— — — — — —
Splash!
A small ship sailed across the vast ocean.
"Whew—" Exhaling deeply, Katakuri stood at the bow and murmured, "We should arrive at Totto Land by this afternoon."
Cracker, on the other hand, remained calm. "Brother! You're way too tense. There's absolutely nothing to worry about! Given our status, who would dare mess with us for no reason?"
Katakuri responded calmly, "Better safe than sorry. No matter the situation, staying vigilant is never a bad thing."
"Hm!" Cracker nodded in agreement.
Even though he didn't think anything would go wrong, he couldn't deny the wisdom in Katakuri's words.
A bit of caution never hurt.
For Katakuri, he wouldn't let his guard down, not out of fear, but out of respect and concern for his family.
Taking another deep breath, Katakuri suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Someone's watching us."
Cracker grinned viciously. "Brother, don't worry!"
Clap!
"Biscuit Speedboat!"
With a rapid series of claps, Cracker conjured up a biscuit-crafted speedboat. He leaped onto it, and within moments, he was speeding off towards the distant figures.
"Damn it!"
"They spotted us! Move! Get out of here, now!"
The hidden observers panicked the moment they saw Cracker charging toward them. They scrambled to escape.
But it was too late.
"Hmph."
Cracker sneered. "You think you can just spy on us and run away?"
With a maniacal grin, he taunted, "Oi, oi, oi! Where do you guys think you're going? Don't run! I'm just getting excited! Hahaha—"
He closed the distance in an instant.
Slash!
His massive sword came down, cutting down one of the spies instantly.
Then, like a relentless slaughter machine, Cracker tore through the entire ship. Within moments, the dozens of men aboard were nothing but corpses.
"Pfft."
Spitting on the deck, Cracker muttered in boredom, "I thought they'd be stronger. Turns out they were just a bunch of weaklings. What a waste of my time! And these nobodies had the guts to spy on us? Ridiculous!"
"Tch!" Clicking his tongue in irritation, he gave the ship a quick search before leaving.
Nothing. Not a single clue.
Clearly, these men had come prepared to die. They hadn't left behind a shred of evidence.
Before long, Cracker returned to report. "Brother, they were just some nobodies. No identifying marks or clues."
Katakuri's gaze turned cold. "Hmph. It's not hard to guess who's behind this."
"Hehehe—"
At that moment, a calm voice interrupted them. "Enough, Katakuri, Cracker. Don't let this ruin the mood. This is a time for celebration! Why waste energy getting mad over some nobodies?"
Joey walked up to his brothers and continued, "At this point, there's only one person who would dare target us. And honestly, we already know who it is. But it doesn't matter. We don't need to deal with them right now."
Katakuri nodded, though his eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. He knew exactly who was behind this attack. And knowing meant they weren't truly a threat.
The real dangers were those who stayed hidden in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
With the ship pressing forward, the distant shape of Totto Land came into view.
Surrounded by swirling vortexes, the terrifying whirlpools seemed capable of swallowing everything in their path. This natural defense served as Totto Land's first and most formidable barrier.
"Brothers!"
As the ship docked, countless voices erupted in excitement.
A wave of genuine joy swept through the crowd. It was as if they were about to take flight from pure exhilaration.
After all, the Reverie was over.
And that meant only one thing—Totto Land was officially recognized as an independent nation!
There was no need for further explanation. The implications were huge.
Roar!
Brothers and sisters alike roared in celebration, ecstatic beyond words.
They surrounded their three brothers, guiding them back to Whole Cake Island.
Joey sighed. "You guys are really overreacting…"
Amande, laughing, countered, "Big brother! This is only natural, isn't it?"
"Heh."
Watching his overexcited siblings, Joey couldn't help but chuckle. "So tell me, what exactly are you all so excited about? Isn't this just how things should be?"
His words made everyone pause.
They tilted their heads, momentarily at a loss for words.
But then—
The excitement erupted from them once more. They howled, cheered, and celebrated louder than before.
Apparently, those five words—'just how things should be'—had struck a chord with them.
This was their rightful victory. This was their reality.
Joey shook his head with a smile. "What a bunch of kids. But… this joy belongs to the Charlotte Family. So go ahead and enjoy it!"
