One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

Three months later, Roger returned.

This time, his demeanor seemed much calmer, as if he had shed his former sharpness.

However, the first thing he said upon stepping onto the Oro Jackson was,

"Prepare all the ships. We're attacking Marineford!"

The news shook the world.

Hearing this, Marine Headquarters immediately entered a state of high alert.

In the conference room of the headquarters, the top brass of the Marines were gathered. Many of the faces now sitting at the table were new additions to the upper ranks.

After Fleet Admiral Kong finished explaining that Roger planned to wage war against the Marines, Sakazuki slammed his fist on the table and roared,

"Ridiculous! A mere pirate dares to challenge us Marines?"

Borsalino shrugged nonchalantly and said,

"The Pirate King… tch tch, what a scary title."

He spoke with a slight smirk, but behind his amber-tinted sunglasses, a sharp glint flashed—cold and dangerous, like a hidden blade ready to strike, radiating an invisible yet chilling menace.

Kuzan exhaled a breath of frosty air and said coldly,

"Pirate King? Hmph, when he meets someone like Carl, he's nothing...."

Aramaki nodded, uncharacteristically agreeing with Kuzan's words.

Sengoku the Buddha exchanged a glance with Vice Admiral Tsuru. The five people who had just spoken were considered the leading figures of the new generation in the Marines—unmatched in both strength and merits.

Figures like them often had strong personalities and distinct interpretations of justice, which divided them into hawks, doves, or neutrals.

But now, all five exuded an unmistakable hawkish aura!

Realizing this, Sengoku and Tsuru instinctively glanced at the empty seat to Kong's left. That seat belonged to Carl, and Sakazuki and the others sat below it in order of rank.

In this room, seating arrangements were not arbitrary. For instance, below Sengoku sat Tsuru, followed by other senior Marine officers.

As the de facto leader of his line, Sengoku represented the "old guard."

For Sakazuki and his peers, their leader was undoubtedly Carl.

Kong, as the highest authority in the Marines, saw all this more clearly than Sengoku and Tsuru. He understood that in the current situation, the Marines needed someone like Carl and the hawkish faction he represented to step up.

However, Carl had not shown up, and Kong had no choice but to turn to Lucia, who was sitting near Kuma, and ask,

"Lucia, do you know where Carl is?"

For the past three months, Carl had rarely appeared at headquarters, and his Den Den Mushi was often unreachable. If not for this, the Roger Pirates might not have expanded so freely.

Lucia shook her head gently and replied,

"Fleet Admiral Kong, I don't know where Admiral Black Dragon is right now, but I can try to contact him."

As soon as she finished speaking, a dark vortex appeared at Carl's empty seat. Dressed in a black cloak, Carl emerged.

Kong was momentarily stunned before his expression turned to joy.

"You've finally returned!"

Carl nodded and said,

"My apologies, Fleet Admiral. I'm late."

His voice carried a hint of exhaustion. He even yawned before sitting down and casually greeting Sakazuki beside him.

Seeing this, Kong couldn't help but ask,

"You look tired. Are you unwell?"

Carl chuckled.

"No, I'm just a bit sleepy. Perhaps I've been too busy these past few years."

Indeed, over the years, Carl had been at the center of every major event at sea, earning him the reputation of the hardest-working Marine.

While Kong wanted to let Carl take a proper break, Carl's competence made it hard to grant him the rest he deserved.

In truth, Carl's weariness wasn't new. For the past few months, he had been staying at his family's estate, sleeping day and night.

It wasn't until Garling used his Conqueror's Haki to rouse him and inform him of Roger's plan to attack Marineford that Carl finally returned.

At first, Carl was stunned. He had assumed the Roger Pirates were on the brink of disbanding, with Roger retreating to Baterilla to spend his final days in peace.

Planning to rest for a few months before leading a force, Carl had never expected Roger to expand his crew and prepare to attack Marine Headquarters!

Upon hearing the situation from Garling, Carl didn't even change his clothes. Using his spatial ability, he immediately returned to Marineford. After learning from his aide Ginny that Kong was holding a meeting, Carl rushed straight to the conference room.

After Kong briefed Carl on the details, Carl confirmed the situation.

His response was straightforward:

"If Roger is courting death, let's grant his wish. No need to wait for him to come here. I'll lead the charge. Marineford is not a place a pirate can come and go as they please."

"Agreed!"

Before Kong could respond, Sakazuki roared his approval, startling Borsalino beside him. The temperature around Sakazuki seemed to rise sharply.

Sakazuki was ecstatic. Carl's words resonated with him deeply. From the beginning, something about the situation had felt off, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Now, Carl's statement made it clear.

Why were the Marines preparing to defend against a pirate attack?

Since when did the Marines become the ones on the defensive?

Was it just because Roger called himself the Pirate King?

Marineford was their stronghold! Waiting for the enemy to arrive was nothing short of an insult to justice.

To Sakazuki, if Fleet Admiral Kong was willing to entertain such a notion, it was a sign of his age. Perhaps it was time for Kong to step down, and for Carl to take the helm as Fleet Admiral.

Even Kuzan, usually calm and composed, now looked at Carl with fervent admiration. As a Logia Ice-Ice Fruit user, his emotions inadvertently caused a chill to spread around him, contrasting sharply with the scorching heat radiating from Sakazuki.

Caught between the two, Borsalino finally stood up with a wry smile.

"Admiral Black Dragon is right! Shall we head out now?"

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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg