— — — — — — —
Joey took out a Devil Fruit from the family's emblem and placed it in front of Cornstarch.
"Huh...?!"
"Big bro?"
Cornstarch stared at the Devil Fruit in disbelief.
For a moment, she didn't know what to do.
"Heh... hahaha—"
Joey watched his little sister's hesitation with amusement and teased, "Cornstarch, didn't you say you wanted to help your big brother? What's wrong? Are you backing out now, little girl?"
Hearing this, Cornstarch immediately stood firm. "Of course not! I'd never back down!" she huffed.
With a defiant snort, she grabbed the Devil Fruit and took big bites, swallowing it down quickly.
Mash watched her little sister happily.
Anyone had to admit—Joey had done an excellent job raising them.
Among the siblings, jealousy never existed.
If they could do something, they did it.
If they couldn't, they didn't try to force themselves into something beyond their ability.
The reason was simple.
In the Charlotte family, if you wanted something, Big brother Joey wouldn't refuse you.
However— If you took something but didn't have the ability to make use of it, you'd only feel embarrassed.
Joey smiled warmly. "Little girl, do you know what it means to take this Honey-Honey Fruit?"
Though still young, Cornstarch answered firmly, "Big bro! I will definitely become a worthy minister!"
"Haha—"
Joey nodded with a gentle smile, then handed her a modified firearm. "Then, this gun is yours. It's called the 'Bee Sting'—a specially modified pistol. Its bullets are like bee stingers, able to pierce through anything with ease."
"And,"
His tone suddenly turned serious.
"Cornstarch, from today onward, you are the Minister of Honey for Paradise Island."
The cute little Cornstarch straightened up and declared, "I won't let you down!"
Joey ruffled her hair with a chuckle. "Alright, don't be too tense. From now on, you'll need to study hard. No matter what you want to do, since you've taken this position, you must work for it. Got it?"
"Mhm!"
Hearing Joey's words, Cornstarch nodded her little head firmly.
After a moment of thought, Joey continued,
"No matter what happens, once you've made a choice, you must not give up easily. The word 'responsibility' sounds simple, but carrying it is not easy. Understand, little one?"
His voice was gentle, but there was a quiet strength in his words.
Cornstarch didn't say anything.
She simply picked up the remaining Honey-Honey Fruit.
Crunch!
She continued eating it bite by bite.
Devil Fruits were known for their terrible taste, but to Cornstarch, this one felt a little different.
She then picked up the 'Bee Sting' gun and smiled brightly. "Big bro! I swear, I'll never let you down!"
Joey shook his head with a warm smile. "You don't need to prove anything to me. Just don't let yourself down. You've made a decision—if your future self disappoints your present self, wouldn't that be an even bigger regret?"
He patiently guided both his little sisters.
Between the two, Mash was naturally more skilled in combat.
However— Her thinking and other abilities were not as sharp.
Which was normal.
After all— Just like Brûlée and Broye.
Even though they were sisters, their talents were vastly different.
It wasn't strange at all.
In fact, it was completely normal.
— — —
Time goes by...
Joey was living quite a relaxed life.
Drinking tea, reading newspapers, flipping through books.
Practicing swordsmanship here and there.
Speaking of which— His greatsword's overall strength had already reached Bronze Level 7.
However— After reaching that level, his progress slowed down dramatically.
It had gotten ridiculously slow.
By his estimation, If he didn't rely on any external factors— His Stand, Silver Greatsword, would need a long time to go from Bronze Level 7 to his current Silver Level 3.
There were only five levels in between, Yet the gap was enormous.
Still— After some research, Joey realized that aside from improving his swordsmanship, there weren't many ways to enhance his greatsword's combat ability.
It was frustrating, but nothing he could do about it.
Ever since awakening Silver Greatsword, he had maintained an unshakable routine— Three hours of sword training every day.
Other than that, He simply enjoyed the voyage in peace.
They had been sailing for five days now.
Soon, they would arrive at their first destination.
As for those six brats?
They weren't a problem at all!
Each of them had their own studies to focus on.
Their teachers had already assigned plenty of coursework.
In fact, even before they left Totto Land,
Their mentors had anticipated what their situation would be like and had prepared a structured curriculum for them. Down to the last detail.
Before, Joey had to personally teach them.
Now, he didn't even have to lift a finger.
Because of that, Joey could just sit back, sip tea, and enjoy his books.
Sighing in contentment, he muttered, "This is the life... Teaching my younger siblings was nice and all, but now that they have proper mentors, I can finally relax... So nice..."
With a satisfied smile, he closed his eyes and stretched.
However—
This leisurely life was only temporary.
A little relaxation was fine, but he couldn't get too comfortable.
After all—He had ambitions. Big ones.
More importantly— Scáthach or Zhuge Liang.
Why did they so readily agree to train the Charlotte Family?
The answer was simple.
They saw the ambition and drive burning within Joey.
For people like them— The idea of nurturing someone who could one day rule over everything was an interesting prospect.
