Carlo offered no comfort, merely watching in silence.
The Alice before him reminded Carlo of a phrase Oda often said.
A mother is the opposite of adventure.
Therefore,
In the One Piece manga, unlike Naruto, most of the main characters' parents are rarely introduced one by one.
Many main characters only have their fathers depicted, while the mothers are omitted.
Take Yamato and Luffy, for example.
But as long as Oda does depict a mother figure, the vast majority of them can be called great.
Like Ace's mother, Portgas D. Rouge, who endured carrying him in her womb for two years to protect him before giving birth. After he was born, she died from complications during childbirth.
Sanji's mother, Sora, took many drugs in secret to resist Judge's mad experiments and preserve the fetus in her womb. Although she ultimately saved Sanji's humanity, she died because of it in the end.
There's also Usopp's mother and Nami's adoptive mother.
Even Toki Amatsuki, the mother of a character as widely disliked as Momonosuke, was willing to die alongside that brain-dead Kozuki Oden.
And the Alice before him was the same.
After listening to Carlo's account, she sat silently on the sofa, tears flowing, seemingly plunged into grief over her husband's death.
But this grief did not last too long; she forcibly suppressed it.
Alice wiped away her tears and suddenly stood up, bowing to Carlo with a look of gratitude in her eyes as she said,
"Captain Carlo, thank you! For letting Gibek die with dignity in the end..."
Carlo shook his head slightly. "No need to thank me; I was merely avenging my father."
"Regardless, thank you for letting me know the final truth. Since Gibek didn't die at the hands of those monsters, I imagine he feels as relieved as I do, right?"
"Even though you killed Gibek and are my enemy, I still must thank you!"
Alice bowed to Carlo once more.
Then, without waiting for Carlo to ask again, she proactively answered his previous question.
"Captain Carlo wants to know what choice I will make..." Alice's expression returned to calm as she gazed quietly at Carlo. "I hope to receive your protection, Captain Carlo!"
"I hope to receive your protection, Captain Carlo!
Surely, Captain Carlo, you already know Teach's and my background.
Setting aside that we are Rocks' wife and son, the mere fact that we are members of the Davy Clan dooms our future lives to never know peace.
So that Teach can grow up safely and soundly, I want to seek your protection, Captain Carlo!
As for the final truth of God Valley, once Teach is grown and has his own judgment, I will explain it to him and let him make his own decision.
And when that time comes... that will be between him and you, Captain Carlo. I will no longer interfere."
Looking at the solemn Alice, Carlo nodded and stood up from the sofa.
"Since Madame has made her choice, then follow me to the New World. Although those CP agents failed to transmit the news of your presence here, the fact that something happened to them here will surely draw an investigation from the World Government. When that time comes, with so many eyes around, there's no guarantee you won't be discovered."
"Very well. Then we mother and son will be in your care from now on, Captain Carlo." Alice gave Carlo another deep bow.
She stood up, went back to the bed, picked up the still-sleeping Teach, and followed Carlo out of the inn.
As they were heading out.
The old man dozing behind the inn's front desk saw Carlo coming out with Alice and her son. His expression was a bit strange, appearing somewhat regretful.
"Ahem, guest! Please wait!" He coughed and mysteriously produced a bottle from under the counter, sliding it toward Carlo while winking at him.
"For such a strong young man, such a short time isn't good. If there's a problem, you must deal with it while you're young; otherwise, like me, by the time you're old and want to fix it, it'll be too late for regrets. This is from Elbaf, the authentic good stuff. I think you'll need it."
Carlo paused and picked up the bottle expressionlessly. "How much?"
The old man shook his head and sighed, tears faintly shimmering in the corners of his eyes.
"It's free, no charge. Just consider it me saving my past self."
"Thanks," Carlo said. Under Alice's strange gaze, he tucked the bottle containing the unknown liquid into his pocket.
Noticing her look, Carlo glanced back at her.
"Don't misunderstand; I'm taking this to give to someone. I have a friend who needs it."
"I understand, Captain Carlo." Alice pursed her lips slightly.
Carlo's mouth twitched; he wanted to explain further.
Just then, his brow furrowed slightly. He walked quickly out of the inn and looked in a certain direction.
"What's wrong?" Alice asked in confusion, following him out while holding Teach.
"Troublesome guys have come looking for trouble. Let's go quickly and see if we can shake them off."
As Carlo spoke, he turned around. To Alice's shock, he reached out with his large hands, scooped her up by the waist, and stepped off.
Swoosh!!
A gale erupted in front of the inn, and Carlo's tall figure vanished instantly.
When he reappeared, he was already on the pirate ship.
Setting down the slightly flushed Alice, Carlo shouted to John, "Go, quickly! Zephyr is here!"
"What? Black Arm Zephyr?" John was startled. Knowing trouble had arrived, he immediately ordered the ship to set sail.
Soon, several pirate ships unfurled their sails and left the Rulusia Kingdom at maximum speed.
Dragon, who had been wrapped up like a mummy by Ginny and Kuma, was stunned by the sight. Lying on the deck, he opened his only exposed eye and struggled to look toward Carlo.
"Uncle Carlo, where are we going?"
"To the New World, of course." Without turning his head, Carlo stood by the railing, his eyes turning into golden vertical slits as he looked out at the sea ahead.
In his pupils, several warships were clearly visible, cutting through the waves and charging aggressively in their direction.
"The... the New World?" Dragon was stunned. "Am... am I going too?"
"Otherwise? The World Government is already out for your life, and you're so weak right now. As your uncle, I can't feel at ease letting you run around the world blindly." Carlo turned around and pulled out a cigar, sticking it in his mouth.
"Can you let me off? I... don't want to go to the New World..." Dragon said weakly.
"Hee-hee, too late!" Ivankov gloated from the side, patting his head.
"A pirate ship isn't so easy to get off of, Dragon! Since you're already on, it won't be that easy to leave. Just obediently come with us to the New World to be a pirate! Just like us, come be an intern for the Sky Pirates!"
Dragon wanted to cry but had no tears. "But... I don't want to be a pirate!"
Meanwhile,
On the warships on the other side.
The adjutant beside Zephyr held binoculars, watching the pirate ships rapidly sailing away from the coast of the Rulusia Kingdom, his face paling.
"Vice Admiral Zephyr! It's the Sky Pirates! The pirates who attacked the Rulusia Kingdom... are actually the Sky Pirates! I see him! Heavenly King Carlo is also on the ship!"
Beside him, Zephyr's expression turned very ugly.
He clenched his fists until they cracked loudly. A look of fury appeared on his rugged face as he watched the pirate ships turning to sail away in the distance.
"Carlo!!! You... have disappointed me too much!!"
"Pursue them! We must capture everyone from the Sky Pirates!!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Zephyr!"