— — — — — — —
After two days
Joey was still waiting for his brothers.
Zuccotto continued his training while the other younger siblings were studying.
Of course, everyone under Zuccotto's command was already prepared. Not only were there members of the Longleg Tribe, but there were also people from other races.
Now, all that was left was to wait for Opera's arrival.
Everything had been taken care of.
Finally, after another two days—
Splash!
Opera arrived with his fleet.
"Hahaha!"
With a loud laugh, Opera called out, "Big bro! I'm here!"
Joey responded warmly, "That was fast this time."
Opera grinned, "Without anyone causing trouble, we could move at full speed."
Zuccotto approached and greeted, "Brother Opera!"
"Hahaha!" Opera patted Zuccotto's shoulder heartily. "Kid, you've been making a name for yourself lately! Only seven years old, in just seven days, you took down seven islands, defeated 99 mixed martial arts clubs, and even beat the third elder of the Alliance!"
He looked at Zuccotto with admiration.
Zuccotto scratched his head, embarrassed. "Opera-nii, don't say that… I still have a lot to learn. If it weren't for big bro's help, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off."
Slap!
Opera repeatedly patted Zuccotto's shoulder, excitedly asking, "Zuccotto, I heard you awakened your Stand?"
Zuccotto nodded. "Yeah, Opera-nii, I did awaken my Stand."
Opera beamed. "Not bad! Not bad! Once we get back, you have to teach me about it. I've been studying this for a while, but I just can't get it right. And honestly, I don't want to bother Katakuri about it."
"Hehehe…"
Joey chuckled. "Didn't I already tell you guys how to awaken your Stand?"
Opera sighed. "Big bro, you make it sound way too easy, like it's something we can just do overnight. But in reality, it's not that simple! Reaching an extreme state of mind might sound easy, but actually achieving it is a whole different thing!"
Zuccotto thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, I think it's more about emotions… or rather, willpower. Katakuri-nii's invincibility, my fighting spirit… So, Opera-nii, what exactly are you focusing on?"
Joey nodded in agreement.
The awakening of the Silver Greatsword…For him, it was all about power.
Power, invincibility, and combat. These three aspects were the core of his Stand awakenings.
But understanding it was one thing—actually achieving it was something else entirely.
Opera shook his head. "Let's talk about it when we get back. Once we're done dealing with the Longleg Tribe, it'll be time to leave. By the way… where are Daifuku and Oven?"
Suddenly, Opera realized something.
Where had his two older brothers gone?
Zuccotto sighed. "Daifuku and Oven, since they haven't been able to awaken their Stands, went off to research ways to trigger the awakening. They still haven't come back."
Opera shook his head. "There's no need to rush. Stand abilities are already there—you just need time to bring them out naturally."
But at that moment—
"Hehehe…"
A faint chuckle echoed through the air.
Everyone turned their heads.
Tap!
With a step using Moonwalk, Daifuku landed swiftly on the ship.
The Six Powers—Finger Pistol, Tempest Kick, Moonwalk, Iron Body, Shave!
These five techniques…Anyone willing to learn them could master them. They weren't difficult.
Naturally, Joey had made them part of the mandatory training.
Since he didn't yet have enough achievement points to completely nullify Devil Fruit weaknesses for all family members, techniques like Moonwalk and Shave were still quite useful.
Joey looked at Daifuku and, as the big brother, suddenly said, "Took you long enough, you brat. This is how long it took you to succeed?"
Daifuku, who usually had a cold demeanor, instantly dropped the act.
He scratched his head awkwardly and said sheepishly, "Big bro! I was just a little slow, that's all. But I think I did okay, right…?"
"Hm?"
Joey shot him a sharp glare.
Daifuku immediately straightened up. "Big bro! I know I was wrong!"
"Hehehe…"
Joey chuckled, walked up to Daifuku, and lightly punched his chest before smiling. "As long as you succeeded, that's all that matters."
"Hehehe…"
Even the usually cold Daifuku acted like a little kid in front of Joey.
Scratching his head, he grinned. "Big bro! I finally did it! And I think my awakened ability is a perfect match for my Devil Fruit power. It's such a great combination—it's got me so hyped!"
Daifuku clenched his fist excitedly.
Joey waved a hand. "Alright, calm down. We still have to deal with the Longleg Tribe first. Once that's done, you can show us. You must be exhausted from all that training. Momo already prepared some sweets for you."
"Awesome!" Daifuku grinned.
As expected, their big bro always cared about them the most.
No matter what, Joey never neglected them.
Daifuku scratched his head and looked around. "Wait, no way! That idiot Oven still isn't back?"
Then, turning to Opera, he teased, "Don't tell me… Opera! Even Zuccotto has awakened his Stand already, and you still haven't?!"
Opera sighed helplessly.
As expected, no matter how cold Daifuku might seem, around his siblings, he was still the same playful troublemaker.
When they were kids, Daifuku was always sarcastic like this.
Because of that, Perospero and Compote used to beat him up a lot.
Opera rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Daifuku, I've got a rough idea of it, but something still feels off. I need more time to figure it out."
At this point, Joey spoke up. "Alright, Daifuku. Eat something and wait patiently. In the meantime, why don't you and Zuccotto spar a little? See how your fighting styles compare."
"No problem, big bro!"
"Sounds good!"
Both nodded eagerly.
In truth, Zuccotto was currently stronger than Daifuku.
The effects of his special training hadn't worn off yet, and he was still at the Silver Rank.
Soon, after finishing his dessert, Daifuku stretched and asked, "Big bro! Where are we doing this?"
With the Longleg Tribe's matter settled, Joey responded, "Just try it out here on the deck. It's only a test of abilities, not a full-blown fight."
"No problem!" Daifuku agreed.
Zuccotto got serious. "Daifuku-nii, I'm starting now!"
Daifuku grinned. "Bring it on!"
"Haaah!"
With a roar, Zuccotto's Stand Martial Arts Fighting Master materialized.
Wearing light medieval knight armor, it gleamed with a dark orange glow.
In an instant—
Zuccotto and Fighting Master charged straight at Daifuku!
Two streaks of light shot toward Daifuku!
Daifuku, as if expecting this, muttered, "Just as I thought… a combat-type Stand. I don't know its exact ability, but if we go hand-to-hand, I'm definitely losing!"
Narrowing his eyes—
Daifuku's figure vanished instantly. Dark purple mist swirled up, engulfing him completely, and then—he was gone.
Opera blinked in surprise. "What just happened?"
To be clear, Opera had been using Observation Haki to keep track of Daifuku, but now, even through Haki, he couldn't see him.
The mist was real—it wasn't just an illusion, and it had completely obscured Daifuku from view.
Realizing this, Opera and the others turned to look at their eldest brother, Joey, for an explanation.
After a brief moment of thought, Joey said, "A Stand that can affect reality itself. You can't see the Stand because you're not a Stand user, but when it creates mist, walls, or barriers, those are real, and anyone can see them."
"Oh, I see!" Though the explanation sounded complex, everyone understood it.
Simply put, Stands are manifestations of one's spirit. If you can't see them, you just can't. But energy? Energy is a tangible force, so anyone can perceive it.
"Hehehe..."
A sinister chuckle echoed through the mist.
Daifuku's figure slowly emerged from the swirling fog, grinning eerily. "Now, the real show begins. Demon Labyrinth—come forth!"
A shadowy figure appeared behind Daifuku.
Daifuku was a Puff-Puff Fruit user. Before, he had to rub his belt to summon a demon.
But now?
Now, he could summon it effortlessly.
And this demon wasn't quite the same as before. It was more sinister, with a vicious expression and a massive S-shaped sword in hand.
In an instant, the demon charged into the mist.
Seeing this, Joey nodded knowingly. "Daifuku, have your Stand and Devil Fruit abilities merged?"
Daifuku grinned. "That's right, big bro! My Puff-Puff Fruit has fused with my Stand ability. To be precise, my Stand has become the source of my demon's power."
Hearing Daifuku's explanation, Joey mused, "I see! If I'm not mistaken, your Stand is the labyrinth, right?"
Daifuku nodded. "Exactly, big bro! My Stand creates a misty labyrinth. Once someone is trapped inside, they can't escape unless they find the exit. On top of that, my demon can move freely inside the labyrinth, and so can I."
"I get it now!"
"That makes sense!"
Everyone nodded in understanding.
It was clear now—Daifuku's Stand was the labyrinth itself, while his Devil Fruit ability summoned the demon.
By combining the two, he had created something unique: the Demon Labyrinth.
This was a rare fusion of a Stand and a Devil Fruit ability—something not commonly seen.
Joey pondered aloud, "This isn't a guaranteed combination for everyone. Daifuku's Devil Fruit was already unusual to begin with."
He shook his head. "This kind of fusion isn't something just anyone can achieve."
After all, could Katakuri's Mochi-Mochi Fruit somehow fuse with his Stand, 'Invincible Death'?
Would that mean 'Invincible Death' could turn into mochi?
That should be impossible! Different types of Devil Fruits had different properties, and Daifuku's case was an extreme rarity.
— — —
The battlefield had fallen silent.
No sound from within the mist could reach the outside.
No one knew what was happening inside.
Or rather—No one except Daifuku.
Opera turned to him and asked, "Daifuku, how's Zuccotto doing?"
Daifuku answered calmly, "Zuccotto's combat skills are seriously impressive. Even with my demon's unpredictable attacks, he's managing to hold his own."
"Plus, he and his Stand, Fighting Master, are moving together, systematically finding their way through the maze. I thought my Demon Labyrinth would completely trap them, but they're steadily making their way out."
"In that case—!"
With a sudden clap, Daifuku tightened his grip on his weapon and stepped into the fight.
But—
If one looked closely, they would notice something odd.
Daifuku's "weapon" was just a bamboo stick, its tip wrapped in white cloth covered in lime powder.
It was clear now—this wasn't an all-out battle, just a sparring match.
After all, real combat between brothers shouldn't be to the death.
Even in a test, that would be unacceptable!
If it ever came to that, Joey, as their eldest brother, would personally step in and beat some sense into them.
Family was everything.
If they abandoned their bonds, what was the point of calling themselves a family at all?
.
.
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