"Big Brother Katakuri, Sister Smoothie, Sister Citron, Sister Cinnamon..."
At the port of Juice Island.
Wilhelm smiled and greeted them, "I didn't expect all of you to come here!"
As he spoke, he gestured toward Yamato, Shinobu, Miyamoto Musashi, Tanuki Pato, and the others.
Then, he briefly introduced the three Smoothie sisters and Katakuri to the members of the Charlotte family.
"Hello..."
Yamato stepped forward, bowed happily, and said, "My name is Yamato, from Wano!"
"Sister Yamato, Wilhelm already told me about you..." Smoothie looked at Yamato, who was both handsome and charming. She stepped forward, warmly took Yamato's small hand, and said with a smile, "From today on, you're our sister!"
If Wilhelm hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have believed it.
This innocent-looking girl, with horns on her head, was actually Kaido of the Beasts' daughter.
And to make things even more surprising—she had originally been only nine years old. But because of the Ripe-Ripe Fruit's power, she instantly aged ten years, making her nineteen now.
It was unbelievable.
"Ah, is this the child bride you brought back, Wilhelm?"
Cinnamon, standing to the side, rested one hand on the long sword at her waist. She looked Yamato up and down, teasing with a playful smirk.
Stron blinked, then chuckled lightly, "Now that you mention it, she does seem like one!"
"N-Nonsense... Nonsense—wait, no, that's not right!"
Hearing that, Yamato's beautiful and confident face instantly turned bright red.
Like a fire smoldering inside her, heat seemed to rise from her skin, making her cheeks unbelievably warm.
She lowered her head shyly, gripping the corner of her clothes with her small, restless hands.
Still, she couldn't help but secretly touch her horns, her big, lively eyes sneaking glances at Wilhelm.
Her gaze lingered on his sharp, heroic face—so handsome that she found it hard to look away.
"Sister Cinnamon, Sister Stron, stop joking. Yamato is still a child!" Wilhelm said helplessly. He placed a large hand on Yamato's head, gently patting her as if telling her not to take it seriously.
Meanwhile, Shinobu and Miyamoto Musashi introduced themselves simply and directly.
"Little girl Shinobu, I greet you all!"
"Miyamoto Musashi, a pleasure to meet you!"
"Beaver~, I'm Pato..!"
"Are these the surprises you prepared for me?"
After nodding at Yamato, Miyamoto Musashi, Tanuki Pato, and the others, Katakuri turned his gaze to Wilhelm.
That rough-faced samurai named "Miyamoto Musashi" gave him an intense sense of danger, making his instincts go on high alert.
The two swords at Musashi's waist looked extraordinary—clearly rare and famous blades.
"No, the real surprise is something else..." Wilhelm chuckled, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.
Katakuri raised an eyebrow involuntarily.
After a brief round of introductions, everyone got to know each other.
The group didn't linger at the port and instead headed straight for Juice Island, to a castle belonging to the three Smoothie sisters.
Inside the Grand Hall
Cinnamon and Stron took Yamato, Miyamoto Musashi, Shinobu, Pato, and the others to get settled.
Now, only Wilhelm, Smoothie, and Katakuri remained.
"Now, can you finally tell me?"
Katakuri sighed helplessly. "You caused quite a stir this time. The Marines are almost ready to act—we need to make our own preparations and be ready."
"Don't be in such a rush," Wilhelm said, shrugging as he lounged on the sofa. "Let Brother Perospero handle those minor details for now. He's always been good at that kind of thing. Those who are capable should do more work, right?"
Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte family, was sharp-minded and had a talent for strategy. He was a valuable asset.
While Katakuri had a "general's talent"—best suited for battle, leading charges, and eliminating enemies—Perospero was better at planning and managing affairs.
Day to day, Katakuri advised Charlotte Linlin and acted as a strategist.
Whether it was intelligence gathering or handling the BIG MOM Pirates' operations, he ensured things ran smoothly.
Of course, as a pirate, he still had flaws—his pride, arrogance, occasional short-sightedness, and lack of a broad perspective. But overall, his strengths far outweighed his weaknesses.
"Big Brother Katakuri, this is a gift from Wilhelm to you!"
Following Wilhelm's instructions, Smoothie stepped forward with a smile and presented a Devil Fruit.
"This is the Logia-type Air-Air Fruit, one of the strongest Logia abilities in the world!"
"Logia...?"
Katakuri's pupils narrowed sharply.
Katakuri hadn't expected that, on top of the twenty or so Devil Fruits Wilhelm had already handed over, he had also secretly obtained a Logia-type Air-Air Fruit. It was truly astonishing.
Then again, in a massive family like the Charlottes, who didn't have their own private ambitions?
Even their eldest brother, Perospero, subtly positioned himself as the "first heir" of the Charlotte family. Whether intentional or not, he often reminded their siblings that he was the eldest son, emphasizing his seniority.
Was he trying to weaken Katakuri's reputation as the strongest Sweet Commander while gradually increasing his own influence within the BIG MOM Pirates?
Such things were inevitable.
As long as no one outright betrayed the family or did something harmful to their interests, Katakuri didn't mind. He had long since learned to turn a blind eye to these power plays.
"This… is truly a valuable gift. Giving me such a powerful Logia ability—Wilhelm, as your older brother, I'm truly happy and grateful to have a younger brother like you..."
Katakuri quickly composed himself from the initial shock. Looking at Wilhelm sitting there, a warmth spread in his heart.
But then, with a hint of helplessness, he added, "But, Wilhelm… I'm already a Devil Fruit user. You don't actually expect me to eat it, do you?"
"I'll get straight to the point!"
Wilhelm stood up, his tone firm. "I can remove your Mochi-Mochi Fruit ability without you having to die, allowing you to choose another Devil Fruit power!"
"What!?"
Katakuri's pupils shrank sharply.
He stared at Wilhelm in disbelief. "You're joking… right?"
"Big Brother Katakuri, Wilhelm's Transfer-Transfer Fruit can even transfer 'demons' themselves," Smoothie said with a chuckle.
She explained further, "It doesn't matter whether it's my Rumble-Rumble Fruit or Stron's Hop-Hop Fruit—both were taken from previous users and transferred by Wilhelm."
"Unbelievable… so that's how it is!"
Katakuri felt unsettled.
Looking at Wilhelm, he suppressed the storm of thoughts in his mind and spoke in a low voice. "I'm starting to believe it… Normally, no one is this lucky.
No one just happens to keep finding Devil Fruits—the so-called 'Secret Treasures of the Sea'—which are nearly impossible to obtain, no matter how much wealth or power they have!"
Katakuri's sharp gaze darkened as his mind raced.
Some Devil Fruits could be explained—perhaps they were stolen from the World Government when they infiltrated Mary Geoise.
But Smoothie's fruit… Stron's… even the Bird-Bird Fruit that Wilhelm's mount had…
All of those were personally obtained by Wilhelm.
"Wait..." A sudden realization struck him. His expression stiffened.
Fixing his gaze on his somewhat familiar yet increasingly mysterious younger brother, he asked directly,
"Wilhelm… you broke into Impel Down before, didn't you?"
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You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04