— — — — — — — —
It was just past six o'clock. At this time of day, the sun should still be up.
But unfortunately…this was the Grand Line.
A place where the weather was unpredictable and extreme.
Sometimes, while one part of the sea basked in daylight, another was already shrouded in darkness.
And in the New World or the most chaotic and lawless region of the Calm Belt—Things were even more unpredictable.
Splash!—A ship slowly sailed forward.
Standing at the bow with his hands behind his back, Joey spoke calmly, "So this is where the Longleg Tribe resides."
"Yes."
"No doubt about it."
Daifuku, Oven, and the others nodded seriously.
This was indeed the home of the Longleg Tribe.
In fact—
Among the different humanoid races—three major groups stood out.
First, the Fishmen, numbering an astounding five million.
Second, the Longarm Tribe, and the Third, the Longleg Tribe, each with a population of around two million.
Aside from these—Even the hidden Sky People and the mighty Giants only had populations numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
They didn't even come close to being considered major races. Leaving aside the Fishmen and Longarm Tribe—
The Longleg Tribe was unique.
There weren't many Longleg slaves. And the reason was simple—
The Longleg Tribe valued strength above all.
"Ha!"
"Hup!"
"Ha!"
"Hup!"
The moment they entered these special waters, Joey and his crew were greeted by the rhythmic sounds of intense training echoing in the air.
"Heh…" Joey chuckled. "We just got here, and we're already hearing the sounds of training. As expected, the Longleg Tribe is truly a race of born fighters, just like the records say."
Oven nodded. "That's true. Despite their large numbers, the Longleg Tribe has the lowest percentage of enslaved individuals among all non-human races. That alone proves their strength."
"This way!"
"Over here!"
At that moment, members of the Longleg Tribe approached. The leader of the group clasped his hands together in a respectful gesture before speaking seriously, "Charlotte Family Patriarch! Welcome! Please pay the entrance fee of 30 million Berries. Normally, your status would grant you an exemption, but… we don't have the authority to make that decision."
Joey smiled. "Don't worry, I wouldn't make things difficult for you. The payment is ready."
Daifuku stepped forward and handed over the Berries.
The leader of the Longleg group accepted the payment with respect. "Charlotte Patriarch, you truly carry yourself with dignity. You're far better than those damn pirates who always think they're invincible but are nothing more than trash!"
"Heh…" Joey smiled warmly.
In the end, the Longleg leader bowed deeply and said, "The Mixed Martial Arts Club Alliance welcomes the Charlotte Patriarch! Please, come in!"
With hands clasped, the Longleg warriors bowed respectfully.
It was a small gesture—
But Joey had earned their respect.
Of course—
The main reason for this was Joey's creation of Totto Land.
A nation that welcomed and sheltered non-human races.
This made him naturally trustworthy in the eyes of almost all non-human races across the sea.
Splash!—The ship continued its journey.
This place—was known as the Stronghold of Fighters.
Here, only the strong had the right to rule.
The region consisted of 39 islands. Each island was packed with numerous gyms, fighting dojos, boxing clubs, and similar facilities.
These places recruited and trained disciples.
And every three years—the leaders of these clubs and dojos engaged in battles.
The victors earned the right to govern their respective islands.
As rulers—they had absolute authority over their domain.
In total, the Mixed Martial Arts Club Alliance had 39 leaders.
They came from various races—Longlegs, Longarms, Humans, and many others.
Anyone could be a leader, as long as they followed the rules of the Stronghold of Fighters.
And fundamentally—if someone was powerful enough to defeat every strong fighter on an island—Then the entire population of that island would obey their command.
Each island had a population ranging from ten thousand to several tens of thousands.
In total—The 39 islands were home to nearly three million people.
And it wasn't just the Longleg Tribe that lived here.
Many different races called this place home.
This was also why—the Longleg Tribe had such a low number of enslaved individuals.
Their sheer strength made them difficult to capture and subjugate.
Splash!—The ship soon docked at the nearest island.
After arriving at the port, Joey and Daifuku disembarked while Oven remained on the ship.
"Hah!"
"Hup!"
"Hah!"
"Hup!"
The sounds of intense training filled the air as soon as they landed. The aura of power was palpable, and muscular figures were everywhere.
Joey and Daifuku observed the buildings on the island—gyms, martial arts clubs, boxing arenas…
Everything one could imagine for combat training was present. There were also plenty of fresh young fighters eager to prove themselves.
However, as Joey scanned the island with his Observation Haki, he noticed that the back half of the island was different.
