Karl wielded Umaru in his right hand and formed a Finger Pistol with his left, carving his way through the pirates like a living whirlwind—charging in and out of their ranks with terrifying ease.
Every swing of his blade, every snap of his fingers, meant another pirate hitting the deck.
And yet, despite being so close they could smell his blood, not a single attack managed to even brush the corner of his clothes.
"Damn it! This Marine's slippery like an eel!"
"Everyone surround him! Let's see how he runs then!"
Seeing dozens of pirates blocking his path, Karl didn't panic in the slightest. Instead, he leapt into the air and shouted:
"Tempest Kick · Infinite Barrage!"
Shhh—shhh—shhh!
Dozens of razor-sharp wind slashes burst outward. The pirates encircling him screamed as they were blasted backward clutching their chests, bodies crashing across the deck. In an instant, the area was cleared—corpses strewn everywhere.
The remaining pirates stared at Karl as if he were a god of slaughter. Their hands trembled around their weapons. They shouted for each other to attack, yet none dared take a single step forward.
Seeing more than thirty men die in just a few minutes, Whitey Bay finally lost her composure.
"That's enough! Get out of the way!"
"I'll deal with him myself!"
The underlings immediately relaxed. Thank the heavens—the captain was finally stepping in. Another second longer and their lives would've been next.
Standing amid a sea of corpses, Karl looked at the furious Whitey Bay and smiled faintly.
So the main course is finally here.
"You're no ordinary Marine," Whitey Bay said coldly. "Got the guts to give me your name?"
"Karl. Marine Headquarters Major," he replied calmly.
"Prepare to die."
The moment his words fell, Karl vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared right in front of Whitey Bay and slashed down.
Clang!
Whitey Bay barely managed to raise her blade in defense, yet her body was forced several steps backward by the sheer power. Shock flooded her eyes.
So young… yet this strong?
Where did this monster come from? Why have I never heard his name?
Karl had already begun gauging her strength.
Her physical build was inferior to his—around C+ tier at best. Her combat experience was solid, but whether she possessed Haki was still uncertain.
Looks impressive.
In reality? So weak it makes you drool.
Completely incomparable to someone like Weevil—who looked like trash but was monstrously strong.
"Damn it! Ice Assault!"
Whitey Bay grabbed her weapon with both hands and wrenched it apart. The blade split cleanly into two, forming twin ice awls in her hands. She lunged forward at lightning speed, aiming straight for Karl's vitals—
Chest.
Lower body.
Karl had already foreseen everything with Observation Haki.
Clack!
Umaru slashed sideways, batting both ice awls away. At the same time, Karl drove his left fist forward.
"Not good!"
Whitey Bay reacted instantly, raising her weapon to protect her face—only to realize Karl's fist had already turned pitch-black.
"AHHH! Armament Haki?!"
"Damn it—how can you possibly be just a Major?!"
She wasn't inexperienced. Of course she recognized Armament Haki.
What shattered her confidence was seeing it on a Marine Major.
From everything she had seen, Marines below the rank of Captain who could use Haki were incredibly rare. In all her years, she had barely encountered any.
This opponent was far more troublesome than expected.
"Already thinking of surrendering?" Karl chuckled.
"That won't do. I haven't even warmed up yet."
A faint golden glow emerged around his body, constantly strengthening and healing him.
Whitey Bay's expression darkened further.
A Devil Fruit user too?!
"This just got a whole lot worse…"
"Don't even think about it!" she roared.
"The Whitebeard Pirates never surrender!"
Karl snorted in disdain.
"That's it?"
"Without Whitebeard, you're nothing. Just another piece of trash."
"I'm done wasting words."
"Finger Pistol!"
Truth be told, this was Karl's first proper one-on-one fight since arriving at Marine Headquarters. Before, he either didn't need to fight—or wasn't given the chance.
Now that he finally was, the experience was… surprisingly refreshing.
Bang!
The two clashed fiercely, but it didn't take long for Whitey Bay to fall completely into the disadvantage.
Experience alone couldn't bridge the gap in physique and Haki quality. Her defeat was inevitable.
In Karl's eyes, her strength capped around 250 million at best. She was nowhere near comparable to Weevil.
Not particularly sturdy.
Not a Devil Fruit user.
In the New World, she was merely average.
Which said everything about how bloated the Whitebeard Pirates' influence really was. Plenty of people—but also plenty of fodder.
The Navy feared Whitebeard himself, not his entire crew.
After being sent flying once again, blood spraying from her mouth, Whitey Bay glared viciously at Karl and screamed at a pirate hiding nearby.
"Damn you Marines! Hurry!"
"Call Father to save me!"
Karl's eyes narrowed.
Whitebeard himself might not arrive that fast—but Marco definitely could. And a flying Phoenix showing up would be a real headache.
Raising his left hand toward the pirate reaching for help, Karl barked:
"Finger Pistol!"
"Hmph! Dream on!"
Whitey Bay lunged forward desperately, intercepting the attack with her ice awls.
"Tch… touching, really."
"Such love for your subordinates."
Karl kicked her away and calmly walked forward. She was done for.
True to his humanitarian principles, Karl intended to give her a clean end.
"Come on!" Whitey Bay screamed hysterically.
"Kill me if you dare! Father will avenge me!"
Karl frowned.
That… is actually a problem.
This woman really couldn't be killed casually.
As a veteran member of Whitebeard's forces, it was impossible that Whitebeard felt nothing for her. Killing her outright would only bring unnecessary trouble to the Marines.
And once Whitebeard lost his temper, logic went straight out the window.
Sigh… troublesome.
Karl wasn't an Admiral.
As a mere Major, the wisest move was to avoid mistakes, not seek glory.
If he were an Admiral, things would be different.
Then it'd be better to act than to hesitate.
Seeing Karl pause, Whitey Bay burst into mocking laughter.
"Hahahaha! This is the Navy?"
"A bunch of bullies who fear the strong!"
"What, white-faced pretty boy—scared of Father?"
"Then get lost! Once he arrives, you won't even be able to run!"
Karl's face remained calm.
A loser barking in defeat was nothing worth listening to.
Thud!
Umaru pierced straight through Whitey Bay's shoulder blade, pinning her brutally to the deck. She screamed in agony, completely immobilized.
Karl casually bent down, picked up two curved blades from the ground, and nailed her down completely.
Only then did he pull Umaru free and turn his gaze toward the surrounding pirates—whose faces were now filled with pure terror.
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