— — — — — — —
Invincible Death!
This was Katakuri's awakened Stand ability.
It was also the second Stand ability to awaken within the entire Charlotte family.
With his Demi-human bloodline, the power of the Mochi Mochi no Mi, and his Stand, Invincible Death—
You could say Katakuri now lacked nothing. All he needed was to fully unleash his potential. That was the most important thing.
As for anything else?
It wasn't particularly important!
Splash—
The ship sailed across the vast ocean.
Joey lounged on the sofa, seemingly reading a book. But Joey wasn't really reading.
He was lost in thought about something else.
In truth—He was considering Stand abilities.
Deep in thought, he mused, "As expected! My initial decision was the right one for paying a high price. If someone else had bought the Arrows, that would have been a huge loss for me!"
He couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Even he had to admit—Compared to the importance of family techniques like The Body and Meditation,
The three Arrows, he had purchased were far more crucial.
Each of these three arrows had immense value.
Those who awakened their Stand abilities could potentially use the Requiem Arrow to achieve Requiem-level power in the future.
Meanwhile, the Regular Arrow and Soul Arrow could be stored away as valuable assets.
Stand abilities were of unparalleled importance.
Their strength depended entirely on the user's mental willpower.
Even if the world itself limited the potential of Stand abilities. But in a strong enough individual's hands, a Stand's power could reach godlike levels. It was downright broken.
Whoosh—
Joey exhaled deeply, murmuring, "Katakuri has also awakened his Stand. That makes two members of our family now. This proves my theory was right. Now, it's only a matter of time before the rest of those brats awaken their own Stands."
A satisfied grin spread across his face.
He had chosen his path wisely.
It wasn't enough for just him to be strong.
Unless he became overwhelmingly powerful to the point of suppressing everything,
But that wasn't realistic.
Joey knew himself well.
He wasn't naturally gifted.
Whether in training or combat, he lacked that so-called indomitable will or extraordinary talent.
Instead—He was a strategist.
A mastermind who knew where his strengths lay.
And he was very aware of his own limits.
Clap!
"Hm?"
Joey looked up as Katakuri approached.
With a smile, he asked, "What's up, Katakuri?"
"Big Bro!" Katakuri sat down, frowning. "It feels weird… It's like I suddenly have an extra arm. Invincible Death feels like another limb—completely natural to use."
"Heh…"
Joey chuckled, "That's normal. A Stand is like a highly advanced machine. You don't need complicated commands to control it. For example—"
Snap!
Joey snapped his fingers.
Clang!
Two great swords materialized and immediately began clashing.
He explained, "These swords fight entirely on instinct. All I do is give a simple order. But! Since they are an extension of me, they can use Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and even the sword techniques I've mastered."
Katakuri carefully observed the battle between the swords.
Just as Joey had said— The two swords fought seamlessly, utilizing Haki and various sword techniques in real-time.
"I see now!" Katakuri nodded in understanding.
Joey continued, "The second method is to manually control your Stand. But in the heat of battle, this might actually weaken your performance. You need to trust your Stand—it's crucial."
Katakuri pondered for a moment, then said, "Big Bro, I got it. I'll go experiment some more."
Joey nodded. "Go ahead."
Katakuri left.
But—Another figure crept closer, sneaking around.
Joey shook his head. "Daifuku! You sneaky little brat. If you have a question, just ask. You're not the first one, you know?"
"Hehehe…"
Daifuku, usually so cold and serious, let out an awkward laugh.
Joey sighed.
Honestly—Daifuku wasn't the first to ask.
Including him, pretty much everyone had come to inquire about Stand abilities.
Even Linlin! She had even tried to act cute, begging him to awaken her Stand.
But Joey refused outright.
No way!
If someone without the suited potential used the Regular or Soul Arrow, they could actually die.
So, he didn't dare risk it.
Under Joey's watchful gaze, Daifuku finally sat down and eagerly asked, "Big Bro! How do Stands awaken?"
Joey explained, "It's actually pretty simple! Katakuri awakened his Stand by maintaining an 'Invincible Mindset.'"
"At that moment, his willpower reached its limit, and his mind and spirit merged into one. Because of this unyielding belief, his Stand—Invincible Death—was born. For you guys, no matter what, you need a strong resolve."
"Stands are abilities formed from one's willpower. If your mind wavers, you won't be able to unleash your Stand's true potential."
"Oh!"
Daifuku nodded in understanding.
But—Joey wasn't sure if he really got it.
Still, It was good for him to start thinking about it.
Understanding oneself was an essential step.
"Hmm…" Daifuku mulled over what he had learned before heading off.
Joey watched him go, thinking, "Looks like Daifuku might have understood something."
Unlike the others, who had left completely confused, Daifuku had stopped to contemplate. That was already progress.
But—Would he succeed?
That was another matter entirely. Awakening a Stand wasn't easy—it required unwavering willpower.
