When the three words Sabaody Archipelago came out of Kizaru's mouth, Carl felt an immediate sense of foreboding.
"Wait! Old man, a place like the Sabaody Archipelago shouldn't be assigned to a mere colonel, right?!"
Sabaody was located at the very front of the Red Line, just before Mariejois. It served as a critical hub, connecting the Grand Line to the New World. Given its proximity to Marineford and Mariejois, it was a place riddled with complexities—Marines, pirates, Cipher Pol agents, human traffickers, underground criminals, and even a former Pirate King's first mate.
Not to mention the Celestial Dragons, who treated it as their personal playground.
This wasn't just some backwater branch; it was a high-stakes political and military hotspot. How could a colonel possibly be in charge of it?!
"Hmm~? Is that so?" Kizaru pursed his lips and gave his signature lazy smirk. "But it should be fine for you, right?"
"There is a problem! A huge problem!" Carl shot up from his seat, visibly agitated. "A place like Sabaody is important enough to warrant a Vice Admiral! How do you expect a mere colonel to handle it?!"
"I'm just a colonel! A colonel, damn it!"
"Hmm~ don't get too worked up, Carl," Kizaru waved a hand nonchalantly. "Sabaody is actually a perfect place for you~"
"Hah? And how exactly is that?" Carl's expression darkened.
"Well, think about it~" Kizaru's tone was as casual as ever. "With your strength, there's no one on Sabaody who could actually threaten you, right?"
Carl frowned but remained silent, processing Kizaru's words.
It was true. The only true top-tier fighter stationed there was Silvers Rayleigh, former first mate of the Roger Pirates.
But Rayleigh had long retired and, for the most part, kept to himself. His only recorded confrontation in recent years was when he clashed with Kizaru at the Auction House—but even then, he seemed more interested in protecting Camie than starting a real fight.
More importantly, Rayleigh was a Haki specialist. He didn't rely on Devil Fruits, meaning Carl had no reason to worry about unpredictable abilities.
Because if there was one thing Carl truly feared, it was the sheer number of hax abilities running rampant in the world.
There were fruit powers so absurdly broken that just touching someone could mean instant defeat—like the Hobby-Hobby no Mi, which could erase a person's existence with a single touch, or the Ope-Ope no Mi, which could literally switch people's bodies.
The thought alone made Carl shudder.
Seeing that Carl wasn't arguing, Kizaru continued, "So you see~ Sabaody is actually safe for you. And since it's right next to Marineford, if there's ever any real trouble…"
"If you request backup, we'll be there in no time~"
"…And it is a pretty prosperous place, you know~?"
Carl exhaled a puff of smoke, his mind momentarily drifting to the prosperity Kizaru mentioned.
Sabaody was a major commercial hub—after all, it was a hotspot for both wealthy merchants and high-class visitors, including the Celestial Dragons themselves. If nothing else, it wouldn't be boring.
But then Carl frowned, suddenly recalling something.
"Wait a minute, old man," he muttered. "I distinctly remember that Sabaody is frequented by the Celestial Dragons." He took another drag from his cigar before continuing. "I'm not exactly good at dealing with those pieces of garbage."
"Oh~ that's scary, Carl," Kizaru said, feigning shock. "You're actually saying something so dangerous~"
His tone, however, was completely indifferent.
"Well~ if you don't like dealing with the Celestial Dragons, just ignore them~"
Carl's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ignore them?"
"Hmm~ After all, you're a Marine, not a CP0 agent," Kizaru added, shrugging.
Carl instantly understood what Kizaru was implying.
The Marines were the military arm of the World Government, but that didn't mean they were direct subordinates of the Celestial Dragons.
The true watchdogs of the Celestial Dragons were the elite agents of Cipher Pol, especially CP0.
And as far as Marine leadership went, very few of them actually respected the so-called World Nobles.
Garp openly mocked them. Sengoku tolerated them, but only out of duty. Even Admirals like Akainu, who strongly believed in absolute justice, held them in contempt.
None of the main faction of Marines actually served the Celestial Dragons willingly.
The only ones who catered to them were either ambitious officers looking for promotions or corrupt individuals who enjoyed the status that came with being in their favor.
Carl smirked. "I see. That makes sense."
"In that case, fine—I'll take the Sabaody post."
"Agreed~ That's good," Kizaru said with a lazy grin. "For now, you can move freely around Marineford. This old man will report to Sengoku, and then help arrange your assignment."
While Admirals had enough authority to handle general deployments, Sabaody was too important.
It required Fleet Admiral Sengoku's approval.
"Wait a second, old man." Carl put out his cigar in the ashtray, then locked eyes with Kizaru. "Since I'm stationed at Sabaody, does that mean I have the authority to clean up the garbage on the island?"
Kizaru blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then he smirked.
"You mean human traffickers, underground gangsters, and pirates?" Kizaru mused. "Hmm~ well, that is part of a Marine's job, isn't it?"
"In theory, yes~"
"Though, I have to admit~ I didn't expect you to be the type to take initiative."
Given Carl's previous attitude, Kizaru had assumed he would be the type to avoid trouble unless absolutely necessary.
Carl waved a hand dismissively. "You misunderstand, old man. I just wanted to confirm my authority."
"If trash like that gets in my way, I'll know what to do."
"Ahh, I see," Kizaru nodded. "Well, since you're the garrison commander, it's your call~"
"Oh, by the way, old man…" Carl glanced toward Kizaru's desk. "Didn't you say I could take some cigars? Where do you keep them?"
"…" Kizaru stared blankly for a moment before pointing at a nearby cabinet.
"It's in there~"
Carl walked over, opened the cabinet, and his eyes widened slightly.
"Damn, you hoard these things," he muttered, eyeing the neatly stacked humidors. He grabbed a large handful before turning back toward the door.
"Thanks, old man."
With that, he left.
As soon as Carl was out of sight, Kizaru's expression shifted. He finally turned his gaze toward the wounds Carl had inflicted during their spar.
"…To think he actually managed to cut me," Kizaru murmured, touching the shallow slashes.
Even Whitebeard's shockwaves hadn't left such a clear mark during the Summit War.
"This is… quite an unbelievable force."
His lips curled slightly as he scratched his head.
"Looks like I'll have to report this to Sengoku."
"At such a young age, he's already this strong…"
"It's really scary~ The young people of this generation…"
With that, his body turned into light—and he disappeared.
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