"Colonel, you're incredible! You actually injured the world's greatest swordsman with your sword techniques!"
"That's right! Colonel Karl, how did you do it?! I admire you so much!"
Facing the excited Marines, Karl felt nothing but helpless.
Strong?
If Mihawk hadn't gone easy on him, he'd have been cut down on the spot, alright?!
That said… from a normal person's perspective, he had exchanged blows with Mihawk, both sides were injured, and it really did look like a fifty–fifty matchup. Add to that the rumors about him also going "evenly" with Marco before…
Oh no.
The legendary exaggerations are about to start—and the culprit is me.
Objectively speaking, Karl was still far behind both Marco and Mihawk—especially Mihawk.
Now that he had truly stepped into the path of the sword, Karl could clearly feel just how terrifying Mihawk was.
He was like the Dugu Qiubai of the One Piece world—standing alone at the very peak of all swordsmen, looking down upon everyone else. His interest in Karl stemmed purely from Karl's potential, much like his expectations for Zoro in the future.
But still—
Mihawk, you bastard!
My series quest!
My Black Blade Forging Method!
My Armament Haki enhancement cards!!!
"Colonel, how exactly did you become so strong? Was it relentless training over many years?"
"That's right," Karl replied solemnly, suppressing his inner grief.
"Consistent, persevering training. Using sweat to water your own strength—that is the secret to my power."
Several logistics soldiers nodded fervently.
So that's it!
Effort really does make you stronger!
"Alright, enough crowding around," Karl waved them off.
"Clean up the area quickly. Don't let the Blaze Pirates notice anything suspicious."
"Yes, sir!!!"
Once peace finally returned, Karl let out a long sigh.
Failure was failure—there was no use dwelling on it. Mihawk simply didn't play by common sense.
"The world's greatest swordsman, huh… tsk tsk."
While cleaning up, a few Marines whispered among themselves:
"Hey, do you think Colonel Karl could one day challenge the title of world's greatest swordsman?"
"I think it's possible. He's the strongest young officer I've ever seen. He can already hurt Hawk-Eye—give it a few years, and he might actually defeat him."
"That makes sense. Hey—didn't you bring a Video Den Den Mushi? Did you record that duel?"
The Marine grinned and patted his pocket.
"Of course I did. I'll sell it to the news agency later—easy money."
"Man, I'm jealous. I wish I had one too."
The Next Day – Early Morning
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Colonel—bad news! The Blaze Pirates escaped!"
Karl shot up from bed and flung open the door.
"What did you say?"
Nelson replied breathlessly,
"The Blaze Pirates reached Water 7, but they didn't land at Scrap Island. They entered through the main gate instead."
"And then?" Karl frowned.
"Because we've been very active around Water 7 recently, civilians exposed our presence. The Blaze Pirates immediately turned around and fled toward the Sabaody Archipelago!"
"…Tch."
Karl rubbed his temples and spoke calmly.
"Deputy Nelson, mobilize everyone immediately. I want all hands aboard within ten minutes."
The Blaze Pirates were exactly the kind of scum Karl despised most. Otherwise, he wouldn't have singled them out among so many targets.
He was not about to let a cooked duck fly away.
"Yes, sir!"
Ten Minutes Later
The warship set sail at full speed, chasing the Blaze Pirates' escape route.
But they were already long gone.
Karl quickly reassessed their likely path.
"If they're heading for Sabaody," Nelson reported,
"they'll have to pass through the Florian Triangle. Detouring around it would take far too long."
"So logically, they should be near the Florian Triangle by now."
Karl nodded thoughtfully.
"That makes sense. Set course for the Florian Triangle."
The Florian Triangle
The territory of Warlord of the Sea Gecko Moria.
Karl had planned to visit sooner or later anyway. He'd only delayed because once Raven entered the picture, the urgency faded.
Now, fate dragged him here regardless.
Karl thought to himself—
If I happen to run into Moria… maybe I'll just take Shusui while I'm at it. It's a Great Grade blade, after all.
Raven was excellent, but it had a glaring flaw.
It was a Devil Fruit weapon.
Once it touched seawater, it reacted just like a person—
going limp, weak, and completely drained, needing to be dried out before functioning again.
Don't ask how Karl knew.
Let's just say Raven was deeply unhappy about the experiment.
Meanwhile — Aboard the Blaze Pirates' Ship
Captain Roche Thompson laughed heartily, slapping his subordinate on the shoulder.
"Hahaha! Good thinking back there! Otherwise, we wouldn't have known the Marines were waiting for us in Water 7!"
"Those Marines must look real stupid right now—hahaha!"
The deck erupted in mocking laughter.
"Boss, look! There's something floating ahead! Uh… looks like a barrel?"
Roche squinted.
"What kind of barrel is that?"
An experienced pirate spoke up,
"Boss, that's a sea god offering barrel. It should be full of fine liquor!"
Roche's eyes lit up.
"Ha! Men, haul it aboard! Let's use it to celebrate tricking those damn Marines!"
"Yeah!!!"
"Boss is amazing!"
Moments later, the barrel was opened.
BOOM!
"WHAT THE—?!"
A red signal flare shot straight into the sky, dyeing the clouds crimson.
Roche sat stunned on the deck, staring upward.
"What the hell is this?! Fireworks?!"
"Boss, that's a signal flare! This might be a trap—Marine bait!"
Roche slapped his thigh.
"Damn it! I knew it! Those sneaky Marines!"
"All hands—stay alert! If Marines show up, report immediately!"
Elsewhere
"Sir! A signal flare was launched ahead!"
Karl lowered his telescope with a calm smile.
As expected… Moria's fishing trick.
Without a doubt, the Blaze Pirates had taken the bait.
"All ahead full speed. Head straight for the flare."
"Yes, sir!"
Within minutes, the sky darkened unnaturally, as if a storm were brewing. The air grew heavy and silent.
"Sir… something feels wrong."
Karl glanced at the sky.
"Doesn't matter. Do your jobs. We're very close to the Blaze Pirates—push harder."
Aboard the Blaze Pirates' Ship
"Boss… this weather feels wrong. It's creepy… This is the Florian Triangle. There really are ghosts here, right?"
Roche swallowed, then slapped the man hard.
"Idiot! We're pirates! Ghosts should be afraid of us!"
"Pull yourselves together! Don't scare yourselves—remember, the Marines are still on our tail!"
"Boss—bad news! Marines! They're right behind us!!!"
As the Marine warship appeared on the horizon, panic began to spread across the Blaze Pirates' deck.
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