Garp's outburst brought a sense of satisfaction to Sengoku.
Though his words were crude, his meaning was crystal clear: absolutely prevent the Straw Hats from joining the Big Mom Pirates!
However, simply stating it at the meeting was insufficient; someone needed to be dispatched to intervene. Given Akainu's recent defeat at their hands, Sengoku was unsure whom to send.
"Sengoku, I believe it might be possible to recruit the Straw Hats," Vice Admiral Tsuru suddenly suggested.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, what are you saying! They are pirates! How can our righteous Marines recruit such vile individuals?!" Akainu was the first to vehemently object.
The others exchanged bewildered glances.
Akainu, you're so worked up. Could it be because you were soundly beaten by them?
Sengoku, however, understood Tsuru's intention. "You're suggesting making Straw Hat Luffy a new Shichibukai?"
The moment these words were spoken, silence descended upon the room.
Even Akainu chose to remain silent. Although he detested all pirates, including the Shichibukai, he had to admit that the Shichibukai system was beneficial and its members were, technically, affiliated with the Marines.
If the Straw Hats were to become Shichibukai, the Marines would temporarily eliminate a significant threat.
Vice Admiral Tsuru elaborated, "I believe the success rate is quite high. After all, Straw Hat Luffy has a connection to Garp, and the Straw Hats have already gained considerable notoriety, having defeated Crocodile and possessing a certain level of deterrence. It's a favorable choice both publicly and privately."
As she finished speaking, she glanced at Garp.
Garp immediately erupted in laughter. "Hahahaha! As expected of Tsuru! She can come up with such a brilliant idea! This time, I'll go in person! If that idiot Luffy dares to disobey me, I'll make him taste the Fist of Love!"
Rarely did Garp take such initiative.
And this mission was obviously more suited for Garp, but Sengoku saw things differently.
Garp had always been unreliable and prone to causing trouble. His sudden eagerness was clearly just an excuse to see his grandson. As for whether Straw Hat Luffy would accept the position of Shichibukai, Garp likely couldn't care less.
Because, the Straw Hats had grown to the point where they could contend with the Four Emperors!
Huh? Grown up? Something felt off.
That's right! How had the Straw Hats grown so much? Straw Hat Luffy and Carl were clearly this strong from the very beginning!
Otherwise, how could they have defeated the Golden Lion and resisted Kizaru before even entering the Grand Line?
After entering the Grand Line, they directly killed the Golden Lion and thrashed Akainu. Where had they acquired such strength at such a young age?
If Luffy and Carl weren't taught by Garp, then Sengoku's name wasn't Sengoku!
Thinking this, Sengoku's anger flared.
"Shut up, Garp! I won't let you go this time!"
"Nani! Sengoku, what do you mean? What's wrong with my grandson?!"
"Exactly! You just want to go see your grandson, you old fool! Do you even remember what we were discussing? You absolutely cannot go this time, or you'll definitely ruin our well-laid plan!"
"Sengoku, you're being unreasonable! If I don't go, who dares to? Polusalino or Sakazuki? If they go, won't they just get beaten up?"
"This time, I'm sending Kuzan, and this time it's not to fight!"
"Kuzan got beaten even when he went! They are no match for that old man and his grandson!"
The two began bickering again, a familiar scene to everyone present.
It was just that Garp was being particularly blunt, causing the three Admirals to scowl. He was blatantly showing off his grandson. The problem was, his grandson was a notorious pirate. Why was this Marine hero so proud?
Did the Marines have no sense of shame?!
In the end, Garp's wish was not granted.
Sengoku stood firm, determined not to let Garp interfere, and ultimately dispatched Aokiji.
Aokiji wasn't overly concerned. As Sengoku had stated, this time he wasn't going to fight. Aokiji was far too lazy to bother with unnecessary conflict. Besides, there was someone he wanted to see, so this was a convenient detour.
On the shore of the Boing Islands, on the deck of the Thousand Sunny.
The Straw Hat Crew, the Heart Pirates, and Heracles all sat together, raising their glasses with broad smiles.
"Alright, everyone! Congratulations on our successful graduation from the Boing Islands! Cheers!"
Captain Luffy yelled, followed by the clinking of glasses as everyone laughed and cheered.
Carl sat comfortably in his chair, observing everyone's joyful expressions and sensing their powerful auras. He couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Over the past month, through relentless training combined with the potent effects of the medicinal baths, all the members of the Straw Hats had visibly grown stronger.
Luffy, in particular, had successfully mastered and solidified both the emission of Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki entanglement. His physique and strength had improved dramatically.
If he were to encounter Kaido again, he should be able to overwhelm him even in Gear Fourth.
As for the Nika form, Carl hadn't given it much thought. Luffy would awaken it when the time was right, and Carl had little control over it.
But deep down, Carl didn't truly desire Luffy to awaken the Nika form.
That Luffy wasn't truly Luffy; he became Joy Boy.
Luffy was Luffy. Why should he become someone else? It was a load of destined nonsense. Luffy had always wanted to be himself, to become the King of the Pirates, not to be Joy Boy, not to be Roger, and not to be anyone else.
Luffy didn't understand the meaning of the One Piece through other people's perspectives!
He simply wanted to be the Pirate King according to his own understanding!
So, Luffy's current Gear Fourth was sufficient to defeat the Four Emperors; there was no need to awaken the Nika form at all.
Furthermore, there was Zoro. He no longer needed to be forced to temporarily change his swords. Zoro, as a proud swordsman, would likely never agree to such a thing as changing blades solely to become stronger.
The original storyline had already diverged significantly, and Carl no longer cared about adhering to it.
He was now in the real world of pirates, a world filled not only with adventure but also with genuine bloodshed, burning, looting, and profound darkness. The original work served only as a reference for certain characters and secrets; one's own strength was paramount.
Now that he was on the Straw Hat's ship, Carl naturally had to consider the future.
"Carl, what are you thinking about?" Robin smiled and poured Carl a drink.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just think I should be able to relax a bit more in the future," Carl stretched and replied.
"Thank you, Carl. Since we've basically 'graduated' in your eyes, shouldn't you be less worried?" Robin playfully used her Flower-Flower Fruit ability to create a comfortable support for Carl.
"Yeah, I won't have to supervise everyone's training every day."
Carl closed his eyes contentedly and murmured, "Even if we directly enter the New World now, the Straw Hats won't be easily bullied. Although everyone is still weaker than the top tiers in the New World, they aren't lacking in combat experience or ruthless tactics. They'll just need some time to adapt."
PS: I'm feeling unwell, so the updates might be a bit slow. Please bear with me.
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