— — — — — — —
Shiki had left.
From beginning to end, Joey remained exceptionally calm.
As if nothing had ever happened.
Daifuku frowned and said seriously, "Big Bro! The Golden Lion just left like that. Won't your abilities be exposed?"
The Silver Greatsword! Joey's Stand!
Joey never hid anything from his family—there was no need to.
Oven nodded. "Yeah, Big Bro. If he figures out your power, that could be a real problem!"
Joey replied calmly, "Don't worry. It's not a big deal. My ability is incredibly complex. Even if Shiki suspects something, he can't be sure. Besides, for strong people at his level, sometimes perception itself can be the most troublesome thing."
He shook his head, dismissing any unnecessary thoughts.
Seeing their big brother so composed, Daifuku and Oven also nodded in agreement.
That was true. Their big brother's situation was so special. For now, it was best to set it aside.
After all, the Stand ability was incredibly unique. For outsiders, mastering it wasn't easy—
Or rather, this power didn't even belong to this world.
Guessing it was just impossible.
Clap!
At that moment, an old man with an unusually long neck walked over respectfully and said, "Chief! Greetings! Greetings!"
Joey turned around and smiled. "Elder, we finally meet. I sincerely apologize for putting you all in danger. This was a failure on the Charlotte family's part in protecting the citizens of Totto Land."
"Nonsense!" the Elder of the Snakeneck tribe hurriedly said. "Chief, what are you saying? If it weren't for Lord Counter's arrival, our Snakeneck Tribe would have either ended up as slaves. That was a fate too terrifying to even imagine."
Compared to the Three-Eyed Tribe, the Snakehead Tribe's attitude was vastly different.
Like night and day.
"Hahaha—"
Hearing this, Joey chuckled. "Elder, don't worry about such things. It's nothing. I'm sorry! If this were under normal circumstances, I would have held a banquet for you."
"However!" He sighed helplessly. "I still have a ton of things to handle, so we'll have to postpone that for now."
The Elder immediately shook his head. "Chief! Your kindness is more than enough for our Snakehead Tribe. But! As your citizens, it wouldn't be right for you to hold a banquet for us. Instead, we should be the ones hosting a feast for you."
"Hahaha—"
Joey responded warmly, "Counter, escort the Elder and the entire Snakeneck Tribe back to Totto Land safely."
Counter nodded seriously. "Big Bro! Don't worry. I've already made the necessary preparations!"
Soon, after exchanging a few pleasantries, the Snakeneck Elder and his tribe got busy under Counter's guidance.
Their efficiency was impressive.
In just three hours, the entire Snakeneck Tribe was ready to set sail.
Counter approached Joey quickly. "Big Bro! I'll be heading out now. Opera has also arrived, so I need to move fast."
Joey smiled. "Be careful on the way. If anything happens, just leave immediately."
Clap!
He patted Counter's shoulder, sighing. "You little brats are all getting taller than me."
It was undeniable.
Most of Joey's brothers were over two meters tall.
And himself?
Standing at 180 cm with a perfectly balanced physique, a handsome face, and long pink hair—always dressed in luxurious attire.
Counter thumped his chest. "Big Bro! What are you saying? No matter what, I'm still your little brother! You'll always be my Big Bro! I will definitely complete my mission!"
With that,
Counter left.
Joey simply shook his head and smiled, sighing. "These little brats are really growing up. The future of our family is looking stronger and stronger."
"Haha!"
Daifuku and Oven grinned.
Their belief was unwavering—the family would only keep getting stronger.
Why?
Because their big brother existed.
Because their brothers and sisters worked together.
And that was all that mattered.
Rustle—
Watching Counter leave, Joey asked, "What about Mom? No, wait! Katakuri—has he returned yet?"
He originally wanted to ask about their mother.
But, considering how unreliable she could be, he decided to check on Katakuri instead.
Moscato, who was standing behind him, answered, "Big Bro! We got word from Katakuri. They'll arrive at the meeting point in two days."
Knowing the timeline, Joey said, "Then we should set off too."
"No problem!"
"Hahaha!"
The siblings got to work.
Rustle—
Soon, the ship set sail.
Standing at the bow, Joey murmured, "Golden Lion... What exactly will you do? I don't fear being exposed, but... What decision will you make? Will you spread the news? Will you stay silent? Or will you investigate me in secret?"
"Hahaha—"
He chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Whatever. I don't need to worry about his plans. The current Golden Lion isn't a threat. If it were his full-fledged Flying Pirates, then I'd be more cautious."
