"As you can see, I'm the 'merely' Colonel Marine you call me," Carl said calmly, exhaling a smoke ring as if the blood-soaked floor was nothing unusual.
"How is that possible?! Do you take me for a fool?!" Disco's sunglasses nearly slipped off his face as he turned to the remaining men in black, roaring, "Shoot! Keep firing! Don't stop until he's dead!"
The men in black hesitated, but fear of their boss outweighed their survival instincts, and they pulled the trigger once more. Meanwhile, Disco seized the opportunity and bolted deeper into the auction house.
"I've had enough of this nonsense." Carl exhaled, his fingers tightening around the handle of Sakura Ten. "So, you don't need to exist anymore."
"Tenkū o kirisaku—Draw and Slash!"
A ripple of compressed Sword Qi silently spread through the air, as subtle as a stone disturbing a calm lake.
For a brief moment, there was only silence.
Then—
Heads rolled.
Blood erupted in violent geysers, painting the walls and floors crimson. The once rowdy hall fell into an eerie stillness as the last bodies slumped to the ground.
Outside the auction house, Major March and Major Bright exchanged glances.
Colonel Carl had ordered them to hold position, but since the moment the gunfire stopped, not a single person had emerged from within. Instead, blood had begun seeping from the shattered doorway, forming a dark puddle at their feet.
There was no need to ask what had happened inside.
Inside, Disco sprinted frantically toward the inner chambers, his heart pounding like a war drum.
He nearly tripped over himself as he reached a secured room, his trembling hands fumbling to grab the Den Den Mushi.
"Pick up, pick up—young master, pick up!"
His voice cracked as he anxiously glanced back toward the door, expecting Carl to appear at any moment.
Though he hadn't seen what had happened, the implications were obvious—his men had been wiped out in mere seconds.
The ringing felt endless.
Then—
Click.
"Heh?" A familiar voice came through the receiver.
"Young Master! It's me, Disco!" he sputtered, nearly sobbing in relief.
Doflamingo, on the other end, let out a small chuckle. "Fuffuffuffu~ You calling me at this hour—something must've happened."
"I—"
Disco's words caught in his throat.
A thin red line appeared across his neck.
A moment later, his head slid cleanly from his shoulders.
Carl casually pressed a hand against the corpse's shoulder, allowing the lifeless body to collapse onto the floor with a dull thud.
The Den Den Mushi crackled as Doflamingo's voice turned sharp.
"Oi…?!"
Carl picked up the receiver. "Donquixote Doflamingo?"
A pause.
Then—
"Fuffuffuffu…" The laughter on the other end grew more amused. "Who are you? You took out Disco?"
"That's right." Carl took a slow drag from his cigar before exhaling. "The name's Solomon Carl—currently stationed in Sabaody as Marine Base Commander."
"Oh? That name does ring a bell." Doflamingo's tone shifted slightly. "So you're the one who gave Hawkeye some trouble back in East Blue. Interesting."
"A powerhouse with zero reputation for over a decade suddenly appears and starts shaking things up? Fuffuffuffu~ Now that's suspicious."
Carl's expression remained neutral.
Doflamingo was no fool. As one of the Shichibukai and a kingpin of the underworld, his intelligence network rivaled even that of the Cipher Pol agencies.
Within moments of learning Carl's name, he had already pieced together a rough profile.
"What exactly are you planning?" Doflamingo mused.
Carl smirked, tapping the ash off his cigar. "You're thinking too much."
"Look, I don't care about your business here in Sabaody." His voice turned cold. "But if you send your people after me again, it won't end as easily next time."
And with that, Carl hung up.
New World, Dressrosa
Within the royal palace, Doflamingo sat upon his extravagant throne, his fingers tapping against the armrest in contemplation.
His face was obscured by the shadows, but the air around him grew heavy.
"Solomon Carl… Fuffuffuffu… A man like you hiding for more than a decade? There's no way you don't have a plan."
His fingers suddenly clenched—
CRACK.
The wine glass in his grasp shattered, sending shards tumbling onto the marble floor.
"No matter what you're scheming…" His voice darkened.
"…I'll be sure to return the favor."
Sabaody Archipelago – Underground Auction House
Carl hadn't walked far before something caught his attention.
A room.
His gaze flickered toward the heavily reinforced metal doors.
Behind them, a suffocating aura of life force burned within his Kenbunshoku Haki like a beacon.
He stepped forward.
The moment he pushed open the doors, dozens of eyes turned to him.
"Mmmmf!!"
The room was filled with imprisoned slaves—civilians, pirates, Fish-Men—even Mermaids.
Not the hybrid-bodied Fish-Men, but true mermaids with dazzling tails, shackled and displayed like exotic trophies.
Their terrified gazes fixated on Carl.
Shouts, pleas, and sobs erupted at once.
"H-Help us!"
"Marine-san! Please!"
"I have money! I can pay you! Just get me out of here!"
Most of them wore thick explosive collars, designed to detonate at the press of a button.
Carl swept his gaze across the room.
Then, his eyes settled on a single figure—
A frail old man with white hair, sitting in the farthest corner.
Despite his tattered clothes, his presence burned like a dying star.
Carl's expression sharpened.
Even in a room of hundreds, this man's life force was like a beacon.
He stepped forward, his Sakura Ten glinting under the dim lights.
The slaves quieted as his cold voice cut through the air.
"I'll let you all go."
His fingers wrapped around Sakura Ten's hilt.
"…But I won't deal with your collars."
His blade flashed.
A single Tobu Zangeki—a compressed air slash—swept through the room like a whisper.
Chains, shackles, and locks split apart effortlessly.
The metal doors swung open with a resounding CLANG.
Stunned silence.
One by one, the captives stared at their freed limbs.
"I…I'm free?" A pirate's voice cracked.
"Woo-hoohoohoooo!! I never thought I'd live to see this day!"
The relief was overwhelming—
Yet in the corner, the white-haired old man remained still.
Carl met his gaze.
For the first time in years, Silvers Rayleigh—the Dark King—smirked.
"You found me, huh?"
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