— — — — — — —
"Hahaha—"
"Hehehe—"
Nusstorte and Moscato.
These two little rascals were running all over the deck.
The ship was moving at a good speed.
However, being a large vessel, its stability was unquestionable.
It ensured both speed and steadiness.
Joey watched the two kids dashing around, shaking his head with a smile.
They were still so young.
Nusstorte had just turned four.
Mash, Cornstarch, and Moscato—the three siblings—were only three years old.
Still way too young.
"Hmph!" Mash huffed in dissatisfaction. "A bunch of little brats, just running around aimlessly! This is the time to remain calm and composed, carrying ourselves with dignity."
Cornstarch nodded in agreement, "That's right, we should be elegant!"
"Hahaha—"
Joey couldn't help but laugh. He asked gently, "Mash, Cornstarch, who taught you that?"
Mash blushed. "Big Brother! Teacher Zhuge Liang taught us that we must maintain our poise and composure because the Charlotte Family is destined to stand at the top of the world. We must present ourselves accordingly."
Joey chuckled and nodded. "Oh, is that so?" Then, he continued, "Is training with your Mr. Zhuge Liang and Lady Scáthach exhausting?"
"Ugh…" Cornstarch let out an adorable whimper, scratching her little head. "Actually, it's not tiring at all. We're just learning the basics. Every day, we only study for a short time, but… but…"
The little one struggled to put her thoughts into words.
They were still just kids, after all.
"Hehehe—"
Joey chuckled, shaking his head.
Honestly, Scáthach and Zhuge Liang were both brilliant teachers who adapted their lessons to each student.
Scáthach had trained countless great heroes and powerful magicians.
Zhuge Liang had once manipulated his entire War era like a chessboard.
Their abilities spoke for themselves.
Neither of them would resort to dull, rigid teaching methods.
Still—Kids would always be kids.
No matter how mature they seemed, they still didn't like studying.
Dafuku walked over curiously. "Mash, Cornstarch, did they give you homework?"
Mash nodded. "Big Brother Dafuku, both of them assign us homework. But it's not too hard. As long as we focus, we finish quickly."
Dafuku and Oven instantly looked like they had swallowed a bug.
They were students too!
Then why were their assignments so brutal?
Their lessons were anything but easy. After returning, they had to survive ten minutes against Scáthach in battle.
Ten minutes?
That was basically a joke.
Even in a fair fight, barely anyone in this world could hold their own against Scáthach for that long under an equal level.
Even if she held back, they still struggled.
"Sigh…" Oven sighed heavily. "Guess we're in for another beating."
Joey didn't say much, he just watched the two boys with a smile.
This was a good way for them to grow.
Strict teachers made excellent students.
As their big brother, he felt bad for them, but he couldn't show it.
If he did, these little rascals would always hide behind him in the future.
He had to let them grow stronger.
Not just for the family's sake, but for their own.
Joey never saw his siblings as tools. They were family. Real, cherished family.
People had emotions. They weren't heartless statues!
"Huff—huff—"
Nusstorte and Moscato ran up, panting heavily.
Actually, these two kids had excellent potential.
Moscato was a given. Even in the original story, Big Mom had taken forty years of his lifespan in her crazy mode—and let's not forget that not just anyone could stand in front of a rampaging Big Mom.
As for Nusstorte?
In the original story, he traveled the world alone as a child and made a huge name for himself. He was even rumored to have been invited to become a Warlord of the Sea.
Whether that was true or not, Joey didn't know.
But where there's smoke, there's fire.
His potential was undeniable.
"Huh?" Oven raised a brow. "Wait a minute… With your physical strength, you two shouldn't be panting like this just from running."
It was odd.
Joey had already boosted their potential to Gold Rank 1, plus they had Big Mom's bloodline.
Their talent and genetics were top-notch.
Something wasn't adding up.
"Oh?" Nusstorte blinked in confusion. "Big Brother Oven, we weren't just playing around. We were training! Master taught us this method. It's really simple and not hard at all. It lets us use up all our energy while playing and recover quickly."
Moscato nodded. "That's right! Master Scáthach said this will help us grow better."
"Wait a second…" Dafuku and Oven suddenly realized something.
That didn't make sense.
Scáthach always treated all students equally.
Why would she only teach this to the little kids and not them?
Joey smirked. He already understood Scáthach's intentions.
But some things had to be figured out on their own.
Otherwise, if they failed, they'd only have themselves to blame for not being observant enough.
Dafuku suddenly asked, "Nusstorte, did Master say you could teach us?"
Nusstorte nodded. "Of course! If you and Big Brother Oven want to learn, you can."
"Alright!" Dafuku and Oven exchanged a look.
Without hesitation, they started learning.
They finally understood a little bit.
