— — — — — — —
Before long, Daifuku curiously asked, "Big bro! If I remember correctly, isn't the New Year coming up soon?"
Oven nodded. "Yeah, I think it's about that time."
Joey smiled and said, "Eight more days to go! Just in time for Compote to make it back home."
"Yeah!" Everyone smiled in anticipation.
The New Year was a big deal for the Charlotte Family. On this day, every member of the family would gather together.
Especially this year—with so many new head chefs joining the crew.
These chefs would definitely showcase their skills, preparing delicious feasts for the celebration.
The rarest ingredients and the finest wines were always saved for the New Year's banquet.
Sipping his tea, Joey casually asked, "How are things going on your side, Amande?"
Amande stepped forward with a sigh. "Big bro! Can you at least pretend to care a little more?"
Joey chuckled. "I am asking, aren't I?"
"Sigh…" Amande shook her head helplessly. "The work is about 70-80% done. Or rather, the surface-level tasks are nearly complete. The rest is just refinement, which will take a lot of time."
Joey reassured her, "Take your time. No need to rush. By the way, where's Katakuri? Haven't seen him in months."
Daifuku answered, "big bro Katakuri and Cracker went into seclusion for training."
Oven added, "According to lady Scáthach, once they finish their training, they'll be even stronger than before."
"Good!" Joey nodded, not asking further questions.
After catching up, the siblings went their separate ways. There were still many things to handle, but there was no need to rush.
Once everyone left, Joey turned his gaze to a shadow in the distance and smiled. "Gion, do you need something?"
TAP!
With elegant, confident strides, Gion stepped forward, wearing a pure white dress and high heels. She spoke in a calm yet firm tone. "Charlotte Joey! Are you planning to keep me imprisoned here forever?"
Joey remained composed. "I'm not imprisoning you. You simply can't leave. Your status has already determined your fate."
Gion clenched her teeth in frustration.
Damn it!
He was so casual about it!
No matter how angry she got, he remained calm, as if her emotions meant nothing.
Joey flipped through his book and continued, "Gion, I don't care about your past."
"As for your future? You have two choices—either the Charlotte Family is destroyed, and you regain your freedom, or you remain here forever, a caged bird. Unfortunately for you, the destruction of the Charlotte Family…"
"That will never happen."
"So relax. Isn't this an easy life for you?"
Joey stood up, flashed her a faint smile, and walked away.
"Damn it!" Gion gritted her teeth, her heart pounding in anger, yet there was nothing she could do.
Setting aside her own strength, just the fact that she was trapped within Totto Land meant there was no escape.
She slammed her hand against the wall in frustration, but then took a deep breath to calm herself.
After all, she had been here for six months already.
By now, she knew.
Leaving? Impossible.
Joey, unconcerned with her inner turmoil, continued on his way, his footsteps steady as he walked toward his next destination.
---
Meanwhile, on the far side of Cake Island…
"Hah… Hah…!"
Gasping for breath, Katakuri narrowed his eyes, staring intently at his opponent.
His gaze was sharp—his eyes glowing a faint crimson hue. That was the color of someone peering into the future.
BOOM!
In the next moment, a spear struck him hard, sending him flying.
Scáthach spoke in a calm, instructional tone. "Katakuri, I've sealed your physical strength to match mine using a special magic technique."
"Your combat instincts are far too lacking. People in this world rely too much on Observation Haki to track their opponents. And among them, you stand at the top."
"But because of that, you've forgotten a warrior's most essential trait—instinct."
Katakuri stabilized himself midair and landed, gripping his trident tightly. "Master! Can humans really train their bodies to react instinctively like that?"
Scáthach nodded. "Yes, it's possible! However, my current magic is limited. After all, this body is merely a Heroic Spirit summoned for the sole purpose of teaching. My abilities are restricted. But for you, the potential is limitless."
"Only by repeatedly experiencing the brink of death and pushing past your limits can you develop this instinct."
"Hmm…" Scáthach pondered for a moment. "According to Joey's information, there is an ability called 'Ultra Instinct.' But that's a much higher level technique, practically a combat art of its own. What I'm teaching is just pure instinct."
"Still, I'm sure you have to master your instinct to learn something like this Ultra instinct."
"Huff…" Katakuri exhaled deeply, his sharp eyes locking onto Scáthach. "Master, I understand now!"
Without hesitation, he lunged forward once again, trident in hand.
At the same time! The ground transformed into mochi, and ghostly figures of death flickered in the air around him.
CRACKLE!
Scáthach smirked. Facing Katakuri's fierce assault, her movements remained flawless—without the slightest opening.
Despite the overwhelming pressure of Katakuri's attacks, she remained composed and continued her lesson. "I cannot see Stand abilities, yet my body reacts naturally to them. That is instinct."
"Stand powers may be formidable, but my instincts allow my body to move without thought. My mind is free to focus entirely on how to defeat you."
"Or, to put it another way—"
CLANG!
Her spear swept forward in a series of consecutive strikes, disarming Katakuri and sending him flying once more.
Scáthach continued, "This is another way of saying that my mind generates a battle plan, and my body carries it out on its own. This is the instinct you must develop."
"Do you understand now?"
"Huff... Huff..." Breathing heavily, Katakuri stood up and said, "Master! I don't fully grasp it yet, but let's keep going. I know I'll get there eventually."
Scáthach nodded in approval. "Good! "
Katakuri's expression turned serious. "Let's continue!"
— — —
Three months had passed and Cracker had learned all he could. He had shattered his own limits!
He also had awakened his Stand!
That was Cracker's talent. And now, Scáthach focused entirely on training Katakuri.
Another three months passed to reach the current timeline.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Joey watched the battle between Katakuri and Scáthach in silence, unable to hide his admiration. "Katakuri, you've improved this much already?"
It was clear that Katakuri was still being pressured.
However…At first, he could only withstand ten or twenty attacks.
But now…He could endure nearly a hundred moves from Scáthach!
That alone was terrifying.
A hundred strikes from Scáthach—wasn't that horrifying enough?
Just thinking about it made it clear how monstrous Katakuri had become.
Boom!
At that moment, Katakuri crashed into the ground nearby.
Scáthach teased, "Joey, care to give it a try?"
Joey shook his head. "Scáthach, let's not. I'm not a fighter. But if I had to, I could just summon 47 great swords and cut you down instantly!"
Scáthach chuckled. "What an unreasonable way to fight."
Katakuri pushed himself off the ground, taking deep breaths. "Huff… Big Bro, what brings you here?"
Joey replied warmly, "You and Cracker have been missing for almost six months. Of course, I had to check in on you. Besides, the New Year is almost here."
"New Year already?" Katakuri rubbed his temples. "I've lost all sense of time during this training."
Joey waved it off. "No worries, it's nothing major. How's the training coming along?"
Katakuri thought for a moment before answering. "I feel like I've learned a lot, but at the same time, it's incredibly difficult! Fighting purely by instinct, without thinking about anything else, relying only on the body's natural reactions... it feels almost impossible."
Shaking his head, he sighed. "After six months, I've barely developed a foundation. Pushing further is going to be tough."
Scáthach walked over, adding, "That's normal. Your training wasn't just focused on instinct. You've been developing your Haki, your physical abilities, your Devil Fruit powers, and refining your overall combat techniques. These areas provide immediate strength increases, while honing instinct takes much longer."
Katakuri bowed respectfully. "I understand!"
Joey then asked, "How's the progress in other areas?"
Scáthach smiled. "His Devil Fruit is fully awakened and completely under his control."
"Good." Joey nodded in approval.
From Scáthach's words, Katakuri had already mastered his Devil Fruit's awakening.
His Observation Haki had reached the point where he could consistently foresee five seconds into the future. Combined with his Stand ability, this was practically broken.
His Armament Haki had evolved as well, allowing him to destroy from within and launch long-range attacks.
And his Conqueror's Haki—He had mastered Conqueror's Haki coating!
In other words…Katakuri had perfected his Devil Fruit, Haki, combat skills, and overall strength.
He hadn't necessarily reached the absolute peak.
After all…Given his age and limited training time, he would need at least another ten years to truly refine everything to the highest level.
But even now…It was already astonishing. Considering Katakuri's age, to have reached this level was unheard of!
It proved one thing—Katakuri was a monster.
No exaggeration.
Charlotte Katakuri! This man…Could rightfully be called the perfect warrior.
His determination. His strength. His intelligence. His abilities.
Everything about him was exceptional.
He had already reached the limits of human potential. And he had even surpassed them.
"Heh heh heh…" Joey chuckled. "Katakuri, reaching this level in just six months is already impressive. Don't push yourself too hard. We still have 85 years before everything truly begins. By then, our Charlotte family will have built up enough strength. Understood?"
Katakuri nodded. "Big Bro, I know there's time, but I can't afford to relax. Progress is like rowing upstream—if you stop, you fall behind. Unless I reach the master's level, where instinct is ingrained into my very bones, I can't slow down."
Joey wasn't upset by this mindset. Instead, he admired it. "That's a good attitude. But balance is important too. Don't overdo it. Take a break for the New Year—it's like a holiday. Rest up for a bit, then keep going."
"Now, let's go check on that brat Cracker."
.
.
.