There, families lived—elderly people, women, and children. But even in this "normal" part of the island, almost everyone trained, regardless of age or gender. Even the dogs were trained into muscle-bound beasts.
Daifuku couldn't help but comment, "So this is the Stronghold of Fighters? These people are crazy!"
Clearly, he was struggling to understand why these people trained so intensely every single day.
"Haha," Joey chuckled. "You'd be surprised. Training and fitness can be addictive. But enough of that, let's explore the island and see how things are run here."
"Got it, big bro."
As they walked through the streets, they noticed that the locals were quite friendly toward outsiders.
However…there was one thing they had to be careful about—mentioning fights.
These people were battle maniacs. If you challenged someone, you had to be ready to fight immediately.
If you lost, you'd be looked down upon.
If you won, your opponent would follow your orders.
And if you defeated a dojo or club, everyone under its banner—including their families—would be yours to command.
It was a matter of pride for these fighters.
By the time Joey and Daifuku returned to the ship, it was already midnight.
Oven immediately approached them. "Big bro! What do you think about this place?"
Both of them were silent for a moment.
Then, Daifuku stiffly replied, "Oven, I think these Longleg Tribe people are mentally unstable. No, scratch that. They have no brains! They run on pure muscle. As long as you defeat someone, they'll follow you."
Joey shook his head. "That's not entirely correct. They will also challenge you again. If they win, you have to obey them."
The group fell into silence.
Joey suddenly turned to Oven. "Oven, I remember you're quite skilled in martial arts, right?"
Oven stiffened. "Big bro… You're not thinking of sending me in, are you?"
Daifuku calmly added, "If we take over these people, someone needs to stay behind to keep them in check. Otherwise, they'll challenge us endlessly. Oven, I think you're the perfect choice."
"Me?!" Oven's face twitched as he realized his brothers were selling him out.
Not only that, but they looked completely convinced that he was the best fit for the job.
Oven hesitated. "Big bro! This isn't a good idea! I mean, my martial arts are decent, but if you want the best, it's definitely Zuccotto!"
Daifuku nodded in agreement. "That's true. If we're talking about natural talent in combat, Zuccotto is the best in our family."
Joey chuckled. "You're not wrong. Zuccotto is a prodigy when it comes to fighting. But he's still too young. He just turned seven this year, and his strength is only at Bronze Level 2."
He shook his head. Even though Zuccotto had enormous potential, he wasn't ready yet.
Besides, Joey had a bigger goal—establishing Totto Land next year.
A country couldn't be built without at least a few hundred thousand citizens. If he didn't even have that, what kind of kingdom would it be? A pathetic one?
Among his siblings, very few were completely untalented.
A few, like Effilée, Hachée, Brûlée, and Mash, weren't that gifted.
But then there were Noisette, Basskarte, and Dosmarche. Oh-ho! These three brats were dwarven blacksmithing prodigies.
Their crafting skills were already being nurtured by the finest artisans from Wano and the dwarves themselves. Even at their young age, they were studying hard. After all, mastering the forge took time.
Joey was hopeful that one day they'd be able to craft legendary weapons.
As for Custard and Angel, they were doing fine.
Custard had great potential, and Angel, under proper guidance, was steadily honing her abilities.
Then there was Zuccotto—an undisputed combat genius.
In terms of pure fighting technique, he had no equal among the siblings. Even his mentor, Scáthach, who had trained countless warriors and mages, once said:
"In terms of pure combat technique, Zuccotto might reach an unbelievable level."
For someone of that caliber to say this, Zuccotto's potential was undeniable.
Of course, no one in the Charlotte Family was truly untalented. Some just hadn't found their path yet.
Oven sighed. "Big bro… So what's the plan?"
Joey smirked and looked at both Daifuku and Oven. "Are you two up for some acting?"
"Acting?" The two blinked in confusion.
Joey grinned. "Yeah, you two take over the island, but later on, you let Zuccotto defeat you."
"No way!"
"Absolutely not!"
Both of them instantly refused.
Losing to their younger brother in public?
No Way.
Daifuku shook his head. "Big bro, if you really want me to do this, I can. But…" He scratched his head, clearly reluctant.
Joey chuckled. "Relax. It was just a suggestion."
Even if everyone knew it was staged, losing on purpose to their little brother was humiliating.
For now, they all fell into deep thought, considering the best way to handle the situation.
In theory, sending Zuccotto was ideal.
But he still needed time to grow stronger, and that was the real challenge.
Joey murmured to himself, "If I had to pick the best candidate…?"
.
.
.