Marineford, Port
A small Marine warship was docked at the port.
Carl stood on the deck, silently observing the ten Marine soldiers assembled before him.
When he had arrived at Marineford, he had been on Tsuru's ship and had not brought his original subordinates from Sabaody. As a result, these soldiers had been temporarily assigned to him by headquarters.
"Colonel Carl, when are we departing?" one of the soldiers saluted with his bandaged hand, his voice filled with respect.
After all, the man standing before them had shone brilliantly throughout the entirety of the Summit War.
Not only had Carl defeated multiple key figures of the Whitebeard Pirates, but he had also engaged Dracule Mihawk in a battle that had shocked the world. His overwhelming display of Haki and swordsmanship had solidified his reputation.
Carl glanced at them and finally asked, "Just you guys?"
"Yes, Colonel! The headquarters is severely short on manpower," the soldier replied immediately.
Marineford was still in ruins from the war, with countless injured being treated. Since the active Marines were occupied with rebuilding, assembling even this small group had been difficult.
Carl nodded. "Alright. If that's the case, let's go."
"Yes, sir!"
Moments later, the warship set sail from Marineford's port.
Carl lounged on a deck chair with a relaxed expression. Although the war had been brief, its intensity had been overwhelming. Now that it was over, this was the first time in a long while that he felt at ease.
Truthfully, Carl had not planned to leave so soon. However, Sengoku had hinted that an important promotion decision was imminent, forcing him to act quickly.
And once he was out at sea, wasn't his destination ultimately his own choice?
"Well, I might as well consider this a trip," Carl murmured, closing his eyes. "And I can check in along the way."
Despite the ongoing turmoil in the world, Carl was unbothered.
Most of the pirates who hadn't dared to challenge the New World before Whitebeard's death lacked the courage to do so now. These cowards, who lingered in Paradise and the Four Blues, were unlikely to pose any threat to him.
Their first destination was Sabaody Archipelago.
Carl's original subordinates were still there, along with some unfinished business.
There was Bartholomew Kuma, a certain pink-haired Supernova, and a couple of Devil Fruit users Carl had taken in.
Sabaody Archipelago
At this time, the streets of Sabaody were still filled with people celebrating the outcome of the Summit War.
Meanwhile, pirates across the region were in a frenzy.
"Whitebeard is dead, but One Piece is real!"
Whitebeard's final words had shaken the world. Though they had not ignited a new Pirate Era like Roger's had, their impact was still enormous.
Furthermore, Whitebeard's death had left a vacant throne among the Four Emperors.
Every ambitious pirate now saw an opportunity to claim it.
As a result, countless pirate crews were preparing to set sail for the New World, causing Marine forces in Sabaody to face immense pressure.
Clang!
Bright's long sword clashed against a pirate's weapon.
"Damn it, there's too many of them!" March, not far away, gritted his teeth. "Coffey, Emily! You two retreat first!"
The pirates were like madmen, emboldened by Whitebeard's death and driven by greed.
The Marines stationed here were struggling to hold their ground.
"Alright!" The young Marine, Coffey, nodded and prepared to teleport away with Emily's Devil Fruit ability.
Despite their talent, they were still too young to be effective in battle. Retreat was the only option.
"Araa~ Marines? You're just children."
A strange voice sounded behind them.
Coffey's pupils shrank in alarm as he attempted to activate his ability.
Boom!
A powerful kick sent both of them flying.
"Cough…" Coffey struggled to lift his head.
The figure before him was a bald, red-skinned man with a wild beard circling his chin.
"Brother!" Emily rushed over, placing a glowing hand on his shoulder. In an instant, her healing ability activated, significantly restoring his injuries.
"Oh? A Devil Fruit user?" The bald pirate's eyes widened in surprise before a sinister grin spread across his face.
"Looks like today is my lucky day. I can capture two Devil Fruit users at once!"
"Damn it!" March turned sharply, his expression changing.
"Coffey! Emily! Run! That guy is out of your league!"
Bright's face also darkened as he recognized the pirate.
"That's the captain of the Iron Head Pirates, 'Iron Head' Boyle! He's got a 55 million bounty!"
Sabaody had been home to Supernova pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million just a short time ago. But back then, ordinary Marine soldiers like Bright had no power to stop them.
Even now, any pirate above 15 million was already beyond their capabilities.
As for Boyle, a pirate worth 55 million was simply untouchable.
However, Boyle clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Oi, Marine, what are you talking about? This uncle isn't 'Iron Head' anymore."
Boyle puffed out his chest and proudly stroked his beard.
"Look at my beard! From today on, I shall be known as 'Ironbeard' Boyle!"
For a moment, there was silence.
Both Marines and pirates alike stared at him, dumbfounded.
"…Ironbeard?" Bright was speechless. What kind of ridiculous name was that?!
"Hehehe! What do you think? Sounds intimidating, doesn't it?" Boyle spread his arms dramatically, exuding confidence.
"Whitebeard's era is over! From now on, it's Ironbeard's era!"
"This uncle will become the next Four Emperors!"
His eyes were filled with delusional ambition.
If Whitebeard could be a Four Emperor, why couldn't he?
"…Wait, what's with your faces?" Boyle frowned.
Both Marines and pirates alike were staring behind him in shock—as if a monster had just appeared.
"Oh? Is that so?"
A voice devoid of emotion spoke behind him.
Boyle's hair stood on end.
When?!
He hadn't even sensed the presence behind him!
He turned sharply—only to see a dark-cloaked figure looming over him.
A massive shadow, exuding a near-nonexistent life force, stood silently.
Boyle's pupils shrank in terror.
"Who the hell are you?!" He took an instinctive step back.
When humans face the unknown, fear outweighs all else.
The cloaked figure hesitated before replying,
"…You can call me 'Nobita'."
"Hah?! What kind of joke is that?! You think I'm afraid of you?!"
Boyle roared and charged forward. His massive bald head gleamed with a metallic sheen.
"My Iron Head Smash can break through steel walls!"
But the cloaked figure did not move.
Instead, he simply raised his palm, revealing a soft, pink, paw-shaped pad.
"Stupid!" Boyle sneered. "I'll shatter your arm!"
SLAP!
A dull impact sounded.
Boyle froze midair.
A single palm rested lightly atop his head.
"…What?!" Boyle's eyes widened in disbelief. His unstoppable Iron Head had been stopped?!
Before he could react—
BOOM!
The palm slammed him into the ground, creating a crater.
Boyle's whites of his eyes rolled up.
Instant defeat.
Bright shivered.
"T-That was a single hit…!"
The surrounding pirates were terrified.
And then—
"…Who are you?" Emily asked cautiously.
The cloaked man pondered, then replied:
"I'm Colonel Carl's subordinate. But I'm not a Marine."
The Marines gasped in shock.
This monster was Colonel Carl's subordinate?!
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