"I will protect it."
"Boss, we found another treasure!" Beta shouted excitedly, his eyes wide with exhilaration.
Charlotte felt a buzzing in his ears, and his mind momentarily went blank.
Barrett, standing beside him, slapped Beta across the face.
"Idiot, keep it down! We're not deaf," Barrett growled.
Beta's eyebrows shot up in anger. "What did you say? You want to fight?"
The two of them pushed their faces together, noses almost touching, their eyes locked in a tense stare as if they were about to fight.
"Bang! Bang!" Two sounds rang out as Lina, unable to bear it any longer, punched the two men on the head.
Everyone stood frozen in surprise.
Beta and Barrett had huge red bumps on their heads, their faces contorted in pain, and they looked at Lina with fear.
"Big sis is getting scarier and scarier!" Beta whispered under his breath.
For a moment, the world fell silent.
Charlotte's ears finally stopped buzzing, but the strange look in his eyes as he glanced at Lina didn't go unnoticed. Why did it feel like she was becoming more violent?
"A little too gentle," Charlotte muttered to himself.
These two tough guys were indeed troublesome. Even Lina, normally calm and composed, was starting to lose her temper.
"Look at you two, getting worse day by day. Even Lina can't stand you anymore. Why don't you reflect on yourselves?" Charlotte scolded.
Beta and Barrett looked at each other in confusion. How could Lina be "gentle"? Had the boss lost his mind?
They exchanged a glance, a silent "Is the boss okay?" passed between them.
Charlotte ignored their baffled expressions, shaking his head. "Alright, let's start working. We need to gather everything."
"Ah!" The group cheered and ran toward the abandoned fortress.
"Charlotte, I'm going to pick herbs!" Gillian shouted, dragging Mitis along with her.
Charlotte sighed, turning to Lina. "Lina, can you keep an eye on these guys? They're hopeless."
"Don't worry, Charlotte," Lina responded, her voice calm, as she walked toward the fort with elegance.
Only Oli and Mitya remained behind with Charlotte. The two girls were busy playing with the golden-horned deer, completely ignoring him.
"Uh, it seems the deer are more important than I am," Charlotte muttered under his breath. "The world is cold..."
"Beta! What are you doing with that useless piece of scrap metal? And Barrett, what on earth are you doing with that pile of scrap iron pipes?" Lina's voice echoed from afar.
Charlotte's body tensed. This... was a bit much. Was today going to be a day dedicated to girls?
He silently noted, In the future, I must make sure not to upset Lina. The consequences could be disastrous.
The real problem, however, was that Beta and Barrett were just too careless. After the chaos of transporting the items, the small fortress was practically demolished. The ground had been scraped, and Charlotte's eyelids twitched in frustration.
Thankfully, the golden-horned deer were packed and taken away without incident. There were only 23 of them, so it wasn't too difficult.
If Charlotte hadn't specifically ordered it, Beta might have tried something risky. But all in all, it had been a successful trip.
---
Rati Island, Heberfil Family Meeting Hall
Ivan paced anxiously back and forth, his face hard with concern.
A younger brother hurried in, breathless. "Brother Ivan, another merchant ship has been hijacked."
Ivan stopped, his face darkening. This was the tenth such incident this month.
"Brother Ivan, should we inform Boss Charlotte?" the younger brother asked nervously.
Ivan shook his head. "No. We haven't heard from the boss since he went to sea. He's likely working on something important. We can't disrupt his plan."
The younger brother nodded, taking the message seriously. "What should we do then?"
Ivan's voice was calm, though there was a steely determination behind it. "Prepare the boat. Everyone should be ready to sail at my command."
"Understood." The younger brother hurried out to relay the orders.
Ivan's mind worked quickly. He knew that Mr. Dasok's squad would be stopping by Lati Island today, and with the strong connection between him and Charlotte, they could help secure the island while Ivan took care of the pirate threat. Dal, stationed at the scientific laboratory, would ensure everything was in order.
Once that was settled, Ivan could lead his crew out to deal with the pirates terrorizing the nearby waters.
With his strength bolstered by the Devil Fruit powers and rigorous training, Ivan had become an unstoppable force. The days of weakness were behind him, and he would ensure Lati Island remained safe and prosperous.
His eyes burned with righteous fury as he thought, How dare these pirates see the Heberfil family as an easy target? This is unforgivable.
The Heberfil family's glory would be preserved.
---
The next day, Ivan set sail with his crew, his anger propelling him forward. They encountered pirate after pirate, each group falling under Ivan's wrath.
"Boss Ivan, the Blue Knight Pirates have been spotted ahead!" the lookout shouted.
Ivan's expression darkened. "Annoying name," he muttered, his eyes narrowing.
"Forward!" Ivan commanded, and his crew cheered, fired up for the battle.
The fight was brutal. Ivan personally confronted the pirate captain, launching a fierce attack. It wasn't long before the captain was severely injured, and the crew's morale surged.
As Ivan tore through the pirates, the survivors were too frightened to continue fighting and surrendered.
A bloodied, victorious smile spread across Ivan's face.
"Yes, these will make good free labor," he said darkly. "The scum gets their punishment, and we get workers for the island."
Lati Island was growing rapidly, and there was no shortage of work. This was a perfect opportunity to add manpower, and Charlotte would surely be pleased with the results.
Ivan's crew continued their rampage, defeating pirate after pirate, and soon, the name of the Heberfil family spread far and wide, deterring further attacks on the island. Pirate groups no longer dared to target merchant ships near Lati Island, especially after hearing that Golden Lion Shiki's name was associated with it.
The transformation in Ivan and his crew was undeniable, their iron-willed determination making them an unstoppable force. With their strength, Lati Island would continue to thrive.