Kizaru, who was observing the situation, was startled by Carl's action and immediately contacted Sengoku.
"What?! Carl has moved? What's going on?" Sengoku couldn't help but become anxious.
"I don't know," Kizaru replied cautiously. "Carl is flying toward a small boat. There's only one middle-aged man on board. It's the first time I've seen this man, so I don't know which faction he belongs to." Kizaru was being uncharacteristically serious. He knew that if anything went wrong, he wouldn't be able to escape the blame. He momentarily hated Carl for not just staying put until the duel was over.
"Where are the rest of the Straw Hats? Are they moving?" Sengoku asked again.
"No, they seem curious about Carl's actions," Kizaru reported after carefully watching Luffy and the others. He saw that they were genuinely watching Carl with curiosity. They didn't seem to know the middle-aged man and didn't know what Carl was planning to do.
"Vice-Admiral Tsuru and I will be there soon. Keep a close eye on Carl!" Sengoku hung up the Den Den Mushi (Transmitter Snail) immediately and rushed over with Vice-Admiral Tsuru.
Luffy asked curiously, "What's Mr. Carl doing? Does he know that uncle?"
Everyone shook their heads. "We don't know. Maybe they're acquaintances." Of course, they were only curious, not worried about Carl's safety. Very few people in the world could defeat Carl, so they had no reason to fear for him. However, Robin, Mari, Law, and Zoro, who knew Carl better, realized that Carl's sudden movement indicated a deliberate intention rather than a casual whim.
Carl had already landed on the small boat and greeted the man in a friendly manner. "Hi, Mr. Issho (Yishō). I'm Carl of the Straw Hat Pirates. It's an honor to meet you."
Issho paused for a moment, then smiled. "It turns out to be the famous Lightning Swordsman of the Five Emperors, the Straw Hats. I didn't expect a big man like you to know this blind old man. I am truly honored."
Carl replied sincerely, "Mr. Issho, you're too humble. Although I am a pirate, I still have great admiration for those who truly possess justice in their hearts."
A truly righteous person? Issho paused again. He deliberately strained his closed eyelids, revealing a pair of white eyes, as if trying to look at Carl. Carl allowed him to look freely. Carl was simply a man who yearned for freedom; he didn't have a dark or sinister heart, and he had never intentionally harmed anyone, so he could behave frankly.
Issho closed his eyes again with a smile and asked, "Why is Mr. Carl looking for this old man?"
Carl just shrugged. "It's nothing, really. I just spotted a strong man, and a strong man with a great sense of justice, so I wanted to meet you and chat for a bit."
"Mr. Carl praises me too much," Issho said. "I'm just a blind uncle; how could I be such a great person?"
"Mr. Issho, you're being modest. I know who you are," Carl insisted, turning his gaze toward Punk Hazard. "Uncle Issho, you want to join the Marines. More specifically, you want to occupy a high position to enforce your version of justice, don't you?"
Issho was stunned. "Why would Mr. Carl think that?"
Carl smiled mysteriously. "Because I know what Uncle is thinking deep down. Uncle didn't want to see the evil and darkness of the world, so you destroyed your own eyes. However, you still perceive the injustice done by those who claim to be righteous in the Marines. As a civilian, what you saw was the destruction inflicted upon the common people by the Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai). So, Uncle wants to become a Marine Admiral and then abolish the Shichibukai system!"
Issho was speechless. You've said everything already, so what's left for me to say?
"Uncle came to the duel this time because you wanted to see the current state of the Marine executives. You were also looking for an opportunity. After all, Uncle isn't young anymore. If you were to follow the normal procedure to become a Marine soldier, you'd probably only reach Vice-Admiral before you died, so you wouldn't be able to achieve your goal at all. But Uncle's timing is excellent. Since one of the three Admirals is about to become the Fleet Admiral, there will be an Admiral position vacant. Vice-Admiral Momousagi and Vice-Admiral Tea Dolphin can't bear the full responsibility, so this is a prime opportunity for the position!"
"Oh? It sounds like Mr. Carl is expecting me to become a Marine Admiral."
"That's right," Carl stated seriously. "A truly righteous person becoming a Marine Admiral would be a blessing for the entire sea!" Carl genuinely meant this. A person like Issho was the most suitable candidate for a Marine Admiral, and it would be a great thing for the common people of the sea. The sea was too chaotic, and it needed someone like Issho to clean it up and ensure the safety of the people as much as possible.
Carl knew that trying to recruit Issho as a pirate partner was completely impossible; Issho would never become a pirate. Instead of wasting time trying to win him over, Carl decided it was better to do him a favor and help Issho take the initiative. Given Issho's character, he would surely be grateful. Then, when the time came for him to attack the Straw Hats, he would undoubtedly hold back subtly.
"So, Mr. Carl, how do you think this old man should seize this position?" Issho asked, placing his right hand on the hilt of his sword-cane.
"Hehe, Uncle has already thought of it, so why should I say more?" Carl spread his hands and smiled. "The Marine executives are right here. If Uncle defeats me, it will naturally draw the attention of the Marine leaders, and you'll easily be able to seize the position."
"Well, that's true," Issho agreed. He slowly pulled his stick-sword slightly out of its sheath, and immediately, purple gravitational halos appeared above his head.
"Hey, hey! Don't use your strongest move right away, alright? Uncle, be mindful of the impact!" Carl's expression changed instantly. He immediately drew his giant black sword, Obsidian, ready for battle.
Issho's sudden attack immediately drew the attention of the Marines and the Straw Hats, and the atmosphere became tense and anxious. Everyone subconsciously looked up into the sky.
A massive, flame-wrapped meteor was seen hurtling down from the heavens, aimed directly at Carl's location. Issho, meanwhile, had already levitated a piece of wood beneath him and was quickly controlling it to carry him far away.
"Hey, hey, hey! No way!" Kizaru, Sengoku, and Vice-Admiral Tsuru, who had just arrived, all paled in horror.
"Huh?! Meteor, a meteorite?!" The Straw Hat crew also widened their eyes in shock.
"Who is that uncle? He's amazing!" Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"He can summon meteorites? Is he a Devil Fruit user? And a swordsman?" Zoro and Law both subconsciously gripped the hilts of their swords.
Carl, however, showed pure excitement. Although he could also fly away like Issho, that would be boring. There was no doubt that Carl chose to take this move head-on! He wanted to test the strength of the future Marine Admiral!
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse