THE ABSOLUTE HAKI IS COMPLETED

This situation was truly frustrating.

After drifting at sea for so long, Carl had finally come across an island with a town. But the moment he stepped foot on land, he discovered that the entire town was abandoned?!

"Tsk," Carl clicked his tongue and gave an order. "Roy, check if there's any food or supplies left in the area."

"Yes, sir!"

Roy saluted before taking a few Marines with him to search the town.

Carl, on the other hand, entered a building that appeared to be a bar. Inside, overturned tables and chairs littered the floor, and the scent of alcohol still lingered in the air. Spilled drinks soaked the wooden counter, sticky and untouched for who knew how long.

He pulled up a chair, sat down, and activated his Observation Haki. His crimson eyes gleamed in the dim light as he scanned the bar's surroundings.

"Knife marks, claw marks, bullet holes, and bloodstains on the floor…" Carl muttered, his fingers tracing a deep claw mark embedded in the wooden floorboards. "Looks like there was a battle here."

His gaze sharpened. The claw marks were deep—too deep.

"Attacked by a beast?" Carl frowned. No, something didn't feel right. These marks weren't just from any wild animal. Whatever left these scars had claws sharp enough to tear through solid wood and walls with ease.

"Ensign Carl!" Roy suddenly rushed in. "We found some food and supplies!"

"Good," Carl nodded. "Find a few soldiers who can cook. There should be some cookware left in the town."

"Understood!" Roy turned and ran out again.

Though they lacked an official cook on board, a few Marines could at least prepare basic meals. However, expecting anything remotely delicious was wishful thinking.

Evening

Harrington Town was eerily quiet. The only sounds in the still night were the clinking of utensils and the occasional murmur of Marines eating.

Then, out of nowhere—

"Owoooooooo~!"

A wolf's howl echoed in the distance.

Carl wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth. His eyes flashed red again as he turned toward the sound.

A wild presence.

It wasn't just a regular wolf. The aura he sensed was far too feral, too intense.

"You guys keep eating. I'll go take a look," Carl said as he stood up.

"Uh… Okay," Roy replied hesitantly.

In an instant, Carl disappeared.

Cecilford Island – Dense Forest

The presence he detected came from deep within a large forest.

"Interesting," Carl murmured as he walked through the trees. "A beast like this existing in East Blue?"

The moon barely illuminated the forest, casting everything into darkness. But for Carl, it didn't matter.

His Observation Haki had already locked onto the presence ahead.

For a proficient user of Haki, even complete darkness was no obstacle. After all, Observation Haki granted an all-encompassing awareness beyond mere sight. Some, like Admiral Fujitora, could even sense meteorites falling from outer space. Compared to that, detecting a beast's presence in a forest was trivial.

As Carl neared the aura—

Whoosh!

It moved.

Fast.

And it was heading straight for him!

"Owooo!"

A gust of wind carried the scent of blood.

Carl remained still as an enormous, grotesque wolf lunged at him, jaws wide open, ready to clamp down on his skull.

Chomp!

The beast's teeth snapped shut.

A gleam of triumph flickered in its monstrous eyes.

But—

Carl was still standing. Unharmed.

The giant wolf's ears twitched in confusion.

Chomp!

It bit again.

Still nothing.

Its claws lashed out next, aiming to tear Carl apart.

Shing!

The claws struck… but nothing happened. The wolf's attack simply vanished, as if it had never happened.

A cruel intelligence flickered in the beast's blood-red eyes. It began attacking wildly—claws, fangs, pure brute strength.

Carl, however, stood there with a bored expression.

In his golden-hued pupils, a strange light flickered.

[Golden Experience Requiem!]

The results of the wolf's attacks were erased.

No matter how much it attacked, no matter how much force it used—nothing changed. Every attempt simply returned to zero.

After minutes of relentless attacks, the beast finally slowed. Its once-ferocious movements stiffened, and exhaustion took over.

Carl raised an eyebrow, arms still crossed.

The ground and trees around him were in ruins from the wolf's assault. Yet, despite its overwhelming strength, it was now trembling, unable to move.

"Done?" Carl asked indifferently.

A low growl rumbled from the wolf's throat, its feral rage refusing to subside.

Carl exhaled and stretched his arm.

"Then it's my turn."

Boom!

A single punch landed between the beast's eyes.

The ground shattered.

Cracks spiderwebbed beneath the wolf's massive frame as a dull thud echoed through the silent forest.

Its massive body slumped over, motionless. Blood oozed from its seven orifices.

A faint fist imprint was left on its skull.

Carl pulled back his hand, flexing his fingers.

"Hard body. This thing isn't natural," he mused. "A beast this strong shouldn't exist in East Blue."

Something nagged at the back of his mind.

Like he had seen something similar before.

But he couldn't quite place it.

With a shrug, Carl turned and made his way back to Harrington Town.

Harrington Town

"Ensign Carl, you're back," Roy greeted at the town entrance.

The other Marines had already packed up.

"Yeah," Carl replied. "Get ready to sail tomorrow. And make sure to gather all the supplies."

"Understood!" Roy nodded before relaying orders.

Carl's gaze wandered across the abandoned town.

Something was bothering him.

The beast had clearly attacked the town—but where were the bodies?

Even if the wolf had eaten them, it couldn't have devoured every single person without leaving behind bones.

"This wasn't just a beast attack…" Carl muttered. "Something else is going on."

Unable to solve the mystery, he exhaled and looked up at the night sky.

The moon was bright. The stars shimmered.

But—

Carl's pupils suddenly constricted.

High above, a small black dot marred the sky.

"Wait—"

He focused his Observation Haki.

The dot grew larger.

His heart pounded.

"Is that… an island?!"

A floating island?!

Carl's breath hitched. A scenario immediately came to mind.

This wasn't natural. This was…

Golden Lion Shiki!

Lifting entire islands and using them as weapons—this was his signature move!

The monstrous wolf. The unnatural aggression. The abandoned town.

Everything made sense now.

Shiki, a legend of the previous era, had vanished after escaping from Impel Down. But before his disappearance, he had been conducting experiments.

"S.I.Q…" Carl muttered.

Golden Lion had spent two decades researching a chemical that enhanced animal aggression and strength. The wolf must have been one of his test subjects.

Carl clenched his fists.

The black dot in the sky expanded. The floating island was descending.

Falling.

"…What a pain."