Although only a single day had passed since the conflict in the North Blue, news of the battle had already spread across the entire sea. The region was buzzing with activity, and everyone was talking about the recent events. The fact that the Straw Hat Pirates had nearly managed to overthrow both the Big Mom Pirates and the Blackbeard Pirates spread rapidly through word of mouth, cementing the Straw Hats' reputation as the most prominent Emperor of the Sea currently in power. Even though the Whitebeard Pirates had intervened and the Marines had caused trouble afterward, the strength displayed by the Straw Hats was undoubtedly the highest level seen so far.
Many young people were becoming inspired by these events. Some dreamed of going to sea to join the Straw Hats, while others hoped to emulate their success and achieve greatness at a young age. This trend caused significant headaches for the Marines and the general public. The world was already chaotic enough, and the fact that the younger generation no longer dreamed of justice but instead yearned to become pirates painted a bleak future for the world.
This, however, was of little concern to Carl. He acknowledged that these were troubled times, with the brutal rule of the Celestial Dragons serving as the root of all evil. As long as the ruling class continued their heavy-handed oppression, more people would naturally turn to a life of banditry. Pirates often claimed to be pursuing freedom, but for many, it was simply an escape from being oppressed; unfortunately, this often devolved into greed, with many pirates resorting to burning, killing, and looting, leaving common people to suffer the consequences. In the end, a thief remained a thief, and there was no way to fully justify their actions.
Carl never intended to whitewash his own reputation or defend piracy in general. The Straw Hats simply wanted to sail and live freely. As for the common people, Carl believed that as long as they acted with integrity and avoided harming others, they could keep a clear conscience. When necessary, they could even act as heroes, though he found it deeply ironic that pirates were the ones fulfilling that role in such a chaotic world. He shook his head with a cynical smile; he was a selfish man who had no interest in being a savior. He preferred to leave the task of overthrowing the decadent old order and building a new one to the Revolutionary Army, while he focused on seeing the world.
"Carl, your Straw Hat crew is famous now," Marco joked. "They are calling you the youngest and strongest Emperor of the Sea".
"Oh? Brother Marco, you seem quite happy," Carl countered. "Luffy's reputation is surpassing your father's. Are you being an unfilial son?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Marco retorted. "I would give my life for my father! I am happy for him. The more popular the Straw Hats become, the more troublesome people will be drawn to them instead of us. That allows Dad to have some peace, as he is old and seriously ill and needs to recuperate".
"I see," Carl noted. "I didn't realize you were such a dutiful son."
"I am a filial son," Marco insisted. "I have been with my father for a long time; he raised me. If I were not filial, I would not have the face to call myself a man".
"I was only joking," Carl said, calming him down. However, he quickly added, "Still, you captains are too weak. You cannot share the burden on Whitebeard, and he has to worry about everything. In a sense, that is also a form of unfilial behavior".
Marco was left speechless. It was a harsh truth: while the division commanders were strong, they were not at the peak of power. Whenever a top-tier enemy like Kaido or Akainu appeared, Whitebeard was forced to intervene personally because the commanders could not bear the responsibility. Marco looked bitter. "I know, but many of us are older now, and our strength has plateaued. It is difficult to grow further. Our only hope is Ace, but he relies too much on his Devil Fruit".
Carl rolled his eyes. "Why is it difficult? Go to Wano and ask his 'father-in-law' Kaido to hit him with a club a few times!"
"Teacher Kaido's training class!" Marco's eyes lit up, though he hesitated. "Is that reliable? What if Ace gets killed?"
"Believe it or not, Luffy and I only reached this level of strength after being beaten by Kaido," Carl explained. "That is how we learned advanced Armament and Conqueror's Haki".
"So it is true! I thought your report about that was just to annoy Kaido," Marco admitted.
"I don't have time for games. That report is accurate," Carl replied.
"I believe you," Marco said, feeling a sense of relief. "I will go with Ace. If he cannot learn advanced Haki, he will just have to keep being beaten until he is ready to take over as captain".
The two flew toward the Calm Belt with their supply of drinks, but they narrowly missed the arrival of Kizaru. A wretched smile appeared on the Admiral's face as he called Akainu. "Marshal Sakazuki, I am a little late. Carl and Marco have already left".
"Polusalino, you didn't slow down on purpose, did you?" Akainu asked.
"How is that possible? Even though you didn't provide extra funding for this mission, I was definitely moving at the speed of light!" Kizaru claimed.
Akainu was not convinced. He understood that Kizaru was likely fishing for excuses to avoid a dangerous confrontation. Kizaru knew he could not defeat Carl on his own, and with Marco present, the Admiral risked being beaten. By arriving late, Kizaru had effectively opted out of a fight he did not want to take. Akainu had no choice but to order Kizaru to return.
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