Question: who in this world knows Karl best
Karl's answer was that not even he himself knew Karl better than Carina did
Things from childhood he had almost forgotten Carina still remembered
For two childhood sweethearts who knew each other to the bone what could Carina possibly fear Karl asking
Obviously nothing
If Karl dared to ask whether she liked him Carina would nod without a hint of shyness
If Karl dared to ask to not sleep with her Carina would slap him
Taking every advantage and then asking that kind of question
Not taking responsibility
Ugh scumbag
Karl broke into a cold sweat and could only ask a not-so-important question
"Do you like bathing with me"
"…"
Though she wasn't afraid of heart-to-heart questions Carina hadn't expected the guy to really ask that
Seeing Nami beside them hiding a laugh behind her hand Carina rolled her eyes at Karl "I do are you satisfied"
"Heh heh then from now on I'll bathe with you every day how about it"
Karl indeed wore a smug grin
"Drop dead start the second round" Carina's cheeks finally reddened she hurried to snatch the task of shuffling the deck to change the subject
"Hold on Nami hasn't asked yet" Karl cut in
"Fine ask quickly" Carina said helplessly
"Hee hee"
Nami flashed a bad-girl smile just like Karl's "Carina do you dislike it when Karl acts naughty toward you"
"Little Cat Burglar not bad"
Carina answered with a smile that wasn't a smile "That's right I like it when that guy acts naughty toward me you'd better not lose the next round or you're done for"
Nami's face went white and it was too late to beg for mercy
Round two began
Knowing that even if Carina lost Karl wouldn't gain much he didn't bother to cheat this time
The three drew cards fair and square
Maybe he'd spent his luck drawing the Blue-Eyes at last luck returned and Karl was the first to win again
This time the Joker was in Nami's hand
Carina had one card left Nami had two
After a bout of mind games Nami watched in despair as Carina drew the five of diamonds leaving only the Joker in Nami's hand
"Hmph even God won't save you now" Carina held two fives of diamonds and grinned
"Truth or dare" Karl fanned the flames
"I I choose dare"
Afraid Carina would ask something she couldn't handle Nami was on the verge of tears
"Then I want one small request"
Karl raised a finger
The previous few small requests had already been used up at bedtime
"Coward"
Hearing Karl Carina gave him a disdainful look then showed the same wicked smile "That T-shirt is an eyesore take it off"
"Ah…"
Nami hadn't expected Carina's penalty to be so heavy and was caught completely off guard
"Don't you usually like sunbathing on deck"
Carina teased "Don't tell me there's nothing on underneath"
"… alright"
Nami had no choice but to accept the penalty
After it was done she immediately shot Carina a flaming look clearly planning revenge
With someone having taken that crucial first step the rounds that followed got interesting
One truth and one dare lit a fire under the two girls
As the third round started they forgot Karl was actually the target and focused only on making each other look bad
The two went to war letting Karl sit back and reap the fisherman's profit
He watched while secretly sending the chibi dragon to fetch snacks
Nothing like a girl fight to watch
If he'd known he should have recruited Nami from Cocoyasi Village even earlier
Meanwhile whenever Karl was dragged into a dare he asked for one small request each time
He'd used up his small requests back in the East Blue so now was a good chance to restock some good old male privileges
By nightfall all three stomachs were rumbling and the chaotic card session ended with Karl munching greasy-lipped
When the two girls came to their senses they were full of regret
Seeing Karl all smug they pounced on him and unleashed their inborn grappling
But with that level of skill they couldn't even tickle him
Time flew and a week passed in the blink of an eye
One day the scene outside their windows suddenly shifted from clear to dim
"That's strange I don't feel any change in the weather why did it suddenly go dark"
Nami stepped out from the studio she'd made of Karl's cabin where she'd been drawing sea charts staring at the fog-shrouded waters in confusion
"Looks like we've entered the Devil's Triangle"
Carina emerged wearing an apron took one look at the pitch-black sky then said to Karl who was carrying a plate of fried snacks "Karl I'll trouble you to be lookout next"
"Relax I'll keep watch on everything around us if anything shows up Little White and I will take care of it"
Karl speared a fried morsel with a toothpick and held it to the chibi dragon perched on his shoulder
Then man and dragon both nodded to Carina
"Alright the helm is yours I'm going to wash up and change"
Reeking of kitchen smoke Carina left Nami one last reminder and headed back inside
Walking under the corridor of the top deck Nami asked "Karl can your light spear disperse this fog"
"No this sea's fog bank is too large"
Karl shook his head "If it were a sudden natural change in weather that's easy to blow away but this looks like a nearly permanent environment with year-round fog it's hard to disperse"
"I see"
Nami glanced at the Log Pose on her wrist "The needle is tilting down a bit once we cross this sea we should reach the end of the first half of the Grand Line"
"Nami head that way"
Karl suddenly pointed
"Okay"
Trusting Karl one hundred percent Nami turned the helm without question and changed course
She didn't know that Karl's Observation Haki which could cover half an island had already sensed the presence of Thriller Bark
He was pointing straight toward it
Sure enough
When Carina finished her bath and came out a mountain-sized shadow suddenly loomed ahead of the sloop
"What's that an iceberg"
Staring at the huge silhouette Carina and Nami blinked
"An island ship with a lot of people on it"
Karl's mouth curled "Maybe the owner of that island ship is the culprit behind all those missing ships every year"
Carina instantly grasped his meaning "So there's a powerhouse on that island ship"
"Yeah"
Karl nodded "Up there is the strongest aura we've met in years"
"No wonder so a big shot lives in this sea" Carina murmured
"Should I steer around it" Nami asked quickly
"Too late if Karl were going to steer around he wouldn't have had you bring us here"
Carina rolled her eyes "His hands are itching but don't worry too much the guy on that island shouldn't be vastly stronger than Karl or he wouldn't have brought me"
"Besides you've seen my ability we don't fear even tsunamis what could threaten our team"
"Alright"
Convinced by Carina Nami nodded and steered the sloop straight toward the shadow
As they closed the distance the shape finally came into view
Just as Karl had said
It was an enormous island ship exuding decay and gloom nothing like a normal island ship more like a ghost island
At the front a gigantic mouth
As if it had sensed the sloop's presence or as if they had entered its hunting range the mouth opened slowly and with the help of the current swallowed the sloop
Passing through the gate they saw several ghost ships draped in cobwebs and a shoreline strewn with purple miasma and dead grass
They moored the sloop and dropped anchor then the three and one dragon stepped onto Thriller Bark
"They've noticed us someone's aura is approaching"
Karl spoke the moment they set foot ashore
"I'll protect Nami go all out"
Carina crossed her arms ready to cast Barriers at any moment
"Uwaoo"
A few minutes later the chibi dragon on Karl's shoulder twitched its nose then opened wide and gathered a dazzling white glow
Swoosh—boom
A Gale Burst Shot roared out landing at eleven o'clock from the trio and blooming into a white explosion webbed with lightning