Shua! A slash landed on the hilt of the small black sword.
Countless electric currents gathered around the hilt, forming a violent surge of energy. In the next second, the energy rushed toward the tip of the blade, unleashing a high-speed beam that tore forward with immense force.
Boom! The stone lion ahead was effortlessly destroyed!
Boom! The Golden Lion was completely engulfed by the beam!
No one knew how much time had passed. The stone lions had long since crumbled and fallen into the sea.
As the beam gradually faded, the Golden Lion's figure reappeared. A massive hole had been blasted through his chest, and blood poured out like a waterfall. His once fierce eyes had lost their light.
"I... I lost again... Lost to someone from the East Blue... again..." Golden Lion muttered weakly.
Carl remained silent, sheathing Obsidian. The seven small black swords in front of him showed clear signs of melting. These swords were specially forged from a rare black iron, their hardness comparable to that of high-quality blades. Yet now, they were damaged—proof of how much energy had been concentrated in the electromagnetic attack.
"I lost... I am the Golden Lion..."
He couldn't finish his sentence. His body slowly collapsed and fell.
Carl used his Observation Haki to confirm that Golden Lion's life force had completely faded. Finally, he let out a sigh of relief. His body wavered—he nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
This battle had drained him too much.
He had wanted to end things quickly, but Golden Lion had tricked him earlier, making the fight far more difficult than expected. His lack of experience against powerful opponents had been a major setback. Defeating the legendary Golden Lion should not have been this hard.
This was a lesson. He needed to stop underestimating his enemies.
Carl knew he could now fight on par with a Marine Admiral, but if an Admiral went all out, victory would still be uncertain.
"I have to be more cautious in the future. I need to keep improving my strength and develop more unique techniques—otherwise, facing stronger opponents will be a real disadvantage."
Reflecting on the battle, Carl controlled his small black swords, using them to carry both himself and Golden Lion's body as he searched for an island.
Fortunately, it didn't take long before a small island appeared on the horizon.
It had a port and a bustling town. Even though it was already evening, people were still moving about, giving the place a lively atmosphere.
Wait… Evening?!
Carl suddenly realized the time, feeling a jolt of surprise.
Carl thought the battle with Golden Lion hadn't taken long, but he hadn't realized that an entire day had passed.
When he first encountered Golden Lion, it had been early in the morning, around the time of his daily training. But now, it was already evening. He had fought all day without even drinking a drop of water. At this moment, his stomach growled, finally making him aware of his exhaustion.
With that in mind, Carl hurriedly increased his speed.
However, his body was already pushed to its limits, and he ended up crashing directly onto the pier.
Luckily, no one was around—most people had likely gone to eat. But as Carl glanced toward the sea, he suddenly noticed a familiar vessel.
To call it a "ship" wasn't entirely accurate—it was actually a submarine!
And on its hull was a familiar circular smiley-face emblem.
"Heh, isn't this the Heart Pirates' ship? I didn't expect to run into them here! Perfect timing—I'm injured, so I'll just have Law patch me up!" Carl thought shamelessly.
In the original story, the Straw Hat Pirates and the Heart Pirates didn't form an alliance until two years later.
But that just proved Law wasn't a bad guy. Carl was confident that, as an injured man in need of medical attention, Law wouldn't refuse to help.
And while he was at it, why not get a ride to Alabasta? After all, his goal was to meet up with Luffy and the others.
Yeah, that sounded like a great plan!
With that decision made, Carl confidently walked up to the submarine and knocked on the door.
Before long, the door opened, revealing a large, white-furred bear—it was Bepo.
"Hey, Bepo! Take me to your captain," Carl greeted with a grin.
"Ah—y-you… you're with the Straw Hats…!"
Bepo was startled. He recognized Carl but had no idea why he was here, why he was injured, or how he even knew his name.
"The Lightning Swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates—Carl, reporting in!"
A calm, magnetic voice rang out.
Trafalgar Law stepped forward, his long nodachi in hand. Behind him stood two of his crew members—Shachi, with his green hat, and Penguin, in a black hat and white coat.
Carl wasn't too familiar with most of the Heart Pirates. Besides Law and Bepo, the rest of the crew didn't have much presence in the story.
Law stood opposite Carl, his expression unreadable. He showed no fear, but his sharp gaze fell on the body Carl carried.
"I don't know why you're here… but you've brought the corpse of Golden Lion with you. Did you kill him?"
Carl didn't waste time with explanations. He got straight to the point.
"Trafalgar, two things. First—heal my wounds. Second—take me to Alabasta. In return… I'll teach you Haki."
"Haki? I think I've heard of it before."
"Devil Fruits can change your fate, but Haki determines your survival. Haki is the mark of the strong. If you enter the New World without it, you'll suffer. If you're not careful, you'll be wiped out!"
"Alright, I agree!"
Law didn't hesitate. He gestured to Shachi and Penguin, and together, they helped Carl into the submarine's cabin.
Meanwhile, Bepo stood on the deck, looking at Golden Lion's lifeless body with an expression of pure disbelief.
One Day Later
Carl devoured the food on the table without restraint. His injuries had mostly healed—after all, they were mostly external wounds, and his real problem had been extreme exhaustion. After a full day of rest, he was feeling much better.
Of course, having a doctor like Law sped up the recovery process significantly.
"As expected of someone who ate the Op-Op Fruit. Your medical skills are incredible," Carl said casually before adding, "Hey, why don't you join the Straw Hat Pirates as our doctor? I can introduce you to my captain."
He had no problem openly trying to recruit Law.
The main reason? Carl wasn't sure if Chopper would still join the crew, considering how much the timeline had changed.
Bringing Law on board now could be a backup plan.
"Like hell he'd agree to that!"
Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin all shouted in unison, exasperated.
After spending some time with Carl, they had gotten a sense of what kind of person he was. As long as no one provoked him, he was actually pretty easygoing.
"Captain Carl, you're saying you took on Golden Lion for revenge, fought him alone, and then actually killed him?"
Law's voice carried both surprise and disbelief.
He had read about the battle in the newspapers, but he assumed the reports were exaggerated. He believed Luffy had potential, but he didn't think the other Straw Hat members were that powerful.
Yet now, standing before him, was a man who had actually taken down Golden Lion.
"Surprised? Luffy and the others were all trained by me. If I wasn't strong enough, how could I call myself their teacher?" Carl said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Law and his crew couldn't help but twitch at his words.
It seemed the entire world had underestimated the Straw Hat Pirates.
No wonder they managed to escape despite an Admiral personally hunting them down. Their strength was likely on par with—if not greater than—some of the Shichibukai.
For example… Doflamingo.
At that thought, Law unconsciously clenched his fists.
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