One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

After returning to headquarters, Carl instructed his subordinates to compile a summary report of the mission's execution for Fleet Admiral Kong. Meanwhile, Carl himself took Nico Olvia and young Robin back to Mary Geoise.

On the way to the Figarland Family's estate, Olvia noticed a peculiar sight. The Celestial Dragons they encountered along the way behaved unusually respectfully toward Carl. While they didn't bow and scrape, their demeanor toward him was something entirely unexpected from Celestial Dragons.

Olvia, holding Robin's small hand tightly, followed Carl closely, feeling a mix of curiosity and astonishment. She knew Carl was a Celestial Dragon, but she didn't know his family name. If she had known Carl was a Figarland, her vast knowledge of history would have instantly clarified the source of this respect.

When they arrived at the gates of the Figarland family estate, even Olvia, who was accustomed to traveling extensively, was left speechless. Compared to this estate, the palaces of so-called kings and nobles she had seen were utterly insignificant. The Figarland estate was also far larger and grander than any of the Celestial Dragon residences she had passed along the way.

The golden-armored guards at the gate greeted Carl with a respectful "Young Master," to which Carl nodded slightly before leading Olvia and Robin inside.

As Olvia followed Carl, she couldn't help but speculate about his true identity. As a historian, she was well-versed in the history of the Celestial Dragons, especially the seven most prestigious families. From Carl's demeanor and strength, she deduced that he must belong to the most distinguished of them—the Figarland family!

This realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. When Carl brought them to Garling's chambers and casually addressed him as "Uncle Garling," Olvia's suspicions were finally confirmed. Garling, the head of the Figarland family and its current patriarch, was speaking warmly and laughing with Carl.

Olvia stood frozen in disbelief. She had thought Carl's identity as a Celestial Dragon was already shocking enough, but to learn he was from the Figarland family was almost beyond comprehension.

Garling cast only a brief glance at Olvia and Robin before returning to his conversation with Carl over tea.

The uncle and nephew sat opposite each other, discussing events that had transpired during Carl's absence. When the destruction of Ohara came up, Garling commented indifferently:

"They took our stipends and didn't accomplish anything meaningful. Worse yet, they blatantly defied our laws. They brought this upon themselves."

Carl chuckled in agreement.

"Indeed, Uncle, that was my exact thought."

Hearing this exchange, Olvia could only manage a bitter smile. To these individuals who truly stood at the top, Ohara wasn't even a pawn on their chessboard.

Garling took a sip of tea and continued,

"I heard from my contacts at the news agencies that the Navy summoned them immediately after the Ohara incident. By the time they arrived, the flames hadn't even been extinguished."

"That's right. I told them to move quickly. Timeliness matters! By the way, I didn't know Uncle Garling had ties to the news world."

Garling smirked.

"I've got a few 'pawns' in there. Honestly, I'd almost forgotten about them if not for your involvement this time."

"Haha, as expected of Uncle Garling."

Garling rolled his eyes at Carl, though it was more indulgent than reproachful.

"You! Don't you know those reporters will say anything? Some are even trying to exploit Ohara's civilians to criticize you."

"Oh, I expected that. But so far, I haven't seen any reports targeting me. Most of the negativity seems aimed at Fleet Admiral Kong."

Garling sneered.

"That's because those fools will never open their mouths again. A bunch of commoners daring to speak ill of the Figarland family? As for Kong, why should I care about an outsider?"

Carl nodded, smiling.

"Thank you, Uncle Garling. Barking dogs can indeed be annoying."

This remark prompted Carl to fall into a contemplative silence. The incident had reminded him of the importance of controlling public opinion.

In the world of pirates, even the World Government couldn't fully control the narrative, as the news industry was part of the "underworld." For example, the world's largest news organization, the World Economy News Paper, was headed by Morgans, a maverick who cared little for the World Government's directives.

While Morgans was undoubtedly dedicated to his craft, Carl had no intention of leaving such a critical tool in the hands of an unreliable individual. Since Morgans wasn't yet in power at this point in time, Carl decided to insert someone trustworthy into the organization, someone who could eventually replace Morgans as its head. This way, Carl could ensure the world would only hear the voices he wanted them to hear.

Noticing Carl's contemplative expression, Garling didn't pry but quietly sipped his tea until Carl finally spoke:

"Uncle Garling, how is Darian's chamber these days?"

"Why ask about that all of a sudden? Thinking of changing rooms? It's been cleaned, but if you want, I can have a new one built to your specifications. There's plenty of space on the estate."

"No, I'm quite comfortable where I am. If I were to change, it wouldn't be to there."

"Fine. The family estate is yours to do with as you please, anyway."

"Great! Then I'll have Darian's chambers converted into a library. After all, I now have the world's most extensive collection of books."

"Oh? When did you become interested in reading? Still, reading more is good for sharpening the mind."

"It's not for me. The books are from Ohara, and I plan to have Olvia compile a new history book. It'll serve as a future textbook."

"What's the idea behind this?"

"It's to educate the empty-headed masses, so they don't overreact to every rumor and stir up unnecessary trouble."

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+185 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg