"However…"
Karl raised his head and looked at Sengoku, silently thinking:
Can you please finish your sentences in one go?
"Before you spar with the Admirals," Sengoku continued,
"you'll first have to fight Gion and Garp… no, Gion and Gion's old rival—Garp?"
He cleared his throat.
"Gion and Garp—no. Gion and Gion and Tokikake."
Karl frowned.
"This… is also a requirement to become an Admiral Candidate?"
Sengoku shook his head.
"Not exactly. But they've both been Admiral Candidates for a long time now. After them, you're the third."
"No matter what, you still need to fight them once. Otherwise, there will inevitably be… friction later."
Karl fell silent.
'Friction later'…
Meaning: who becomes an Admiral first.
"I understand, Fleet Admiral," Karl said calmly.
"In that case, when will Vice Admiral Gion and Vice Admiral Tokikake return?"
"They've been waiting for you for a while already," Sengoku replied.
"They're at the training grounds."
"By the way, Karl—there shouldn't be any personal grudges between you three, right?"
Karl raised an eyebrow.
"How could there be? Sister Gion has always taken good care of me.
As for Vice Admiral Tokikake, I don't know him well, but we've never had any conflict."
"That's good," Sengoku nodded.
"You're all Marines. Know your limits when you fight."
Karl nodded while standing up.
Looks like the meeting was finally over.
"Wait."
Karl turned back.
"Is there something else, Fleet Admiral?"
Sengoku's expression grew serious. He pulled a wanted poster from his drawer.
On it was a young, still somewhat immature face.
"Portgas D. Ace.
A pirate from the East Blue who recently entered the Grand Line.
Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit user.
Captain of the Spade Pirates.
Bounty: 350 million Beli."
"You should know him, right?"
Karl nodded slowly.
"I've met him once. Back then, he was still just a kid."
"…Looks like he really did choose the pirate path in the end."
He paused, then asked carefully:
"Fleet Admiral… you're not planning to have me eliminate him, are you?"
Sengoku shook his head.
"No. I just wanted to confirm something. After all—he's that idiot Garp's grandson."
"Then what does Vice Admiral Garp think?"
"Does he plan to uphold justice even against family?"
"That's hard to say," Sengoku replied flatly.
"Knowing Garp, probably not."
"That's why I'm telling you."
"I want you to invite Ace to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Karl froze.
"Warlord? Aren't the Seven already at full capacity?"
"Hmph," Sengoku snorted.
"The World Government has been very dissatisfied with Gecko Moria lately."
"If Ace agrees to become a Warlord, Moria will be removed."
"And if he refuses…"
Sengoku's gaze sharpened.
"…then you arrest Ace and send him to Impel Down."
Karl took a slow, deep breath.
"…Understood."
Sengoku handed him the wanted poster and related intel, then sipped his tea.
"This mission isn't urgent.
Focus on settling the Admiral Candidate matter first."
After leaving headquarters, Karl headed straight for Crescent Bay.
"Over here!"
Ain stood on the deck of her warship, smiling brightly and waving at him.
Karl leapt up and landed beside her.
It was a standard-issue Marine battleship—nothing flashy.
The only special features were the seastone-lined hull and modified propulsion system, allowing it to pass through the Calm Belt and reach the Four Seas quickly.
"From now on, you're a commanding officer in your own right, Ain," Karl said seriously.
"Never force a fight you can't win. If you can't win, retreat.
If you can't retreat, call for backup."
"As long as you're alive, there will always be another chance."
Ain hugged his arm and said playfully,
"Alright, alright~ I've been with you for years now.
Even if I haven't eaten pork, I've seen pigs run, okay?"
"I'm serious," Karl said, his tone firm.
"I won't always be at your side anymore. Everything will depend on you."
"I don't ever want to arrive too late… and see only your body."
Ain knew this was his way of caring.
Satisfied, she kissed him lightly on the cheek, then asked curiously:
"So what if I can't run… and backup doesn't arrive either?"
Karl replied calmly:
"Then I'll avenge you."
Ain froze for a second—then pinched him hard.
"Are you stupid?! If I die, that Hancock woman will laugh herself to death!"
"…Fair point."
"Alright," Karl said, changing the subject.
"I'm heading to the training grounds now. I'll be sparring with Sister Gion and Vice Admiral Tokikake."
"Want to come watch?"
"Of course," Ain replied.
"And we can visit Instructor Zephyr too. I heard he's training new recruits now."
"I might as well scout a future adjutant while I'm there."
At the training grounds, Zephyr was speaking with Gion and Tokikake, while Shuzo was guiding recruits through physical training.
When Karl and Ain arrived, Zephyr smiled broadly.
"Hahaha! Karl, you finally came back!"
"Not bad—your presence alone feels much stronger than before!"
"That's all thanks to your teaching, Instructor," Karl replied sincerely.
Zephyr chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"You're here to spar with Gion and Tokikake, right?"
"Perfect. I'll be the referee—just in case you youngsters go too far."
"That would be great. I'll leave it to you, Instructor."
Gion walked up with a gentle smile.
"That was fast. The first time we met, you were just a Major.
Now you're already standing on equal footing with me."
"As expected of the strongest of the new generation."
Standing nearby, Tokikake felt a twinge of dissatisfaction.
Gion had never spoken to him like that.
"Karl," Tokikake said seriously,
"I won't hold back. The title of Admiral Candidate is about true strength."
"If you can't even get past us—"
Karl glanced at him calmly and interrupted with a smile.
"Vice Admiral Tokikake—please don't hold back.
Otherwise, if you get injured, don't blame me."
"You—!"
Zephyr frowned and barked,
"That's enough. Don't play these games in front of me."
"Everything will be decided by strength."
"Shuzo! Training is suspended. Have the recruits observe from a safe distance."
"Let them see how true power clashes."
"Gion. Tokikake. Who goes first?"
Tokikake immediately stepped forward.
"Instructor, let me go first."
"That way, Karl won't accidentally hurt Gion."
He flashed what he thought was a handsome smile at Gion.
Gion sighed helplessly and glanced at Karl with an innocent look.
Among the recruits:
"Wow… that's Vice Admiral White Crow!"
"He's becoming an Admiral Candidate already? He's only twenty-eight!"
"So what if he's twenty-eight? He's the man who can defeat pirates with bounties over a billion!"
"If you ask me, he should've been an Admiral Candidate long ago!"
A bespectacled girl among the recruits stared at Karl with sparkling eyes—
or rather, at the two swords hanging from his waist.
"Black Blade Shusui—one of the Twenty-One Great Grade Blades…
And the cursed blade Raimei…"
"I really want to see them…"
"Hey, Tashigi! Stop spacing out!"
"Get farther back or you'll get caught in the aftermath!"
"O-Oh! Right!"
The training ground was completely cleared.
Only Karl and Tokikake remained at the center,
with recruits watching from afar.
"Tokikake. Karl," Zephyr said solemnly,
"You're comrades. This is only a sparring match."
"I don't want to see any accidents. Understood?"
"Don't worry, Instructor," Tokikake replied confidently.
"You know me—I'm very measured when I strike."
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