— — — — — — — —
Two days had passed.
Everything finally had been taken care of.
Joey spoke gently, "Kid, the Angel Tribe issue has been settled. I've left the Goblin Tribe behind to assist you. They'll help you build a true Sky Island in the shortest time possible."
Compote smiled. "Big Brother, no problem at all. As long as those goblins are skilled enough, everything will be fine."
"Heh heh heh..."
Joey chuckled. "Don't underestimate them just because they don't look good. Their craftsmanship is top-tier."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Oh, and one more thing! The City of Gold—Shandora—you need to develop it as well. The wealth hidden there is enormous. It'll be a great source of funding for our future plans."
Compote nodded repeatedly. There was no need for further instructions; she could handle it herself.
Stopping in his tracks, Joey spoke warmly, "Alright, I'll be leaving now."
Compote smirked confidently. "Don't worry, Big Brother! I'll have everything sorted out soon."
"Mhm."
With a smile and a nod, Joey acknowledged her.
ROAR!
With a mighty roar, Opera transformed into a massive azure dragon, soaring into the sky.
Joey leaped onto the dragon's head.
Whoosh!
The dragon shot off into the distance.
Now, it was time to deal with real trouble.
The Tehna Gehna Kingdom!
Joey was curious to see what tricks these people could pull off.
"Hmph."
A smirk crept onto his lips as he murmured, "Seems like you people have no idea just how powerful the Charlotte Family really is. Since that's the case, I'll make sure you understand just how terrifying our strength can be."
Whoosh!
Opera's massive form twisted through the air, heading straight for their destination.
The distance was nothing to him.
In no time at all, Opera had carried Joey back to Kenzan Island.
Unlike when he left, Joey's return was anything but discreet. Instead, he made sure that everyone saw him.
At that moment, the expressions of the people varied.
However, one thing was the same for all of them—confusion.
Where had Joey gone?
And what did his sudden return mean?
"Hmm?"
"What is this supposed to mean? What does this man intend to do?"
"For him to appear so suddenly… it seems like he's already settled some matters."
"Let's see... Charlotte Joey, if you want to challenge us, then let's see if you truly have the ability to do so."
The voices of the figures lurking in the shadows were cold and calculating.
Every major force had invested in training elite warriors from the Longarm Tribe. They might not be top-tier powerhouses, but...
Bronze Rank 5. Bronze Rank 6.
Those levels were definitely within reach.
These warriors had been assigned to their respective factions, along with a generous supply of weapons and resources.
There was no denying it. With this external support, the Tehna Gehna Kingdom had grown significantly stronger.
The puppet masters behind the scenes would never step forward themselves, but they had no problem using Joey as a test subject for their schemes.
To them, this was just a game.
As for losing?
Heh... That thought never even crossed their minds.
They had already stepped into the arena to play this game. For them, Joey was merely a chess piece. And chess pieces were meant to fall.
That was the way of the world.
— — —
Snap!
Joey chuckled. "Quite an impressive city. Too bad it's all coming to an end soon."
Turning his gaze, he spoke, "Elder Vemin, this is our first time meeting, isn't it?"
Vemin bowed respectfully. "Patriarch! You—"
Joey raised a hand, stopping Vemin from continuing.
His ears twitched slightly.
With an amused sigh, he muttered, "So troublesome... It seems that the moment they saw me return, they could no longer hold back."
"Heh..."
His chuckle was calm, almost lazy.
He tilted his head as if peering into the distance.
At that very moment, four figures emerged from the city.
Katakuri, Cracker, Daifuku, and Oven.
"Big Brother!" x4
The four called out, their expressions serious as they looked at Joey.
Joey smiled warmly. "Did you prepare everything as I asked?"
Cracker grinned playfully. "Of course, Big Bro. Everything's set. But honestly, isn't this a bit wasteful? Killing about 400,000 Longarm warriors seems like such a waste."
Vemin's face turned pale, her entire body trembling slightly.
At that moment, Vemin felt a mix of horror and sorrow.
Joey, however, seemed oblivious to her reaction. Instead, he spoke calmly, "No need to be so tense. Since our enemies are so confident in their victory, they must have been promised something significant."
The five brothers stood silently, listening to Joey.
After a brief pause, he continued, "War always comes with death. And when enough people die, the survivors will be filled with fear. And when they fear enough... they will submit."
