Bang!
Carl swung his blade.
But instead of a traditional slash, what erupted was a shockwave—eerily similar to the one unleashed by the two giants moments ago, yet distinct in its own way.
The wave of force tore through the landscape, uprooting trees and carving a path several miles deep.
Carl exhaled slowly, nodding in satisfaction.
"This… You actually learned it?! Unbelievable!"
Dorry and Brogy were shocked beyond words.
"Mr. Carl, you're amazing!"
Everyone stared, wide-eyed, in sheer disbelief.
Zoro and Tashigi instinctively clenched their sword hilts, visibly shaken.
They had never seen someone grasp a technique just by watching it once.
Carl chuckled. "Actually, my strength is already at a giant's level, so all that was left was figuring out the technique to unleash it properly.
After observing the uncles' method, I managed to understand the mechanics behind it.
I wasn't expecting to succeed on the first try, though."
He sheathed his blade, then added, "Of course, I'm not a giant, so my version of the Spear of Elbaf is a little different from theirs."
The others nodded in understanding.
Even so, knowing how something works and executing it were two completely different things.
Carl's sheer talent was undeniable.
Luffy beamed and turned to the two giants. "What do you think? The teacher on my ship is awesome, right? We all train under Teacher Carl!"
"Kiakiakia! Kabababa! So he's your teacher? No wonder!"
Perhaps, to the two giants, it was only natural that a teacher would learn things quickly—after all, how else would they be able to teach?
With everything on Little Garden settled, it was time to set sail for Alabasta.
Before long, Sanji returned—his face weary but triumphant, dragging behind him a dinosaur as large as a hill.
When compared to Zoro's prey, there was no clear winner—after all, they had no scale to measure them precisely.
The sight left the two giants momentarily dazed.
It was as if they had forgotten something important.
Carl chose not to remind them.
Telling them outright that they had spent a hundred years fighting over a tie would just be too cruel.
Let them continue battling for their so-called "glory."
As they prepared to leave, Luffy extended an invitation to the giants—but, as expected, Dorry and Brogy refused.
It was said that the battle between the two giants was still undecided.
Luffy didn't push the issue. After stocking up on enough meat, the Merry was ready to set sail once more.
Before departure, Dorry and Brogy unleashed the Spear of Elbaf once again, obliterating the monstrous fish lurking near the shore and ensuring the Merry's smooth passage.
Zoro took one last, thoughtful look at Hakoku, then retreated to a quiet corner of the ship to reflect.
Meanwhile, Mr. 3 had been fitted with Seastone cuffs and tossed into the storage room alongside Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine.
The three of them sat in silence, staring at each other.
Miss Golden Week, however, received completely different treatment. Since she had surrendered voluntarily—and Carl had convinced her to do so—she was now sitting on the deck, sipping tea and snacking leisurely.
"Mari, so you're a painter? Let's draw something!"
Luffy, seated beside her, happily munched on cookies during Golden Week.
Marianne—Miss Golden Week's real name—glanced at him, then silently pulled out her palette. With a brush in hand, she painted a bright yellow symbol on Luffy's chest.
For a moment, Luffy simply blinked. Then, suddenly, he burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Huh? Is this… a Devil Fruit ability? No, it's different—it's more like my hypnosis technique!" Jango observed the effect closely, noticing the distinction.
"It's all about color psychology," Vivi explained. "Miss Golden Week manipulates people's emotions through colors. It's actually a very powerful ability!"
Mari took another sip of tea, uninterested in discussing past conflicts. She had already accepted her fate as a prisoner—why not treat it as a vacation?
When Usopp wiped off the paint, Luffy immediately returned to normal. But instead of stopping, he eagerly urged Mari to demonstrate more.
Finding him too noisy, Mari lazily painted a leisurely green symbol on him.
Luffy instantly settled down, sipping tea with an air of sophistication, causing everyone to gape in amazement.
"Hey, Mari! Wanna join my crew? I need a painter!"
"…Eh?!!!"
Everyone was stunned.
Carl glanced to the side, already knowing exactly what was going on.
Luffy didn't actually care about needing a painter. After all, he himself was a so-called artist with soul and hands that knew absolutely nothing.
If anything, what Luffy really wanted on his crew was a musician.
Even Mari was taken aback.
Being invited to join the crew of a pirate worth 500 million?
Unbelievable.
Carl wasn't sure whether keeping Mari around was a good idea. She had a unique ability, but she had zero motivation.
Would she even be useful to the crew?
Then again, Luffy had already invited her, and Carl knew better than anyone that Luffy's instincts were strangely reliable.
For now, Carl decided to leave it alone.
Meanwhile, the Merry continued sailing steadily toward Alabasta, guided by the permanent pointer.
With civil war brewing, they had no time for unnecessary stops. Only when supplies ran low or emergencies arose would they consider docking.
Over the next two days, the crew resumed their usual training routines.
Luffy focused on increasing his attack speed and power.Zoro honed his swordsmanship, repeatedly recalling the Spear of Elbaf.Sanji refined his footwork and kicking techniques.Usopp continued developing new trick shots.Nami practiced using her iron rod more effectively.Even Jango trained his hypnosis to be more precise.
Seeing their dedication, Mari felt a hint of regret.
She had always been the type to take things easy, but watching the Straw Hats push themselves made her feel slightly out of place.
So, every time Carl glanced her way, she quickly averted her gaze, pretending not to notice.
She had no interest in training.
No interest in working.
Just tea and snacks.
But what she didn't realize was that Carl was also conflicted.
Would she really fit in with this crew?
Or was she just another traveler caught up in their storm?
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