"Alright, keep training. I have to take care of something," Carl waved his hand dismissively and walked away without further explanation.
Back in his office, Carl sat in his chair and continued analyzing the abilities of Six Paths Samsara. After experimenting with it for a while, the excitement in his heart finally settled. His eyes drifted toward the latest bounty poster lying on his desk.
It was an updated bounty issued just yesterday.
A familiar face—wearing a straw hat—was featured prominently, with his bounty now raised to 300 million.
"Monkey D. Luffy…" Carl muttered.
Previously, after the Alabasta incident, Luffy's bounty had reached 100 million. However, following the recent events at Enies Lobby—where the Straw Hat Pirates had declared war on the World Government—their captain's bounty had skyrocketed to 300 million.
"This means… Ace should already be in Blackbeard's hands and on his way to Marineford," Carl noted.
He wasn't particularly concerned about Luffy or Ace as individuals. What truly mattered was the war their actions would ignite.
A historic battle was looming—one that would shake the entire world.
At Marineford, the full force of the Marines—100,000 elite soldiers, the Three Admirals, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Hero of the Marines Garp, and a legion of Vice Admirals—would clash against the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors. The Shichibukai would join the fray, as would criminals from Impel Down, and ultimately, Blackbeard would make his move.
A concentration of powerhouses like this was unheard of. The sheer destructive force would be beyond imagination.
No wonder Marineford itself had to be relocated after the war.
"Still, it's not my time to get involved in that yet," Carl muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Right now, my focus is on the Supernovas arriving in Sabaody…"
However, despite his previous interference with the Human Auction House, the incident he expected still unfolded.
Sabaody Archipelago – Area 1
With the Marines' previous crackdown, many thought the underground auction house had been permanently shut down. However, opportunists quickly seized the vacant space.
Human traffickers reclaimed Area 1, resuming their slave auctions without hesitation.
Time passed.
One by one, the Worst Generation began arriving in Sabaody.
The so-called Supernovas—pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries—were gathering. Their infamy grew rapidly.
Then, just as fate dictated, the event that defined their arrival occurred.
In the auction house, Celestial Dragons had once again sought to buy slaves, oblivious to the chaos about to erupt.
Marineford – Naval Headquarters
In his office, Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood in front of a massive sea chart, deep in thought. Across from him, Admiral Kizaru sat leisurely, sipping tea.
They had just concluded a meeting regarding Portgas D. Ace's fate. Discussions on how to counter Whitebeard's response were still ongoing.
Then—
"Report!"
The door burst open as a Marine officer rushed in, panting heavily.
"Marshal Sengoku! Emergency report—Celestial Dragons have been attacked!"
Sengoku's eyes widened. "What did you say?!"
"The Straw Hat Pirates assaulted a Celestial Dragon in Sabaody Archipelago! What's worse, they took them hostage!"
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Three Celestial Dragons captured…?" Sengoku exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.
"According to intelligence, the attack involved not only the Straw Hat Crew, but also Eustass 'Captain' Kid, Trafalgar Law, and their crews. A total of thirteen pirates participated."
"Five of them are Supernovas with bounties exceeding 100 million."
"And the main culprit behind the attack on Celestial Dragons is Monkey D. Luffy!"
A tense atmosphere filled the office.
Sengoku slammed his fist on the table. "Why now?!"
Would it have killed those Celestial Dragon idiots to stay in Mariejois for once?!
The timing couldn't be worse.
If the attacker had been any random pirate, the response would be straightforward—capture, execute, and move on. After all, neither the Marines nor the World Government particularly liked the Celestial Dragons.
But this was different.
This was Garp's grandson.
And they had just finalized Ace's execution.
Executing one grandson of Garp was already a political nightmare. But now, if they went after another one…?
Kizaru finally spoke, his voice calm as always.
"Oh my, that's the same kid who destroyed Enies Lobby, right? That's really scary~" he said, pouting.
Then he stood up, stretching lazily.
"Well, I guess it's time for me to move."
He turned to Sengoku.
"Since the Celestial Dragons were attacked, it means we have to send an Admiral—that's the rule, isn't it?"
Sengoku sighed. "Yeah… Do it."
At the very least, Solomon Carl was stationed at Sabaody.
Maybe—just maybe—he could contain the situation until Kizaru arrived.
"Contact Carl," Sengoku ordered. "Tell him to deal with the situation first."
Kizaru chuckled. "Oh? With how strong Carl is, maybe by the time I get there, he'll already have things handled~"
Sengoku nodded. "Let's hope so."
Sabaody Archipelago – Marine Base
Carl sat in his office, staring at the latest intelligence report.
He was stunned.
"Wait… what?!"
Hadn't he already destroyed the Human Auction House?
How the hell did this still happen?!
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.
Carl sighed, already knowing who it was.
He picked it up, and the transponder snail's face immediately twisted into a familiar lazy smirk.
"Yoo-hoo~ Carl~"
Carl pinched the bridge of his nose.
"…Old man," he muttered.
Kizaru's voice remained as carefree as ever.
"So~ your station has a little problem right now."
"The Celestial Dragons have been attacked and kidnapped. The old man is on his way, but for now, I'll leave it to you~"
Carl's mouth twitched.
"Understood," he said flatly.
The call ended.
Carl slowly exhaled.
Then, a cold, murderous aura radiated from his body.
Those idiotic Celestial Dragons.
He had already shut down the auction house. What more did they want?!
"…Tsk. What a pain."
Carl stepped out onto the balcony and yelled, "Marines, assemble immediately!!"
Throughout the base, Marines jolted to attention, rushing outside.
Everyone could hear the deadly seriousness in Colonel Carl's voice.
Bright and March arrived first.
Carl turned to them and gave the order.
"Form up the troops and march to the illegal zone. I'll go ahead."
"Yes, sir!"
Bright and March saluted instinctively, not even questioning the urgency.
The entire Marine force stationed in Sabaody began mobilizing.
Carl, however, didn't wait.
In a blink, his figure disappeared.
Using his Haki, he pinpointed the exact location where a heavy concentration of malice was gathering.
Seconds later—
Carl landed in Area 27.
Before him stood an overwhelming number of pirates.
The hunt had begun.
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