— — — — — — —
"..."
Joey: "..."
Adam: "..."
Through the Den Den Mushi, an eerie silence filled the air.
Both remained quiet, lost in thought.
Treasure Tree Adam. The Kingdom of Adam.
In truth, every king of the Adam Kingdom was named "Adam" to honor the origin of the kingdom. The Treasure Tree Adam nurtured the entire kingdom and symbolized its power.
The kings were seen as the embodiment of the Treasure Tree Adam—a kind of divine right of kings. After all, rulers loved playing these symbolic games to legitimize their authority.
As Joey pondered the vast history and strange customs of the Adam Kingdom, Adam finally broke the silence.
"Chief Joey, it seems the Charlotte family has developed a new weapon?"
"Heh heh heh..." Joey chuckled softly. "Impressive, Mr. Adam. Your intelligence network never disappoints. That's correct—the Charlotte family has successfully created a new weapon."
"I won't brag about its power, but I can confidently say it's at least 40% more advanced than any weapon currently on the market."
Adam's interest was piqued. "40%, huh? Interesting. If I recall, the World Government's weapons are also about 40% more advanced than those available to the general public. Quite the coincidence, wouldn't you say?"
Joey smiled confidently. "Of course! If you're stepping into a new field, you have to come prepared to make waves."
Adam nodded. "In that case, Chief Joey, when do you plan to release these weapons to the market?"
After a brief pause, Joey replied, "In two years."
"Perfect," Adam said without hesitation. "In that case, I'll claim 60% of the weapons you release."
Joey was momentarily taken aback by Adam's bold statement but quickly regained his composure. "Mr. Adam, you should understand—these weapons won't come cheap. Moreover, I'm only interested in trading for Devil Fruits. Pure Berries? That would make for a dull transaction."
Adam laughed. "Naturally. I'm well aware of the Charlotte family's preferred method of trade. Don't worry—two years from now, everything will be ready. Here's my offer: 20 billion Berries and 10 Devil Fruits as a deposit. What do you say?"
Joey nodded. "Deal."
"Heh heh heh... A pleasure doing business with you!"
Joey replied with a polite smile, "The pleasure is all mine."
With that, the call ended.
Joey's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light as he seemed to be lost in thought.
Perospero, standing nearby, looked concerned. "Big Brother, if the Adam Kingdom knows about this, do you think they'll...?"
"They will," Joey replied firmly. "This isn't a question of 'if'—it's guaranteed. The Adam Kingdom may have grown powerful and sophisticated, but their roots are as crooked as ever. Do you really think they've changed their true nature?"
"That..." Perospero hesitated, then continued with a sharp look in his eyes. "Big Brother, even if they don't attack us outright, a covert battle with the Adam Kingdom would still put us at a disadvantage."
Joey remained calm. "It doesn't matter. I'll handle the arrangements. Perospero, ensure our business dealings run smoothly, and start relocating everyone to the Totto Land Sea Territory. As for the unworthy ones... you know what to do."
"Understood." Perospero nodded before leaving.
Joey leaned back, narrowing his eyes as he contemplated the growing complexity of the situation.
Things were getting messier and more dangerous. But if he could navigate this treacherous path successfully, the rewards would be monumental.
Through this, the Charlotte family could truly rise to the top.
Joey muttered to himself, "Adam... So you've decided to test the waters. Interesting. If you want to try, then go ahead and try."
His eyes flashed with sharp determination before he returned to his tea and books, letting the storm brew in the background.
— — —
Elsewhere, on a massive pirate ship
This ship radiated an overwhelming, oppressive aura—the presence of its inhabitants alone was terrifying.
"Ahhhh..." A man downed his drink in one gulp.
This was Rocks D. Xebec, the captain of the infamous Rocks Pirates, a man hailed as the ruler of the seas and the supreme power of his era.
Rocks glared at the crew before him, his sharp eyes scanning each of them.
Golden Lion Shiki.
Big Mom Charlotte Linlin.
Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
Captain John.
Silver Axe.
Wang Zhi (Ochoku).
In addition to these six monsters, there were 14 other officers—a total of 20 elite members.
Each officer possessed at least Silver Rank 1 strength, making the Rocks Pirates a nightmare for anyone who dared cross them.
As for Kaido, the future Emperor of the Seas?
He was merely a rookie onboard, a trainee pirate who wasn't even worth mentioning in this lineup. Without Linlin's gift of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon Model, his future might have been very different.
Rocks laughed maniacally, his terrifying presence enveloping the ship. "Ten days from now, the God Valley Banquet will begin! You lot better call in every ally you can. I don't care what schemes you're plotting, but if anyone dares cross me..."
"Hmph!" Rocks' Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, covering the entire ship in a suffocating pressure.
Even among this group of monsters, none dared challenge Rocks. His power was absolute, his dominance undeniable.
He was the strongest.
No one could rival Rocks D. Xebec.
— — —
Meanwhile, on the Queen Mama Chanter—a pirate ship that had become infamous over the past few months—Charlotte Linlin, carrying her son, landed aboard.
"Mom!"
Katakuri, Compote, Cracker, and Amande called out excitedly.
Linlin beamed. "My wonderful children!"
Compote stepped forward, her voice filled with Joy. "Mom, we've prepared a cake for you."
"Oh?!" Linlin's attention instantly shifted, and she followed Compote into the ship, leaving the rest of her children on the deck.
Katakuri and Cracker observed the Rocks Pirates warily, their sharp eyes scanning the formidable crew.
"What monsters," Amande muttered, her voice tinged with awe.
Cracker crouched, nodding in agreement. "Yeah... These guys are something else. So, this is the Rocks Pirates?"
Katakuri interrupted with a calm tone. "Still they will be used by us for our benefit."
The siblings fell silent, their determination unshaken. After all, their mother, Linlin, was here—they had nothing to fear.
— — —
After few days
Joey reached his siblings's pirate ship, the Queen Mama Chanter.
Joey and Linlin hadn't seen each other in years.
Finally, they were about to reunite.
A mother and son meeting again after so long... yet the atmosphere was anything but ordinary.
.
.
.