Fleet Admiral's Office – Chaos Ensues
"You two! Enough!"
A furious roar erupted from within the Fleet Admiral's office.
Before they could react, Sengoku and Garp were blasted out through the doorway, tumbling into the corridor.
Sengoku pouted as he adjusted his glasses, "Really now… Why so angry?"
"Pfft, hahaha!" Garp let out a boisterous laugh, dusting off his coat. "He just became Fleet Admiral—he's under a lot of pressure."
"Huh? Carl?"
Sengoku's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed a figure standing a short distance away.
Solomon Carl stood there with an utterly speechless expression, watching the two legendary Marines bicker like children.
"I got here right when you two were sent flying," Carl deadpanned.
Before him stood two of the Marine's greatest figures:
• Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, the Marine Hero—a man feared even by the Pirate King himself.
• Sengoku the Buddha, Former Fleet Admiral and Current Inspector General—the strategist who once commanded the entire Marine force.
Yet now, they were behaving like a pair of unruly brats.
Carl sighed. Once upon a time, Sengoku was calm and composed…
Retirement really does turn people into Garp.
Shaking his head, Carl waved them off.
"Alright, I'm heading in. You two… carry on."
With that, he pushed open the door and entered the Fleet Admiral's office.
Carl's Promotion – A Double-Edged Sword
Sitting behind his desk, stacks of documents neatly arranged, was Fleet Admiral Sakazuki.
He looked up and nodded at Carl's arrival.
"It's you, Carl."
"Well, yeah… Marshal Sakazuki," Carl scratched his head.
"I wanted to ask—after the relocation, Marineford will officially be the G-1 Branch, right?"
"That's correct."
Sakazuki pulled a box of cigars from his desk, lighting one for himself before offering another to Carl.
Carl took it, lit the tip, and exhaled a thin stream of smoke before continuing.
"Then, logically speaking, a G-ranked base requires a senior Vice Admiral as its commanding officer, correct?"
Sakazuki gave a slight nod.
Carl frowned.
"…But I was just promoted to Vice Admiral. Sabaody is already under my command."
He took another drag before sighing.
"There's no precedent for a Vice Admiral to be in charge of two bases at the same time."
At those words, Sakazuki's hand—midway through lighting his cigar—paused for just a fraction of a second.
A rare trace of guilt flashed across his face.
"…Carl, that's on me."
His voice, though gruff as ever, carried an uncharacteristic sincerity.
"I know this isn't fair to you. You have every right to be frustrated."
He clenched his fist.
"But I swear—I'll make you an Admiral Candidate as soon as possible."
A sharp edge entered Sakazuki's voice.
"Once that happens, you'll be the only inevitable candidate for the next Admiral."
His cigar burned between his fingers as he exhaled.
"At that point, those old men won't be able to interfere anymore."
His face darkened.
"If it weren't for the Five Elders, you would already be an Admiral."
Carl's eyes widened slightly.
Whoa… that's pretty direct, Sakazuki!
Fortunately, the Five Elders were powerful.
If they were weak, Sakazuki probably would've already made himself King of the Marines.
Carl shook his head.
"Forget it, Marshal Sakazuki."
He took one last drag from his cigar, exhaling smoke expressionlessly.
"I'll head back to Sabaody first."
"I'll come over once the relocation process begins."
Sakazuki gave a small nod, cigar still in his mouth.
"Sabaody's position is also critical."
It was, after all, the gateway to the New World.
Even if Carl had been assigned to Marineford, Sabaody remained under his control.
That was something the Marines could not afford to let fall into chaos again.
Having a strong leader in both locations was, at the very least, a strategic advantage.
Marineford Port – Departure
At Marineford's port, Carl's warship stood ready.
Several Marine officers stood in formation, saluting sharply as Carl approached.
One of them—a young Lieutenant named Bright—was practically beaming.
"Carl—ah, I mean, Vice Admiral Carl!"
He saluted with vigor, barely containing his excitement.
Carl blinked.
Bright?
This was the same young officer who had been under his command since his days as a Colonel.
Just like Carl, Bright had also been promoted—rising from Lieutenant Commander to Lieutenant Colonel in record time.
Carl sighed, waving his hand impatiently.
"Enough, enough. Hurry up and set sail for Sabaody."
He was already dealing with a headache—he didn't need Bright adding to it.
Sometimes, he really questioned the intelligence of the soldiers under his command.
"Yes, sir!"
Carl strode toward the warship, glancing at the gathered Marines.
Then, his gaze suddenly froze.
His eyes narrowed.
"…Coffee, your aura…"
Something was different.
In just ten days, Coffey had become noticeably stronger.
Carl could feel it.
His Haki had sharpened. His presence was deeper.
This wasn't just slight improvement—this was a substantial leap.
"Hey, Vice Admiral Carl!" Coffey greeted with a grin.
"I met an old man in Marineford these past few days."
He rubbed the back of his head.
"I was training alone in the Marineford training grounds when he saw me. Ended up giving me some pointers."
Carl's brow furrowed.
"…An old man?"
"Yeah."
Coffey thought for a moment before continuing.
"He had purple hair… and a huge mechanical right arm."
Carl's expression shifted instantly.
A purple-haired old man… with a mechanical arm?
Coffey scratched his head.
"Oh, and when I asked his name, he wouldn't tell me."
