c3 Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel!
Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel's eyes were filled with disbelief
He couldn't imagine that a legendary pirate like Shiki the Golden Lion, a man who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger and Whitebeard, would fall at the hands of this unknown young man.
Even in his weakened state, the Golden Lion was not someone an average fighter could handle!
But Carl's calm, confident eyes and the excited, insistent testimony from the surrounding villagers left him unsure.
"In that case, please open this wooden coffin. I want to confirm it with my own eyes."
"No problem. But I have one condition."
Carl stepped forward with a smile, placing two fingers against the wooden coffin and tapping it lightly.
Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel narrowed his eyes, responding flatly.
"If it's really him, I assure you your bounty reward will be paid in full."
"Thank you. I trust that the Marines won't embezzle the bounty. But that's not my condition."
Carl met his eyes and spoke clearly.
"My condition is this—I want to join the Navy."
His words caused Flying Squirrel to tense, eyes narrowing further.
At first, he was ready to reject Carl's request, intending to redirect him through standard enlistment procedures at a branch base.
But before he could speak, Carl calmly raised one hand.
With a flick of his fingers, the heavy coffin lid began to float in mid-air—effortlessly.
"This ability… the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi?"
As a senior Vice Admiral who had served through the Roger era, Flying Squirrel immediately recognized the distinct effect of Shiki's Devil Fruit.
Carl simply nodded, letting his actions speak.
He gestured toward the open coffin—inviting the Marine to see for himself.
Flying Squirrel approached and looked down—his expression shifting in shock.
There, unmistakably, lay Shiki, his signature golden mane now matted with blood, and his legendary dual swords Oto and Kogarashi no longer attached as prosthetic legs.
The sheer reality of it sent a ripple through the vice admiral's mind.
"Alright... I've seen enough. If you're willing to surrender the body, I can grant your request under special authority. Are you truly a Devil Fruit user?"
"Just got lucky," Carl replied with a smile, not revealing the existence of his system or how he acquired the ability.
Flying Squirrel didn't press further. He understood Devil Fruit rebirth mechanics
When a user dies, their Devil Fruit reappears nearby, often inside the nearest fruit. It wasn't impossible that Carl had simply been at the right place at the right time.
Still, to acquire the fruit of Shiki the Golden Lion, and then kill Shiki himself? That was a miracle or fate.
"I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Carl, a long-time resident of Boya Town."
"My dream's always been to become a Marine. Meeting you here today—Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel isn't something I can let pass."
"You know who I am?" the Vice Admiral asked.
"Of course I do. You're one of the most experienced officers in Marine Headquarters, a veteran from the old era and a master swordsman to boot."
"Among the Vice Admirals, your swordsmanship ranks at the top—rumored to be on par with even Kizaru in your prime."
Flying Squirrel was silent for a moment, not used to receiving such direct praise. But he saw no flattery in Carl's tone—just sincerity.
Strong people like you are my goal. If you don't believe me, you can ask them, I'm exercising every day to become a Marine!"
Carl delivered his lines without changing expression
If the world handed out acting awards, Carl figured he'd sweep the whole circuit like Franky on stage at a Vega-punk festival.
"We can prove that Lord Carl's dream is to become a Marine!"
"Yes! Lord Carl is training every day without fail!"
"Brother Carl does over a thousand push-ups every day—we can all testify to that!"
The townspeople's honest voices rose together, adding pressure to the moment.
Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel was silent, but his brows lifted in interest.
Then his sharp eyes moved to the twin swords hanging at Carl's waist.
"Those are Withered Wood and Sakura Ten? So you're also a swordsman?"
"Just a trick or two. Nothing worth mentioning."
Carl waved it off casually, but his modesty didn't fool Flying Squirrel.
"Let's test that. You and I will duel. If you can take three of my moves, I'll recommend you to HQ myself for direct enlistment."
"Seriously?"
Carl's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected the Vice Admiral to be this reasonable but it was a chance he couldn't pass up.
And Carl was brimming with confidence in his current strength!
"All Marines secure the perimeter and evacuate civilians to a safe distance of one thousand meters!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, the crowd was pushed back a kilometer, forming a natural arena between Carl and the Flying Squirrel.
The wind along the Boya Town port began to stir violently.
"Your name's Carl, right? Come at me with everything you've got. I want to see if you're worth the exception!"
As he finished speaking, Flying Squirrel released a wave of Haki, sharp and imposing.
The surrounding air rippled—wind screaming around him.
He drew his blade with lightning speed—an Iai technique and a slicing shockwave surged toward Carl!
"Nice one!"
Carl grinned, and in one fluid motion, Withered Wood and Sakura Ten flew to his hands through his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi control.
He crossed the blades with precise timing, using a burst of strength to block the Vice Admiral's flying slash.
The impact forced Carl back two meters but he was uninjured.
"First move!"
Carl smirked and gestured at Flying Squirrel to keep going.
"Hmph! You want more? Then here's the second move!"
Flying Squirrel's presence exploded outward as he struck again—faster and heavier than before!
The next slash arrived in the blink of an eye faster than even an Enies Lobby Cipher Pol agent.
Carl's eyes widened as he brought both blades down in a crushing guard.
Air swirled and condensed around him, his control of the Fluttering Fruit amplifying the collision into a vortex.
The second shockwave blasted into the port ground splitting the stone under Carl's feet and forming a massive trench between them.
Seeing the impact, Flying Squirrel's earlier doubt turned into faint admiration.
"No doubt about it—that's the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi. Impressive."
"The fruit's strong, sure but what's a sword without a swordsman?"
Carl said smugly, gesturing at himself in an exaggerated "praise me" motion.
Flying Squirrel's mouth twitched.
This kid was shameless but his technique and composure were the real deal.
Dual blade combat, balanced use of Devil Fruit and Haki... he was no fluke.
If such a fighter ever fell into piracy, the Marines would suffer.
"Prepare yourself! This third strike is my finishing move!"
Even if he'd decided to recruit Carl, Flying Squirrel wouldn't hold back.
This blow would test whether Carl could survive in the real pirate world!
"Sky Slash Severing Gale!"
With a sudden burst of speed, Flying Squirrel vanished—his form blurring like a Soru user.
Carl's instincts screamed danger.
"Crap!"
He instantly activated his Kenbunshoku Haki and detected the Vice Admiral above.
Lifting both arms in a reinforced block, he triggered a fierce aerial current with the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi—
BOOM!!
The port exploded in a storm of compressed air and shattered stone!
Shockwaves cracked the earth and blew debris in every direction!
A storm swirled outward, blasting back even the observing Marines and townsfolk.
"Master Carl…"
"Brother Carl—is he okay?!"
"W-what just happened? Are they trying to kill him?!"
The villagers of Boya Town stood frozen unable to see through the storm, panicked by the destruction.
But while the citizens feared for Carl's life
The Marines had a different reaction.
These soldiers had followed Flying Squirrel for years. They knew his strength.
And yet
That young man had survived three of his attacks.
Some Marines stared slack-jawed, eyes wide like saucers mouths open wide enough to fit an apple.
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