Ike did not dislike capable women.
First of all—
He was not the type of man who thought a woman became useless after giving birth.
Besides—
Selina, this gentle little princess, was truly outstanding.
Just look at the other twelve women—every single one of them had been managed into complete obedience by her.
That alone spoke volumes.
So—
Ike was extremely satisfied with Selina.
Very soon—
The Whitebeard crew returned once again to the Korya Kingdom.
And the king… was completely dumbfounded.
What were they here for this time?!
In the end—
A permanent Log Pose, along with an ancient navigation chart, was taken away.
Those items themselves weren't particularly valuable.
But for the king—
It felt awful.
After all—
His daughter had been taken by force!
And now she was helping outsiders?!
Was that really okay?!
With the permanent Log Pose and navigation chart in hand—
The journey became much smoother.
After twisting through chaotic routes for an entire month—
They finally arrived at the Totto Land Sea.
"So this is the Totto Land Sea?" Edward Newgate stood at the bow, gazing at the distant sea filled with countless islands. "Honestly… this place is really remote. Without a map or a permanent Log Pose, there's no way anyone could find it."
Standing beside him, Edward Ike said directly, "Big brother, stop admiring it. Let's confirm the surrounding conditions first, then follow the chart in."
"No problem!"
Newgate called his men and began testing the waters.
Very quickly—
A captured pirate ship was sent forward.
The seemingly calm sea—
Instantly swallowed it whole.
"Help!!!"
"Ahhh!!!"
"No!!!"
The ship and its crew were torn apart in an instant.
Watching this—
Ike and Newgate showed no fear.
Instead—
A smile appeared on both their faces.
Why?
Because if you wanted to establish a territory—
The most important thing was:
Easy to defend, hard to attack.
And this sea—
Perfectly met that condition.
Aside from the single safe entry route—
Everything else was surrounded by deep-sea whirlpools and chaotic currents.
"Enter the Totto Land Sea," Ike ordered, then warned, "Stay sharp. Do not deviate from the entry path. If you get pulled into those whirlpools or currents, you're dead."
"Understood, Lord Ike!"
"Don't worry!"
The crew moved cautiously, carefully guiding the ship through the entrance.
Fortunately—
The entry path itself was straightforward.
A straight line.
"Mmm…"
Sitting near the edge of the ship, Ike studied the navigation chart in his hands.
Strictly speaking—
This wasn't a chart leading to Totto Land.
It was a map of how to enter it.
It recorded:
The positions of all 35 islandsTheir unique characteristicsThe entry routeAnd a hidden shortcut—a remote path leading directly to the central island
"Head straight to the central island of the Totto Land Sea."
"Yes!"
With Ike's command—
The ship pressed forward without hesitation.
"Gurararara~~~"
After observing carefully, Newgate laughed loudly, extremely satisfied. "Ike! This place is perfect! No matter how you look at it, it's ideal!"
"So far, yes." Ike nodded. "But we still need to confirm whether there are any natives here. If there are… we'll have to deal with them."
"Though…" he added, "the chances are low."
After all—
Reaching this sea was already incredibly difficult.
Without the proper route—
You'd be swallowed by the ocean instantly.
Under such conditions—
The existence of native inhabitants was unlikely.
"Gurararara~~~"
Newgate grinned fiercely, gripping his weapon tightly. Killing intent flickered in his eyes. "Ike! If there are natives… we eliminate them."
Ike nodded.
Ruthless?
Yes.
Necessary?
Also yes.
Natives—
Would resist any external rule.
And that made them a major threat.
If they existed—
It was better to remove them entirely.
"Lord Ike!"
"Whitebeard!"
"We've arrived!"
"We've arrived!"
As the brothers were discussing—
The ship reached the central island of the Totto Land Sea.
"So this is… Cake Island?" Ike muttered softly as he observed the island. "Nature really is incredible…"
He had already seen Pineapple Island—
A land made entirely of pineapples.
But even so—
This island still amazed him.
Because—
Cake Island was exactly what its name suggested.
The entire island—
Was composed of massive layered cakes and cream.
From a distance—
It looked like countless cakes stacked together.
"Gurararara~~~"
"This is the New World!" Edward Newgate laughed excitedly, gripping his weapon, his eyes shining with intensity. "Ike! This is the kind of fantastical island the New World creates!"
"Indeed." Ike smiled faintly, then said, "Come on, big brother. Let's take a look at what will become our home."
"A sea made of 35 islands…"
"The future territory of the Edward Family."
"Alright!"
And with that—
The brothers stepped forward.