— — — — — — —
Daifuku, Oven, Opera, Zuccotto, Nusstorte, Mash, Cornstarch, and Moscato.
The eight siblings were deep in discussion.
Of course, most of the talking was done by Daifuku, Oven, and Zuccotto.
Opera mainly asked questions, while the four younger ones chimed in occasionally, but it was clear—they were still too young to fully understand everything.
The topic of discussion revolved around their Stand abilities, but beyond that, they also talked about their own growth, strategizing how to become stronger.
Zuccotto sighed, "I can't help it. I relied on Big Brother's strength to improve. My plan is that three years from now, in the next challenge, I won't use Big Brother's methods. They don't have side effects, but I don't want to develop a dependency on them."
Everyone paused for a moment at Zuccotto's words.
Then, Daifuku immediately scoffed, "Hmph, Zuccotto? Who doesn't know that you train like a madman? When we were your age, none of us were as strong as you."
"Hehe~" Zuccotto scratched his head sheepishly.
After all, Zuccotto was only about a meter tall, slightly chubby at first glance. But upon closer inspection, one could see the early formation of muscles beneath his frame. His belly might look round, but that was just a layer of fat protecting his core muscles, increasing his resistance to attacks.
In short, the short and stocky Zuccotto gave off an endearingly goofy impression.
Oven thought for a moment before speaking. "So, in terms of numbers, Totto Land should be close to completion, right?"
"Numbers?" Cornstarch quickly did some calculations. "The Fish-Men and Merfolk have already arrived, adding up to 200,000. The Three-Eyed Tribe, the Snake-neck Tribe, and the Longleg Tribe contribute another 300,000. The Tontatta Tribe numbers around 100,000. That brings the total to approximately 600,000."
After a brief pause, he continued, "We might not have an exact count, but at the very least, we should have several hundred thousand. If it's too low, it would be embarrassing for a nation!"
Besides that, the Giants, Oni, Beasts, Dwarves, and Elves each had around 10,000 members, adding up to another 50,000. It wasn't a huge number, but it didn't matter much—these races were considered elite. They had special privileges.
"Heh." Watching his siblings debate, Joey smiled.
— — —
In another unseen place, Joey didn't notice that his Stand, the Greatsword, was undergoing subtle changes. The transformation wasn't complete, but it was happening.
Two of his 47 stands had dark purple glints in their eyes.
One had a crimson gleam. Another flickered with deep orange.
The Greatswords momentarily flashed with these colors.
Then, just as quickly, their gazes became more lively and aware—no longer hollow. But it was a fleeting moment, disappearing before anyone could notice.
It felt like something was still missing.
But what exactly was missing?
No one knew.
Not even Joey himself was aware of the changes happening to his Stand, let alone anyone else.
— — —
Clap!
A figure in black approached quickly, bowing respectfully. "Chief, the Longleg Tribe members are ready for departure."
Joey nodded. "Opera, Zuccotto, prepare to set sail."
Opera stood up and saluted seriously. "Big Brother, don't worry. There won't be any problems with the Longleg Tribe."
Zuccotto, eyes sharp, added, "Big Brother, I guarantee everything will go smoothly. I'll assist Opera."
"Good!" Joey chuckled. "I'm not worried about you two troublemakers. However…"
The black-clad figure had already left.
Joey looked at his younger brothers. "Your safety is the most important thing. Remember, Totto Land is the nation we're building. It's not just for Mom's dream, but also for us."
"No matter what, I don't want anything to happen to either of you. Understood?"
"Understood!" Both brothers nodded firmly.
At this moment, Nusstorte also stood up. "Big Brother, I'm heading back too."
Mash quickly followed, "Me too! Me too!"
Joey looked at them warmly. "What's wrong? Not planning to continue traveling?"
Mash pouted. "Big Brother, I don't think I'm strong enough or capable enough to help you. So, I've decided to support Cornstarch instead, like Effilée, Hachée, and Brûlée."
"Of course." Joey nodded approvingly.
Hachée and Effilée had chosen to assist Mondée while Brûlée had opted to help Broyé.
It wasn't about rank or hierarchy. It was simply about choosing the path that best suited their abilities.
Mash, ever obedient, said, "Thank you, Big Brother!"
Joey shook his head. "No need to be so formal. Here, take this pistol. If you're going to take on new responsibilities, you should have a weapon you can rely on. This one's called 'Hornet.' Do you know what it means?"
Mash nodded—she understood.
But then, Joey smirked and teased, "Mash, I'm curious. Why did you choose to help Cornstarch instead of Moscato? You three are triplets, after all."
"You girls don't hate men, right?"
"Waaah!" Mash pouted. "Big Brother is bullying me!"
"Hahaha!"
All the older brothers burst into laughter.
Joey then turned his gaze to Nusstorte, who stood tall with determination.
"Big Brother," Nusstorte said seriously, "traveling with you is too safe. I plan to return and continue my training with my master."
"Once I'm ready, I'll go on my own journey. I won't waste the power of the Devil Fruit you gave me!"
