When it came to Warcury, Carl never hesitated to express his disdain.
"That old fossil Warcury—what a waste of centuries of life. Perfectly fitting that he ate the Wild Boar Fruit; he should just rename himself 'Pig the Worthless.'"
Even Garling, who heard this, couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head as he chuckled.
"That's not a wild boar, Carl. It's a Fengxi—a mythical creature."
"Close enough."
"Alright, stop talking about him," Garling said, waving his hand. "He's disgusting. Stay here tonight and have a drink with me instead."
"Of course, Uncle Garling," Carl replied with a grin.
The two drank late into the night, their supernatural tolerance for alcohol ensuring neither could outlast the other. When Carl finally returned to his quarters, he found Lucia and the others still awake, waiting in the hall with a table full of food—though the dishes had long gone cold.
Lucia was about to order the servants to prepare a fresh spread, but Carl stopped her. It wasn't about being thrifty, he simply disliked wasting time. After having the servants reheat the dishes, Carl spent the rest of the night drinking and chatting with his attendants until the sun rose.
In the following days, Carl devoted himself entirely to his companions. But he knew better than to lose himself in comfort—his "empire" needed to grow, prosper, and endure. After spending a month in Mary Geoise, Carl decided it was time to return to Marineford, bringing Lucia and Ginny along.
Before heading back, however, Carl made a detour to meet the Five Elders. When he left, he carried several classified documents in hand.
...
Marineford, Naval Conference Room
Sengoku sat in his usual chair, Tsuru to his right, and Garp, along with others, seated below. To his left sat Zephyr, leading Akainu and the other Admirals.
Zephyr slapped a new bounty poster onto the table, stood up, and glared at Garp.
"Monkey D. Luffy! Garp! Care to explain why only your family seems to have that infamous 'D' in their name?"
Garp remained silent, his face heavy with guilt. Tsuru intervened, her voice calm but firm.
"Zephyr, Garp hasn't returned to the East Blue for years—he's been working in the prisons. Even if this Luffy is Garp's grandson, the blame doesn't lie with him. Don't you agree?"
"And Dragon? If Garp hadn't..."
"Enough, Zephyr!" Sengoku interrupted sharply. "Garp has paid a heavy price for this already."
Garp slumped further into his chair, his head hanging low, seeming even older than before. Seeing his old comrade in such a state, Zephyr softened slightly, though his temper had grown worse since Carl had fallen into his long sleep.
Sengoku cleared his throat, shifting the topic. Turning to Aramaki, seated near the end of the row, he said,
"Aramaki, your promotion to Admiral has once again been vetoed by the World Government. You'll have to wait a little longer."
Aramaki shrugged and leaned back casually.
"Doesn't matter to me. Being an Admiral candidate isn't bad either."
But Kuzan wasn't as composed. His voice grew heated.
"Why are they blocking Aramaki's promotion? He's earned as many accolades as I have! This is absurd!"
Sengoku frowned at Kuzan's tone.
"Kuzan, mind your attitude!"
But Kuzan's frustration boiled over, and icy mist began to rise from his body.
"Why not fight for Aramaki? As Fleet Admiral, isn't that your responsibility? If Carl were here—"
"Enough, Kuzan!"
A green vine coiled around Kuzan, pulling him back into his seat. Aramaki shook his head, speaking softly.
"You're right, Kuzan. But even if Carl were here, he wouldn't want you acting recklessly."
Hearing Carl's name calmed Kuzan. The temperature around him dropped further, frost forming in the air. Beside him, Borsalino shivered, adjusting his yellow-striped suit.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, shouldn't we focus on the Straw Hat boy? He's taken down two of the Seven Warlords of the Sea already. At this rate, the Warlord system will become a laughingstock."
Akainu scoffed.
"It already is. I don't know about Crocodile, but Moria was always a disgrace."
Sengoku sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Fine. Does anyone have suggestions?"
Borsalino gestured toward Akainu, who smirked coldly.
"Track the Straw Hat Pirates' movements. I'll handle them personally."
The room fell silent in shock. Sengoku hesitated, glancing at Garp.
"Sakazuki, Luffy is just a rookie. It's hardly worth sending an Admiral after him, don't you think?"
Akainu's tone was icy.
"That straw hat is far too conspicuous. And that so-called Gum-Gum Fruit..."
Sengoku inwardly cursed. He was almost certain Luffy was Garp's grandson. If Akainu went after him, there'd be no remains left to bury.
Just as Sengoku was preparing to deflect the suggestion, a swirling vortex of darkness appeared behind Akainu.
The room froze in collective disbelief. Every Admiral and officer stood at attention, their eyes fixed on the vortex until a familiar figure emerged.
Carl stepped forward, smiling warmly at the gathered officers.
"Long time no see, everyone."
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg