Carl and Luffy Prepare for Kaido
Carl remained confident about his proposed method for defeating Kaido.
"This Kaido is often drunk with his mouth wide open—it wouldn't be difficult to feed him a Devil Fruit," Carl explained. "Even if we can't defeat Kaido completely, we could at least beat him enough to force his mouth open. Then we could feed him the Devil Fruit, causing him to explode from possessing two powers."
"If Kaido had Blackbeard's unique physique, this plan wouldn't work," Carl admitted. "But at worst, we'll take some hits. The two of us fighting together should be able to survive against him."
Luffy shook his head firmly. "Mr. Carl, I don't want to defeat Kaido that way! If he's standing between me and finding the One Piece, then I need to defeat him with my own strength!"
Carl nodded understandingly. "Luffy, what I suggested is only a last resort, meant to put everyone's minds at ease. It's just a contingency plan in case we can't defeat Kaido together. We need a backup strategy to prevent him from wiping us all out. You don't want everyone to be killed by Kaido, do you?"
Luffy fell silent for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine, we'll keep that method as our last resort. But I know I can definitely defeat Kaido on my own!"
Everyone smiled upon hearing Luffy's decision. Even Law, who was naturally prone to caution, felt relieved that Luffy wasn't being completely reckless.
Carl was pleased with Luffy's mindset. His confidence was admirable, though Kaido was truly formidable. Since Kaido was coming anyway, they could use this as a learning experience. Carl believed that after Luffy faced Kaido in battle, he would grow even stronger.
"Captain Luffy," Carl said, "Kaido will arrive soon. The sea isn't suitable for fighting, and we need to consider Merry's safety."
"You're right," Luffy replied, hiding his excited expression under his straw hat. "Nami, take us to the closest deserted island! Everyone, let's prepare to face one of the Four Emperors!"
"Yeah!" The Straw Hat Pirates shouted enthusiastically, while the Heart Pirates watched with interest.
Under Nami's navigation, they quickly found a small uninhabited island perfect for battle. Carl used his radar to scan the area, but was disappointed to find no Devil Fruits.
"Well, where would we find Devil Fruits just waiting for us?" Carl thought to himself. "Finding two at once before was already incredibly lucky!"
After landing on the island, the Going Merry and Law's submarine were moved to a safe location. Luffy and Carl began eating to fill their stomachs before the fight—they couldn't risk getting hungry mid-battle.
"Luffy, remember to learn as much as you can from Teacher Kaido during your fight," Carl said with a smile.
"Teacher Kaido?" Everyone looked confused.
"Is Kaido your teacher, Carl?" Luffy asked while chewing on a large piece of meat.
"No, but Kaido is indeed an excellent teacher, just like Admiral Kizaru was for us," Carl replied. "Luffy, Kaido has been one of the Four Emperors for many years and has rich combat experience, especially with advanced Conqueror's Haki that neither of us has mastered yet. When he hits you with his club, pay close attention to his technique. If you can learn to infuse Conqueror's Haki into your attacks, your strength will increase dramatically."
Carl's casual suggestion was both frightening and audacious—using a battle with an Emperor as training, and attempting to learn his techniques during combat!
Luffy looked surprised for a moment, then swallowed his mouthful of meat and grinned. "Hehehe, since you put it that way, I'll definitely ask 'Teacher Kaido' for some lessons. I'm going to master this Conqueror's coating technique!"
Carl smiled, thinking to himself: "And I'll be learning it too!"
Carl hadn't been able to teach Luffy about Conqueror's Haki coating because he didn't fully understand it himself. Just as he couldn't teach Luffy future sight before Kizaru inadvertently became their teacher, now they needed Kaido to demonstrate advanced techniques. As for Armament Haki emission, they would have to wait until they met Rayleigh.
"Mr. Carl, what exactly is this Conqueror's coating?" Zoro couldn't help asking.
The others were equally curious. Very few crew members had awakened Haki, and their knowledge on the subject was limited.
Law perked up his ears too, realizing how much he still had to learn about the powers of the sea.
"Conqueror's coating involves infusing your Conqueror's Haki into your attacks," Carl explained casually. "This allows you to damage opponents without physically touching them. It's the highest application of Conqueror's Haki and extremely difficult to master. Even knowing the theory isn't enough—you need to see it in action and experience it. Kaido, Whitebeard, Shanks, and probably Mihawk can all do it. That's what makes them among the strongest in the world!"
Zoro instinctively gripped his sword handles.
The more they learned, the further they seemed from reaching the pinnacle of strength.
Carl took the opportunity to share more knowledge: "Additionally, Observation Haki and Armament Haki also have advanced states. The highest level of Observation Haki allows you to see short glimpses of the future and hear the Voice of All Things. When Armament Haki reaches its peak, you can make your Haki flow outward and even destroy an enemy from the inside!"
Everyone exchanged bewildered looks, unable to imagine such abilities.
Only Zoro and Law, who had awakened their Haki, looked thoughtful, their brows furrowed in concentration.
"Armament Haki normally covers the body like armor," they pondered, "but making it flow or project outward seems impossible."
Yet Carl claimed such a state existed—the highest form of Armament Haki.
After their meal, Carl and Luffy chose to rest while the others quietly attended to their own tasks. Chopper and Law sorted medicinal herbs, Usopp tinkered with gunpowder, Robin read a book, Zoro napped, and so forth. Everyone appeared relaxed, as if they weren't about to face a powerful enemy.
But beneath the calm exterior, everyone—including Carl—was both nervous and excited.
Thunder rumbled in the sky.
Luffy and Carl immediately stood up, silently watching the dark clouds gathering in the distance.
A dragon was flying toward them.
"He's coming!" Carl's words caught everyone's attention.
They all looked to the distant sky, their pupils contracting at the sight. Kaido, the legendary strongest creature in the world, had transformed into a dragon!
"Everyone," Luffy shouted, "leave this to me and Mr. Carl! Get back to the ship and stay away from the island!"
No one hesitated. They all boarded their vessels immediately and sailed to a safe distance.
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