THE ABSOLUTE HAKI IS COMPLETED

"A warship?"

Carl looked forward, narrowing his eyes.

On the distant sea horizon, a small black dot gradually expanded.

"It's really a Marine warship…" Carl muttered, exhaling lightly.

A warship meant no immediate threat, at least.

As the two vessels approached, they stopped side by side.

Lying on his reclining chair, Carl opened one eye and glanced over—

"Damn it! How is it you, old man?!"

"Hahahaha!"

A hearty, exaggerated laugh rang out from the deck of the other warship.

A towering old man, his signature dog-head cap covering his head, stood there with his arms crossed.

"Carl, you brat! So you really joined the Marines, huh?"

Carl took a deep breath. "Old man Garp… why are you back in East Blue?"

Then, he noticed a familiar figure tied up on the deck.

Monka.

Carl rubbed his temples, immediately understanding the situation.

"Ah, I see why you're here."

This time, Monka couldn't pull off his usual theatrics—his right arm, severed by Carl, had already sealed his fate.

"By the way, brat, has Colonel Josh from your branch contacted you yet?" Garp asked, suddenly recalling something.

"Contacted me?" Carl frowned. "If you mean about Krieg, the so-called 'Overlord of East Blue,' then yeah."

"Hah! That small fry?" Garp chomped down on a senbei, crunching loudly. "No, I meant something else."

Carl raised an eyebrow. Right… in Garp's eyes, someone like Krieg—who only had a 17 million beri bounty—wasn't even worth mentioning.

"Then what are you talking about? I haven't received any other news."

"Well, you'll find out soon anyway, so I might as well tell you directly." Garp swallowed his snack before grinning.

"The headquarters is calling for you. More precisely, that old bastard Sengoku is summoning you."

Carl blinked, stunned. "Wait… what?"

"Yeah, because of your strength, he's calling you to Marineford. He wants you stationed there before deciding on further arrangements."

Carl processed the words for a moment before his eyes widened.

"Huh?! Headquarters is recruiting me?!"

"Why're you looking at me like that?" Garp scratched his head. "It's not like I was the one who exposed your strength."

"Then who did?!" Carl glared at him. "Besides you, who else even knows about me?"

"You can't pin this on me," Garp chuckled, an odd smile forming on his face. "Didn't you fight Dracule Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

Carl's pupils contracted.

"…Wait, don't tell me…"

"Hmmm." Garp nodded. "Just what you're thinking."

"Bullshit! That Hawkeye bastard isn't the type to go around bragging." Carl's gaze turned sharp. "Old man… did you frame him?"

"Oi, brat! Watch your mouth! This old man isn't that kind of person!"

But Garp's expression flickered ever so slightly.

"Oh… I see through you now, old man!" Carl gritted his teeth.

"Cough… well, although I did mention your strength later, it wasn't me at first," Garp admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"It was actually Red-Haired Shanks and his crew who spread the word."

Carl's frown deepened. "Why the hell did the Red-Haired Pirates get involved?"

Then—he remembered.

Mihawk and Shanks were old friends.

Which meant Mihawk had probably told Shanks about their fight, and then that red-haired bastard had spread the news.

That damn swordsman…

"Heh. What they said was, and I quote—" Garp tossed another senbei into his mouth.

"'The man who injured Mihawk.'"

Carl fell silent.

…What the hell.

He had no idea how this mess had escalated.

"Well, you'd have found out eventually, so you might as well hear it now. So?" Garp grinned. "Want to come with me?"

Carl squinted at him. "Where?"

"The headquarters. If you travel with this old man, you'll get there much faster."

By "faster," Garp meant cutting through the Calm Belt, the infamously dangerous waters filled with Sea Kings.

But for a Marine hero like Garp? It was just another shortcut.

Carl, however, refused without hesitation.

"Hell no. Go on without me."

Go to the headquarters? Sure.

But not with Garp.

Still following him "closely"? No, thanks.

"I'd rather take my sweet time sailing."

Garp shrugged. "Fine. Suit yourself. See you at Marineford, then."

He gave a lazy wave before his warship began to pull away.

Carl returned the gesture without hesitation.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Every time he encountered Garp, it felt like a headache waiting to happen.

Just an hour later, the Den Den Mushi rang.

"Carl Ensign! Orders from headquarters—"

Carl sighed, already knowing what it was about.

After a few minutes of conversation, he hung up.

The message was the same as what Garp had told him.

No return to Branch 148—just a direct transfer to Marineford.

"Tch." Carl clicked his tongue. "Roy, turn the ship around. Next stop: Loguetown."

"Yes, sir!" Roy saluted, immediately adjusting their course.

Loguetown—the gateway to the Grand Line.

Carl exhaled deeply, sinking into his recliner.

"So, in the end… I'm heading to the Grand Line, huh?"

The Grand Line. A sea filled with endless monsters.

Still, it wasn't all bad. The first half, known as Paradise, was far more manageable than the New World.

That's why they called it "Paradise."

The real nightmares—Kaido, Big Mom, Blackbeard—were in the New World.

The strongest figures in the first half were people like Doflamingo and Boa Hancock—formidable, but not as monstrous as the Yonko.

Well… except for Mihawk.

That swordsman was an anomaly.

One day later—

"Report! Carl Ensign, there's an island ahead!"

Carl sat up. "An island?"

Roy checked the map. "Yes, sir. This should be Cecilford Island. There's a town here—Harrington Town."

"Oh?" Carl raised an eyebrow.

A populated island? That meant food, supplies, and rest.

A welcome change from canned goods and dry rations.

"Then let's dock," Carl ordered.

As the warship neared the shore, they lowered the wooden ladder.

Carl stepped off first.

"Strange…" He muttered.

The town was eerily silent.

Roy double-checked the map. "Sir, I can confirm this is Cecilford Island. The records say there should be about 200 residents."

Carl frowned. "Then where the hell is everyone?"

A flash of red flickered in his eyes.

Observation Haki—activated.

"Tsk. The town's ahead, but…" Carl's expression darkened.

"There's nobody there."

They walked further inland.

Harrington Town lay before them.

Or rather—what was left of it.

The buildings were intact, but the streets were a mess.

Scattered pots, broken crates, abandoned carts—it looked like a ghost town.

Carl narrowed his eyes.

"Did pirates attack this place?"

Something wasn't right.