Joey never believed that a single person could dominate the entire world.
Unless they were truly at an invincible level.
After some thought, Joey decided to stop dwelling on it.
The family system!
As the name implied, it was all about growing the family's strength.
As long as the family flourished,
The chief would become powerful enough. And that was the most crucial thing.
He knew exactly what needed to be done.
Moving forward, the ship sailed at full speed.
From the Snakehead Tribe's hideout to the designated island, it took about two days.
Rustle—Boom!
As the ship docked and Joey's group disembarked,
Katakuri and the others had yet to arrive.
Roar!
Howl!
Arriving at night, they were greeted by the roars of wild beasts.
Clearly, this was an island ruled by wildlife.
Joey scanned the surroundings. "There's not a single trace of human life here."
His Observation Haki wasn't particularly strong. But, for a small island like this, a quick scan was enough.
Islands generally fell into three categories:
Small islands—like this one, big enough to house ten thousand people at most.
Medium islands—suitable for building nations, capable of housing millions. Totto Land's 36 islands were all medium-sized.
Large islands—such as Dressrosa, enormous landmasses that could accommodate tens of millions, often controlled by powerful nations.
Oven nodded and said, "Big Bro! We've checked the island thoroughly. There's no trace of anyone. It's safe!"
"Alright!" Joey nodded. "Set up some camps. We'll wait here for a while."
Daifuku and Oven immediately got to work.
Nusstorte continued his intense training. That kid was extremely hardworking.
However, Joey made sure the ship's doctor followed him to prevent any serious injuries.
Cornstarch and Moscato were buried in books, absorbing knowledge taught by their teachers.
Once the camp was set up, everyone settled in for the night.
— — —
The Next Day!
As the first light of dawn broke, Joey heard the sound of a ship approaching.
He immediately got up.
The others were already awake as well—Daifuku, Oven, and the rest of the siblings stood quietly, watching the rapidly approaching pirate ship.
The Queen Mama Chanter!
The ship sped towards them.
Standing at the bow was none other than their mother, her belly visibly swollen from pregnancy.
Joey frowned, deep in thought. "Mom should be pregnant with the 12th and 13th daughters, Mozart and Marnier!"
Joey decided not to dwell on it. This wasn't the so-called 'original story' anymore—it was a completely new world.
His mother was a living, breathing person.
It was only natural that things wouldn't follow the 'original' timeline exactly. After all, he'd acquired many Devil Fruits that were never supposed to be in his hands according to the original story.
Swoosh!
With a leap, Linlin jumped straight at him.
Joey sighed helplessly, saying, "Mom! Calm down. You're pregnant! You need to be careful for yourself and the babies."
Linlin beamed, "It's fine! It's fine! Mommy's body is super strong! Besides, Joey is worrying about me? That makes Mommy so happy!"
"Sigh..." Joey sighed in resignation. "Mom, when have I not worried about you?"
Honestly...
His mother was incredibly powerful, but she was also quite... dense.
And because of that, Joey had to be extra vigilant.
What if someone tried to kidnap her?
Meanwhile, Katakuri and the others disembarked.
"Big Bro!" they all greeted him enthusiastically.
Still trapped in his mother's embrace, Joey just smiled and said, "Welcome back!"
"Mhm!" They all nodded.
Joey looked at Katakuri and said warmly, "Katakuri, you did great!"
Katakuri smiled. "Big Bro! I only did what I was supposed to do!"
From Katakuri's perspective, he simply fulfilled his duty.
He was meant to be the invincible man of the family. Did such a man even need praise?
Shaking his head, Joey said, "That's exactly how it should be. But—did you run into any problems on your way back?"
He was asking Katakuri, but also addressing everyone.
Cracker scratched his head and replied, "We ran into quite a few pirate groups trying to claim Fishman Island. But they were just trash!"
"The real issue is that Katakuri kept feeling like someone was watching us. But every time we tried to investigate, we couldn't find anything."
"Hmm."
Joey didn't let his guard down.
Katakuri's Observation Haki was terrifyingly powerful.
It was on an entirely different level.
Sure, he hadn't yet fully mastered the ability to see into the future.
But...
If Katakuri felt like someone was watching them...
Then someone definitely was.
After a moment of thought, Joey said, "It's probably the World Government. We made quite the commotion that time."
"Those pirates weren't just sent by the Celestial Dragons—the Five Elders sent spies to keep an eye on us too. But don't worry! They won't confront us directly."
On this point, Joey was absolutely certain.
A lot of battles could happen in the shadows.
But some things could never be brought into the open.
.
.
.