Chapter 38: Excited Warring States
"Carl, Carl, you were absolutely majestic today you actually repelled one of the Warlords of the Sea, the Pirate Empress herself!"
"If this incident spreads, it'll cause an even bigger stir than when he talked down Doflamingo at Dressrosa!"
"I never imagined Colonel Carl was this powerful no wonder Fleet Admiral Sengoku personally recommended him!"
"Yeah! I love a man like that!"
"Oi, shut up already, you're all men what do you mean you like him?"
"Exactly if Colonel Carl likes anyone, it's clearly going to be Vice Admiral Gion Peach Rabbit's both beautiful and strong! You lot? Just a bunch of brutes get lost!"
"Ahem! All of you, calm down! Don't get carried away just because you're excited! What do you think this is? Do you want to be disciplined?!"
"Get back to your posts immediately if I hear another word about slacking off, you'll be running laps around all of Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
When Peach Rabbit Vice Admiral Gion was suddenly named, her face flushed bright red, and she glared fiercely at the undisciplined sailors.
After being reprimanded, the Marines quickly shut their mouths and scrambled back to duty.
The Sabaody Archipelago was enormous and being forced to run a full lap was a punishment that could take the whole day.
None of them wanted to risk incurring her wrath again.
Once the soldiers dispersed, Vice Admiral Gion still had a pink flush on her face, but her expression relaxed slightly.
"Those guys need to get it together! Carl and I have nothing going on—but they insist on stirring rumors. So rude!"
"But then again... Carl does have potential—he's handsome, well-built, and importantly he's taller than me by a little.
If I'm ever going to find a proper husband... well, someone like Carl would be a good template to start with..."
"Ugh! What am I thinking? Gion! Now's not the time to be fantasizing about dating! Pull yourself together!"
Taotu slapped her own cheeks lightly to re-center herself, forcing herself to focus again. She returned to her quarters and resumed dealing with official Navy documents.
And regarding today's skirmish she compiled a formal report to submit to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Meanwhile, Carl had already returned to his own quarters completely unaware of the rumors spreading about him across the island, or that his duel with Hancock had stirred Gion's emotions.
At this moment, all he wanted was a hot meal, a good rest, and a few hours in the training room to refine his newly upgraded strength.
Power-up increases were numerical but if the body couldn't fully utilize them, they became a burden.
That's why Carl kept to a strict daily training regimen.
This was also part of why many in the Navy admired him.
He was not only approachable, but also relentless in effort, with no noble lineage or special background his position had been earned through sheer strength.
He was a model of the self-made Marine officer an underdog's rise to prominence!
Because of this, many younger Marines looked up to him some even saw him as their ideal.
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Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters...
Fleet Admiral Sengoku ended a call with a Den Den Mushi and leaned back, a pleased smile forming on his face.
"This Carl kid... he's progressed so much in under a month."
"Doflamingo had to retreat after being reasoned with and now, he's pushed back Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress.
Some Rear Admirals wouldn't stand a chance against her.
Even Peach Rabbit—though she's a general candidate might not be Carl's match at this stage."
"Hahahaha! I never imagined that Vice Admiral Momonga's recommendation would lead us to such a rare gem!
Flying Squirrel really brought in a promising seedling!"
Sengoku's tone was filled with genuine excitement officers like Carl were extremely rare within the Navy ranks.
Since the generation of Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru, few had emerged to fill their shoes as successors.
Aside from a handful like Smoker and Gion the next generation was largely lacking in power and potential.
Even the best among them were still maturing and it would take years, if not decades, before they reached true Admiral-level strength.
During this time, the Navy will usher in a period of weakness which is exactly what Fleet Admiral Sengoku fears the most.
Fortunately, Carl's strength and prodigious talent can help bridge this gap in power offsetting the vacuum left by the older generation's decline and the youth's inexperience.
This is the true reason why Sengoku is so pleased with Carl's rise.
"Hmph! Even so I can't forgive that brat for dragging my two grandsons into this mess and throwing them in Impel Down!
If it weren't for him pushing so hard, Teach the bastard might never have exposed Ace's identity to the world, which triggered the Five Elders' decision to schedule the execution!"
"If I hadn't personally gone to plead, they wouldn't have waited three months—Ace would've been put on public execution this very month!"
Vice Admiral Garp snorted loudly, clearly displeased with Carl's actions.
But it was only dissatisfaction not true hatred.
To the world at large, it was Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) who made Ace's identity as the son of Gol D. Roger public leaking it as part of his plan to gain notoriety and earn a seat among the Seven Warlords.
The wider sea knows this part of the story.
But behind the scenes, the truth is murkier—Carl was the first to confirm and report the intel, after interrogating Teach and piecing together the connection.
No more than five top officials within the Navy knew this, and all of them had reasons to stay silent.
Most notably, Teach himself accepted the public narrative since it boosted his fame and influence, especially while negotiating with the World Government.
Because of that, Garp who despises Teach for betraying Whitebeard and turning on his crewmates directs his resentment more at him than at Carl.
"Garp, that may be but I still urge you to keep your composure.
Whether it's Carl or Teach, neither of them can be handled rashly not at this point.
You must stay calm, especially now that your grandson Luffy is still locked away on Level Six of Impel Down.
If you truly want him released, then accompany Zeffa-sensei these next three months and prepare your men."
"We cannot afford to lose when the clash with Whitebeard comes this is an order directly from the Five Elders, and it is also our Navy's best chance to show the world the full weight of its authority!"
"In this war, I will make the entire sea understand the Navy is the true overlord of the oceans!"
"The Four Emperors? Just stepping stones beneath our boots!"
As Sengoku spoke, his Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) surged for a brief moment, filling the room with intense pressure and solemn weight.
Garp grunted again unwilling to speak further and simply turned and left the room.
Though he was known for acting on instinct and punching Celestial Dragons, he still understood where the line was in moments of global consequence.
At his core, he remained loyal to the Navy.
Once Garp was gone, Sengoku glanced at his retreating back, then turned to Vice Admiral Tsuru (Crane) who had been silently sipping tea on the side.
"You have something to say, Tsuru?"
Tsuru calmly put down her cup, retrieved a document from her sleeve, and laid it on the desk.
It was Carl's updated personnel record.
"It's time to promote him to Brigadier General. Our current manpower might still be sufficient but with Carl's potential, he'll absolutely break through again before the war."
"We should assign him a warship and a hand-picked crew. Let him enter the New World and prepare in real combat scenarios."
"Keeping him confined to the Grand Line and Sabaody Archipelago is a waste of resources and a waste of his talent."
"Hm… good point."
Sengoku stroked his chin as he reviewed Carl's profile again.
He stared long and hard at the attached photograph Carl holding his twin swords, standing atop a battlefield littered with unconscious pirates.
"Give it two more days. Once Sabaody stabilizes, I'll approve his transfer to the New World."
"Taotu's been operating alone in that region too long. She's still young she'll grow faster with someone like Carl nearby."
"Agreed."
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