— — — — — — — —
Joey asked, "Lady Scáthach, what about that brat Cracker? How's he doing?"
Scáthach smiled warmly and replied, "Cracker finished his training three months ago. He made a breakthrough and even awakened his Stand."
"Oh?" Joey nodded. "So that brat finally awakened his Stand. If he had taken any longer, he'd probably have exploded with frustration."
Joey knew his younger brother all too well.
Cracker might act indifferent, but in reality—How could that be true?
He cared. A lot.
He just didn't show it.
That was his personality—Always hiding his true feelings, staying in the shadows, quietly protecting his family and all his siblings.
That was the kind of person Cracker was!
---
Soon, they arrived at another training ground.
"Hah!"
"Yah!"
Cracker moved at an incredible speed, his blades flashing in the air.
With a swift motion, he crossed his arms. Two massive swords were embedded in the ground in an instant.
"Phew—" He exhaled deeply, frustration evident on his face. "Something's off. It just feels… weird. It shouldn't be like this."
Cracker tilted his head, deep in thought.
This move—Something about it wasn't right. It felt like he wasn't using his full strength.
It was unsettling.
Still, he remained calm. "Again! Let's try again! I need to figure this out."
Just then, Joey spoke up. "Cracker, it's about time. Take a break."
"Huh?" Cracker turned around and saw Joey, Katakuri, and his master Scáthach.
"Big Bro! Third Bro! Master!" he called out before running over to them with a grin. "What brings you guys here?"
Joey chuckled. "The New Year is just a few days away. Of course, I came to check on you guys. Seriously, you two are so focused on training that you'd forget the time if I didn't remind you."
"Hehe…" Cracker scratched his head, laughing. "Big Bro! I just want to get stronger, y'know?"
Katakuri nodded. "True. The quieter things are before the New Year, the more terrifying the World Government's actions will be afterward. That's the real issue."
Scáthach simply smiled in silence.
Always stay vigilant.
That's crucial.
If you forget that instinct—Then you deserve whatever comes next.
Joey smiled. "Training is good, but you need to balance it with rest. Take it easy for now. You can continue after the New Year."
Katakuri and Cracker both nodded in agreement.
"By the way," Joey suddenly asked, "Cracker, since your Stand has awakened, what exactly is it?"
"Hehe…" Cracker grinned. "Big Bro! See for yourself."
"Guardian Knight!" he shouted.
A silver figure materialized beside him.
Brilliant silver armor gleamed under the light.
The towering Stand was nearly the same height as Invincible Death.
It wielded a massive knight's longsword in its left hand and a sturdy knight's shield in its right.
But the most striking thing—It was clad in an unbelievably thick set of armor.
Just looking at it, you could tell its defense was absolutely monstrous.
"Hmm…" Joey examined the Stand closely. "Guardian Knight, huh?"
Cracker nodded. "That's right, Big Bro! Its ability is simple—it defends. In other words—"
He scratched his head. "Third Bro! Give it a try, and you'll understand."
"Alright!" Katakuri nodded before launching an attack.
"Unstoppable Donuts!"
"Nine-Headed Mochi!"
"Unstoppable Handclap Mochi!"
Katakuri didn't hold back in the slightest.
"What the hell—?!" Cracker couldn't help but curse.
"Seriously, Third Bro?!"
"No mercy at all?!"
But—Cracker wasn't weak either.
"Guardian Knight!"
Crash!
Katakuri's attacks were completely blocked.
Despite its heavy armor, Guardian Knight moved with surprising speed, managing to intercept Katakuri's strikes from all directions in an instant.
Cracker scratched his head. "That's pretty much its ability—it protects me during battle. In terms of raw offensive power, though, Guardian Knight isn't all that strong."
"Hmm!" Joey nodded and pulled up Guardian Knight's stats:
[Guardian Knight]
Destructive Power: D
Speed: A
Precision: A
Growth Potential: A
Durability: A
Range: B (500 meters)
---
Looking at its stats, Joey thought, "Damn, another Stand with four A-rank attributes."
As for its low destructive power?
That was understandable. Even with Katakuri's awakened Mochi powers and powerful Armament Haki, he couldn't break through Guardian Knight's defenses.
Its defense was absolutely insane.
A walking fortress—It made perfect sense that its offense would be lacking.
"Hmm…" Joey pondered aloud. "Cracker, in terms of defense, Guardian Knight is definitely impressive."
"But its range—500 meters? That's the same as Daifuku's. Does it really move that far?"
Cracker nodded without hesitation. "That's right, Big Bro! Guardian Knight can only protect one person at a time, but I can choose who to protect. The furthest it can move from me is 500 meters."
Joey nodded thoughtfully.
Honestly—He wasn't surprised that Cracker awakened this kind of Stand.
Cracker was like Katakuri, he was one of the Three Sweet Commanders.
But—Unlike Katakuri's invincible will—Cracker's defining trait was his deep sense of duty to protect his family.
For him, guarding was more important than anything else.
So, awakening the Guardian Knight Stand? It made perfect sense.
"Alright," Joey said warmly. "That's enough training for today. We should head back and rest."
"Okay!" everyone agreed, nodding.
— — —
Before long, they returned to Whole Cake Island.
The New Year was approaching.
There was still plenty of business to handle, but Perospero had postponed everything until after the holidays.
During this time, not just the Charlotte Family but all of Totto Land treated it as a time of celebration and relaxation.
Every household was filled with joy.
When Daifuku saw Katakuri and Cracker return, he greeted them with a grin. "Hey, Katakuri! Cracker! You're back!"
Cracker laughed. "Yeah, we're back! Can't believe our special training took six whole months."
Oven smirked. "You still have the nerve to say that? If someone didn't know better, they'd think you guys disappeared or something!"
"But don't worry, I always tell stories to our younger siblings."
Joey grinned and said, "You little brat—if you keep telling those stories, Katakuri and Cracker will probably beat you to death after the New Year!"
"Hahaha!" Daifuku, Oven, and Cracker burst into laughter.
Katakuri just shook his head with a small smile and leaned against a pillar.
"Ahhh!" Cracker flopped onto the couch with a sigh of relief. "Damn, this feels good! Haven't been this comfortable in ages!"
Oven stretched. "Since we're free, how about a game of poker?"
"Let's go!" x2
Daifuku, Oven, and Cracker huddled together, discussing the game before heading off.
Truthfully, entertainment options in this world were limited.
Joey had introduced various games from his previous life, just to give these guys a chance to chill.
After all, if they couldn't even relax during the New Year, that would be way too exhausting.
Not paying much attention to the trio, Joey turned to Katakuri and said gently, "Take a seat and rest for a bit."
"Alright." Katakuri sat down and spoke softly, "Big bro..."
Joey shook his head. "Whatever it is, we can talk about it after the New Year. Right now, it's a time to relax. If you keep working so hard, it's not good for you."
Katakuri nodded. "You're right."
Joey smiled. "You need to chill sometimes. Being constantly on edge isn't healthy. Balancing work and rest is important."
Joey wanted his brothers and sisters to be successful and help manage the family, he didn't want them to become machines who only work, train, eat, and sleep.
Work hard when it's time to work.
Rest when it's time to rest.
Ignoring one for the other was pointless.
Rest & Work.
They didn't have to be completely separate, but they needed to be balanced.
This had always been Joey's way of life.
People weren't tools. They were living beings. And every life deserved to be lived.
Suddenly, Katakuri asked, "Big bro! When are you planning to marry sis-in-law?"
.
.
.