Although Marie is sixteen years old, she still looks like a ten-year-old child. However, on the inside, she has the mindset of someone in their sixties or seventies. Because of this, Carl couldn't bring himself to act like a strict instructor when dealing with her.
That would either be considered child abuse or elder abuse.
Fortunately, everyone assumed Marie was only ten years old, so Carl didn't push her to train, and no one questioned it.
For now, he decided to put the matter aside and wait until Marie officially joined the crew. Once she was aboard the pirate ship, she wouldn't be able to escape even if she wanted to, so there was no need to worry at the moment.
During these days, Carl had also been keeping an eye on Nami.
However, unlike in the original story, Nami remained perfectly healthy and didn't get infected with a virus—probably thanks to her Devil Fruit ability. "Those mosquitoes that tried to bite her must've just slipped away," Carl thought.
Tashigi and Vivi, on the other hand, were physically weaker, but they dressed conservatively and didn't expose their stomachs to mosquito bites.
This meant that no one got sick.
No illness meant no need to visit Drum Island.
And no visit to Drum Island meant no Chopper!
So… where would they find a doctor for the crew?!
Carl hesitated. He couldn't just change their course for no reason.
He also couldn't say, "There's a blue-nosed reindeer with medical skills on Drum Island. Let's go catch it and keep it as a food supply!"
Just as Carl was struggling with the dilemma, Usopp suddenly came rushing down from the deck in a panic.
"Guys! This is bad! Luffy, everyone, that old rooster is at it again!"
Usopp sounded anxious as he pointed toward the sky.
Looking up, Carl and Luffy spotted two black dots in the distance—one small and one large. They were too far away for their Observation Haki to sense anything, but as the crew's lookout, Usopp had sharp eyesight and spotted them first.
That old rooster… was it the Golden Lion?!
"Damn it! What the hell are the Marines doing?! Why haven't they caught that old rooster yet?!" Carl grumbled, clearly frustrated with how slow the Marines were.
Tashigi opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she stayed silent.
After all, when the Golden Lion had appeared in the East Blue and was defeated by the Straw Hats, even Admiral Kizaru had personally gone after him—but somehow, they still couldn't capture him.
And now, the Golden Lion had shown up in the Grand Line again!
And he was after the Straw Hats!
At that moment, Zoro suddenly tightened his grip on Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu. However, the two swords trembled violently as if they were being pulled by some kind of Devil Fruit ability. If it weren't for Zoro's strength, his blades might have been snatched away once again.
"You guys are my swords now! Obey me properly!"
Zoro let out a low grunt, coating his hands in Armament Haki as he firmly suppressed the two trembling swords.
High above, the Golden Lion was momentarily stunned before his expression darkened.
Two more swords were tied to his feet—just ordinary sharp blades—but in the hands of a swordsman of his caliber, they were still incredibly dangerous.
With a swift movement of his legs, he unleashed several flying slashes down from the sky.
"Lion: Thousand Slice Valley!"
The attack came suddenly, but the Straw Hats weren't amateurs.
Zoro clenched Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and unleashed a powerful Three-Sword Style: Tornado, sending his own slashes spiraling upward. His attack collided head-on with the Golden Lion's, successfully intercepting it.
"Hahaha! That's the way, Zoro! Nami, let's go!"
Luffy laughed, his arm spinning like a windmill, clearly thrilled at the chance to fight the Golden Lion again.
"Jiehahahaha! Straw Hat Crew, I've been waiting so long for you! Now that you're here, don't even think about leaving the Grand Line! I'll avenge what happened in East Blue and take back my dual swords!"
The Golden Lion let out a wild laugh before waving his hand—suddenly, a massive island came hurtling toward the Going Merry.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
Tashigi, Vivi, Marie, and Igaram were especially stunned. This was beyond anything they had ever seen before—true power on a terrifying scale.
"Damn it! Golden Lion, you—!"
"Luffy! I'm on it!"
Carl interrupted Luffy before he could say anything. He slowly drew his sword, taking a deep breath as dense arcs of electricity crackled around the blade. The obsidian-black sword grew even darker, power surging through it.
This time, Carl gripped the weapon with both hands.
"Hakoku: Lightning Slash!"
With a powerful swing, a massive burst of light shot skyward—a slash, yet also a shockwave.
BOOM!
The colossal island in the sky was pierced clean through before erupting into a massive explosion.
Destroying an island with a single sword strike!
Everyone except Luffy was left speechless, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Even the Golden Lion was dumbfounded. He had always assumed Carl was just there to assist Luffy with flying, but now he realized—this man possessed terrifying strength.
This… this was bad!
If someone were attacked by both Luffy and Carl at the same time, they would have no chance of survival!
For the first time, an inexplicable sense of hesitation crept into the Golden Lion's heart. The thirst for revenge that had burned so fiercely just moments ago was now fading away.
Carl immediately noticed that the "old rooster" was thinking of running. But escaping wouldn't be that easy.
"Luffy, leave the Golden Lion to me! This old rooster is dangerous.
If we don't take him down now, who knows how many more disasters he'll cause?
I've already spoken privately with Mr. Garp.
According to Marine intelligence, after interrogating members of the Golden Lion's crew, they confirmed he has a scheme targeting the East Blue."
"So, I'm not letting him go!"
"Then I'll also—"
"Luffy, your job is to take down Crocodile!"
Carl cut Luffy off before he could say more. "I can handle the Golden Lion alone. But the situation in Alabasta is urgent, and the Merry can't afford to stop. You can see it for yourself—Vivi—"
Carl didn't finish his sentence, but Luffy understood immediately.
After spending time together, Vivi had earned Luffy and the crew's trust.
And if Vivi was desperate, Luffy wouldn't hesitate to help.
If they stayed here to fight the Golden Lion, they would lose valuable time, and Alabasta might not survive the delay.
The best decision was to leave the Golden Lion to Carl!
After all, only Carl had the ability to fly long enough to fight him in the air.
"Alright, everyone! We're leaving the Golden Lion to Carl! Full speed ahead to Alabasta!"
Luffy, without any hesitation, gave the order as captain.
Carl smirked slightly, then soared high into the sky with his massive sword, preparing to face the Golden Lion head-on.
Meanwhile, the Going Merry sped off into the distance.
Golden Lion watched the ship disappear, then sneered. "Boy, do you really think you can keep me here? You're way too confident!"
Carl rested his obsidian-black sword on his shoulder. "Just me alone is enough. And I can take you down even faster this way."
"The Lion Fruit is an incredible Devil Fruit… I think it's about time it reappears in the world."
Hearing that, the Golden Lion burst into laughter.
"Jiehahahaha! So you're saying you plan to kill me?
Hah! These young ones are getting more arrogant by the day!"
Carl's expression turned serious.
This was his first time facing a truly powerful enemy.
His past clashes with Garp and Kizaru weren't real battles—they had never been life or death.
But the Golden Lion…
He was different.
He was the perfect opponent for Carl to test his strength!
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