"Sir Wilhelm is so cold and cool—he's incredibly handsome!"
"He truly lives up to the title of 'Thrilling Noble Son' and the 'Superstar' of the Charlotte family. Lord Wilhelm's presence just keeps getting stronger and stronger!"
"Yeah, just looking into his sharp, eagle-like eyes made my heart race. My legs felt weak, and I almost collapsed from fear..."
"Even my mom says that Lord Wilhelm and Lord Katakuri are Big Mom's most reliable allies!"
"Wait, does that mean Lord Wilhelm's strength has already surpassed Lord Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte family and the 'Minister of Candy'?"
"Gulp! If I remember right, he's only fifteen years old, isn't he?"
"Of course! Lord Wilhelm is a 'monster' who perfectly inherited Big Mom's talents..."
Following Smoothie's orders, a group of pirates and Homies from the Big Mom Pirates quickly returned to work, preparing for their next voyage.
In the Totto Land waters, everyone already knew Wilhelm's temper. None of them dared to be foolish enough to offend him.
Some pirates who had been with the Big Mom Pirates for a long time and knew some of the family's secrets spoke quietly about Wilhelm's legendary feats, whispering so they wouldn't be overheard.
But Smoothie and the others had sharp ears. They caught every word.
Not that it mattered—they had already seen Wilhelm's monstrous abilities firsthand.
By now, they weren't surprised. They were just...numb.
Wilhelm wasn't someone who could be understood with normal logic.
Years ago, when Wilhelm was under ten years old, he had a clash with Cracker, the tenth son of the Charlotte family, who was already an adult at the time.
Back then, Wilhelm didn't even have a Devil Fruit. Cracker launched a ferocious attack, slashing at Wilhelm repeatedly. But Wilhelm didn't dodge or defend himself—he just stood there and let the blows land.
Cracker kept going for most of the day, putting all his strength into the fight.
But even with his famous sword, Pretzel, Cracker couldn't leave a single scratch on Wilhelm's body, which had inherited Big Mom's nearly indestructible toughness.
Instead, Cracker was the one who ended up exhausted, sweating profusely.
It was unbelievable.
Remember, Cracker's Pretzel is one of the world's renowned swords!
What was even more astonishing was that when Wilhelm—who wasn't even ten years old—finally fought back, he relied only on his incredible natural strength.
Wilhelm's punch was unrelenting. It sent Cracker flying hundreds of meters, leaving him vomiting blood. Nobody could count how many of his ribs were broken. Cracker fell unconscious and didn't wake up for several days.
Wilhelm was like a monster in human form—his strength was overwhelming and terrifying.
"There's no need to linger here anymore... This is the Eternal Pose to Jaya Island, our next destination. Make the arrangements and prepare to set sail!"
After gathering the spoils of their raid, Wilhelm handed the Eternal Pose, which he had bought at a high price from the black market in the Sabaody Archipelago, to Smoothie, who had approached him.
He was about to lean back against Finley, his snow mastiff companion, who was lazily lying nearby.
But with a light kick, Wilhelm nudged the lazy mastiff.
His sharp, threatening gaze made Finley freeze in fear.
The snow mastiff, now drenched in cold sweat, let out a low whimper before scampering away, looking pitifully upset.
Smoothie, smiling warmly, took Finley's place without hesitation. She sat down beside Wilhelm and leaned in comfortably, as if it were second nature to her.
It was clear this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.
Wilhelm let out a silent sigh, glancing at his older sister. Despite Smoothie's usual antics and her clear admiration for his "dazzling beauty," he didn't protest. His calm eyes showed no rejection.
Closing his eyes, Wilhelm rested his head on the cushion of roses she had arranged.
Among the siblings of the Charlotte family, Wilhelm felt naturally closest to Smoothie.
They had been like this since they were children. He was already used to it.
"Jaya Island?" Smoothie asked curiously, her tone soft and amused.
As she gazed at her younger brother's strikingly handsome face, she gently massaged his temples, easing the tension he had built up over the past few days.
"What are you planning to do there?" she asked, her voice calm but filled with curiosity.
Ignoring the looks from others, Wilhelm replied directly, "There are rumors about the 'Golden Country' connected to that island. I'm a little curious, so I want to check it out. Who knows? I might stumble upon something interesting."
"The Golden Country?"
Nearby, Snack raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Smoothie's behavior was no surprise.
As one of Big Mom's daughters, she had always been much closer to Wilhelm than any of their other sisters.
At that moment, the navigator assigned to their crew walked over and couldn't help but speak up.
"Lord Wilhelm, the story about the 'Golden Country' comes from 'Noland the Liar,' a famous children's comic in the North Blue!"
"Everyone in the North Blue knows about the so-called 'Golden Country,' but they think it's just a story Noland made up. Nobody believes it."
"Oh?"
Charlotte Citron, the fifteenth daughter of the Charlotte family, raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Looking at the navigator, who was from the Big Mom Pirates and had been stationed on the Juice Islands under her three sisters' jurisdiction, she asked, "Jayne, you've heard about this 'Golden Country' too?"
The navigator, Jayne, nodded and smiled. "Yes, ma'am. I'm originally from the North Blue. This story has been passed down there for over three hundred years. Everyone knows it—it's practically part of our culture!"
Charlotte Citron shrugged, curling her lips in disbelief. "So, it's just a made-up fairy tale."
"Who knows?"
Wilhelm, with his eyes half-closed as he meditated, showed no intention of arguing. His tone was calm and indifferent. "Either way, we're heading to Jaya Island. It'll be worth the trip, even if it's just for sightseeing."
The Grand Line was a mysterious and unpredictable sea.
The weather was dangerous, with sudden changes in currents and climates.
Even islands close to each other could have entirely different environments, weather, and cultures.
For example, the Drum Kingdom was a winter island, perpetually covered in snow and ice with freezing temperatures.
Meanwhile, Jaya Island had a sweltering, unbearable heat—it was a true summer island.
"Then let's go to Jaya Island," Smoothie said casually.
Without lifting her gaze, she tossed the Log Pose to Jane Rose, signaling him to stop wasting time and prepare for departure.
She knew her troublesome younger brother all too well. Wilhelm was a man of strong convictions and an unyielding personality.
Even she couldn't change his mind once he had decided on something.