Clap!
He tightened his grip around his sword, determination shining in his eyes.
Daifuku nodded approvingly. "Not bad! Not bad! Kid, having ambition is a good thing. Just make sure you train hard and don't give Big Brother any trouble."
Oven added, "Yeah! Yeah! Prove yourself, but don't make Big Brother clean up your mess."
Joey smiled gently. "You've made your decision. Now go and make it happen."
Opera then said, "Big Brother, we're leaving now."
"Alright." Joey nodded with a smile.
Soon, whoosh— the fleet set sail, carrying away four of his younger siblings.
Standing by the railing, Joey watched the fleet disappear into the horizon, a warm smile lingering on his face.
As the ships vanished, he turned back to the four remaining siblings. "So, what are you all thinking about?"
Cornstarch and Moscato replied earnestly, "We're thinking about how to study and train next!"
"Good!" Joey nodded. "Knowing how to focus is important. Keep it up."
Then, he turned to Daifuku and Oven. "You two, stop overthinking things. Get ready to set sail. We've already wasted half a month at the Mixed Martial Arts Club Alliance. You punks!"
"Hehehe!" The two chuckled sheepishly.
Indeed, they had spent half a month there.
Otherwise, the whole mission would've only taken seven or eight days.
Joey didn't dwell on it. "Our next goal, besides the Longarm Tribe and the Sky Tribe (Angel Tribe), is to find traces of the legendary Dragon Tribe."
"Huh?"
Daifuku asked in surprise, "Big Brother, did you find something about the Dragon Tribe?"
Joey nodded. "I've been investigating the Lunarian Tribe and the Dragon Tribe for some time. I recently found some clues."
"Even though there is a high chance this is just false news and there is no such race but from the intel, it seems that Dragon Tribe is hidden in the Calm Belt. Yesterday, Perospero passed me some new intel—it's also in the Calm Belt."
Oven frowned in thought. "Big Brother, even though we're strong, entering the Calm Belt is still a huge challenge."
The three brothers were certainly powerful.
They weren't top-tier, but as Silver-ranked warriors, they were among the higher echelons of power on the seas.
To put it simply, very few factions could even field Silver-ranked fighters.
Daifuku and Oven were both at Bronze Level 8.
With their Stand abilities, they could even fight at Bronze Level 9.
Especially Daifuku—when paired with his Stand, he could even defeat or kill Silver Level 1 fighters.
Strength wasn't the issue.
The real question was: how would they enter the Calm Belt?
"Hehehe—" Joey chuckled. "Don't worry. Compote found a Devil Fruit that will let us enter the Calm Belt without a problem."
"Compote?"
The two brothers were confused.
They knew Big Brother had been researching Compote's Devil Fruit for a while now.
Pocket-Pocket Fruit, Book-Book Fruit, Heal-Heal Fruit...
None of them were weak, but they were all support-based abilities.
Big Brother had never assigned them to anyone yet.
But now, Compote had found a suitable Devil Fruit?
And Big Brother actually approved?
That was unexpected.
Joey smiled. "No need to overthink it. If we calculate the timing, Compote should already be heading toward the Grand Line. We need to get moving too. Let's aim to reach the Grand Line within five days."
The two brothers stopped worrying.
Oven calculated, "Big Brother, that's no problem. We can definitely reach the Grand Line in five days."
Though the New World was technically part of the Grand Line, people often referred to them separately.
The Red Line divided them.
From Reverse Mountain to the Red Line—this was known as the Grand Line.
Beyond the Red Line—the seas they currently sailed—was called the New World.
— — —
Whoosh! The ships began to sail.
Before long, they had left the Alliance Sea and vanished into the horizon.
Tap!
As Joey and his crew departed, several figures emerged from the shadows of the island.
Dressed in white suits with eerie masks...
There was no need for introductions.
CP0!
The so-called "Shield of the Celestial Dragons."
The leader spoke coldly. "Can we confirm the information? Was it really the Charlotte Family who killed the Celestial Dragons at God Valley and took their treasure?"
The second agent replied, "Unclear. But one thing is certain—this incident is definitely connected to the Charlotte Family."
The third asked, "Should we make a move?"
The fourth shook his head. "We don't have the authority. And taking down the Charlotte Family isn't realistic. If word gets out that CP0 is targeting them, the World Government will face too much backlash. It's not worth the risk."
The leader nodded. "This happened, and we can't change that. Unless we find undeniable evidence, the Five Elders won't allow us to act."
"Understood."
CP0 silently acknowledged the truth.
Through their investigation, it was nearly certain that the Celestial Dragons at God Valley were slaughtered by the Charlotte Family.
But the problem was...
If they attacked the Charlotte Family now?
That would be a nightmare.
Not to mention the Big Mom Pirates.
Charlotte Linlin. Charlotte Katakuri.
Two absolute monsters stood in the way.
And the Dark Trade Alliance?
Heh—The Charlotte Family controlled a lot of business within the new world. If they made a move now?
One misstep...
And the pressure on them would be astronomical.
.
.
.