With Joey's gentle smile...
War had begun!
The Longarm Tribe may have had 2 million members.
But let's not forget—Their true combat force numbered only about 400,000.
These were their warriors.
The rest? The elderly, women, and children.
They made up the bulk of the population.
Even so, mustering 400,000 warriors was already an incredible feat.
Among them, Vemin controlled only about 80,000 warriors.
And now—A force of 320,000 was marching toward them.
Seeing Vemin's distress, Joey smiled. "Elder Vemin, no need to be so nervous. Just be prepared. As citizens of Totto Land, a new life awaits you."
Vemin stiffly nodded, unsure of what to say.
Perhaps...Silence was the best response.
She waited quietly, waiting for the outcome to unfold.
Ever since Joey set his sights on the Tehna Gehna Kingdom, the moment this place became a battlefield, they had no choice left.
Everything was already in someone else's hands. The Longarm Tribe was just a pawn in this game.
And to those behind the scenes, Joey was just another piece on the board.
However, Joey had no intention of being a pawn.
He wanted to be the player.
Or rather, in his eyes, he was already the one controlling the board.
— — —
A bloody wind blew gently through the air.
Looking at the terrifying army before them, Katakuri spoke calmly, "Their weapons... There's no way the Longarm Tribe could produce such advanced gear on their own. Someone not only provided them with more warriors but also supplied them with high-quality weapons."
"Heh, what a joke," Cracker scoffed. "No matter how many there are, they're still just trash."
Of course, despite his words, Cracker wasn't stupid enough to charge in recklessly.
This was an army of 320,000 fully armed Longarm warriors, many of whom were hidden elites. The natural talents of the Longarm Tribe were no joke.
Even their weakest members were several times stronger than an ordinary human.
Charging in blindly would be a death sentence. Not even Cracker was that arrogant.
No one here would be stupid enough to underestimate their enemies.
Boom!
With heavy footsteps, massive figures approached—each towering close to five meters tall.
They wore thick, medieval-style armor.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the armor was made entirely of hardened biscuits.
"Heh heh heh..."
Cracker grinned as he leaped forward.
Swish!
Landing on one knee, he smirked viciously. "Kill them all! Show these fools just how strong you are!"
"ROAR!"
A deafening war cry erupted from the battlefield as the Longarm warriors roared in response.
They couldn't afford to retreat.
Their families, their friends, their brothers and sisters were behind them.
Even if their opponents were their own kin, they couldn't back down.
They had no choice but to fight.
Daifuku remained composed. "This might look like an uphill battle, but the truth is... this fight isn't even close."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
With that, Daifuku, Oven, and Opera joined the battle alongside him.
— — —
Boom!
Whether it was bullets or cannonballs, they had no effect on the Biscuit Armor.
"Hee hee hee..."
Cracker sneered confidently. "Hey, you idiots! Did you seriously think that kind of attack would break my Biscuit Armor? What a joke! You really think I'm that weak? Pathetic trash!"
As Cracker's grin grew more menacing, the battle that the enemies had expected to be a fair fight...Turned into a one-sided massacre.
Charlotte Cracker! This man was doing something unbelievable all on his own.
At that moment, everyone fell into silence.
Doubt crept into their minds.
'Had they truly unlocked the full potential of their own Devil Fruits?'
That was their problem to figure out—not Cracker's.
Daifuku, Oven, Opera, and Katakuri!
The four of them led their troops like a sharp blade, tearing straight through enemy lines.
Splatter!
A massive sword pierced straight through an enemy warrior.
Cracker smirked. "You... You're one of the outsiders, aren't you? That strength, that fighting style... Let me guess, where are you from?"
"Tch."
With a grunt, the man chose to take his own life.
He refused to reveal anything.
Even if his enemies had already figured it out.
He would rather die than expose his master's identity.
"Tch!" Cracker clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You know, if my big bro were here, he'd probably respect your loyalty! He'd say something like, 'Loyalty is a virtue!'
"But me? I can't stand you loyal dogs!"
Swish!
With a single slash, he cut the man in half.
Cracker's expression was as cold as ice.
At this moment...With the Biscuit Soldiers rampaging through the battlefield...This was no longer a war.
It was a Massacre.
It couldn't even be called a battle anymore!!!
.
.
.