Everyone chatted for a while before leaving the office one by one.
The expedition was imminent, and there was still much preparation to be done.
Carlos took a deep breath.
Everything had been discussed, and he no longer needed to worry about anything else. It was a good time to check the system rewards from a few days ago.
"System, open the panel."
[Host]: Carlos
[Age]: 27
[Abilities]:
Armament Haki (Ultimate Level)
Observation Haki (Excellent Level)
Conqueror's Haki (Penultimate Level)
Swordsmanship (Transcendent Level)
Kryptonian (Grandmaster)
[Skills]:
Behind Enemy Lines
Shark Bullet Technique
Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan (Inferno Style: Flame Control, Susanoo)
Energy Absorption
[Identity]: World Government (Marine Marshal), Dragon Pirates (Leader)
Thanks to his clone, Carlos's Armament Haki had successfully been promoted from Penultimate to Ultimate level. Armament Haki is a fundamental ability that anyone can learn, but compared to Devil Fruit powers, it seems a bit "unpretentious."
However, it was undeniably practical, directly enhancing both offensive and defensive capabilities. Garp, Roger, and Shanks had never eaten a Devil Fruit or belonged to a special race; they had simply mastered Haki to its peak.
Carlos hadn't fought against Garp and Roger yet, so he wouldn't comment on their abilities for now. But he had personally experienced Shanks' strength. If it weren't for Aokiji and Kizaru's assistance, he might have been defeated by just his Kaido clone.
Ultimate level signifies the pinnacle of power in the pirate world. Carlos could feel that his Armament Haki was nearly twice as potent as before, both in quality and intensity.
With a thought, his hands instantly turned black, reflecting a metallic sheen under the sun. It looked like steel but was far stronger than diamond. The invisible energy surrounding him exuded a dangerous aura that made others feel uneasy.
"This power is incredible," he thought. "I feel like a single punch could destroy an entire town!"
"The Ultimate level is that powerful. If I reach the Transcendent level, I might rival gods with a mortal body…"
Carlos nodded to himself and retracted his Armament Haki. After all, this was his office, where many important documents were stored, so it wasn't the best place to experiment.
"If I want to learn more about my newly acquired power, I guess I'll have to go to the training room.
It's embarrassing to admit, but he had only been to the new training room once since it was built. After all, just sitting in the office and enjoying the sunlight made him stronger; there was no need for extra effort.
After a while, Carlos arrived at Marineford Square, where he could see crowds of Marine soldiers from a distance. Marine was preparing for an expedition, so the training room wasn't as crowded as before, which suited him just fine.
Upon opening the door, he found a muscular figure without a shirt in the empty hall. When the man saw Carlos enter, he set down the giant stone lock he was holding, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grinned.
"Hey, long time no see."
"It's you, Garp."
"Looks like Marine is making another move?"
Carlos nodded and walked toward the holographic projection console. "How did you know?"
Garp pointed outside. "I'm not blind."
"But seriously, where did you get this amazing training room?"
"The effect is impressive. Ten times the gravity, plus holographic projections! After staying here for less than a month, I feel like my strength has improved again."
Before Carlos could respond, Garp continued talking.
"It's just a bit too small. You should build a few more."
Carlos turned around, annoyed. "Don't even think about it! The cost of building one is a staggering 2 billion Berries."
Garp nodded in understanding.
At this rate of spending, it was no wonder that they had just cleared the first half of the Grand Line and were already gearing up for another operation.
"So, are you ready to start conquering the New World?" Garp asked.
"No, I'm preparing to abolish the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Upon hearing Carlos's words, Garp paused and looked at him seriously.
"Kaido and Bullet have joined forces and formed a pirate group that's been gaining momentum lately. Did you know that?"
Carlos asked calmly, "I know. What's wrong?"
"Although I don't like those guys, they are affiliated with the World Government and are our allies. You should focus on conquering the pirates. Doing this will lead to a complete break between the Marines and the World Government. Do you understand?"
Carlos replied expressionlessly, "Sorry, I'm the Marine Marshal. I know exactly what to do."
"Garp, now that you've left Marine headquarters, enjoy your retirement without telling me what to do here."
Garp walked slowly toward him, his expression growing more serious. "I see. If I'm correct, you plan to lead the Marines away from the World Government, right?
"Boy, you're young but very capable. I've noticed the changes in the Marines recently. Even Sengoku can't keep up with you. But he's right about one thing: you're too arrogant!"
Despite Garp's dislike for the World Government's ways, he understood that it was nearly impossible for the Marines to suppress all the pirates in the world alone. Since the time of Rocks, or perhaps even earlier, the problem of piracy had never been fully resolved.
Why did this young man dare to lead the Marines away from the World Government? Countless thoughts swirled in Garp's mind as he took a deep breath, trying to suppress his inner dissatisfaction.
"You ignore the threat from the New World and instead target the Seven Warlords of the Sea? How ridiculous. In that case, fine. I'll go deal with the pirates myself."
He grabbed his clothes from the bench and turned toward the door.
Carlos frowned at this. The Dragon Pirates had just arrived at Dressrosa.
"Big News" Morgans, "Queen of the Pleasure District" Stussy, the King of Loan Sharks Vinsmoke Judge, and others had also accepted invitations and were coming from all over.
Whether through negotiation and cooperation or through force, this was a great opportunity for him to unify the underground world. If he let Garp go, he would undoubtedly create problems.
Thinking of this, Carlos's tone turned icy. "Stop."
Garp turned slowly, his dissatisfaction evident. "Carlos, are you sure you want to stop me? Are you trying to prevent me from capturing the pirates?"
"I have arrangements for Marine affairs. There's no need for you to interfere and cause trouble."
"Cause chaos? That's an interesting statement. When I captured Roger, the Pirate King, you weren't even in the picture!"
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