"Speaking of which, Black Cage Tina is the Marine Captain in charge of this sea area. She has quite a reputation. Ordinary pirates tremble at the mere mention of her name," Law remarked casually, standing on the deck of his submarine.
Carl shook his head helplessly. "Tashigi, how could you embarrass a woman like that? Don't assume that just because Captain Tina is an adult who usually maintains a cold demeanor, she doesn't know how to feel shy."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, manipulating the currents to create a magnetic field that drew all the black spears onto the deck.
Fortuitously, iron was not cheap in this world, especially high-quality iron like this. These would make excellent trophies.
Tashigi looked stunned. "Tina-san gets shy?"
Nami, Marie, and Robin couldn't help but laugh. "How cute to be shy!"
Sanji shouted dramatically, "Beautiful and lovely Tina-chan! Although it saddens me that you're marrying Smoker, as a knight devoted to all women, I give you my blessing!"
Tashigi joined in. "Tina-san, I'm sorry for embarrassing you! Please be happy!"
What a ridiculous cook and a naive swordswoman!
Everyone except Luffy, Chopper, and Bepo—who didn't quite understand the situation—couldn't help but facepalm.
Sanji was beyond help, but Tashigi seemed to have been influenced by Smoker to the point where she couldn't discern whether Carl's words were true. Moreover, shouting like this would only further infuriate Captain Tina.
"Fire! Sink that sheep-headed ship! Tina is extremely angry! There will be serious consequences!"
Sure enough, Tina was truly furious now, ordering her warship to fire wildly.
The result? More black spears for Carl to collect, saving him a considerable amount of money.
Under Nami's expert navigation, the Going Merry quickly distanced itself, leaving the Marine warship far behind. Tashigi continued waving at Tina until she was completely out of sight, tears flowing more freely down her cheeks.
Nami embraced Tashigi, comforting her. "Don't cry. We'll meet again someday. Besides, you can be our undercover agent here."
Tashigi: ...
What kind of undercover work was this when the other party already knew everything about her mission?
As the Straw Hats departed from Alabasta, newspapers once again churned across the seas with sensational headlines.
Aboard the Moby Dick, Whitebeard read the newspaper in silence before releasing a deep sigh.
"I never expected the old rooster to die. It seems we old-timers are about to exit the stage. The era of the younger generation has arrived!"
Whitebeard gazed at his son, Ace, with a hint of wistfulness in his eyes.
His greatest wish in life had been to have a family. Now, surrounded by his sons and daughters in this great family, he couldn't ask for anything more.
However, the tides of the sea would continue to push forward.
He would eventually grow old, unable to protect his children forever, and their future concerned him deeply.
"Father, this Carl is incredibly powerful if he can kill even Golden Lion Shiki!" Marco exclaimed, shock evident in his voice.
"Ace's younger brother's crew is truly extraordinary. First, their captain fights Kizaru to a standstill, and now a crew member has slain a legendary pirate. They're undoubtedly worthy of being called Emperor material!" Vista couldn't help but marvel.
"The newspapers are full of exaggerations, claiming that the Straw Hats' entry into the New World directly threatens the rule of the Four Emperors.
It's obvious they want to incite the Emperors to eliminate the Straw Hats. The Marines have a clever scheme, but they don't realize we're not so easily manipulated. Who would be foolish enough to become their unwitting weapon?" Diamond Jozu curled his lips in disdain.
But Whitebeard laughed heartily. "Gurarararara! My sons, you probably haven't considered that the Marines' trick might actually work—because some people lose all sense when drunk!"
As soon as he said this, everyone realized who he meant, and their expressions immediately turned peculiar.
In Wano Country, the land of samurai, Kaido continued his heavy drinking when suddenly a soldier ran in with a newspaper. Too terrified to speak, the messenger placed the paper down and fled.
Fortunately, Kaido was too engrossed in his drinking to notice. After emptying another jug of sake, he caught sight of the newspaper's headlines from the corner of his eye and burst into tears.
"WORORORO! Golden Lion Shiki, you pathetic old fool! How dare you bring shame to Captain Rocks's legacy!"
"The Straw Hat Pirates? They want to challenge the Four Emperors' dominion? Let's see if you have what it takes. I'll come find you right now!"
"I wonder if you can kill ME!"
As he roared, he transformed into a massive dragon and soared into the sky.
In Whole Cake Island, Big Mom lost her appetite for cake when she read the newspaper.
"Katakuri, is this Carl from the Straw Hat Pirates truly that powerful? First, the Straw Hats defeated Golden Lion Shiki, and now this Carl has killed him. Are the Straw Hats genuinely a threat to the Four Emperors' rule?"
"Mama, this Carl is extremely dangerous," Katakuri replied seriously. "Since we've been monitoring the Straw Hats, we possess information that hasn't been made public.
Straw Hat Luffy recently defeated Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords, and dismantled his organization. During that conflict, Carl confronted Admiral Akainu and even severely injured him!"
"What?! He defeated even Akainu?!"
Now Big Mom couldn't remain calm.
She had initially been interested in the Straw Hats, but their rapidly growing strength made her even more determined to secure an alliance.
She immediately ordered, "Katakuri, personally go to Paradise and deliver a tea party invitation to the Straw Hats. Both Straw Hat Luffy and Carl can marry my daughters—they may choose whomever they prefer. However, rejection is not an option!"
"Yes, Mama!"
Katakuri responded immediately, turned, and departed.
Yet he felt uneasy, knowing that the Straw Hats' strength had exceeded expectations. This mission seemed destined to fail from the start.
On an island in the New World, the Red Hair Pirates continued their perpetual feast, as lively as ever.
Red-Haired Shanks examined the newspaper and the new bounty posters with curiosity. "Is this guy on Luffy's ship really that formidable?"
Benn Beckman silently removed the cigarette from his mouth. "It's not simply a matter of being strong. Fighting against Kizaru, killing Golden Lion Shiki, and even defeating Akainu one-on-one—this level of strength is rare even across the entire sea. He definitely ranks among the very top. And they say Luffy was personally trained by this Carl!"
"No wonder Luffy is doing so well! Hahaha!"
Red-Haired Shanks laughed drunkenly, happy for Luffy's success.
Benn Beckman rolled his eyes. "Captain, that's not the most pressing matter right now."
Shanks immediately became serious again. "You're right. The most important issue lies elsewhere. Whitebeard actually tore up my letter.
It seems I'll have to go see him in person. Teach is far too dangerous, and Whitebeard thinks too highly of himself. I fear there might be a disaster, and the seas aren't ready for such turmoil yet!"
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