Before the Vampire Fruit evolved into the True Ancestor Fruit, Carl already possessed the ability to turn invisible in darkness. This invisibility extended to concealing his aura entirely.
After evolving into the True Ancestor Fruit, this ability was further enhanced. Carl could now release a vast dark mist, hiding himself and any objects covered by it. That was why Lindbergh and the others had not noticed the warships approaching.
At this moment, the Marines had completely surrounded the Revolutionary Army like a trap closing in on its prey.
Lindbergh clutched his severed arm, his face pale as he looked at the densely packed Marine warships ahead.
Koala, who was pinned to the ground, suddenly burst into crazed laughter.
"Hahaha! This is the end for you Revolutionary Army!"
As soon as she finished speaking, her body suddenly exploded without warning, sending countless blood arrows shooting outward, piercing through several Revolutionary Army members.
Although Lindbergh withstood the blood arrows using Armament Haki, his fur was still stained with Koala's blood, making him look even more miserable.
Luffy clenched his fists, the white flame-like cloud ribbon behind him swirling violently. He spoke in a low voice:
"Nami, Chopper, Brook, get back! Once the fight starts, I won't be able to protect you!"
Nami nodded firmly and retreated with Chopper and Brook.
Carl gazed down with a calm expression, his voice infused with Conqueror's Haki as he gave the order:
"Target: Goat Island. Fire!"
The moment his words fell, all the warships opened fire. A barrage of cannonballs formed a black rain, bombarding Goat Island.
Explosions and screams interwove across the island. Those who hadn't trained their Haki to a certain level couldn't withstand such an intense bombardment—within seconds, they were torn apart by the relentless assault.
As for those without Haki, they were nothing more than cannon fodder.
Despite his injuries, Lindbergh weaved through the rain of cannonballs. When he couldn't evade, he relied on Armament Haki to take the hit.
Luffy let out a strange cry and stepped into the air, rapidly inflating his body mid-flight, using his massive size to intercept a large portion of the cannonballs.
The incredible defense granted by his Nika form made him impervious to the blasts, even allowing him to bounce some of the cannonballs back.
Watching Luffy jumping around in the sky, Carl narrowed his eyes and ordered the ceasefire.
By now, fewer than a thousand Revolutionary Army members remained on Goat Island. Those who survived were covered in dust and blood, their bodies riddled with wounds.
Swish!
A pair of pitch-black wings spread from Carl's back. He left Lucia with only a single command:
"Leave none alive."
With that, Carl's wings flapped, and he shot into the sky.
Lucia unsheathed the sword at her waist, looking down coldly at the Revolutionary Army.
"All units, disembark. Exterminate every last Revolutionary!"
In Lindbergh's despairing gaze, a massive white wave of Marines surged forward, engulfing him and the remaining Revolutionary forces.
Above, Carl's figure flashed like a black comet, stopping in front of Luffy. He didn't attack immediately, instead, he simply gazed at Luffy and said calmly:
"I never thought you'd just stand there and watch your grandfather die."
Luffy's face twisted in pain. "No, that's not true! I didn't want Grandpa to die—I just... I just couldn't control myself!"
"Heh... The Nika Fruit, a symbol of free will, yet you can't even control your own actions? Isn't that just laughable?"
"Enough!!!"
With just two sentences, Carl had completely shattered Luffy's mental defenses. Clenching his fists, Luffy roared and charged at Carl.
He threw a punch, but Carl effortlessly caught it. Glancing at Luffy's fist, Carl remarked,
"You seem weaker. Haven't eaten enough? Or should I just call out Joy Boy already?"
Luffy gritted his teeth. "I don't need him! This is my body!!"
As he spoke, waves of white mist emanated from his body, and his muscles swelled. Carl felt the increasing force against his hand and nodded slightly.
"Now you're starting to look the part. But still, it's not enough."
Carl suddenly yanked Luffy forward, pulling him close.
Before Luffy could react, Carl's fist—wreathed in black energy—smashed into his face. The terrifying force sent him crashing to the ground, creating a web of cracks upon impact.
Moments later, a deep, resonant drumbeat echoed from the fractured ground, making the earth tremble in rhythm. Then, Luffy's glowing white form shot out from the crevice.
He landed in a crouch, lifting his head to reveal crimson streams of blood trickling from his nostrils.
Carl crossed his arms and slowly descended. With a thought, his shadow at his feet twisted and condensed into a massive dark spear, which then shot toward Luffy at high speed.
Luffy clapped his hands together, catching the dark spear between his palms. He tried to crush it outright—but failed.
The spear's tip inched closer and closer to Luffy's chest, poised to pierce his heart.
At that moment, Joy Boy's dormant voice finally echoed from within him:
"Luffy, do you still not see the situation you're in? Without my help, you'll never defeat the Celestial Dragons!"
Luffy gritted his teeth, straining against the spear. "No! I can do this! It's my body—it doesn't make sense that I can't..."
Crack!
Bolts of Conqueror's Haki crackled around him. He roared, unleashing his full strength, and managed to deflect the dark spear to the side. The spear's tip narrowly missed him, slicing his shoulder instead before hurtling past.
Drip... drip...
Blood trickled from the wound on Luffy's shoulder, staining the ground beneath him.
Though injured, his face lit up with exhilaration—he had done it. With his own strength, he had "deflected" an attack from the Fleet Admiral!
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Carl clapped his hands and laughed. "Not bad. Looks like you didn't call in a stand-in this time."
Luffy understood the implications of Carl's words—he was referring to Joy Boy. Snorting, he was about to reply when his expression froze.
From behind Carl, eight black tendrils of darkness slowly rose, solidifying into hardened spears with gleaming, pitch-black tips.
"Now then," Carl smirked. "How do you plan to block this?"
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+200 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg