If there was one word to describe Koala's current feelings, it would be utter despair.
She wasn't naive enough to think that Carl letting her go would be a good thing. Given that her body was entirely under his control, she could only imagine what would happen if she returned to Luffy and the others.
Her only option now was to keep her mouth shut, as Carl didn't seem to have the ability to force information out of her directly.
However, Carl suddenly summoned a soldier and instructed him to bring someone named Pudding.
Charlotte Pudding's Memo-Memo Fruit was an incredibly versatile ability, so Carl had specifically brought her along for this mission.
Before long, Pudding arrived. The moment she saw Carl, she cheerfully called out, "Saint Carl!"
Carl smiled slightly and turned to Koala. "Let me introduce you. This is Charlotte Pudding, a Memo-Memo Fruit user."
At the mention of the Memo-Memo Fruit, Koala's eyes widened in horror as she stared at Pudding.
Pudding seemed to understand the situation and asked, "Do you want me to extract this woman's memories?"
Carl reached out and gently ruffled Pudding's hair, smiling.
"That's right. She is Koala, a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Army. I need to know Luffy's current whereabouts."
Pudding patted her ample chest confidently and said,
"Understood,! Leave it to me!"
With that, she turned around, a mischievous smirk spreading across her face as she approached Koala step by step.
Koala wanted to retreat, but her body refused to obey her commands. She could only tremble in fear and plead,
"No… don't come any closer!"
The more terrified Koala appeared, the more exhilarated Pudding felt. She stopped in front of Koala, giggled, and placed her palm on Koala's forehead. Then, with a swift motion, she pulled out a strip of memory like a film reel, right in front of Koala's eyes.
Turning back to Carl, Pudding held the memory strip in her hands and flashed a sweet smile.
"Saint Carl, do you need me to extract the parts concerning Luffy and his crew?"
Carl lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, and exhaled before saying, "Go ahead."
Pudding quickly organized the information in her mind and reported,
"Currently, the Straw Hat crew and the Revolutionary Army's senior commanders are hiding in three submarines deep underwater."
Carl's eyes flashed with understanding. No wonder they had disappeared so thoroughly—they were hiding beneath the sea.
This reminded him of the last time Luffy had escaped underwater. Even with his enhanced sensory abilities from the True Ancestor Form Fruit and his mastery of advanced Observation Haki, he had been unable to detect Luffy's presence.
That could only mean one thing—Luffy, or rather, Joy Boy, had a method to conceal himself from detection.
Pudding continued, "Before the crew submerged, Koala was assigned to handle logistics on land. A week ago, Lindbergh sent the Fish-Man Hack ashore to contact Koala. The supplies aboard the submarines were running low, and they urgently needed replenishment. After receiving the message, Koala gathered personnel to procure the necessary supplies on shore."
Lucci nodded and said, "Saint Carl, at that time, it was Jabura who traced Koala by tracking the scent left behind by one of the Revolutionary Army's supply teams."
Carl gave a nod of approval before gesturing for Pudding to continue.
"Koala and the Straw Hat crew are scheduled to exchange supplies the night after tomorrow. The meeting point is Goat Island."
"Goat Island…" Carl murmured, rubbing his chin. He had some recollection of that place. It was once the base of Alvida, the Smooth-Smooth Fruit user who later joined forces with Buggy.
Now that he had both the time and location, Carl turned to Lucia and ordered,
"Lucia, get someone to locate Goat Island's coordinates. Once we have them, set sail immediately."
"Yes, sir!" Lucia saluted sharply before turning on her heel and exiting. The billowing of her Marine cape echoed crisply through the room.
Koala collapsed to her knees, her eyes blank. Pudding glanced at her before asking Carl,
"Saint Carl, what should we do with this woman? Should I erase her memories and turn her into an idiot?"
As she spoke, Pudding made a cutting motion with her fingers over the memory reel in her hands.
Carl waved dismissively. "No need. That would be pointless. She still has some value for now."
Pudding pouted slightly, looking a little disappointed. "Oh… got it."
Then Carl added, "Pudding, I need you to alter her memories. You can do that, right?"
Pudding's face brightened with enthusiasm. Modifying and altering memories was one of the core functions of her Devil Fruit ability. She beamed and said,
"Of course! How do you want me to change them?"
After a brief moment of thought, Carl instructed, "Rewrite her identity. Make her believe she's an undercover agent from CP0, sent to infiltrate the Revolutionary Army. And…"
Pudding listened intently, taking mental notes. Once Carl finished, she nodded and said,
"Understood, Saint Carl. But this is a lot of information to rewrite—I'll need some time to do it."
"Can you finish before the night after tomorrow?" Carl asked.
Pudding giggled and said confidently, "Hehe, I won't need that long! I'll have it done by noon tomorrow. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Seeing Pudding's eager expression, Carl chuckled.
"Pudding, if you do this well, it will be a great achievement. Do you want me to arrange a position for you in the Marines?"
Pudding's large, expressive eyes swirled with thought before she pouted and said,
"Umm… no thanks. Honestly, I prefer living in your home! With Monet and the others around, every day is fun!"
Carl didn't press the matter. "Alright, then. If you ever want something, just let me know—I'll make sure you get it."
"Hehe, got it! I'll take this woman and get to work now!"
"Go ahead. Thanks for your hard work."
Pudding clasped her hands behind her back, a playful smile dancing on her lips as she tilted her head and said,
"Hehe, it's not hard at all! I'm happy to serve you!"
Pudding had been with Carl for quite some time now. At first, she had been terrified of him, but as time passed, she realized that Carl wasn't as scary as she had imagined. His ruthless side only surfaced when dealing with enemies.
To those under his protection, Carl was like a warm and radiant sun, dispelling all darkness and shielding those who basked in his light.
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg