— — — — — — —
Right now, Joey set sail along the Grand Line with Daifuku, Oven, Cornstarch, and Moscato.
But The Charlotte Family wasn't that calm.
— — —
Three Days Ago…
In the Big Mom Pirates, Something major had happened.
Smack!
In the middle of the battlefield, Katakuri strode forward, holding his trident, Mogura. His sharp gaze and the aura surrounding him exuded just one feeling:
Slash!
With a single swing of his trident, flashes of light streaked across the battlefield, cutting down enemy after enemy.
He hadn't even used his Stand ability. That was his trump card, after all.
Besides, he hadn't yet fully mastered that power, and Katakuri disliked using anything he couldn't control completely. Once he fully grasped it, he wouldn't mind unleashing it.
"Damn it!" one of the enemy pirates groaned. "Are all members of the Big Mom Pirates monsters?!"
The opposing pirates wailed in agony. They knew they were doomed.
From the start, this wasn't even a fair fight—it was a massacre.
"Heh heh heh…"
"Oi oi!" Cracker laughed as he cut down enemies left and right with his massive sword. "Is this really all you've got? If this is the best you can do, then this is beyond disappointing. With such pathetic strength, you actually dared to challenge us? Who the hell gave you that kind of courage?"
He hadn't even summoned his biscuit soldiers yet. Cracker was simply wielding his sword and casually sweeping through the battlefield.
It was clear—the two sides weren't even in the same league.
The Big Mom, Linlin, just watched the battle with complete indifference.
---
The Big Mom Pirates had come here because they had obtained a treasure map.
Which wasn't surprising.
After all, in a vast sea filled with countless pirates, stumbling upon treasure maps was just a part of the game.
And according to the map's markings—The treasure was hidden right here.
And so, the Big Mom Pirates arrived at this island.
Only to find that another pirate crew had already beaten them to it.
Needless to say, a fight broke out immediately.
After all, when two pirate crews meet, things rarely end peacefully.
To make matters worse, the other pirate crew actually had the audacity to attack them first.
Which meant there was nothing left to say. Just fight.
---
Boom!
Cannons roared as two pirate ships clashed, docking one after another.
What followed was brutal close-quarters combat.
But from the moment the battle began…It was already over.
Compote, Katakuri, and Cracker were unstoppable.
Meanwhile, Mondée, Hachée, and Effilée ventured into the island to search for the treasure. They didn't even need to participate in the battle.
Boom!
"Heh heh heh…"
Cracker stomped on the enemy captain's chest and smirked, "Oi! Oi! So you're the captain, huh? This is all the strength you have? Pathetic!"
"Tch!"
Just then, a figure dashed forward at blinding speed.
This man belonged to the Longleg Tribe—his speed was incredible, and his attacks were ruthless.
Clearly, he was a formidable fighter.
But Cracker simply smirked. "Oh? Not bad. You seem strong."
The Longleg warrior didn't respond, only narrowing his sharp eyes at Cracker.
From start to finish, he remained on full alert.
Katakuri noticed the battle but only gave it a glance before turning away. He was completely unbothered.
Compote moved like a human meat grinder, effortlessly slaughtering enemy pirates.
Soon enough, she and Katakuri stood quietly, watching Cracker battle the Longleg warrior.
Katakuri muttered, "This guy's got some skill. If we capture him, he'd make a decent addition to the Big Mom Pirates. We could use more manpower."
Compote nodded in agreement. "That's true. And since he's from the Longleg Tribe, his unique heritage makes him even more valuable."
With just a few words, the siblings had already decided the man's fate.
Cracker understood this as well.
Sure, the Longleg warrior seemed strong…But that was just how he seemed.
Cracker's true strength was undeniable.
For someone like him, dealing with this guy was effortless.
"Urgh!"
With a choked gasp, the Longleg warrior coughed up blood and collapsed.
He had reached his limit.
Still, he sneered defiantly. "Just kill me! I will never surrender!"
"Heh heh heh…"
Cracker rested his sword on his shoulder, crouching down to look the man in the eye. "Kill you? Please, you're a valuable fighter. The Big Mom Pirates love collecting strong warriors like you. Don't worry—we'll break you soon enough."
With that, he grabbed the Longleg warrior and effortlessly dragged him away.
Thud!
Cracker casually tossed him onto the ground before looking at his siblings.
"Compote, Katakuri—problem solved. Seriously, these pirates were trash. And yet, they strutted around like they were something special."
He shook his head, genuinely bored.
What were these fools even thinking?
They were clearly outmatched. And yet they charged forward, only to be completely annihilated.
"Hehehe..."
