— — — — — — —
The Next Day
As the first light of dawn broke through the horizon, many people still felt as if they were in a dream.
Walking down the road, Vemin couldn't shake that surreal feeling. She didn't know what to say; she was overwhelmed with emotion.
Was this truly happening?
Everything seemed to be under control, yet at the same time, it felt unbelievable.
"Hah—" she exhaled deeply, whispering to herself, "Maybe this is what makes that man so terrifying. Charlotte Joey…?"
She shook her head and looked up at the sky.
The Longarm Tribe was about to embrace a new destiny.
Out of the original two million Longarm Tribe members, about 1.8 million remained after a day of battle. Nearly 200,000 warriors had fallen.
But those who survived would now step into an entirely different future.
As Joey stepped out of his room, he was immediately surrounded.
Smiling, he asked, "What are you guys doing here so early in the morning?"
Opera, looking a little nervous, asked, "Big brother! We've won, right? Are we setting sail now?"
Joey nodded. "Of course. A few days ago, I had Perospero send people ahead."
"Counter, Cadenza, Cabaletta, and Gala have already arrived. I heard that Mom gave birth to octuplets. It's time to head back and see them."
Katakuri nodded, "I also want to see them…"
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
A figure shot through the air, landing swiftly before them—it was Gala.
With a smirk, Gala said, "Big brother! We've arrived. I brought two hundred ships, all large vessels. We can transport all 1.8 million Longarm Tribe members without a problem."
Joey smiled. "How's Amande handling things on her end?"
Gala landed gracefully and nodded. "Big brother, you don't have to worry about that. Everything has been taken care of. There won't be any problems."
Joey gave a satisfied nod.
Originally, he had planned to allocate no more than 100,000 people per island.
But given the current situation, splitting up the Longarm Tribe into two groups was not an option.
Not to mention, the Angel Tribe, with its 500,000 members, was no small number either.
It seemed that their original plans needed some adjustments. But for now, there was no rush.
Although his initial idea had been to settle 100,000 people per island, in reality, the islands under his control were massive. With proper modifications, they could easily accommodate millions.
Turning to Vemin, Joey instructed, "Elder Vemin, organize an orderly evacuation for the Longarm Tribe. Those who don't wish to leave won't be forced, but you know the consequences if they choose to stay."
Vemin bowed respectfully. "Lord Joey, rest assured. I know exactly how to handle this."
She was well aware of what would happen if some chose to remain.
The world's major factions were all watching closely, waiting like vultures. If any Longarm members refused to leave, their future would be filled with nothing but suffering.
Joey sighed. "What a shame… If circumstances allowed, I would have liked to explore the depths of the Calm Belt. Whether it's Amazon Lily or the legendary Dragon Tribe, both intrigue me."
Daifuku chimed in, "Big brother, let's head back first. We can deal with everything else later. Totto Land is the priority."
Joey nodded. "Of course. I'm not that reckless. I know what needs to be done. I was just saying it's a pity. But yes… it's time to set sail. The next year will be the toughest period for the Charlotte Family."
Everyone nodded gravely.
After more than a decade of preparation, the Charlotte Family was finally ready for a breakthrough.
Right now, the Charlotte Family commanded Totto Land, the Big Mom Pirates, and the vast networks of the Dark Trade.
If they fell, everything would collapse, leaving only the Big Mom Pirates behind—a completely different power structure.
— — —
Organizing and transporting 1.8 million people was no easy task.
It took five full days to complete the arrangements.
Standing at the bow of the leading ship, Joey gave the command: "Set sail!"
Splash!
The massive fleet began its journey.
At this moment, no one would dare to cause trouble openly.
Still…They couldn't afford to let their guard down.
After all, their journey involved crossing the Sabaody Archipelago for coating before heading to Fish-Man Island and then finally returning to Totto Land.
There was no chance to cross the Red Line directly. The Five Elders of the World Government would attack them if they did.
Taking the long but dangerous route was, ironically, the safest choice.
With a fleet carrying 1.8 million people, they couldn't take any risks.
...
When Joey reached Fish-Man Island, he had already taken 1 million Fish-Men and 100,000 Merfolk with him.
Now, his current fleet numbered over 3 million—entirely composed of non-human races.
Just this single trip had cemented the Charlotte Family's rise.
Sometimes, all it took was one decisive moment to change everything. The Ryuuguu Kingdom had immediately pledged its allegiance.
---
After nearly four months of sailing
Joey and his people finally returned to Totto Land.
Standing at the bow, feeling the salty sea breeze on his face, Joey murmured, "We've made it back..."
Four months. To be honest, every moment of it had been nerve-wracking.
"Is this our future home?"
"That vortex is huge!"
"There are so many islands!"
"Yeah!" The merfolk, fish-men, and longarm tribe were all chattering with excitement. Smiles filled their faces—they had finally arrived. It had taken them four whole months.
"Setting sail from Sword Mountain Island to now... it's been four months! We've finally made it through this dangerous route."
"Big bro!" Perospero and Amande stepped forward, both grinning with excitement.
It had been nearly half a year since Joey had left, and now, he was finally back.
Joey smiled and said, "Catching up can wait—let's get everyone settled first. Amande, how's the island construction coming along?"
Amande chuckled warmly, "Big bro! Everything is ready. The longarm tribe's Hundred Arms Island and their Sword Mountain Town!"
"The fishmen's Giant Whale Island, the merfolk's Atlantis, and their Sea Town! Everything is prepared."
"Good!" Joey nodded seriously. "Make sure everything is in order. We can't afford any chaos."
Amande reassured him, "Big bro, don't worry. Everything is under control."
Without delay, Amande got to work. Over these past six months, she had truly grown, handling everything in an organized manner."
"It took four days to settle the longarm tribe, fishmen, and merfolk. There were simply too many people. If it weren't for Totto Land's well-established infrastructure, it would have taken even longer.
— — —
Cake Island
Walking down the streets, Joey looked around, speaking warmly, "Totto Land's construction is almost complete!"
Perospero responded, "Big bro! About 60% of Totto Land is finished, but all the protective barriers, including those around Cake Island, have been set up just as you instructed."
Joey nodded. "That's crucial. Even though the whirlpools around Totto Land are formidable, they can still be breached. It's best to establish formations, magic circles, or barriers—those are vital."
Amande added, "Big bro, we understand. That's why we've followed your orders precisely in the construction."
"Good!" Joey stopped walking and spoke in a low voice, "It's been four months."
"Now, we have about ten months left. Before the World Conference begins, these ten months will be the most troublesome period. No one knows what will happen."
He took a deep breath.
The Charlotte Family would face attacks from all directions. Simply trying to stall for ten months through defense alone would not be enough.
And Joey was not the type to just sit back and take hits.
Now, everything was in place.
Totto Land's construction had reached its final stage.
The Fishmen, Merfolk, Longarm tribe, Longleg tribe, Giants, Dwarves, Elves, Goblins, Angels, Oni, Tontatta tribe, Three-Eyed tribe, Snake-Neck tribe, and Beastmen!
A total of 14 races!
It could be said that, aside from the Mink tribe, nearly every race of the sea had now become part of Totto Land. The total population had surpassed several million.
This number alone proved that Totto Land had secured its place.
Once the World Conference began…Totto Land would establish itself as one of the most unique nations in the world.
And before that could happen...This was everyone's last chance.
A chance to crush Totto Land entirely.
Or rather…A chance to bring down the Charlotte Family.
That was the ultimate goal of many forces.
.
.
.