— — — — — — —
Joey didn't disturb Katakuri. Instead, he stepped aside, letting the night sea breeze brush against him. With his eyes slightly narrowed, he quietly waited.
Would Katakuri get what he was waiting for?
"Heh—of course he would."
After all, this was his little brother! Charlotte Katakuri!
A man like him—there was no way he would remain bound by his past.
It was simply impossible. As his older brother, Joey had absolute confidence in him.
Tap!
In just about ten minutes, he heard footsteps behind him.
Without even turning around, Joey spoke, "Katakuri, have you thought it through?"
Katakuri stepped up beside Joey and nodded. "Big brother, I feel at peace now—deep inside, from my very soul."
He exhaled slowly before continuing, "It's like my abilities have transformed… No, not 'like.' "
"They havetransformed. My Stand ability—Invincible Death—has fully awakened."
"Oh?"
Joey's interest was piqued.
Stand abilities varied wildly, and some could be ridiculously overpowered. TakeOver Heaven, for example—it could literally reset the universe.
So he was naturally curious about what kind of ability Katakuri had developed.
Clenching his fists, Katakuri explained, "Big brother, through the eyes of Invincible Death, I can see countless lines—threads connecting everything. There aren't too many of them, but I have a feeling… If I strike along these lines, I can instantly cut down my opponent."
Joey fell silent for a moment.
'Wait, what?'
Wasn't this just Mystic Eyes of Death Perception?
After a brief pause, he collected himself and asked, "Katakuri, try looking at me. Can you see any lines on my body?"
Katakuri nodded. "Alright."
His Stand ability activated. His eyes gleamed with a crimson glow.
But then, after just a moment, he averted his gaze and said, "Big brother, I can see it, but the line is extremely faint. It's also hard to reach. Still, it does exist."
Joey nodded knowingly. "So that's how it works. The effectiveness of Invincible Death depends on your strength. The stronger you become, the more you'll see. One day, if you reach a high enough level, even gods won't be safe from you."
"Let's test it out."
"Alright!"
Both Joey and Katakuri leaped off the ship and landed on the island ahead.
The night was full of eyes hidden in the shadows. Many were watching. Perfect test subjects.
Drip.
Blood splattered onto the ground. Bodies, now in pieces, littered the area.
Joey surveyed the carnage with a calm expression. "I can see it now. The ability is clear and precise. It's almost identical to what I know."
"Big brother?!"
Joey cut him off. "No rush. Listen to me first. I know about this ability, but I don't fully understand it either. I can guide you a little, but the rest is up to you."
"Understood!"
Katakuri nodded firmly.
The two brothers remained on the deck, deep in conversation under the night sky. The hidden observers trembled in fear. The ones who had just been slain were their comrades.
Yet, for some reason…They hadn't all been killed.
Perhaps because there was no need.
— — —
The Next Morning
"Ahhh!"
"Hm?"
As Daifuku, Oven, and the others got up for their morning training, they noticed something unusual—Joey and Katakuri were both asleep on the sofa.
"This…?"
Daifuku's mouth twitched. "Seriously? Those two must've talked all night about something. What a hassle!"
Oven, unfazed, turned to the maids. "Take Big Bro and Katakuri to their rooms so they can rest properly."
"Yes, sir!" The maids quickly got to work, carefully moving them.
Before long, as the rest of the crew slowly woke up, Linlin appeared—looking slightly displeased.
"Hmm? Mama's Joey is still asleep?" she muttered, crossing her arms.
"Forget it! Daifuku, Oven, Mama's setting sail! It's time to start recruiting more crew members. Mama will never be weaker than those two! My Big Mom Pirates will be the strongest crew out there!"
At that moment, Linlin's ambition was crystal clear.
Linlin's original goal had been to establish Totto Land, and her children were already working hard to make that dream a reality.
So now, she had another path.
She would become a great pirate, one who stood above all others!
Daifuku, trying to be reasonable, advised, "Mama, you should take it easy. Let Katakuri handle more of the—"
"Hm?"
Linlin's sharp, beautiful eyes narrowed as she fixed her gaze on Daifuku.
In an instant—
Daifuku froze, trembling slightly as he obediently shut his mouth.
"Hahaha!"
The whole crew burst into laughter at the scene.
But soon enough, it was time to set sail.
With a whoosh, the Queen Mama Chanter took off, heading toward the horizon.
— — —
Daifuku and Oven were left behind.
After all—
Joey was still asleep, and the other four on the ship were too young to make big decisions.
Daifuku asked, "So, are we setting sail now?"
Oven nodded decisively. "Big Bro already picked our next target. We just need to head straight there. It's a simple job—just beat them into submission, and they'll fall in line."
"Let's set sail. If we're lucky, we'll reach the place by nightfall, so when Big Bro wakes up, we'll already be there."
Daifuku agreed. "That makes sense. Judging by the location, it's not too far. Let's depart now and aim to arrive by night. Within three days, we should have everything under control."
And so, without hesitation—they set sail, heading toward their next conquest.
— — —
By the time Joey woke up, it was already past 3 PM.