Compote chuckled and said, "Cracker! Pirates... so many of them lack self-awareness. They always think, 'If others can do it, so can I.'"
Katakuri nodded. "Ever since the Rocks Pirates fell, no pirate crew has been strong enough to suppress the entire world. Naturally, all these reckless fools have started popping up."
Cracker scoffed, bored. "In short, just a bunch of useless trash!" His face remained calm and indifferent.
Of course, Cracker wasn't arrogant. He just didn't see the need to take these weaklings seriously.
Meanwhile, Mondée returned, holding a Devil Fruit in one hand. "Compote, Katakuri, Cracker—we're back!"
Compote glanced at the fruit and asked curiously, "Only one Devil Fruit?"
Hachée shook her head. "Of course not! But the treasure was pretty disappointing. There wasn't much wealth—easily stored with our family crest. The most valuable thing we found was this Devil Fruit. If I'm not mistaken, it's a Paramecia-type: the Pet-Pet Fruit!"
"Hm?"
Katakuri frowned. "Paramecia? The Pet-Pet Fruit?"
Effilée nodded. "According to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, that's correct."
Everyone froze for a moment.
The Pet-Pet Fruit! (Peto Peto no Mi!)
This was definitely a top-tier Devil Fruit.
If used carelessly, even the strongest warriors could fall victim to its power.
However, its weakness was obvious. As long as someone couldn't hear commands, the fruit's power was useless.
The Pet-Pet Fruit allowed the user to control people like pets...And controlling pets required giving orders.
Sound was the key component.
"Hm..."
Katakuri pondered. "Regardless, this is a high-level Devil Fruit. Store it for now—it will surely be useful in the future."
But Compote suddenly interrupted. "No! Give me that Devil Fruit."
"Big Sis?"
"Compote?"
Everyone was stunned.
They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
Compote remained calm. "The Big Mom Pirates need to recruit more people. If they obey, great. If they don't, the Pet-Pet Fruit is the perfect tool to keep them in line. But let me check with Big Brother first."
The others realized she had already made up her mind and didn't argue.
After all, the Pet-Pet Fruit wasn't weak.
It just didn't directly boost combat strength—it was more of a support ability.
Buru—Buru—
The family crest communication device rang, and Joey's voice came through. "Compote, what's up?"
Compote smiled. "Big Brother! Where are you guys?"
Joey's voice was warm. "At the Mixed Martial Arts Club Alliance. Daifuku, Oven, and Zuccotto are all studying Stand Awakening. What's going on with you?"
"Hehehe..."
Compote giggled. "My little brothers sure are hardworking! Big Brother, I want to eat a Devil Fruit—the Pet-Pet Fruit. What do you think?"
Joey was silent for a moment.
Then he spoke again. "Little sis, are you sure about this?"
Compote smiled. "Big Brother, someone has to make sacrifices. I think learning Giant combat techniques is enough for me—this Devil Fruit suits me well."
Joey's voice remained gentle. "If that's the case, go ahead and eat it. The Pet-Pet Fruit is definitely a good choice."
"Alright!" Compote grinned.
Joey continued, "Once you eat it, meet me at Calm Belt. We'll rendezvous at the Island I marked before in the Grand Line."
Compote said, "No problem, Big Brother! I'll set sail now—I should reach the Island in about seven days."
Joey replied, "Alright. Stay safe on the way—don't let anything happen."
"Mm!"
---
Compote hung up and smiled. "See? I told you it'd be fine."
Then—
Crunch!
Compote took a bite of the Devil Fruit and swallowed it.
"Mmm..."
She turned her gaze to the Longleg Tribe man they had captured, smirking. "You'll make a perfect test subject."
With a single hand gesture, a green ring of light appeared and wrapped around the Longleg man's neck.
"What is this?!"
The Longleg man roared in fury.
Compote remained calm. "Stand up! Move around. Kneel. Obey my orders!"
As she commanded, the man followed every instruction.
The Pet-Pet Fruit! It didn't just enforce short-term obedience.
It could issue long-term commands as well. The key was how commands were structured.
Since Compote had chosen to eat the Pet-Pet Fruit, she had naturally studied it in depth.
She declared, "Until I return and issue new orders, you will obey everyone in the Big Mom Pirates."
"Yes!" The Longleg man's eyes glowed green as he bowed obediently.
Soon after—Compote set sail.
Splash! The waves lapped against a small ship designed to resemble a cake.
A minor vessel of the Big Mom Pirates—not built for combat, just for solo travel.
Katakuri watched his sister leave, then turned to the others. "Let's go. Our journey isn't over yet."
"Mm!"
The crew returned to the Queen Mama Chanter and prepared to depart.
.
.
.