— — — — — —
East Blue!
Whoosh!
Today, streaks of light flashed across the sky.
Several white floating ships emerged from the clouds.
It was the Charlotte Family.
Standing at the bow of one of the ships, Joey faced the strong winds, murmuring to himself,
"So, this is the place?"
Behind him, Katakuri nodded. "Big bro, we've arrived in the East Blue. In about three hours, we'll reach the target location from the intel."
"Hmm."
Joey's eyes glowed with intrigue.
Things were definitely getting more interesting.
He whispered, "I wonder… What exactly is the World Government planning? What are they preparing? They can't send their major forces directly, so are they relying on a bunch of nobodies?"
"Those weaklings won't even be able to stall me."
Joey thought about it for a moment… then dismissed the concern entirely.
The Charlotte Family was already pushing 30% of its strength into this operation.
If the opposition turned out to be too powerful…
Well.
"I'll just cheat."
"Isn't that what being a transmigrator is all about?"
Brrrrr!
Suddenly, the family's communication emblem buzzed.
Joey answered the video call.
BOOM! BOOM!
The first thing he heard was the deafening roar of cannon fire.
On the screen, Broye appeared, speaking hastily, "Big bro! Totto Land is under attack! There are a lot of them—at least 100,000 soldiers! Their strength is unknown for now, but Opera and the others have already engaged them!"
Joey responded in a calm voice, "Relax, little one. There's no need to panic."
"Your brothers and sisters are strong. They're more than enough to handle this. Those small fries can't possibly threaten Totto Land.""
"Okay!"
Broye nodded cutely, reassured by his words.
Joey ended the call.
Katakuri frowned, "Big bro… their strategy is strange. Attacking Totto Land? Even with 100,000 troops, there's no way they could actually take it."
Katakuri wasn't just being confident.
Anyone with common sense would see the problem.
The non-humans were already far stronger than the average human.
And in Totto Land? Even a 100,000-strong army wouldn't be enough to break through.
Not only were the civilians powerful, but the engineers had also developed new weapons.
Even if 1,000,000 troops showed up…They'd have a hard time getting in.
Katakuri's concerns were valid.
Joey thought for a moment before responding, "This makes sense. The Five Elders aren't aiming to win—they're trying to stall us.
If they can delay us past 14 days, we lose."
Katakuri's eyes widened as he realized it.
A distraction.
A simple but effective way to waste time.
If Joey turned back to defend his home, they would stall him.
And in just a short month, they could waste enough time to sabotage Totto Land's founding.
Of course…To some people, this was just a title issue.
With enough power, a delay wouldn't matter.
But in reality—Totto Land's establishment was a crucial part of Joey's long-term plans.
Under normal growth, reaching his ideal level of power would take 30 years.
But with Totto Land officially established? He could reach it in 20 years or less.
A single name held massive influence.
And that influence… Was the key to his future empire.
Whoosh!
Perospero jumped down, dragging an unconscious figure with him.
His expression was serious as he reported,"Big bro! We captured a Lunarian Tribe member."
"...What?"
Both Joey and Katakuri were momentarily stunned.
They turned to look at the figure Perospero dropped onto the deck.
Sure enough—
The man had black feathered wings, an old-fashioned robe, and flames burning atop his head.
Though…The fire was flickering weakly, on the verge of going out.
Joey narrowed his eyes.
Joey looked at the injured member of the Lunarian Tribe and spoke seriously, "Save this person!"
"Got it!" Hachée and Effilée responded without hesitation.
The two girls were quickly brought over.
"Heal!"
"Treat!"
Both of them activated their abilities simultaneously.
One radiated a pure white light, while the other emitted a vibrant green glow.
Both lights carried the essence of life itself.
Despite the dire condition, the two girls' powers rapidly healed the Lunarian Tribe member's injuries.
"Hmm...?"
In a daze, the wounded individual slowly opened her eyes.
Joey spoke gently, "Calm down, little one. There's no need to be so tense. What's your name?"
Hearing his soothing voice, the girl gradually regained her composure.
Taking a deep breath, she exhaled heavily and said, "Thank you for saving me! But... I need to go to the New World! I must find the Charlotte family! Only they can save the Lunarian Tribe... Sigh..."
She let out a deep sigh, her face filled with worry.
Joey, Katakuri, Perospero, Hachée, and Effilée exchanged glances.
Was this... fate?
"Heh..."
Joey smiled warmly and said, "My name is Charlotte Joey. In other words, I am the leader of the Charlotte Family you speak of."
"Huh?!"
The girl's eyes widened in shock. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, excitement brimming in her voice. "Really?! That's amazing! The Lunarian Tribe is saved!"
At that moment, everyone present couldn't help but feel the same thing—this girl was incredibly naive.
No, rather...
She had absolutely no sense of caution.
Joey smiled gently and asked, "What's your name? Why are you here?"
"Damn it!!!"
The moment he mentioned it, the girl was filled with fury. "I...! I...! Ugh, it's embarrassing... The Lunarian Tribe has been reduced to just a few survivors, and yet, I—the princess of the Lunarian Tribe, Amaterasu—was completely powerless to stop it!"
She lowered her head bitterly, frustration written all over her face.
"I see."
Joey didn't care if her name coincided with a certain deity. Instead, he asked gently, "But isn't the Lunarian Tribe known for living in seclusion? How were you suddenly discovered?"
"Sigh..."
Amaterasu let out a deep sigh before saying, "Our Lunarian Tribe originally lived in seclusion in the South Blue. Over time, our numbers grew to over a thousand. But then... we were betrayed by one of our own—an exile named King!"
"Damn him!!!"
Amaterasu gritted her teeth in fury before continuing, "That traitor... That bastard led the Beasts Pirates straight to our home! We fought desperately to resist, but most of our people were slaughtered. Only about three hundred of us managed to escape to the East Blue, but..."
She shook her head sadly.
"Even then, we were still hunted down. And worse, we were treated like livestock and imprisoned... I managed to escape in secret. According to King, we were nothing more than bait. Once we served our purpose, we'd be disposed of."
Joey reached out and gently ruffled the girl's hair. "How did you come up with the idea of seeking out the Charlotte Family?"
Amaterasu tilted her head and said, "Because everyone across the seas complains about the Charlotte Family! They call you traitors to humanity for creating a paradise for non-human races. So, I thought I'd go to the New World and find you."
"Heh..."
Hachée sighed helplessly. "Weren't you afraid of getting lost? From the East Blue to the New World, at your pace, it would take you at least half a month. Do you even know how to find us?"
Hearing this, Amaterasu blinked blankly.
Then, she froze.
Clearly, she hadn't considered this at all.
"Haha..."
Joey chuckled warmly. "Alright, alright. Don't worry about it. Get some rest. I'll take care of everything from here, okay?"
Amaterasu immediately perked up. "Chief! Do you mean it?!"
Katakuri spoke confidently, "Of course."
"Alright!"
Perhaps due to the inherently trusting nature of the Lunarian Tribe, once she accepted Joey and his group, Amaterasu quickly relaxed.
Soon, she was fast asleep on the couch.
"Whew..."
Watching her sleep, Joey chuckled softly. "What an innocent and adorable girl. She trusts people so easily. But... tribes like hers are often the ones worth protecting."
At this moment, Katakuri's expression turned serious. "Big Brother, the Beasts Pirates... It seems the World Government is backing them this time. But..."
Perospero frowned. "Big Brother, Kaido is at most a Silver-level combatant. He shouldn't be strong enough to pose a real threat."
Joey mused, "If the World Government chose the Beasts Pirates, they must have a way to strengthen them. They've likely deployed some powerful reinforcements as well."
"Still..." He shook his head slightly before continuing, "No matter what, our opponent is ready. We just need to see what they have in store. There's no way they'll be weak."
"Mm!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Perospero thought for a moment before saying, "Even a lion goes all out when hunting a rabbit! We can't afford to be careless. The Beasts Pirates must have either received enhancements or obtained some kind of powerful treasure."
"Hmm?"
Joey suddenly recalled something and asked, "By the way, do you have any updates on Vegapunk?"
To be honest, Joey hadn't paid much attention to Vegapunk.
After all, the Goblin Tribe was already a top-tier scientific force. They had studied engineering and alchemy extensively, and Joey had acquired countless scientific books to aid their learning.
At this point, the Goblin Tribe had already made significant advancements.
So, he had largely ignored Vegapunk's affairs.
Perospero hesitated before responding, "Big Brother, I've kept an eye on related intel. Vegapunk's scientific research team ran into trouble, and as a result, the World Government launched a full-scale purge against them. The final outcome...?"
He pondered for a moment before continuing, "If I remember correctly, Vegapunk was captured, while Vinsmoke Judge managed to escape back to the North Blue. That's the general situation."
In that instant, Joey fully understood.
With a scientist like Vegapunk, it was no surprise that the Beasts Pirates had undergone major changes.
.
.
.