"ROAR!"
"HAHAHA—"
"Bring it on!"
And so, a grand feast began.
Truth be told, Joey wasn't particularly fond of celebrations.
But this time…
Even he had to admit—it wouldn't feel right not to have one.
After all, Sixteen years of planning.
Sixteen years of preparation.
And finally—Success.
How could he deny his siblings the chance to revel in it?
Lounging on the couch, Joey sipped his tea and laughed. "These brats have gone completely wild."
Just then—
A woman approached.
Dressed in a pure white dress, her long, slender legs wrapped in silk stockings. With each step in her white high heels, she carried a glass of wine gracefully.
Joey glanced up. "Gion, you don't seem to be in the best mood."
Gion let out a bitter smile. "It's nothing, really. I saw this coming, but... I just didn't want to accept it. A part of me kept hoping this wouldn't happen. How foolish of me…"
She shook her head with a self-deprecating laugh, at a loss for words.
In truth, she didn't even need to ask. She already knew.
The World Government had finalized the arrangement.
Gion, known as the Marine Vice Admiral 'Momousagi', had been handed over to Joey.
A mere 'gift' as part of a deal between the Charlotte Family and the Five Elders.
Joey spoke gently, "This was your fate from the moment my brothers brought you here. Did you really think failure was an option under my rule?"
Gion gazed at the man in front of her, who was the reason for her current situation.
But she couldn't bring herself to hate him.
She shook her head helplessly. "Joey, I should be filled with resentment for becoming part of your 'collection,' but strangely, I don't feel that way at all."
Joey chuckled. "If you can't resist, then just accept it. There's no reason to fight something inevitable."
"It's known that if you can't fight it, then enjoy it."
Behind his smile, though, he understood her situation all too well.
She had simply redirected her hatred.
Hating him would make her life truly miserable.
Hating the Marines was impossible—her friends and family were there.
So instead, she chose to hate the World Government.
A classic case of displaced resentment.
"U-Um..."
At that moment, a soft and timid voice interrupted them.
A young girl ran over, dressed in a sleek black dress. Despite her youthful face, her body was incredibly well-developed, an almost unreal combination of innocence and allure.
Garona.
The princess of the Beastmen (Orc) Tribe.
An unbelievably beautiful princess.
Honestly, if the system hadn't confirmed her lineage, Joey would never have believed she was part of the Tribe.
It would've been a joke!
Garona walked up hesitantly, lowering her head slightly. "U-Um, Lord Joey... I... I..."
Joey smiled warmly. "What is it, Garona?"
She quickly pulled out a small cake from behind her and placed it in front of him. "Please enjoy it!"
Then, without waiting for a response, she spun around and ran off in a hurry.
Joey chuckled and shook his head.
"Huh?"
Another young girl, dressed in an identical black dress, approached curiously.
Amaterasu.
With a mischievous glint in her eye, Amaterasu ran up and asked excitedly, "Lord Joey! Lord Joey! What was the World Conference like?"
Joey glanced at the curious girl and smiled. "Who knows? I didn't really attend. I was just the head of the Charlotte Family, not a king. Totto Land wasn't a nation yet!"
"I just waited outside for the result of their meeting."
"Oh!" She nodded, though whether she actually understood was uncertain.
Joey sighed inwardly.
At times, he felt utterly helpless.
Originally, he had planned to find wives for his younger brothers once they turned eighteen.
Yet somehow...
Before he even had the chance, they had already started bringing wives to him.
Not even girlfriends—straight-up wives!
Gion.
Amaterasu.
Garona.
The Navy, the Lunarian Tribe, the Orc Tribe...
At this rate, Joey wouldn't be surprised if every race ended up offering him a wife.
Giants? Goblins?
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Gion glanced at him and suddenly said, "I don't know what you're thinking, but I can tell it's nothing good."
Joey looked at her in shock. "How did you figure that out?!"
That shouldn't be possible!
Her abilities had been sealed. She couldn't use Haki.
Gion simply shook her head. "No reason. Just my woman's sixth sense."
Joey fell silent.
Indeed...Women were truly terrifying creatures.
Their intuition—especially their sixth sense—was the most fearsome ability of all.
.
.
.