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Juice Island
The vast sea had unknowingly frozen over, its surface now a thick sheet of ice.
Clang!!
Clang!!
Boom…
Clatter… Woohoo…
Two figures clashed repeatedly, their blades flashing as they moved. Dazzling, razor-sharp sword energy burst in all directions, slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The frozen battlefield trembled violently, covered in deep, crisscrossing cuts from their relentless attacks. A fierce wind howled across the ice, making it difficult to see and even harder to stand against. The sheer force of the battle left onlookers in silent awe.
"Yehahaha~ That guy Shiryu… he's incredible!"
"Is this the legendary swordsmanship of the Dragon-Slaying Warrior? Just watching it makes my blood boil!"
"The power of the Momo Momo no Mi is insane! It has boosted Shiryu's strength to an unbelievable level. Even though this is just a duel, Ryuma, the new swordsman, doesn't stand a chance. He's completely overwhelmed!"
"Well, he's not the real Shimotsuki Ryuma from back then. He was only recently 'resurrected' through a Mythical Zoan ability. He hasn't fully inherited the skills of the Dragon-Slaying Warrior from centuries ago, and he's still adapting to that new body…"
Feathered Serpent Kur, Miyamoto Musashi, the three Smoothie sisters, Dr. Hawkins, and others stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching the fierce duel between Shiryu of the Rain and Ryuma the Swordsman.
Their eyes burned with excitement, battle spirit rising—they were eager to test themselves.
Not long after Wilhelm left, they had rushed to the coast, unable to resist witnessing the battle firsthand.
Ryuma, using the power of the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami, had frozen the sea, creating the perfect battlefield. The once-turbulent waves had turned into a thick, solid layer of ice.
To determine who would fight Ryuma first, three swordsmen—Shiryu of the Rain, Miyamoto Musashi, and Smoothie—had drawn lots.
Shiryu had won.
Buru~~~ Buru~~~
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi in Smoothie's pocket began to ring.
"I'm Smoothie. What's the matter?" she asked, momentarily surprised as she took out the snail and answered.
"Smoothie, it's Wilhelm…"
"Hm?"
"Master Wilhelm?"
Feathered Serpent Kur, Miyamoto Musashi, Snamon, and the others immediately turned their attention toward her.
Some were caught off guard by the sudden announcement.
"I have been appointed by my mother as the Fourth Sweet Commander," Wilhelm stated firmly. "I'm in charge of the Island of Love, a key source of military raw materials in Totto Land, rich in mineral resources. Call Dr. Hawkins and Shiryu—we're all heading there immediately!"
On the Other End of the Den Den Mushi
Wilhelm lounged casually on a sofa, one leg crossed over the other.
His maid, Mies Olive, held the Den Den Mushi, which mimicked Smoothie's facial features, while he spoke.
"From now on, that island will be our headquarters. I'll be arriving later."
Across from him, Charlotte Custard, the sixth daughter of the Charlotte Family, rested her chin on her hands. She gazed at Wilhelm's face, unable to look away—she never tired of admiring his features.
But she remained silent, not interrupting.
"Island of Love?"
Back on Juice Island, Smoothie was momentarily surprised.
However, she didn't question it further and responded readily, "Understood, I'll handle the arrangements immediately!"
"A land rich in minerals?"
Dr. Hawkins, standing nearby, licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with interest.
With a steady supply of resources, his Munch-Munch Fruit ability was practically an entire weapons factory on its own. Both the quality and quantity of his creations would be overwhelming.
More importantly, if this was to be their headquarters, it meant he could finally set up a large-scale research facility. There, he could fully dedicate himself to scientific advancements—projects like the Clone Soldier Initiative, the Pacifista Program, and the development of Morphological Memory Armor.
"The Island of Love, huh? This should be interesting…"
Wilhelm Ends the Call
As Wilhelm put down the receiver, Mies Olive beamed with excitement.
"Master Wilhelm, I'll start preparing immediately!" she said eagerly.
She had served on Cake Island for over three years, ever since she began following Wilhelm. In that time, she had personally witnessed Charlotte Linlin—BIG MOM—succumbing to one of her terrifying food rampages.
That monstrous, mindless destruction… it was burned into her memory.
Even now, the thought sent shivers down her spine.
If Wilhelm hadn't intervened back then, she might have lost her soul to an out-of-control Charlotte Linlin.
Unlike Cake Island, where the oppressive presence of BIG MOM loomed over everything, the Island of Love would be different. That was Wilhelm's domain, his territory. There, he would have absolute authority, free from the suffocating influence of his mother.
"Go ahead," Wilhelm nodded.
Custard's Reluctance
"Brother Wilhelm, you're leaving for the Island of Love already?" Custard asked, a trace of surprise in her voice.
She looked at her younger brother, eyes filled with reluctance, unwilling to see him go so soon.
Strengthening Family Bonds
Over time, the bond between the siblings grew stronger.
"Sister Custard, why don't you come with me to the Island of Love and join my fleet?" Wilhelm suggested, smiling at the powerful and valiant sixth daughter of the Charlotte Family.
"Eh? I can really go?"
Custard was momentarily stunned before asking in surprise.
"Of course, Sister Custard. Your strength speaks for itself…"
Wilhelm chuckled and continued, "I'm not in a rush to form my own Sweet Commander fleet just yet. I plan to officially gather my forces after the next major war. But for now, bringing a few of our siblings to the Island of Love isn't a bad idea. It'll help us build a stronger connection in advance."
"Besides you, I plan to call a few more people as well."
"Oh?" Custard looked at him with curiosity.
"Sister Armand, Sister Amande, Sister Brûlée…"
Wilhelm shrugged. "The others are Galette, Praline, and Snack!"
He had carefully chosen which members of the Charlotte Family to bring along.
He planned to cultivate a few of them as his trusted inner circle.
Of course, aside from the only male he had selected—Charlotte Snack, the 25th son, who was still only eleven but showed great potential—his other choices were exclusively female. Among them, age wasn't as much of a factor; the key requirement was that they had decent appearances.
While Wilhelm didn't discriminate against the more peculiar-looking members of the Charlotte Family, he had to admit that he had a preference for more normal-looking individuals. It was simply more pleasing to the eye.
As for the other male members, they weren't necessarily weak, but aside from Snack, none of them had caught Wilhelm's interest.
The three Sweet Commanders—Perospero, Katakuri, and Cracker—were already pillars of the crew.
The eldest daughter, Compote, as well as Daifuku and Oven, were key figures personally appointed by Charlotte Linlin. They had their own territories to govern and couldn't just be taken away.
Realistically, even getting a few "ministers" from Charlotte Linlin was already a big ask.
After all, every minister of Totto Land was essentially a ruler in their own right. They had control over their assigned islands, and many of them lived lavishly, benefiting from their positions. Convincing them to abandon that and follow him would require significant incentives.
Unlike Smoothie and Custard, who had personal bonds with him and were willing to support him without hesitation, most others wouldn't be so easily swayed.
But that didn't matter.
In time, Wilhelm would amass enough power to take full control of the Big Mom Pirates.
Eventually, all of the Charlotte Family would serve under his command.
It was only a matter of time.