Once again—The Joestar family...
That bloodline was cheating. Those people were monsters!
Seriously, have you ever seen an entire family where everyone was a Stand user?
It was absurd!
Every single direct blood relative had a Stand.
That family was just straight-up unnatural.
After explaining everything, Joey left it up to his younger siblings.
Whether they succeeded or not was their problem now.
With his brothers and sisters settling down, Joey returned to his reading and sword practice.
The two ships sailed rapidly towards the next destination. This time, the third objective of their journey awaited them.
The Three-Eye Tribe. The Snake-neck Tribe.
Both were easily dealt with.
And next! The third target: The Shining Fruit(Light-Light fruit).
They had already heard about this Devil Fruit, but its exact location had remained uncertain. Now that they had received solid information, Joey and Katakuri regrouped.
Because opposite the Devil Fruit stood a formidable opponent. To claim the fruit, they would have to face this adversary.
As they sailed, their speed increased significantly.
After just two days, they were approaching the island.
— — —
Clap!
Compote quickly walked up to Joey and said, "Big Brother! We're almost there."
Putting down his book, Joey looked up and smiled. "Compote, how do you feel?"
"Sigh..."
With a helpless sigh, Compote shook her head. "Big Brother! I don't feel anything special, but Daifuku seems to sense something. However, he can't explain it properly, just that he's trying to grasp it."
Understanding the situation, Joey nodded. "That's not unusual. After all! Stand abilities are unique and take time to develop. Don't worry. Eventually, everyone will awaken their Stand."
Shaking her head, Compote then said seriously, "Big Brother! We're about to reach the island, and the enemy's speed matches ours. I estimate they'll arrive soon."
Joey said casually, "Looks like we'll have to fight again..."
Compote replied, "It seems so. A battle is inevitable."
Joey sighed with mild frustration. "Honestly, I'm not that interested in fighting. But these pirates... convincing them to hand over something willingly is always a hassle."
Hearing her brother's complaint, Compote simply shook her head. "Big Brother, let's be real. That's impossible. Pirates are insane. Either you kill them, or they kill you. No pirate would just hand over a treasure."
"Hmm."
Joey nodded calmly.
That was indeed the nature of pirates. If they simply gave everything away...
Would they even be pirates anymore?
That would just make them pushovers. If they were that kind of people, they wouldn't have become pirates in the first place.
Thinking for a moment, Joey asked, "How's Katakuri doing?"
Compote answered, "Katakuri is steadily improving his control over his Stand. However! He still hasn't fully grasped its abilities. According to him, he has a vague idea, but every time he tries to confirm it, he gets confused."
"Heh..."
Joey chuckled. "That's normal. Stand abilities aren't something you can fully understand overnight."
Shaking his head in amusement, Joey continued, "Stands may seem simple on the surface, but when you truly possess one... you realize just how unique they are. Controlling them isn't easy."
Katakuri's Invincible Death was a Stand with immense growth potential.
It was obvious. A Stand like that would be even harder to master.
Compote sighed. "Nothing we can do about it! That's just Katakuri's nature. He always thinks he can push himself further."
Joey thought for a moment and said, "That's not a bad thing. Katakuri isn't wrong to push himself, but! He needs to be mindful of his physical and mental limits. Pushing too far could lead to a breakdown."
Compote nodded. "Don't worry, Big Brother. The training of Lady Scáthach always pushes us to the limit—but never to the point of breaking."
"Good!"
Joey fully trusted the training methods.
To be precise... Scáthach was an incredible teacher who had trained numerous heroes, leaving a lasting impact on the entire Celtic mythology. She was a perfect mentor. Her training plans were astonishingly precise.
Every session pushed them to their limits—without ever crossing into collapse.
That was the brilliance of her training regimen.
"Oh, right!" Compote suddenly recalled something.
She smacked her forehead and said, "Big Brother! Neptune wants to arrange a political marriage with you."
"A marriage?"
Joey was momentarily stunned before blurting out, "But he doesn't have a daughter yet, does he? What, is he offering me his wife?"
Compote gave Joey a weird look, surprised by her brother's unexpected remark.
Smack!
Joey playfully knocked her on the head and laughed. "What nonsense are you thinking? I'm not into that! Just tell me what's going on."
"Hehehe~"
Rubbing her head with a mischievous grin, Compote said, "Neptune plans to have his future daughter marry you. Even though she hasn't been born yet, he said he'll try hard to have one!"
Joey nodded in understanding. "I see! That's fine. I have no objections to this arrangement."
"Princess Shirahoshi, huh?"
There was no reason to refuse—not just because she was a beauty.
But more importantly...By marrying into the royal family of Ryugu Kingdom, he could secure their loyalty. A political marriage would solidify their alliance.
It was the perfect solution.
He'd gain a beautiful wife and a kingdom.
Why would he say no?
.
.
.