May 1st, 1514 — Grand Line
Nearly four months had passed since Karl and his group departed for the East Blue.
At long last, their anti-corruption journey had finally come to an end.
"Phew… it's finally wrapped up. You've all worked hard these past months."
Over this period, Karl led the fleet across all Four Blues.
Most of their stops were Marine branches—but the results were… impressive.
Or rather, tragic.
Tragic for the Marines.
In every sea, they uncovered large numbers of corrupt Marines. These parasites lurking in remote, poorly supervised regions had utterly destroyed the Marines' reputation among civilians.
By the final tally, their secret investigations had led to the arrest of over 200 corrupt Marines, with 20% being officers.
Some fell silent in the face of irrefutable evidence.
Some resisted desperately, attempting a last-ditch struggle.
All of them were crushed by Smoker and shipped—neatly bound—to Marineford's temporary holding facilities.
Smoker nodded matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I really was busy. But you on the other hand…"
After months of working together, Smoker had fully figured Karl out.
When he was screening suspicious officers, Karl was drinking tea and reading newspapers.
When he was gathering evidence and running around investigating, Karl was sightseeing with Ain.
When he was confronting corrupt Marines head-on—sometimes fighting—Karl was… present.
Just present.
Doing absolutely nothing.
And he had the audacity to call it "training."
Once or twice was tolerable—but this guy did it every single day.
If Smoker hadn't never once beaten him, he would've developed rebellious thoughts long ago.
Hearing Smoker's tone, Karl scratched his head indifferently.
"Sounds like after the public trial, I can finally hand the Integrity Commission over to you with peace of mind."
"Tch."
Smoker acted like he didn't care—but inside, he cared a lot.
This pie had been dangled in front of him for months.
Now he could finally take a bite.
You think this was easy?!
Knock knock knock.
"Come in!"
The door opened. Ain and Nielsen walked in, carrying a large cake, smiles plastered on their faces.
"Happy birthday!"
Smoker stared at Karl.
Karl stared at Smoker.
For a brief moment, both looked completely lost.
Smoker reacted first. He whipped out a lighter, lit the candles, and grinned.
"Hahaha! Happy birthday, Karl!"
"Thanks… but how did you know today was my birthday?"
Nielsen answered honestly, "Major Ain told us, so I—"
His voice trailed off as Ain shot him a death glare.
Karl walked over to Ain and stared straight at her.
"Thank you, Ain. When it's your birthday, I'll definitely give you a surprise."
"Y-You're welcome… as long as you like it."
"Oh, right. When is your birthday?"
Ain: ???
Karl burst into laughter and pinched her cheek.
"Haha, just kidding. July 6th. I remember it very clearly."
"Idiot! Hurry up and make a wish before the candles burn out!"
Karl nodded, stepped up, and blew out all 25 candles.
Then—without warning—he grabbed a slice of cake and slammed it straight into Smoker's face.
Clutching his stomach, Karl laughed uncontrollably.
"You bastard! You really think I wouldn't hit you back?!
White Snake—Cake Bomb!"
...
Marineford — Fleet Admiral's Office
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, all preparations for the Marine Integrity Commission are complete. What happens next depends on Headquarters."
Sengoku looked at the staggering list of corrupt Marines and sighed deeply.
"These people… wasn't what the Marines gave them enough?"
Karl smiled calmly.
"Human desire has no limits. Once someone crosses the line, there's no turning back."
"Yes… but this many?"
Sengoku frowned. "If we hold a public trial, won't people think the Marines are rotten to the core?"
Karl shook his head firmly.
"No. Precisely because of this, we must conduct the trials openly and loudly."
"It's better that the Marines expose themselves than let others do it for us. Only then will the Integrity Commission have meaning."
"Only then will people see our resolve to clean house."
Sengoku nodded slowly. His last doubts faded.
"And the Director of the Integrity Commission—what are your thoughts? Will you take the position?"
Karl shook his head.
"No. That position belongs to Smoker. Fleet Admiral, he's grown a lot. No one is more suitable than him."
"Smoker…?"
Sengoku frowned slightly, recalling Smoker's earlier conduct. Had he really changed in less than half a year?
Sensing hesitation, Karl quickly added,
"Fleet Admiral, the Four Seas operation was largely handled by Smoker personally. He deserves first merit. I only set the general direction."
"If you're unsure, you can speak with him yourself."
Sengoku nodded, falling silent for a moment before replying,
"I trust your judgment. Let's discuss it again after the public trial."
"By then—you'll be a Vice Admiral, Karl."
Karl's eyes widened.
"Vice Admiral? That fast?!"
Sengoku chuckled.
"Fast? Not really. You've long had the strength—only your seniority was lacking."
"If you hunted pirates nonstop like Kizaru and Akainu did in their early days, you'd have been promoted long ago."
Ah. That explained it.
"This time, your contribution to establishing the Integrity Commission is undeniable. Vice Admiral is well deserved."
Karl scratched his head and smiled.
"Thank you, Fleet Admiral. I'll keep working hard."
"Good!" Sengoku laughed.
"Oh—today's your birthday, isn't it? This is my gift to you."
He pulled out a book and handed it over.
Karl flipped through a few pages—and his eyes lit up.
"Giant Clan Secret Techniques?!"
"That's right," Sengoku said with a grin.
"You like swordsmanship, don't you? I had the Giant Vice Admirals help compile these techniques for you."
"With your talent, you should master them quickly."
"Thank you, Fleet Admiral!"
"Alright. If there's nothing else, go rest for a few days. You've been running around long enough."
"Oh—and keep an eye on the news."
Karl blinked, then nodded.
The news?
Naturally, Sengoku meant the upcoming public trial of corrupt Marines.
They would build momentum.
Draw the eyes of the entire sea to Marineford.
And show the world—
The Marines' resolve.
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