"Chef?" Brett was momentarily stunned before responding, "Yes, Colonel. We have designated cooks who prepare our meals."
"That's good to hear," Carl sighed in relief.
Back in East Blue, food was a luxury, and he had been forced to survive on dry rations for far too long. While he didn't mind a laid-back life reclining on deck, the quality of his meals still had a major impact on his mood.
"Alright, keep the course steady. I'll get some rest," Carl waved his hand dismissively and leaned back on his deck chair.
"Yes, sir!" Brett responded with a firm salute.
Had they been under a different commander, the soldiers might not have shown such deference. But Carl was a direct subordinate of Admiral Kizaru, and since they were also under Kizaru's command, following Carl's orders was second nature.
Their warship sailed smoothly across the sea, moving toward the Sabaody Archipelago. Being so close to Marineford, few dared to openly attack a Marine vessel in these waters.
Carl allowed himself to relax. He was just about to drift off to sleep when his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) suddenly flared with a warning.
"What the hell?!" His eyes snapped open, his irises flashing red with intensity.
A massive cannonball, larger than any standard shell, was hurtling toward them like a meteorite!
Two minutes earlier…
A pirate ship sailed toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Captain! Marine ship spotted dead ahead!" A pirate burst into the captain's cabin with urgency.
"Oh?" The pirate captain, Whitehead Morgan, a notorious figure with a bounty of 100 million berries, stood up with interest. "Did they send just one ship? Are they underestimating us?"
Stepping onto the deck, Whitehead grabbed a telescope and peered forward.
"Tch, it really is a Marine warship," he sneered. A cruel grin spread across his face. "If they think they can arrest us with just one ship, they're in for a rude awakening."
"Haha! That's right, Captain! Let's blow them out of the water!"
"Yeah! With your ability, Captain, you can sink them in one shot!"
"Hah! The Marines have been after us for a while, but they've never been able to do a damn thing!"
Whitehead's crew, the Smashing Pirates, had a fearsome reputation. They had razed several islands to the ground and fended off multiple Marine attempts to capture them. Even warships from Marine branch bases had been unable to take them down.
"Alright, men—bring me a cannonball!" Whitehead licked his lips in anticipation. "Time to sink these fools."
A crewman lugged a heavy cannonball onto the deck.
"Perfect."
Whitehead hefted the iron sphere in one hand, stepping forward. His muscles tensed as he activated his Devil Fruit power.
"Ha! Make it bigger!"
The cannonball expanded mid-air, swelling from its original size to a monstrous two-meter diameter!
With a powerful throw, he launched it straight at the Marine warship.
The attack was terrifying, the sheer force behind it akin to a meteor crashing from the sky.
Back on Carl's Warship…
"Enemy attack!" Brett shouted, his expression grim.
Every Marine on deck froze as they watched the enormous projectile hurtling toward them.
A sense of dread spread among the crew. Even Bright, despite being a trained officer, gritted his teeth and prepared to draw his saber—though he knew it would be useless against such an attack.
Then, in an instant—
SHING!
A streak of Haki-infused energy slashed through the air.
The massive cannonball, which had seemed unstoppable, was cleaved clean in half as though it were made of paper.
"Brett!" Carl's voice rang out from the deck.
"Y-Yes, Colonel Carl?!" Brett snapped back to his senses.
"Leave the ship to me," Carl ordered, his tone cold, barely concealing his rising fury.
"Yes, sir!" Brett quickly took charge, barking out commands to stabilize the warship.
Carl remained where he stood, his gaze darkening.
I barely close my eyes, and someone dares to disturb my sleep?
He had assumed that this close to Marineford, no pirate would be foolish enough to attack them. Clearly, he had underestimated their arrogance.
That attack just now… Carl frowned.
Was that a Devil Fruit ability that enlarged the cannonball?
His mind immediately went to Byrnndi World, the infamous "World Destroyer."
That guy has the Momo Momo no Mi, which lets him amplify the size and speed of anything he touches…
But Carl quickly dismissed the thought.
No, Byrnndi World should still be locked up in Impel Down.
That meant Whitehead had either eaten a similar but weaker Devil Fruit—or was using a different technique altogether.
On the Pirate Ship…
The Smashing Pirates stood in stunned silence, jaws slack.
"T-The hell just happened…?"
"The boss's cannonball—got destroyed?!"
"B-Boss! The Marine ship's still coming!"
Whitehead spat to the side, his face darkening. "Tch… I'll sink them for real this time."
Grabbing another cannonball, he smirked.
"There ain't a soul alive who can stop my attacks!"
He powered up his ability once more.
Shing!
The new cannonball doubled in size before he hurled it with all his strength.
"Hahahaha! Let's see them block this one!"
His crew cheered, convinced that this time the Marine ship would be obliterated.
But—
BOOM!
The cannonball didn't hit its target.
Instead, their eyes widened in horror as a man stood mid-air, holding the massive shell in one hand.
Carl had leaped into the sky using Geppo (Moonwalk), catching the projectile effortlessly.
His cape billowed behind him as he smirked.
"Guess it's not Byrnndi World after all," he muttered, glancing down at the panicked pirates. "But Moonwalk sure is convenient."
Lightning-like Haki crackled around his arm as he reinforced his grip.
A deep black sheen spread across the cannonball's surface as he coated it in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki).
"Here, have it back."
With a flick of his wrist, Carl hurled the projectile back at the enemy ship—twice as fast.
A pirate screamed.
"BOSS! THE CANNONBALL'S COMING BACK—"
"I SEE IT, DAMN IT!" Whitehead roared, grabbing another cannonball.
"Bigger!"
Two newly enlarged cannonballs were sent flying to intercept Carl's counterattack.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the air.
Both Marine and pirate alike instinctively covered their ears. The sheer force of the impact seemed to shake their very souls.
The Smashing Pirates' cannonballs were shattered—while Carl's projectile struck the ocean just beside their ship.
BOOM!
A towering wave exploded outward.
"C-Captain! The ship's shaking too much!"
The pirate vessel rocked violently, on the verge of capsizing.
Whitehead gritted his teeth.
"Dammit… I guess I'll have to use my real power!"
Dropping to the deck, he pressed both hands against the wooden planks.
"Enlarge!"
His veins bulged as his ability activated.
Before the stunned eyes of the Marine crew, the entire pirate ship began to swell—growing larger by the second.
Carl raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" he muttered, then smirked. "Now that's interesting."
Adopting a mocking tone, he quipped,
"It's really scary~"
He mimicked Kizaru's lazy drawl perfectly.
Whitehead's eye twitched.
"…Bastard."
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