— — — — — —
Then, with a helpless sigh, Joey said, "Mom, can you put me down first? I still have things to do!"
"Wuuu—!"
Linlin pouted in displeasure but eventually let Joey go.
Joey shook his head, sighing in exasperation, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, this was his mother.
Next, Joey reached into his pocket and took out a small vial of liquid.
He tossed it to Katakuri and said, "Katakuri, this is called the Demi-Human Serum (Ajin)! It has a very special effect—if someone dies, as long as a part of them remains, they can revive."
"Huh?"
Hearing Joey's words, everyone was stunned.
They weren't fools—they immediately understood the implication behind his statement.
Gulp—! But!
Without hesitation, Katakuri downed the serum in one go.
After drinking it, he said, "If Big Brother says so, then there's no problem."
Then, without hesitation, Katakuri gripped his trident, and before anyone could react—
Splurt!
He thrust it straight through his own throat.
Blood dripped onto the ground.
Katakuri's consciousness seemed to fade.
But in the next moment—
The wound healed instantly.
The trident was pushed out of his body.
Someone who had just lost their life…
Had come back to life.
"Huff—" Exhaling deeply, Katakuri acted as if nothing had happened. "Big Brother—" He chuckled.
"I'm a demi-human (Ajin) now…"
Joey didn't say a word but responded with a soft laugh.
He closed his eyes, lost in thought.
His eyes felt a little misty.
Trust.
What kind of trust was this?
This wasn't about something trivial. It was about life and death!
Katakuri had taken his word without hesitation, willing to risk his own life.
Absolute trust!
His younger brother trusted him completely.
As an older brother, that was more than enough.
"Huff—" Joey exhaled deeply and shook his head. "Alright! Enough about this. Of course, the gift I gave you is real, you little punk! Did you seriously have to test it? Have I ever given you anything fake?"
"Hahaha—!"
Hearing Joey's words, Katakuri scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
Only in front of Joey could Katakuri show a childlike side of himself.
Joey smiled. "Alright, enough messing around. Get some rest. We should get going soon. Perospero informed me that a pirate crew has also received information and is heading for the same place."
"Got it!"
Everyone nodded seriously.
They understood—Their big brother… was holding something back.
But they didn't say anything. Instead, they simply exchanged knowing smiles.
Joey shook his head, unwilling to dwell on it.
But then—Suddenly.
"ARGHHHH!!!"
Katakuri let out a deafening roar, his entire aura turning overwhelmingly terrifying.
"What's happening?!"
"What's wrong?!"
"Huh?!"
Everyone turned to Katakuri in alarm.
Joey's expression tensed. Could there be a problem with the Demi-Human Serum?
But!
That was impossible!
The system had verified it—there shouldn't be any issues at all!
Staring at Katakuri, Joey's gaze sharpened.
Everyone looked at their brother, unsure of what to say.
"Katakuri?!"
Linlin also looked at her son in concern.
Without a doubt, Linlin favored Joey the most, but that didn't mean she didn't love her other children.
It was just that Joey was more mature.
Always acting like a little adult.
With Joey, Linlin could show her childish side.
But as a mother, she still had to act like a parent to her other kids.
No parent wanted to be treated like a child by their own children.
That was just how parents were.
Compote quickly asked, "Big Brother! What's going on?! What's happening to Katakuri?!"
Joey raised a hand. He gestured for everyone to stay calm.
Then—
He stepped forward and spoke slowly, "Focus your mind. Tell yourself what it is you truly want."
"Center your spirit."
"You have trained in Meditation Technique to some extent—you should have some control over your mind."
The Body technique trained the body. The Meditation Technique trained the spirit.
Joey had checked with the system.
Meditation Technique could only be improved up to Silver Rank 9, requiring 1,000 achievement points to upgrade—he hadn't upgraded it yet.
"Alright!" "Big Bro!" Katakuri was in extreme pain, as if he was enduring something unbearable.
"Hah~~!!"
He gasped heavily, gradually restraining his spirit, making it condense.
Slowly, Katakuri's will gradually merged into one.
It fully solidified over time.
A faint, invisible aura spread from Katakuri's body.
Everyone quietly waited.
They could all feel it.
Katakuri seemed to be undergoing an amazing transformation.
Finally, Joey saw a shadowy figure emerging behind Katakuri.
A black phantom!
Soon.
The figure just dissipated.
In its place, a streak of dark purple light appeared.
Boom!
Gradually, that terrifying power condensed, forming a solid entity.
"Roar!!!"
The terrifying force let out an earth-shaking roar.
Katakuri also unleashed a terrifying scream.
From his eyes, a dark purple shockwave erupted.
It spread wildly in all directions.
When Katakuri calmed down, everything returned to silence.
