The Six Forms displayed by Carl were still unpolished. His techniques lacked refinement, yet they already possessed devastating power.
"Alright, old man Garp, I've pretty much got the hang of it. I'll train by myself later," Carl waved his hand at Garp, who stood across from him.
"No, wait—!" Garp raised his hand, but before he could finish, Carl had already vanished using Shave (Soru).
Garp's face darkened.
"I haven't even had my fun yet!"
His frustrated roar echoed across the training grounds.
Outside, Koby and Helmeppo exchanged awkward glances.
Meanwhile, Carl continued practicing Shave, unintentionally smashing through a few buildings along the way. The problem lay in his execution—he wasn't holding back. Every time he stepped, he exerted full force, resulting in an almost uncontrollable burst of speed. He needed more time to refine it.
Meanwhile, in the Fleet Admiral's Office…
Kizaru sat leisurely on the couch, legs crossed, sipping from a cup of tea. Across from him, Fleet Admiral Sengoku rested his arms on the table, his expression grave.
"Polusalino, your assessment of Solomon Carl—has it been completed?" Sengoku's deep voice cut through the silence.
Kizaru tilted his head slightly, a lazy smile forming.
"That's right~" he drawled. "The old man even went out of his way to have a little sparring session with him."
He lifted a hand, flexing his fingers idly.
"Well~ I got injured. These young folks nowadays… really terrifying~"
Sengoku's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"You were injured?"
It was a noteworthy statement. Among the three Admirals, Kizaru possessed the fastest reflexes. His Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit) allowed him to move at the speed of light, making it exceedingly difficult to land a hit on him.
"That's right~" Kizaru confirmed, still sounding as indifferent as ever. "If we're talking about raw strength… I'd say he's already near Admiral-level combat power~"
His voice remained light, but the weight of his words was immeasurable.
Sengoku's eyes widened.
"…What did you just say?"
Kizaru smiled, watching as Sengoku's expression darkened with disbelief.
"Polusalino… do you realize what you're claiming?!"
Admirals were Marine Headquarters' highest combat forces. Below them were the Vice Admirals—dozens in number. But Admirals? There were only three, and each was a world-shaking powerhouse.
Admirals wielded authority far beyond their rank, each possessing a Golden Den Den Mushi, allowing them to initiate a Buster Call at will—one of the most terrifying military operations the World Government could unleash.
For someone as young as Carl to have reached that level… it was absurd.
Sengoku's shock was understandable.
"I'm certain~" Kizaru continued, his usual carefree tone now carrying a slight seriousness.
"His swordsmanship, Haki, physical strength, and even the strange abilities he displayed… every aspect of his combat style is terrifyingly refined."
"From what I saw, Solomon Carl is either close to—or already at—Admiral-level combat power."
Sengoku took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. His hands rested beneath his chin, his mind racing.
"If what you say is true… then the future of the Marines may have found its next pillar."
However, Sengoku knew raw power wasn't enough.
"The key question is—does he truly fight for justice?"
The Marine's generational gap was becoming more and more apparent.
The older generation was a collection of legendary figures: Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Marine Hero Garp, and the Three Admirals—each a monster in their own right.
But beyond them?
There was a clear lack of successors.
Vice Admirals were competent but none had Admiral potential. Even the two Admiral candidates, Tokikake (Tea Dolphin) and Gion (Momousagi), were far from reaching that threshold.
That was why, after the Summit War, the Marines were forced to conduct worldwide conscriptions to fill their ranks—ultimately appointing Fujitora and Ryokugyu as new Admirals.
Even among younger promising officers, the gap was enormous. The likes of Smoker and Hina were still leagues below Admiral status.
And now, suddenly, a Marine younger than Smoker had emerged—one who had already reached such a level?
Not even Sengoku could believe it.
Kizaru chuckled, his smirk widening.
"Well~ as for his sense of justice," Kizaru mused, "I'd say… he's pretty similar to the old man~"
A dangerous glint flickered in Sengoku's eyes.
"…Wait. Similar to you?"
A deep unease settled in his chest.
If Carl's philosophy aligned with Kizaru's, didn't that mean—
"That's right~" Kizaru's lips curled into a mischievous grin.
Sengoku sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Forget it. It doesn't matter."
No matter his justice, Carl had already joined the Marines. The next step was arranging his assignment.
"Anyway, now that he's officially enlisted, we should place him somewhere appropriate," Sengoku muttered.
Kizaru's smirk remained unchanged.
"That's already been settled~ The old man suggested sending him to the Sabaody Archipelago."
Sengoku frowned.
"Sabaody?"
That place was nothing short of a nightmare.
Celestial Dragons, human traffickers, mercenaries, pirate crews, rogue Marines, Cipher Pol, bounty hunters—Sabaody was a chaotic melting pot.
That was precisely why there was no formal garrison commander stationed there. It was a hot potato no one wanted to touch.
But if Carl's strength was truly on par with an Admiral…
"This arrangement… might actually work," Sengoku murmured.
After all, in this world—
Force is justice. Fist is truth.
Kizaru leaned back, grinning.
"That's why I came to report~"
Meanwhile, at Marineford's Training Grounds…
Carl continued honing his mastery over Shave.
The Marine Headquarters training ground was vast, with many open areas for practice. Despite dozens of Marines training in the distance, Carl's presence drew all attention.
A sharp whoosh echoed through the air as he vanished and reappeared in rapid succession.
"Shave!"
Shave!
Shave!
A whirlwind of afterimages flickered around the battlefield.
The nearby Marines gawked in disbelief.
"…That's insane!"
"Is he really human?!"
"It looks like he's teleporting!"
One Marine's eyes bulged.
"How is he moving like that?! He's literally disappearing and reappearing in an instant!"
Another turned to his superior.
"Sir! Who is that?!"
The Marine officer struggled to keep his composure, his mouth hanging open.
Then, snapping out of his daze, he barked at them.
"Why are you gawking?! Get back to training! You'll never reach that level if you keep slacking!"
…Though, inwardly, he had a different thought.
"No matter how hard they train… they probably won't ever reach that level…"
Meanwhile, Carl was too focused to care about the murmurs.
He finally halted, exhaling.
"Alright… let's try Moonwalk."
Moonwalk (Geppō) was a direct extension of Shave, applying the same principle to midair movement.
He kicked downward.
Sa!
Carl soared sideways, accelerating like a projectile.
"BOOM!"
A gaping hole exploded in the training ground wall.
Marines turned their heads in confusion.
"…What the hell was that?!"
"A cannon blast?!"
Emerging from the rubble, Carl coughed awkwardly.
"…Too much force again."
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