That was why they agreed.
But if Joey ever lost that fire in his heart— Those two wouldn't hesitate to leave.
"Chief!" A man in black approached and bowed respectfully. "We're about to arrive!"
Joey put down his book and said, "Judging by the route, five days sounds about right. The land of the Three-Eyed Tribe!"
He stood up, hands clasped behind his back, and gazed at the approaching island.
The weather in the New World was unpredictable.
Even the most experienced navigators—Couldn't fully control the changing skies.
Of course, Nami was an exception. That girl was a total cheat. No joke.
Her ability to sense weather changes with her amazing body— Was basically a bug in the system.
Overall— Mastering navigation in the New World was incredibly difficult.
Joey murmured to himself, "So this is where the Three-Eyed Tribe has been hiding... A secluded island. But...?"
Boom!
Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of cannon fire erupted.
Joey's ears twitched slightly.
He already knew what was happening.
As expected—No matter how well they hid, as long as they were a different race, those greedy bastards would never stop hunting them.
They had already found the hidden home of the Three-Eyed Tribe.
For these lunatics—Once they set their sights on a target—They wouldn't show any mercy.
The Three-Eyed Tribe was an extremely rare race, and their value on the black market was staggering.
"Hahaha—"
"Boys! I knew they were here! These Three-Eyed freaks have been hiding out in this place! Round them all up!"
"With this deal, we won't even need to be pirates anymore!"
"After this haul, we'll be filthy rich!"
"RAAHH!!"
A horde of pirates roared like madmen.
Their eyes were bloodshot.
No—They weren't just acting crazy—They were already completely insane.
They had become demons, entirely consumed by greed.
At this moment—On this desolate island—A woman stood at the front, struggling to hold off the attack.
Behind her were many members of the Three-Eyed Tribe, most of whom weren't suited for combat at all.
The Three-Eyed Tribe was an incredibly unique race.
Their third eye Possessed special abilities. And because of these abilities, Many people considered them prized possessions, something to be collected and exploited when needed.
This was one of the main reasons why their numbers had dwindled over time.
"Elder, take the children and run!"
"That's right! You need to escape while you still can!"
A group of Three-Eyed Tribe members blocked the woman's path.
They had already resolved to sacrifice themselves—So that the elderly and the children could escape.
In the past—Their fathers had done the same. And now—It was their turn to protect their young.
Such was the fate of the Three-Eyed Tribe. Or rather— Such was the fate of nearly all non-human races.
To humans, they were outcasts. Hunted and persecuted.
It was as if mankind wanted to wipe them out completely.
But why?
Perhaps It was human nature to reject anything different.
Or maybe It was because the unique powers of these races instilled fear in them.
The elder remained silent.
She had already experienced this nightmare once before.
And now, after only a few short years of peace— It was happening again?
"Sigh…"
With a heavy heart, she murmured, "Perhaps this is all my fault. If not for my stubborn pride… we could have sought refuge in Totto Land and avoided this suffering."
Truth be told—Every non-human race knew about Totto Land's sanctuary.
Many had flocked there joyfully.
The stronger races had their own means of survival— But some were simply too proud to seek help.
And now—The Three-Eyed Tribe was about to pay the price for that pride.
Tap!!!
At that moment—The sound of footsteps echoed.
A gentle voice cut through the chaos. "Are you just going to give up like this? Surrendering in this way… is meaningless."
Everyone turned their heads instantly.
A lone figure approached.
It was Joey.
Every member of the Three-Eyed Tribe knew his face.
But none of them had expected— That Joey would actually appear here!
The elder murmured in disbelief, "The Charlotte Clan's chief?! You… you… you…!"
Joey smiled warmly. "No need to panic. Whether the Three-Eyed Tribe agrees or not, Totto Land is already home to some of your kind. For their sake, I will save you all."
His gentle smile washed over them like a soothing breeze.
"Demonic Slash!"
Boom!
A terrifying slash ripped through the battlefield, instantly splitting a pirate ship in half.
"AAAH!"
"What the hell just happened?!"
"Damn it! Jump into the sea!"
"Jump!"
Dozens of pirates were slaughtered on the spot, while many others frantically leaped into the ocean, desperately swimming toward the shore.
If they could just make it to land—They might still have a chance.
Their speed was impressive.
But Someone was faster.
Gurgle~~
Oven's fists burned red-hot, boiling like magma.
"Nekkai Jigoku ~ Boiling Sea!"
He plunged his fists into the water.
In an instant, the ocean heated up.
The entire coastal waters turned into a scalding hot spring.
And The temperature kept rising at an alarming rate. At its core— The Heat-Heat Fruit could raise temperatures without limit—Even surpassing magma itself.
"AAAH!"
"HELP!"
"I'M DYING!"
Within moments—All that remained were the lifeless bodies of pirates, boiled like chickens in a pot.
Daifuku.
Oven.
They had just made their grand debut.
.
.
.