On the Thousand Sunny, the Straw Hat crew sat around a Den Den Mushi, all with solemn expressions.
"Ms. Shakky, who did you mention just now? Who wants to find us?" Carl asked, looking extremely surprised.
"The Heir of the Devil, Douglas Bullet!" the Den Den Mushi repeated the name.
Carl took a deep breath and quickly calmed himself. "Two days ago, Douglas Bullet was inquiring about the movements of the Straw Hats and even destroyed the towns where he was searching. Now, he is rushing toward you with great fanfare. Be careful." After delivering this warning, the connection ended.
Carl frowned, showing seriousness for the first time. This surprised everyone, as they had never seen him act this way, even when discussing Marine Admirals or the four Yonko.
"Mr. Carl, is Bullet really that powerful?" Luffy asked, already gearing up and eager to try.
"Well, he is amazing!" Carl's tone was firm. He then asked, "Luffy, what do you think of the strength of Kaido, Big Mom, Blackbeard, and Kizaru?".
Luffy was stunned but answered honestly: "Very strong! Although I am confident I can defeat them, I guess I would pay a big price!".
"Yeah, they are strong, but none of them are better than Roger!" Carl said, shifting the topic to the Pirate King.
Carl began to tell the story with a serious face: "Douglas Bullet was born into an army in a war-torn country. He became a battlefield hero at age thirteen and grew even stronger after eating a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. At fourteen, he became a national hero, but after being betrayed by his army commander, he turned dark and destroyed his own country. By age fifteen, Bullet had faced invincible opponents across the sea without a single defeat. He then met Roger, challenged him, and lost—repeating this process until he joined Roger's crew just to find a way to defeat the man. On Roger's ship, only Roger could beat him; even the first mate, Rayleigh, could only fight him to a draw.".
The Straw Hat crew gasped. They finally understood why Carl brought up Roger—Bullet was a former member of the Roger Pirates.
"Even the Dark King Rayleigh could only manage a draw? This Bullet is ridiculously strong!" Zoro and Law remarked, both swallowing hard.
"Then isn't the Pirate King Roger even more terrifying?" the others realized.
"I can't wait! I'm so excited!" Luffy exclaimed, unable to suppress his enthusiasm.
Carl signaled for Marie to pour everyone tea, and once they calmed down, he continued: "As we know, Roger later became terminally ill. This was a massive blow to Bullet. After failing to challenge Roger for the final time, Bullet left the crew and walked his own path. Twenty-two years ago, when the Pirate King was executed, Bullet lost his purpose in life and began a rampage that turned the sea upside down. At age twenty-four, the Marines launched a Buster Call against him, with Garp and Sengoku participating in the siege. Bullet was eventually defeated and locked in the sixth floor of Impel Down.".
Upon hearing "Buster Call," Robin instinctively clenched her hand. Carl patted her back gently, offering silent comfort.
"Everyone has probably guessed it," Carl said, looking at Luffy with a solemn tone. "During the Summit War, Sabo and Blackbeard caused chaos at Impel Down, and Bullet used that opportunity to escape. Bullet spent twenty years in Impel Down cultivating his strength; he is likely as strong as Roger was back then. He has found a new goal: he wants to become the most powerful man by surpassing Roger. To prove it, he intends to kill all the strong figures—the Yonko and the Marine Admirals!".
"Hiss! He has to kill all the strong ones to prove it?" the partners felt chills.
"So, I am the first person he targeted?" Luffy's eyes burned, his body surging with battle intent.
Knowing Luffy's nature, Carl sighed. "Luffy, you must not be careless. Bullet is not easy to handle.".
Luffy smiled excitedly, "Hey, Mr. Carl, I know! If he wants to be the Pirate King, he has to pass my test first! Since he came to me, I don't mind fighting him. Roger could beat him, and so can I!".
The partners smiled. Though worried, they chose to believe in Luffy, who now possessed the strength to back up his words.
"However, why did Bullet find Luffy first? Blackbeard has three Devil Fruit abilities; isn't he more challenging?" Usopp asked.
"It's because the Straw Hat boss is too famous!" Law explained. "Who can compete with us in today's sea? Blackbeard is unique, but he lost to us along with Big Mom. With Bullet's character, he will naturally choose the strongest opponent to challenge!".
Luffy gave Law a thumbs up, "Tora-o is right! Our Straw Hats are the strongest now!".
"Yoshi! Then we will go to the next island and wait for Bullet!".
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