Stepping out of his room, he casually took a seat at the afternoon tea table, joining his siblings who were already enjoying their tea.
After taking a few sips, Joey finally asked, "Daifuku, Oven, where are we now?"
Daifuku responded, "Big Bro! According to your planned route, we're heading straight for the Longleg Tribe. If we go at this pace, we should arrive by around 6 PM. The distance isn't too far."
Joey nodded. "Good. The timing is just right."
Oven, however, couldn't contain his curiosity. "Big Bro! What exactly were you and Katakuri talking about last night? You two actually pulled an all-nighter?"
It wasn't just him—everyone present was curious about it.
Joey shrugged casually. "Katakuri finally unlocked his Stand ability. I just gave him a bit of guidance. Eventually, we both got exhausted and crashed on the spot."
"Oh, I see!" "That makes sense!" Everyone nodded in understanding.
Daifuku, who had been quietly listening, smiled thoughtfully. "That's Katakuri for you! As expected!"
Indeed, in the minds of everyone in the family, Katakuri achieving such a feat was nothing out of the ordinary.
And why was that?
The answer was simple—because he was Katakuri!
Joey chuckled to himself. This was exactly what he wanted.
Invincible Death!
After researching further last night, Joey realized something crucial—this Stand required an unwavering belief in one's own invincibility to fully unleash its power.
But achieving true invincibility in spirit?
That was far easier said than done. Aside from those with an extreme case of delusions of grandeur, maintaining an undefeated mindset at all times was no easy task.
His plan was simple—he needed to make it an ingrained belief within the family that Katakuri accomplishing anything was the most natural thing in the world.
Only by instilling this mindset in everyone around him could Katakuri himself develop an unshakable conviction in his invincibility.
Of course, there was a risk.
If, one day, Katakuri were to lose…It could lead to disastrous consequences.
But Joey would never let that happen.
Linlin and Katakuri—these were the two most important people he was nurturing.
They were meant to be the strongest, the truly undefeated.
He wouldn't allow them to fall.
"Big Bro!"
"Hmm?" Joey snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Oven.
Oven continued, "Big Bro! The Longleg Tribe should be the easiest to deal with among all the different races, right?"
Joey nodded. "More or less. Their situation is unique, but they shouldn't be too hard to handle. It won't take much effort to bring them under control."
"I thought so!" The group collectively nodded.
The Longleg Tribe was one of the more distinct races among the various species.
Their belief? The strong rule.
In other words, if you could defeat them, they would submit to you without question.
That was the nature of their tribe.
But that didn't mean it was going to be easy. The higher up you went in their hierarchy, the tougher the battles would get.
Taking them down wouldn't be a walk in the park.
Joey, however, remained unfazed. "No need to worry about that for now. It's not something we need to rush. Also, I came across some interesting information yesterday while going through some books."
"Apparently, someone spotted a Flying Fire Crow in the Sea of Fog in the South Blue."
"Huh?"
Everyone, including Daifuku and Oven, froze for a moment.
Daifuku frowned. "Big Bro! That's probably just a rumor, right? If the Lunarian Tribe really existed, wouldn't they have been found already?"
Oven agreed. "Yeah! Yeah! Big Bro, this sounds fake."
"Not necessarily."
Joey shook his head. "Nothing is certain. Think about it—after all these years, there has never been any solid information about the Sea of Fog. If my guess is correct, there is something unusual about that place. Whether or not the Lunarian Tribe is actually there remains to be seen."
"Hmm…"
Everyone fell into deep thought.
The problem was obvious—traveling to the South Blue would take at least two months.
That was far too long.
Joey was well aware of the difficulty. He calmly said, "No need to rush. Solving the mystery of the Lunarian Tribe isn't something we can do overnight."
"If they really are in hiding, then even if we find them, it won't be a simple matter to integrate them. For now, our focus should stay on the Longleg Tribe, the Longarm Tribe, and the Sky Tribe."
The Longleg Tribe.
The Longarm Tribe.
The Sky Tribe (Angel Tribe).
These were some of the last remaining races that hadn't fully joined Totto Land.
Of course, the Mink Tribe was another matter entirely—their situation was the most complicated.
So…The main objective of this journey was clear:
To bring the Three-Eyed Tribe, the Snake-neck Tribe, the Longleg Tribe, the Longarm Tribe, and the Sky Tribe into Totto Land.
It was a massive undertaking.
But Joey had made thorough preparations before setting sail.
Otherwise rushing out recklessly would be the real problem.
With a calm smile, Joey fell into thought once more. But no one knew exactly what he was thinking.
Daifuku voiced his concerns. "Big Bro! The Longleg Tribe is manageable, and the Sky Tribe can be reasoned with. But the Longarm Tribe!"
"Their situation is way more complicated. Dealing with them is going to be an absolute nightmare."
He wasn't wrong.
The Longarm Tribe was the biggest problem.
To put it bluntly—the entire tribe had issues.
Solving their situation?
It would be a massive challenge.
Joey, however, simply smiled. "No need to worry. I've already prepared everything."
His smile was warm, but behind it lay absolute confidence!
.
.
.