Brûlée suddenly felt her body lighten considerably. She blinked her eyes, raised a hand, and conjured a mirror to examine herself.
One glance, and Brûlée's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Her hand trembled, causing the mirror to fall and shatter on the ground.
She quickly lowered her head, staring at her reflection scattered across the fragments of the mirror, utterly stunned.
Katakuri's face was filled with disbelief. He lifted his trembling hand and touched Brûlée's face.
The smooth sensation under his fingers confirmed that this was real—Brûlée's lifespan, stolen by Big Mom, had been returned!
Standing before them, Fleet Admiral Carl, a Celestial Dragon, possessed such an unbelievable ability.
At this moment, Carl's image in Katakuri's mind grew even more enigmatic and godlike.
Katakuri glanced at his younger sister, who was already crying tears of joy, his expression complex. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Carl spoke calmly,
"All right. Take your sister and go find Shanks."
After speaking, Carl's figure disappeared in a flash, followed closely by Lucia.
Katakuri turned to glance at the battlefield behind him and sighed heavily. Saving Brûlée was already the most he could do.
He redirected his gaze to Brûlée. She created a mirror, and the two stepped into the Mirror World together.
In the meantime, the pirates and Revolutionary Army forces had been nearly wiped out by the Marines led by Akainu.
The Whitebeard Pirates and the Revolutionary Army led by Dragon were annihilated. Only a few members of the Big Mom Pirates remained on the battlefield.
Charlotte Praline, along with a few of her younger siblings, had surrendered to the Marines when their overwhelming forces arrived. Now, they were being guarded by a few Marine soldiers.
Suddenly, Carl appeared beside Praline. She immediately bowed, her voice filled with respect as she addressed him,
"Saint Carl, sir."
Her tone was the epitome of humility.
Praline's husband, Aladine, was a member of the Sun Pirates.
Moreover, Fish-Man Island's current prosperity and stability were also linked to Carl.
Through the advocacy of Otohime and the royal family, Carl had become revered among the Fish-Man and Mermaid races. Praline genuinely felt gratitude towards him.
Carl nodded and gestured slightly, causing the surrounding Marine soldiers to disperse.
He scanned the members of the Charlotte family present. None dared meet his gaze, each one trembled and looked down.
Praline bit her lip and said hesitantly,
"Saint Carl, sir, they all…"
Before she could finish, Carl interrupted her,
"Praline, if I recall correctly, you're the Minister of Design, correct?"
Praline quickly responded,
"Yes, sir. My territory is Unique Island!"
Carl nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a stone throne descended from the sky. Stussy, along with Poire and Galette, descended from it.
Praline was momentarily stunned. She hadn't seen Galette and the others on the battlefield and had assumed they were already dead.
Galette fixed her gaze on Carl, her expression complicated.
Poire, meanwhile, hid behind Galette, not daring to look at Carl directly.
By now, the sounds of battle had almost entirely faded. Akainu and the other Marines were regrouping around Carl, standing in formation behind him.
Every Marine present looked at Carl with fervent admiration and awe.
Just moments ago, under Carl's leadership, they had annihilated the Revolutionary Army and two of the Four Emperors' crews—a feat that would undoubtedly go down in history.
Justice had finally been fully upheld!
Carl slowly turned around. Under the watchful eyes of the Marines, he uttered four words:
"Justice will prevail!"
Those words ignited the atmosphere. Led by Akainu, the entire Cake Island resounded with thunderous cheers:
"Justice will prevail!"
Praline and the others shivered amidst the overwhelming fervor, and a few even broke down crying from fear.
Carl glanced back and raised his hand. The Marines immediately fell silent, as if the pause button had been pressed.
He turned back to Praline and said,
"From this moment, Totto Land will be renamed the Sweet Island Archipelago and formally incorporated into the World Government. You'll oversee the transition."
Praline was stunned, but Carl had already begun assigning forces to maintain order. Within moments, a new Marine branch was established on the Sweet Island Archipelago.
Carl's orders were executed with precision, as some Marines stayed behind to oversee the transition, while others began cleaning up the battlefield.
Galette clenched her lips tightly, staring at Carl's back before suddenly speaking,
"Fleet Admiral Carl, what do you intend to do with us?"
Carl slowly turned around, a faint smile on his lips as he asked in return,
"What do you think I should do with you?"
To Galette, Carl's gaze felt like that of a predator eyeing its prey. She felt a weight on her chest and lowered her voice,
"I'm just a prisoner now. Kill me or spare me as you wish."
Stussy, standing nearby, burst into laughter and said,
"Miss Galette, if the master wanted you dead, you'd already be dead. And if not for his protection, do you think you and your sisters would still be alive?"
Galette remained silent, lowering her head even further. Of course, she understood this. But given the circumstances, she didn't know how to face Carl.
After all, her mother had just been killed by Carl's hand—even if that mother had never shown much maternal love…
Carl suddenly reached out and lifted Galette's chin with a finger, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"What's wrong? Do you hate me?"
Galette hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
In truth, she couldn't muster any hatred for Carl.
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+250 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg