, Cadenza, Cabaletta, and Gala—had gone completely berserk.
They slaughtered everything in sight.
They had lost their minds.
Their only goal was to massacre their enemies.
Brutal. Bloodthirsty.
And so...The "Pastry Five Generals" became infamous across the world in just three days.
Their names echoed everywhere.
The entire world...Now knew of these five terrifying warriors, each wielding Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits.
Everyone now understood: The Charlotte Family wasn't just showing off.
They wanted the world to witness their monstrous strength.
The war then dragged on.
Though almost all the Biscuit Soldiers fell... The world government's army wasn't faring any better.
Nearly 300,000 troops had perished.
Their blood stained the sea red.
And this...Was still far from over.
Anyone could see it now: This war had reached a point of no return.
— — —
At Night
Both sides finally took a moment to rest.
Humans weren't machines.
Even the strongest needed to recuperate.
Step.
A soft footstep echoed on the deck.
Mondée's figure silently appeared aboard one of the ships.
A smirk curled on her lips. "Confident, aren't they? They've even made all the necessary preparations. But..."
"Heh!"
With a single activation of her Orb, her presence vanished completely.
That was all she needed.
Now...It was time to wait for the massacre.
— — —
TAP!
Joey lightly tapped his fingers on the table, smiling warmly. "Three days is long enough. There's no need to drag this out further. This war ends now."
Hearing his words, everyone nodded calmly.
"Hmm?"
Gion furrowed her brows. "Even with the Charlotte Family's strength, victory would still come at a great cost. Are you really going to go all out?"
Joey smiled. "Gion, brute force isn't always the answer. Intelligence is the greatest weapon of all. Until we have the power to crush the entire world, strategy is far more valuable. If sheer force would cost us too much, then we simply use another method."
Gasp...!
Gion inhaled sharply.
She understood.
Joey spoke with a lighthearted tone, "Gion, this isn't strange at all. War has always been like this. Don't act like a saint. In war, killing and being killed are just part of the game."
"Hmm..."
Compote leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and said casually, "Sister-in-law, if the enemy had the chance, they wouldn't hesitate for even a second. This is just how things work. There's nothing strange about it."
Hearing Joey and Compote's words, Gion fell into silence.
It was true.War had always been this brutal.
As long as victory was secured, nothing else mattered.
History wouldn't record the struggle, only the winners.
Gion looked at Joey and asked, "You seem pretty confident."
Joey smiled gently. "Of course, Gion. This war has been in my control from the very beginning. I won't deny that the World Government has a deep foundation, but don't forget—this is Totto Land."
"Whether this war turns into a bloodbath for me or ends cleanly, it's entirely up to me. And look—she's back."
Clap.
Mondée entered the study, grinning. "Big bro! It's done. Rest easy. By sunrise, not a single one of them will be left alive. That general? He's the first to go. What a shame—he was actually a pretty strong guy."
Joey nodded with a warm smile. "Mondée, good work."
Mondée waved it off. "No big deal, brother. If anyone deserves the credit, it's Opera and others. Those five really worked their asses off."
"Heh..."
Joey chuckled. "Tired, huh? Those five brats shouldn't be complaining. This battle has cemented the legend of the 'Five Generals of the Charlotte Family.'
"300,000 soldiers fell. A battle that caught the attention of the entire world.
"That's enough to make their names last for a while."
"Alright, then."
"It's late. Get some rest. By tomorrow, everything will be over."
"Mm."
Everyone left the room with a smile.
Gion, however, lingered a little longer, gazing at Joey.
This man...It felt as if everything was within his grasp.
He controlled everything.
There was no resisting him. No opposing him.
His influence was terrifying beyond words.
No one truly understood just how powerful he was.
But one thing was certain— Anyone who tried to challenge him would have to pay an unimaginable price.
— — —
The next morning—
An eerie silence hung over the battlefield.
Under the effects of the deadly poison known as Godslayer's Venom, not a single enemy soldier survived.
This Godslayer's Venom was a poison Joey had purchased for 100 family coins.
According to the seller, it could even kill gods.
Of course, that claim was probably exaggerated.
But still...If such a rumor existed, there had to be some truth to it.
And that alone was proof of how terrifying this poison was.
One night had passed.
And as the morning sun rose over the battlefield— The world bore witness to an impossible sight.
A million soldiers—All lying lifeless.
It was as if the war had ended in an instant.
People everywhere stared in disbelief.
What just happened?
Or rather—How did this happen?
No one knew.
No one understood.
But anyone with half a brain could guess— This was the work of the Charlotte Family.
At that moment, a chill ran down the spines of everyone who witnessed it.
An involuntary shudder crept up their backs.
Fear had taken hold.
The news was about to spread all over the world.
.
.
.