One month later.
G-10 Base had finally been mostly rebuilt.
Thanks to the Beli brought over by "Monkey"—otherwise Karl would've had to pay the workers out of his own pocket—the reconstruction costs were finally settled.
During the rebuilding period, Karl hadn't been particularly busy.
After all, the news had already spread far and wide.
Even Kaido, one of the Emperors of the Sea, had failed to accomplish anything at G-10—
ordinary pirate crews naturally steered clear of the place.
Who would be stupid enough to swagger past G-10 now?
G-10 Base · Commander's Office
"Karl, we've received a notice from headquarters," Ain reported.
"A pirate crew will be passing near the G-10 sea route. Vice Admiral Strawberry is in pursuit and requests our cooperation to encircle them."
Karl opened his eyes and stroked his chin.
"Which pirate is that bold enough to come this way?"
"Uh… 'Madman' Regus. He was recently defeated by the Big Mom Pirates and has now joined them."
Karl paused.
…Okay. That was bold.
"Alright. You and Nelson go," Karl said.
"Deploy five warships and coordinate with Vice Admiral Strawberry. Try to capture this 'Madman' alive."
"Yes, sir."
Ain nodded and turned to leave.
She would've liked to go on the mission together with Karl—but as base commander, Karl had to remain behind unless it was an emergency. After what happened last time, someone had to hold the fort.
After Ain had been gone for a short while, Karl quickly walked to the window.
Once he confirmed she had fully left the base, a smile crept onto his face.
G-10 Port
A merchant vessel was docked nearby.
A chubby merchant stood anxiously by the railing, waiting for someone.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
In the distance, a handsome man in a suit approached—Justice cloak draped over his shoulders.
That was him!
"Oh! Vice Admiral Karl! You've finally arrived! My ship has been delayed for quite some time now—my losses—"
Karl shoved a thick wad of Beli straight into the merchant's arms.
The man instantly broke into a fawning smile.
"Hehe, Vice Admiral Karl, waiting longer wouldn't have been a problem at all. Everything you wanted is on board. Shall I take you to have a look?"
Karl nodded and followed him into the cargo hold.
Inside were piles upon piles of jewelry and precious ornaments.
Karl casually pointed to an exquisite necklace.
"Are these all genuine?" he asked coolly.
"Don't lie to me—or you know the consequences."
The temperature seemed to drop instantly.
The merchant wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Uh… this one, this one, this one, and this one are defective. But I swear on my life—everything else is real!"
"Hmph. Not very honest, are you?" Karl said coldly.
"These are gifts. If someone notices, where would that leave my reputation?"
The merchant's face turned pale. Sweat poured down his temples as he stammered helplessly.
"Enough. Stop acting," Karl said flatly.
"Pack up all the genuine pieces for me. And what about the customized twin blades I ordered?"
"Yes! Right away!"
The merchant hurriedly took out a box and opened it before Karl.
Inside lay two short swords crossed together.
The blades were engraved with intricate patterns, and the hilts were exquisitely crafted—true works of art.
Karl picked one up and tested its sturdiness.
Not bad.
About the level of a Fine Grade blade—more than sufficient for actual combat.
"Well?" the merchant asked nervously.
"Are you satisfied?"
Karl smiled and patted him on the shoulder, making the man jump.
"Relax. I'm very satisfied. As agreed, you won't be short a single Beli."
The pair of custom blades had cost Karl around ten million Beli—almost enough to buy a named blade.
But since they were a birthday gift for Ain, he wasn't about to be stingy.
At Sea
Ain soon rendezvoused with Vice Admiral Strawberry, successfully surrounding Madman Regus.
With a bounty of less than two hundred million, Regus folded quickly—nearly beaten half to death by Strawberry.
But at that moment—
A fleet silently approached.
At its head stood an unmistakable ship.
The Moby Dick.
"Pops, there are Marine warships ahead," someone reported.
"Looks like they're not targeting us."
"Gurararara~ Marines, huh?" Whitebeard laughed.
"Give them a little lesson. Don't let them block my path."
"Leave it to us, Pops!"
Marine Warships
Ain, who had just begun organizing the withdrawal, suddenly froze.
Her pupils shrank.
"Pirate ships at nine o'clock! All hands—battle stations!!!"
"Oh no—th-that's the Moby Dick!"
"Whitebeard?! The world's strongest man?! Why is he here?!"
Vice Admiral Strawberry's expression changed instantly.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi and requested emergency reinforcements from headquarters.
Retreat was not an option.
Even if they were wiped out—
they would not flee.
G-10 Base
Karl was polishing Shusui and Raiu when the Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.
After listening for a moment, his expression darkened.
The Whitebeard Pirates…
Were they targeting him?
Unlikely.
If that were the case, they would've come long ago.
Buru buru buru—
"Karl, we've encountered the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"I know," Karl replied immediately.
"I'm on my way. Until I arrive—protect yourselves at all costs. Understood?"
"It's too late!" the voice cried.
"Vice Admiral Strawberry has already engaged Marco the Phoenix! We're suffering heavy casualties—!"
"Die, Marines!!!"
The call cut off abruptly.
Karl took a deep breath.
Without another word, he summoned Raven and leapt onto its back.
"Full speed."
"Ga?"
"Northwest."
"Gah!"
The Battlefield
The sea was littered with wreckage.
Only a few Marine warships remained afloat—and even those were crowded with Whitebeard Pirate members.
Strawberry clenched his teeth as he fought Marco, watching Marine after Marine fall.
The pain tore at him.
"Still not surrendering?" Marco said lightly.
"Strawberry—if you keep this up, these Marines won't last much longer."
Nearby, Whitey Bay extended her twin blades.
She skewered a Marine without hesitation, then calmly turned toward the next target.
Ever since her crew had been wiped out by Karl, she had truly become a witch—
a woman consumed by hatred.
A demon who had lost herself.
Elsewhere—
Ain crossed blades with a man wielding twin swords as well.
Pompadour hairstyle.
Dressed like a chef.
And strong.
With only Observation Haki, Ain could barely hold on—
closing the distance to use her Devil Fruit ability was nearly impossible.
"Miss Marine," the man said calmly,
"stop resisting. Surrender."
Ain's voice was ice-cold.
"Don't dream of it, pirate. Marines never surrender."
Satch sighed helplessly.
"What a stubborn one… Very well. Forgive me."
Whoosh—
In an instant, Satch appeared beside her.
He knocked her twin swords aside, swept her leg out from under her, and when she fell, pressed his blade to her throat.
"Don't move," he said quietly.
"Miss Marine…"
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