When Carl saw Garling again, the once-proud man now had a head of white hair.
Garling's face showed a fleeting moment of shock but quickly returned to calm. Yet, with the heightened perception granted by his awakened Vampire Fruit, Carl could easily sense the trembling of Garling's hands hidden within his sleeves, no matter how well Garling tried to mask it.
The two stood silently, locking eyes for a long time, as though waiting for the other to speak first.
Eventually, Garling waved a hand to dismiss the attendants around him. Once the area was cleared, Garling swallowed hard and spoke softly,
"Carl, you've finally decided to wake up, huh?"
Carl nodded gently, his gaze fixed on Garling's white hair. He chuckled,
"Uncle Garling, seems like both of us have grown old."
Before coming here, Carl's long silver hair had been tied up by Lucia. Under the sunlight, it gleamed with a luster that clearly wasn't the white hair of age.
Garling, recognizing Carl's teasing tone, feigned annoyance.
"You brat, you've been asleep for 22 years, and the first thing you do after waking up is mock me?"
Carl burst into laughter as he slowly approached Garling.
"Uncle Garling, you're not young anymore. Maybe it's time to stop dyeing your hair to match your nephew's style."
Garling raised an eyebrow, about to retort, but Carl suddenly appeared beside him, sinking his teeth into Garling's neck.
Garling, trusting Carl completely, didn't resist. Even as Carl bit him, Garling merely frowned and said,
"Carl, what are you doing?"
Carl looked up at Garling, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Moments later, Garling felt something unusual. The most immediate sensation was an overwhelming surge of vitality coursing through him.
Simultaneously, his once-loosened skin tightened, regaining elasticity. His white hair darkened, and his overall appearance rapidly regressed by decades, halting at the prime of his thirties.
Carl released him, smiling faintly.
"How do you feel now, Uncle Garling?"
Garling didn't reply immediately, the transformation leaving him deeply shaken. He clenched his fist tightly, muscles bulging as his Conqueror's Haki crackled with dark lightning.
Carl couldn't help but praise,
"Uncle Garling, your Conqueror's Haki has grown even stronger!"
By now, Garling's Haki far surpassed what Roger—empowered by the Nika Fruit—had once achieved.
Unlike other forms of Haki, Conqueror's Haki matured with time, except for rare exceptions like Luffy. Moreover, Garling's Haki had always been extraordinary, capable of rivaling the strongest emperors through sheer willpower and swordsmanship alone.
Now, paired with a rejuvenated body, Garling was practically unstoppable.
It took Garling a moment to adapt to his restored form. He looked at Carl and said,
"Your Vampire Fruit has awakened, hasn't it?"
Carl nodded with a smile and briefly explained the "Embrace" ability to Garling.
After listening, Garling smirked.
"So, my life is now in your hands?"
"Don't say it like that, Uncle. With your Haki, you can dispel it anytime. It's up to you."
"Why would I dispel it? If you want my life, take it. But before that, you'd better take over as leader of the Knights of God."
"Uh… I'll pass. Unlike you, Uncle Garling, I can't stay in Mary Geoise all day. If I became the leader, I'd just be a figurehead. I'd rather aim for Fleet Admiral of the Marines first."
"That position was always meant for you. If not for your 22-year nap, it wouldn't have gone to Sengoku. He's still only acting Fleet Admiral. If you want it, it's yours."
"Uncle, you make it sound like the Marines are a family business," Carl joked, though Garling's expression seemed to say, "Isn't it?"
Carl sighed and spread his hands.
"I know our family's influence could easily push me into that position, but keeping it is another matter. The Five Elders wouldn't approve, and the Marines wouldn't respect someone who hasn't proven themselves. That's why I'm only an Admiral now."
"Only an Admiral," Garling repeated with a raised eyebrow. Words like that would make countless people envious, but Carl had a point.
Garling nodded thoughtfully. The same principle applied to the Knights of God. Leadership wasn't guaranteed by lineage but by strength and merit.
After a moment of contemplation, Garling asked,
"Speaking of which, are you aware that Aramaki still hasn't been promoted to Admiral?"
"I've heard. I'll deal with it soon. Otherwise, Warcury might think I've really died."
"Aramaki is your man. This is your responsibility. While everyone in Mary Geoise knows you're alive, the outside world believes otherwise."
Carl chuckled darkly.
"Then it's time to disappoint them."
"Who told you to sleep for 22 years?"
"I didn't want to either, Uncle. I should've woken up sooner…"
Carl's expression turned cold, memories of his last battle with Roger surfacing. During that fight, he absorbed blood from Roger's Nika-enhanced state, inadvertently awakening his Dark-Dark Fruit.
What should've been a blessing became a curse. As Carl slipped into slumber, traces of the Nika energy lingered within him, suppressing his consciousness and forcing him to spend decades purging it.
Speaking of the Nika Fruit, Carl turned to Garling.
"Uncle, I heard from Lucia that there's a young man named Monkey D. Luffy, a Gum-Gum Fruit user, causing quite the stir. Don't the Five Elders care? Surely, they know it's the Nika Fruit?"
Garling folded his arms and sneered.
"Of course they know. But without you, the Marines aren't what they used to be. Even Warcury admitted that much. He didn't want Sengoku as Fleet Admiral back then either."
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg