Evening approached.
"Rear Admiral, we've reached the edge of the Calm Belt. Shall we continue sailing through the night?"
Karl glanced at the lifeless, glassy sea ahead and shook his head.
Even though a Seastone warship could freely traverse the Calm Belt and ignore Sea Kings, night sailing always carried higher risks.
Whether it was the Calm Belt or not, Karl never rushed through the night.
"Drop anchor here. We'll set off tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir!"
After Nelson left, Karl turned to Ain beside him.
"You should rest early too."
"Mm. You too. See you tomorrow."
The next morning arrived with calm waters and bright sunshine.
"Set sail!"
With Karl's order, the Seastone warship officially entered the Calm Belt, heading straight for Amazon Lily.
"So this is the Calm Belt…" Ain murmured, her wine-red eyes full of curiosity.
"There's really no wind at all. But didn't they say this place is full of Sea Kings? Why don't I see even one?"
"Not seeing them is the best outcome," Karl replied.
"If you do see them, that means we're in serious trouble."
He tapped the deck beneath their feet.
"See this? A hull reinforced with Seastone. It releases an energy similar to the sea itself, fooling the Sea Kings' perception."
"That's why we can sail safely through the Calm Belt."
Ain nodded in realization.
"So that's why Seastone can suppress Devil Fruit users…"
"Look—Amazon Lily is just ahead."
Following Karl's finger, Ain saw a lush green island emerge in the distance.
At the center rose a massive mountain with the characters 'Kuja' carved into it. Above them, stone snake heads glared outward, giving off an intimidating presence.
The warship slowed to a stop roughly three kilometers from the island and dropped anchor.
Karl turned to Nelson.
"Launch a signal flare. No need to startle them."
"Yes, sir!"
A red signal flare shot into the sky, bursting open with the Marine seagull emblem—clearly marking their identity.
By treaty, Marine ships could only approach Amazon Lily to this distance.
To avoid unnecessary conflict and ensure the mission went smoothly, Karl had been exceptionally careful.
Kujo Palace — Amazon Lily
"Sister, it's a Marine flare. They really came because of the summons."
Reclining against Salome, Hancock slowly rose, her brows knitting together as she strode onto the balcony. Her gaze fixed sharply on the red flare beyond the island.
"Sandersonia. Marigold. Gather the warriors."
"I want to see exactly what tricks the Marines are trying to play."
Back on the warship.
Karl lowered his binoculars, his expression grave.
The Kuja warriors lining the harbor were visibly hostile—Amazon Lily's isolationism was even stronger than he'd expected.
"How bad is it?" Ain asked.
"Not good," Karl replied.
"This could turn into a fight. That empress… her personality is troublesome."
Boa Hancock's arrogance and tyranny were merely a façade—like a hedgehog's spines to protect herself.
Only those she loved ever saw her gentler side.
From an observer's perspective, that contrast was charming.
From a Marine's perspective?
Karl found her impossible to like.
Arrogant.
Rude.
Capricious.
Two words summed it up perfectly.
Hard to deal with.
Ding—
Detected hostility from Boa Hancock.
Series Quest Activated:
["Allies Don't Fight Allies" (3/7)]
Objective:
Avoid conflict with Warlord of the Sea Boa Hancock. Resolve the issue calmly and peacefully.
Reward:
Amazon Lily Haki Cultivation Manual
Willpower Attribute Enhancement Card ×10
Karl drew a deep breath.
The reward was far better than he'd expected—especially the Haki cultivation manual.
In the Marines, countless soldiers spent their entire lives unable to awaken even one form of Haki.
Only vice admirals and above typically possessed both.
Yet the warriors of Amazon Lily—despite not being overwhelmingly strong—were nearly all capable of dual Haki.
That alone proved it.
Amazon Lily had a special method for awakening Haki.
If Karl completed this task, it wouldn't just benefit him—it could reshape the Marines' future.
To put it simply:
The reward wasn't important to Karl.
It was important to the Marines.
His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to make Hancock accept the Warlord summons peacefully.
After a long while… nothing.
A woman.
A stubborn woman who refused to listen to reason.
How exactly was he supposed to convince her?
During the Summit War, Hancock had only agreed to the summons because of Luffy.
Otherwise, she might not have shown up at all.
"Troublesome…" Karl muttered.
In desperation, his hand drifted to his smooth, well-kept face.
Worst case… maybe I'll just rely on this.
A few minutes later, a massive snake-shaped ship slithered out from the harbor.
Propelled by giant serpents, it slowly approached Karl's warship.
The Marines subconsciously swallowed.
The legendary most beautiful woman in the world… was she finally about to appear?
Karl and Ain both stayed tense.
This woman was infamous for being completely unreasonable.
Twenty meters apart, the snake ship stopped.
A group of oddly dressed women appeared on deck, their eyes lighting up as they stared at Karl.
"W–wow! Is this what men look like?! Th–that's way too handsome!"
"He must want to come home with me!!"
"Impossible! Lady Snake Princess is the most beautiful in the world! He's just a filthy man!"
"…But still, he is kind of handsome… hehehe…"
Dressed in a black suit with a white Justice cloak billowing behind him, Karl stepped to the bow.
One hand rested calmly on Shusui's hilt, Raven perched on his shoulder.
His voice carried clearly across the sea.
"I am Rear Admiral Karl of Marine Headquarters."
"Warlord of the Sea, Boa Hancock—I am here to escort you. Please come out."
A burly Kuja woman laughed loudly.
"What a shame! Lady Snake Princess won't be coming out today!"
"Hahaha! Haven't seen a man in ages! Are all men as good-looking as you?"
Karl frowned but didn't respond.
Instead, he glanced toward the sea beside them.
Something was coming.
Stayed too long… or were we detected?
Wasn't Hancock's ship supposed to scare off Sea Kings?
Seriously…
SPLASH—
Five hundred meters away, a massive Sea King—shaped like a monstrous cow—burst from the sea, roaring as it charged toward the warship.
Nelson shouted, tense.
"Sea King! Open fire! Open fire!!"
Karl remained expressionless.
Slowly, he drew Shusui from his waist.
He didn't even look at the creature.
A casual slash.
A massive golden flying slash tore across the sea.
SHHHK—
The Sea King froze mid-roar.
Its head slid cleanly from its body.
Blood stained the ocean red.
All sound vanished.
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