Karl grinned and condensed a cluster of white holy light, guiding it into Akainu's body.
Akainu's injuries began healing at a visible pace.
At this rate, he would be fully recovered in about ten minutes.
"Admiral Akainu, let's go," Karl said.
Akainu rarely smiled—but this time, he did.
He nodded and looked toward the distant warship.
On the Warship
The moment Karl boarded, Sengoku stopped him.
"Karl, come with me."
"Huh? Oh—yes, sir!"
Karl quickly followed him inside.
After Karl left, Akainu walked over to Aokiji and Kizaru, gazing at the nameless island slowly being swallowed by the sea.
"Our era… is finally coming to an end," Akainu said quietly.
Aokiji chuckled and shook his head.
"I don't see it that way, Sakazuki. You've been in the Marines longer than I have—how many 'monsters' like Karl have you seen?"
"Two," Akainu replied after a pause.
"One is you. The other is him."
"I once thought Smoker would be the next you… but unfortunately, he wasn't."
Aokiji replied calmly,
"Then our era hasn't ended. Karl's existence simply means the Marines have gained another Admiral-level combatant."
"Perhaps one day, when one of us becomes Fleet Admiral, he'll step up to fill the vacancy."
"For the Marines… that's a good thing, isn't it?"
Akainu fell silent.
He vaguely felt that Kuzan was hinting at something—but after such an exhausting battle, he had no interest in continuing the discussion.
It was far too early to talk about that.
Inside the Cabin
"Karl, I watched your performance carefully," Sengoku said.
"You didn't disappoint me. Zephyr really has raised another outstanding seed."
Karl smiled lightly.
"You flatter me, Fleet Admiral."
Sengoku handed him a document.
"This is your appointment letter. From this moment on, you are officially a Marine Headquarters Admiral Candidate."
"Codename: White Crow."
"Karl—take it."
Karl snapped to attention, saluted, accepted the document, and spoke in one smooth motion.
"Roger!"
Ding~
Congratulations to the host.
Military Rank upgraded: Vice Admiral → Admiral Candidate
Daily mission rewards updated:
9 designated Attribute Enhancement Cards
Random rewards ×5 (storable)
Rare reward probability increased to 9%
Karl smiled.
Three years.
The rewards had finally increased.
As for becoming a full Admiral—
either the Admirals would expand, or he would have to wait for the right moment.
Which meant… probably another three years.
The Next Day — News Shakes the World
The news of Karl becoming an Admiral Candidate spread across the seas.
At first, many people doubted it.
A twenty-eight-year-old Marine? Admiral Candidate?
But once people looked into his résumé, the doubts vanished.
A Marine who suppressed the New World,
one whom even the Yonko did not dare provoke casually—
If he wasn't qualified to be an Admiral Candidate, who was?
Paradise, Grand Line
"White Crow… Admiral Candidate?"
Ace stared at the newspaper, his expression solemn.
That face—
he would never forget it.
A Marine Vice Admiral—no, now an Admiral Candidate.
'As Marines, let me give you a piece of advice.
Pirates only come in two kinds—
dead pirates, and pirates in Impel Down.'
He remembered those words clearly.
That man had seen through his lineage at first glance—
the only Marine besides his grandfather who knew he carried Roger's blood.
"Captain Ace?" a crew member asked.
"What's wrong? You look tense."
Ace forced a smile.
"It's nothing. Just another Admiral Candidate."
"Admiral Candidate? Let me see—what?! It's him?!"
Ace frowned.
"You know him?"
Scull's eyes sparkled.
"How could I not?! He's the most handsome man in the world! The dream of countless girls!"
"If I were as handsome as him, why would I even become a pirate?!"
Ace bonked him on the head.
"That's nonsense. Looks don't matter on the sea—strength does."
Scull pouted.
"Not necessarily. Back home, all the noble ladies are his fans. They swear they'll marry no one else."
"If I could marry a noble girl…"
"Enough," Ace interrupted.
"Instead of worrying about that, worry about whether we'll run into Marines next."
"This route has a lot of Marine branches."
Scull shrugged.
"So what? We've got you, Captain! You're an invincible Logia user—no Marine can stop you!"
Ace smiled helplessly.
Invincible?
Maybe.
For now, his priority was clear—
Leave the Grand Line as soon as possible and head for the New World.
To challenge the strongest.
To chase his dream.
No one would stop him.
Alabasta
"Mr. 0, today's newspaper."
Crocodile took it, skimmed the headline, and sneered.
"Tch. That guy again."
From the shadows, a woman chuckled.
"Oh? You know the world's most handsome man too, sir?"
"That's none of your business, Miss All Sunday. Focus on your work."
Robin clicked her tongue and left the smoke-filled room.
Only then did Crocodile look at the paper more carefully.
"…He's stronger again."
He hadn't cared much about Karl—
until the day Karl survived a clash with Whitebeard.
That young Marine had been etched into his memory ever since.
"The plan is about to begin," Crocodile muttered.
"Once I obtain Pluton, the world itself will tremble. Kehahaha!"
Even outside, Robin could hear his arrogant laughter.
She shook her head helplessly.
Marine Headquarters — Crescent Bay
"Ain, be careful out there," Karl said seriously.
"If you run into anything you can't handle, call me immediately. Understand?"
Standing on the deck, Ain waved cheerfully.
"Relax. I'm not a kid anymore!"
"Then why did you call me 'dad' yesterday and eat all my biscuits?!"
"Go to hell!" Ain snapped.
"I'm leaving—I've got pirates to catch!"
Karl waved as the warship disappeared into the distance.
Then he turned to the raven beside him.
"Alright. Let's head to Amazon Lily."
This,
was what balanced affection really meant.
As for inviting Ace to become a Warlord of the Sea?
He'd do it eventually—purely as a formality.
That guy would never accept anyway.
Capture Ace?
Forget it.
Teach would handle that.
Karl had no desire to anger Garp—and taking it easy suited him just fine.
The raven flapped its wings happily and took off toward Amazon Lily.
It didn't know much—
Only that Amazon Lily meant endless meat,
two-legged creatures giving it massages,
and having its feathers stroked.
Pure bliss.
"Gaa gaa!"
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