Neptune's eyes widened, and the trident in his hand was raised.
Clang!
A burst of sparks flashed through the air.
Carl's Sakura Ten slashed through the incoming sledgehammer in an instant, splitting it cleanly in two before the broken pieces embedded themselves into the hard-shell tower's reinforced walls.
"Thank you," Neptune exhaled in relief, before turning toward Carl. "Please, come in with me."
The king pushed open the heavy, coral-enforced door and strode inside.
Carl glanced in the direction from which the weapon had been launched. His crimson-tinged eyes flickered in contemplation.
Even with my observation Haki covering the entire area, I didn't catch a single trace?
"Interesting." Carl smirked before following Neptune.
The ability of the Target-Target Fruit was somewhat similar to Coffey's Mark-Mark Fruit. However, unlike Coffey's power, this ability didn't involve spatial transfer, making it a clear downgrade in comparison.
Inside the Hard-Shell Tower
A massive pink seashell bed sat in the center of the chamber, its draped silk canopy falling gently to the floor. Two luminous pearl lamps on the bedside cast a soft glow throughout the room.
Lying on the bed was Shirahoshi, the Mermaid Princess.
Her long, soft pink hair cascaded over her shoulders, complementing her elegant, red-and-white tail. A pair of delicate shell-shaped earrings adorned her ears, and her large, aqua-blue eyes were still brimming with unshed tears.
Despite her overwhelming size, her expression carried an innocence that only made her seem more fragile.
Upon seeing her father enter, her sorrowful face immediately scrunched in grievance, and she called out with teary eyes:
"Father!"
"It's alright, it's alright." Neptune hurried forward, his large hands attempting to comfort her.
Carl watched silently from the doorway.
Even among the most beautiful women in the world, Shirahoshi's radiance was unparalleled. In terms of sheer beauty, she could easily rival Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress.
It wasn't surprising that mermaids were constantly targeted by slave traders. For nobles in Mary Geoise, owning a mermaid was the ultimate status symbol—enough to make them pay astronomical sums without hesitation.
"That damned Van der Decken IX!" Neptune gritted his teeth, his large fists trembling with restrained fury.
"One day, I will personally bring him down!"
Carl leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed.
Normally, he wouldn't involve himself in personal affairs, but even he could admit Shirahoshi's situation was utterly miserable.
For ten long years, she had been trapped here. Hunted ceaselessly by a weakling whose name Carl barely remembered. To avoid being struck down by flying weapons, she had been forced to live in a self-imposed prison.
Even when Queen Otohime—her own mother—was assassinated, she had been unable to leave to attend the funeral.
Truly a tragic existence.
"By the way, Father, who is this human?" Shirahoshi asked timidly.
Hiding in the hard-shell tower for so long had made her fearful of any strangers.
Neptune chuckled, "Oh, this is Colonel Carl, the Marine officer who returned the captured mermaids last time.
"He is a friend to our people."
Hearing this, Shirahoshi's anxious expression softened slightly.
"I-Is that so?" She hesitated before relaxing.
Carl's eyebrow twitched.
"My name is Solomon Carl."
A tic mark appeared on his forehead.
But, considering Neptune's usual absentmindedness, Carl figured it was pointless to correct him.
"Forget it. Just call me Carl."
Suddenly, Shirahoshi's gaze flickered toward the entrance behind Carl, her expression shifting to one of sheer panic.
"Danger! Get out of the way!"
Her desperate scream filled the chamber.
Whoosh—!
The sharp whistling sound of an incoming projectile cut through the air.
Carl remained completely still.
Shirahoshi squeezed her eyes shut, fearing the worst.
Clang!
When she finally opened them, she gasped in disbelief.
Carl stood unfazed, his index finger casually pressing against a massive battle-axe, stopping it mid-air.
The axe, adorned with an intricate red rose pattern, spun to the floor, embedding itself into the hard-shell tower's coral flooring.
"W-What?!" Shirahoshi's voice trembled in disbelief.
He had stopped such a huge weapon with nothing but a single finger?!
Carl glanced at Neptune. "This Van der Decken IX you mentioned—is he the one responsible for throwing all these weapons?"
Neptune sighed heavily, his face darkening. "That's right. Van der Decken IX, the current captain of the Flying Pirates."
"A truly sinister individual."
Carl blinked. "Wait. What pirate crew did you say?"
"The Flying Pirates," Neptune repeated, confused. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"…I thought you said Sky Pirates for a second," Carl muttered.
The name was only one word off, but their meanings were worlds apart.
Before Neptune could reply, another weapon—a long sword—shot toward them from a distance.
Carl's Sakura Ten unsheathed in a blur.
Slash!
The airborne sword was cut cleanly in two before the pieces crashed harmlessly to the ground.
"…This is getting old."
Carl's crimson eyes gleamed dangerously.
He had only been standing here for a few minutes, yet weapons had already been launched at them multiple times.
It was annoying.
Right on cue, another longsword whizzed through the air, aiming for Carl's shoulder.
Clang!
The weapon made contact—only to bounce off harmlessly.
A thin crack split across the blade, while Carl's body remained unscathed.
"Haaa…"
Carl exhaled slowly.
The sheer weight of his killing intent flooded the room.
The hard-shell tower trembled as if a beast had awakened.
Neptune and Shirahoshi were frozen in place.
Carl turned back toward Neptune, his voice eerily calm:
"This Van der Decken IX—I'll deal with him."
"Consider it a gesture of goodwill between the Marines and Ryugu Kingdom."
"That way, your daughter can finally go outside."
Neptune raised a hand, as if to object.
But before he could utter a word—
Boom!
Carl had already disappeared, shattering the air as he rocketed out of the tower.
The Fish-Man Island – Above the Bubble Dome
A thunderous sonic boom shook the entire island.
Fish-men and mermaids alike gazed skyward, stunned by the black streak tearing across the sky.
Inside Madame Shyarly's café, the fortune teller's eyes widened.
"What is that?"
A sense of unease coiled in her chest.
She had predicted the Great Pirate Era when she was just a child.
She had foreseen Whitebeard's death before the world even knew.
But now…
…Something terrifying had appeared.
Meanwhile, in the outermost waters of Fish-Man Island—
Carl pierced through the bubble barrier, diving into the ocean without hesitation.
Water pressure? Resistance? None of it mattered.
At his sheer speed, the sea split apart, forming a temporary vacuum pathway around him.
"There you are."
His Observation Haki locked onto a small submarine, deep in the seabed.
Inside the Flying Pirates' Submarine
The crew chatted casually—until the water around them froze in fear.
"What… What is that feeling?!"
Van der Decken IX's pupils shrank in terror.
Carl's silhouette loomed overhead, his murderous aura suffocating the ocean itself.
The next thing they knew—
BOOM!
Carl gripped the tail of their submarine.
And flung it straight toward Fish-Man Island.
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