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
They had no idea what had just happened.
Compote pondered and said, "Katakuri's situation is very special. Big Bro, it seems like you can see it. Is this what you call a Stand?"
At that moment, everyone froze.
They then also assumed this was their Big Bro's ability.
Joey then spoke, "That's right, it's a Stand."
"Katakuri awakened his Stand through sheer will. In fact! When someone in the family awakens a Stand, those of the same bloodline are very likely to awaken one as well. Essentially, all of you can awaken Stands!"
Everyone's breathing grew rapid.
The Silver Greatsword!
Everyone knew this was Big Bro's Stand.
How incredible, how terrifying it was.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Joey sighed helplessly, "I originally didn't plan to tell you this."
"When you actively try to awaken it, it becomes more difficult. A Stand is the manifestation of one's spirit, and it only awakens when your spirit reaches a certain threshold."
"Katakuri's willpower and belief reached their peak, which is why he awakened his Stand."
"Now..."
Shaking his head, he continued, "Trying to awaken your Stands deliberately will only make it harder! Not knowing is actually beneficial to you."
Everyone scratched their heads.
They all knew Joey truly meant well.
Awakening a Stand wasn't as simple as it seemed.
What? You want to mention the Joestar family?
Get lost! Is that family even normal?
The people in that family are just naturally overpowered, alright?
That family is like a walking cheat code in the Stand world! It's not a fair comparison!
— — —
"Ugh"
Just then, Katakuri had fully recovered.
He walked forward and said, "Big Bro! I'm fine now!"
"Mm!" Joey nodded, looking warmly at Katakuri, "Katakuri, can you see the Silver Greatsword?"
As he spoke, Joey summoned the Silver Greatsword.
After carefully observing it, Katakuri finally sighed, "So this is the true form of the Greatsword! Seeing it with my own eyes for the first time, it's quite different from what I saw using Observation Haki."
Joey reflected, "As expected! Only Stand users can see Stands. Your Stand is now fully awakened. Summon it so I can take a look."
Katakuri nodded, "No problem, Big Bro!"
"Invincible Death!" As Katakuri chanted.
Instantly! Dark purple energy exploded forth.
At that moment, everyone felt the overwhelming presence of death emerging.
It was a Stand towering at five meters.
Its body was massive. Fully clad in dark purple medieval knight armor.
Aside from that. It wielded a long sword in its left hand and a short sword in its right.
Just one glance made it clear.
This was an incredibly powerful combat-oriented Stand.
Joey murmured, "System! Show me Katakuri's stats and Stand panel."
---
[Charlotte Katakuri]
Identity: Third son of the Charlotte Family, Vice-Captain of the Big Mom Pirates
Strength: Silver Level 1
Potential: Platinum Level 9
Abilities: Paramecia-Type Mochi Mochi no Mi
Stand: Invincible Death
Description: The absolute pillar of the Charlotte Family! At only a young age, he possesses incredible potential! Not only has he awakened a Stand, but he also has a Devil Fruit akin to a Logia-type, along with mastery over all three forms of Haki. His skills have already reached the pinnacle. With steady growth, he will rise to the top of the world!
---
[Stand: Invincible Death]
Destructive Power: A
Speed: B
Precision: A
Growth Potential: Fully Matured
Endurance: A
Range: C
— — —
Joey examined Katakuri and Invincible Death's details.
He was stunned.
A Stand that was already fully matured from the start?
Honestly! Even Joey wasn't sure what to make of such a Stand.
He immediately asked the system, "System! What's the deal with Invincible Death?"
[Invincible Death's abilities are fully developed. However, its true potential depends on its user!]
[Its abilities are maxed out and won't grow further. Instead, its growth is determined by its master's strength.]
Joey immediately understood.
A Stand's abilities! Typically, they evolve over time.
For example, Star Platinum and The World's time-stopping abilities.
Both of them grew stronger alongside their users.
But Katakuri's Invincible Death? Its abilities were set in stone!
So there was no further growth.
However, as Katakuri became stronger, Invincible Death's capabilities would be fully realized.
For example., If Invincible Death had the ability to slay Crystal-Level beings.
Right now, because of Katakuri's current strength. It could only operate within the Silver Level.
Joey looked at Katakuri and asked, "How do you feel?"
Katakuri shook his head, "Big Bro! I can sense a lot, but it's fragmented. I think I need time to fully grasp Invincible Death's power and abilities."
"Heh heh heh—"
Joey said warmly, "No rush, take your time. A Stand's power isn't something you can master overnight. I still don't know if my Greatsword has an ability or if this is all there is to it."
Shaking his head helplessly, even Joey felt a bit troubled!
Maybe his Greatsword really was just a numbers advantage, with no extra abilities at all.
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