Carl exhaled sharply, his grip tightening slightly.
There was only one man that could be.
"Zephyr."
Former Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr.
A Marine legend.
The man who once trained the Admirals of this generation—Kizaru, Aokiji, Akainu… and countless others.
Carl fell silent for a moment.
Then, he chuckled.
"…Well, you're lucky then, Coffey."
Carl turned away, glancing out at the open sea.
A storm was brewing.
The Marines were changing.
And Carl was at the center of it all.
Carl's Return to Sabaody – A Fool Challenges the Demon
Carl sighed as he leaned back in his reclining chair, staring at the sky.
He had half-expected Admiral Zephyr to go rogue and start a Pirate Guerrilla Unit to hunt down pirates worldwide, but surprisingly, the old man had returned to Marineford.
"Forget it. I don't care what the old man is up to… Set sail!"
"Yes, sir!"
The warship slowly pulled away from Marineford's port, heading towards Sabaody Archipelago.
The Endless Waves of Pirates
Carl lay on the warship's deck, enjoying the cool sea breeze.
To his side, Bright, his ever-diligent subordinate, gave his report.
"Carl Vice Admiral! The latest round of arrests is complete!"
Carl exhaled. "How many this time?"
Bright pushed his glasses up. "Uh… That was the sixth wave since we left Marineford."
"…Already?" Carl muttered, opening his eyes slightly.
"These ones were from the Edward Pirates—a new group. Their captain, Edward Jack, has an 8-million bounty."
Carl raised an eyebrow.
"…Are these guys insane?"
Bright hesitated before explaining, "They started appearing after Whitebeard's death."
Carl's eyes darkened slightly.
Whitebeard's fall had caused chaos throughout the seas.
"Everyone thinks they can find the legendary treasure… or carve a name for themselves."
Bright continued, "The number of pirates attacking Marine branches has increased. They're all looking to make a reputation by defeating Marines."
Carl sighed and took a long drag from his cigar.
"Just sink their ship."
His warship was still too small—it didn't have enough of a deterrent.
Once his custom Vice Admiral warship was completed, reckless pirates wouldn't be so quick to ram straight into him.
Carl turned his gaze to Coffey, who stood not far away.
"You did well, Coffey."
The recent skirmishes had shown significant growth in Coffey's abilities.
Though he hadn't mastered all Rokushiki techniques, he had successfully incorporated Shave, Moonwalk, and Finger Pistol into his fighting style.
More importantly, his mastery of spatial movement was terrifying.
Against ordinary rookie pirate crews, he was practically untouchable.
"Really?!" Coffey's face turned red with excitement.
He had finally earned Carl's recognition!
"Well, you still have a long way to go." Carl nodded calmly.
"Yes! I'll work hard to become a true Vice Admiral Carl subordinate!" Coffey declared.
Carl chuckled as he lit another cigar.
If Coffey's strength continued to rise, Carl would have fewer direct fights to deal with himself.
Just like the Four Emperors, whose commanders handled most battles, Carl wanted his own trusted subordinates to handle minor problems.
The Shadows Over Sabaody
Upon arriving at Sabaody Archipelago, Carl immediately noticed the change.
The number of people moving through the streets had increased.
The reason?
Solomon Carl had been absent for a month.
Taking advantage of this, gangsters, pirates, and human traffickers had become active again.
But there was a key difference—they were being more careful.
A dark shadow in a black cloak still loomed over the entire underworld of Sabaody.
That shadow was Carl.
Criminals who had dared challenge him had been wiped out without exception.
Even now, after weeks of inactivity, his reputation of fear remained unshaken.
Only the newly arrived pirates—those unfamiliar with Sabaody's real ruler—still acted recklessly.
A Fool Challenges the Devil
"Boss! A warship just docked!"
A pirate hurriedly reported.
"A warship?"
A blond-haired man smirked.
"Let's go take a look."
He walked towards the port, his confidence overflowing with arrogance.
What was a single Marine warship to him?
At Sabaody's port, Carl led a squad of Marines onto the land.
His eyes swept across the streets.
"…Huh. The security's actually better."
A month ago, Sabaody was lawless.
Kidnappings, assaults, and murders had happened in broad daylight.
But now?
Carl didn't see a single blatantly suspicious individual.
That was a clear sign of progress.
Step. Step. Step.
Several arrogant figures walked toward him.
Carl stopped.
His observation Haki instantly sensed it—these guys were filled with malice.
"…Huh. Sabaody still has fools like this?"
The blond-haired pirate at the front grinned.
"Oi, Marine."
Carl raised an eyebrow.
"You guys stationed here?"
Carl exhaled a puff of smoke.
"That's right."
"So, what do you want?"
The blond pirate's grin widened into a wild smile.
"Obviously…"
"I'M HERE TO KILL YOU!"
The words echoed through the port.
The Bellamy Pirates were going to make a name for themselves—by defeating a Marine Vice Admiral!
For a moment, the entire area fell into stunned silence.
Then, whispers erupted.
"…Is that guy stupid?"
"…Does he not know who that is?"
"That's Solomon Carl!"
"No, not Colonel Carl—Vice Admiral Carl!"
As Bellamy continued his wild laughter, Carl stood there, expressionless.
He took another drag from his cigar.
"…Well, this should be entertaining."
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