"Hehehe—"
Joey watched the four boys busy themselves again and chuckled. "Dafuku and Oven finally caught on. Now they'll be fine when they return. Otherwise, Scáthach really would've punished them."
Mash tilted her head in confusion.
Cornstarch, however, seemed to get it. "This was Master's test for Big Brother Dafuku and Big Brother Oven. If they studied properly, then that's the end of it. But if they didn't, Master would definitely discipline them."
Joey smiled. "That's right. Those two have a strong desire to improve. If they didn't, they'd deserve the punishment."
"Oh!"
— — —
After about fifteen minutes of training…
Thud!
The two boys collapsed to the ground.
Joey walked over, crouching down. "Dafuku, Oven, you're already worn out?"
"Big Brother…" Oven weakly gasped. "This is exhausting. Teacher Scáthach combined some of 'The Body' training techniques. It's not just physical conditioning—it strengthens every part of the body."
"Huff…" Dafuku was equally drained. "Master is truly amazing. Such a simple method, yet so effective."
Joey nodded in agreement. "That's Master for you. This training method allows steady growth from childhood."
He clapped his hands. "Alright, you little rascals, go rest. Don't get too comfortable—Lady Scáthach is waiting for you in Totto Land. If you slack off, you'll regret it."
At that moment, several maids arrived.
One of them bowed respectfully. "Lord Joey, Lady Scáthach has ordered a medicinal bath for the four young masters after training. Also, she has set training sessions twice a day—morning and night—for the best results."
Joey chuckled. "She really has everything planned out."
The maid continued, "Yes, Lord Joey. Twice a day is optimal. Too much would be counterproductive."
Joey nodded, "Alright then, take these four brats down for their medicinal baths. Let them rest well. Life goes on, after all!" He waved dismissively at the four boys.
The four troublemakers were carried off.
Afterward, Joey settled onto a sofa on the deck.
On the ship, sofas and tea tables were always prepared on the deck, along with hot tea available at all times.
The master of this household, Joey, loved drinking tea and reading books, so naturally, everything had to be arranged accordingly.
Mash and Cornstarch sat across from Joey, watching their eldest brother read and sip tea. The two little girls were clearly delighted.
Snap!
Joey closed his book and smiled. "What's up with you two?"
Mash, with a cute expression, said, "Big bro, I just feel like it's been a long time since we've had a moment alone like this."
Joey responded warmly, "If you like, you can always come find me. I'd never turn you away."
"Uuuuu~" Cornstarch scratched her golden hair and cutely said, "But we don't want to disturb you, big bro!"
Truthfully, in terms of appearance, Mash and Cornstarch had rather ordinary looks.
Moreover, Cornstarch was particularly short—shorter than most people.
But Joey never cared about those things.
They were his little siblings, and he had never looked down on anyone.
Bonk!
Joey sat up and lightly knocked the two girls on their heads, laughing. "What are you even thinking? Do I seem like that kind of person? Seriously, you two always let your imaginations run wild."
Then he leaned back, smiling. "Big bro will always welcome you, anytime. No matter when, you can always come find me."
The two girls held their heads, but they were grinning happily.
However—
Cornstarch, more than Mash, put on a little "mature" act and curiously asked, "Big bro! Big bro! Where are we heading next?"
Joey didn't treat it like a child's question.
Talent was something that manifested early, especially in this world.
It wasn't strange for kids to show remarkable potential from a young age.
That's why Joey never hesitated to nurture his younger siblings.
If they had extraordinary talent, all the better.
Hearing Cornstarch's question, Joey explained, "This journey is mainly about locating the Longarm Tribe, Longleg Tribe, Snakeneck Tribe, Three-Eye Tribe, Angel Tribe, and searching for other rare Tribes, as well as investigating whether the Dragon Tribe might still exist. As for the Mink Tribe, the chances of finding them this time are low."
"Oh!" Cornstarch nodded cutely, while Mash asked curiously, "Big bro, doesn't our family already have these races? Except for the Angel and this Dragon Tribe… why are we looking for more?"
"Dummy sis!" Cornstarch pouted like a little grown-up. "Sis, you're such a dummy! Don't you get it? Just a few people? A few dozen? Even a few hundred? That's not nearly enough! We need more citizens. A whole nation with less than 200,000 people? That's way too few!"
Watching Cornstarch scold Mash like a little adult, Joey felt quite satisfied and said, "Cornstarch's right! Totto Land is meant to be a sanctuary for all non-human races. It's incredibly important that we bring in more citizens."
"Oh, that reminds me!" Suddenly, Joey turned to Cornstarch and asked, "Little one, do you want to help big bro? Or maybe help Amande with her work?"
Cornstarch froze, completely caught off guard.
.
.
.