THE ABSOLUTE HAKI IS COMPLETED

"Attention all! Carl Ensign's orders! Change course!"

Roy loudly commanded the Marines on the warship.

That's right—this same Marine, who had been stationed at the base when Carl first arrived, had now become his adjutant.

After all, Carl had just joined the Marines, and at the moment, Roy was the only acquaintance he had.

Moreover, Roy was an experienced sailor, well-versed in navigation—far more competent than Carl, who was still a novice at best when it came to maritime operations.

Hours Later

Under the vast blue sky, the warship steadily sailed across the calm East Blue. Standing on the deck, Carl surveyed the horizon, the Justice cloak billowing behind him as the sea breeze swept through.

"How long until we arrive?" He turned to glance at Roy, who was standing beside him.

"Report, Ensign! Estimated time: thirty minutes!"

"Understood," Carl nodded.

Suddenly, his sharp eyes caught sight of a small black dot on the distant water.

"That is…?"

Carl narrowed his gaze, focusing.

A small wooden boat floated in the distance, drifting steadily with the waves. As the warship approached, the details became clearer.

Two figures sat aboard—a young man with a wide grin and a distinct straw hat, and beside him, a swordsman with moss-green hair, three katana strapped to his waist.

Carl took a deep breath.

There was no doubt about it—these were the two who had caused the incident at the 153rd Branch.

However, he made no move to intercept them. Theoretically, at this moment, he "didn't know" what they had done.

If he waited until he reached the 153rd Branch and then "learned" of their actions, he could deal with them accordingly as a Marine officer.

After all, preserving Marine authority was part of his duty.

But for now, since he officially knew nothing, there was no reason to invite unnecessary trouble.

And yes, it would be trouble.

A lot of trouble.

Just the fact that the old man behind the Straw Hat was Garp was enough of a headache.

After Carl's last encounter with the Hero of the Marines, they had reached an unspoken agreement:

• Garp wouldn't expose Carl's full strength.

• In return, Carl wouldn't actively target Garp's grandson.

Considering that East Blue was a relatively quiet sea, it meant that Carl was dangerously close to the "Future Pirate King."

If he really wanted to, he could sail straight to Windmill Village and put an early end to this so-called future legend.

The two vessels passed by each other.

Carl glanced back, watching as the small wooden boat drifted further away.

"Carl Ensign, is something wrong? Should we intercept those two?" Roy asked, confused by his superior's hesitation.

"No," Carl waved his hand nonchalantly and smirked. "Just had a feeling that something interesting might happen."

Roy scratched his head, clearly not understanding.

Shields Town – Marine 153rd Branch

A while later, the warship docked at Shields Town's port.

Carl led the way, a group of Marine soldiers following behind him.

A Marine soldier on duty approached, rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Who are you?"

Roy stepped forward and saluted. "We are reinforcements from the 148th Branch. We received a distress signal earlier and have come to provide support."

Gesturing toward Carl, he continued, "This is our commanding officer, Carl Ensign."

The soldier quickly returned the salute. "Understood! Please wait here—I'll notify Lieutenant Colonel Lippa immediately."

Carl remained silent, his mind suddenly interrupted by a familiar mechanical voice:

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have successfully checked in at Marine 153rd Branch!]

[Reward: Zanpakutō, Senbonzakura!]

[The reward has been issued. Please check your inventory.]

Carl subconsciously touched the new weight at his waist—a katana had somehow appeared there.

No one else seemed to notice.

A short time later, a thin, middle-aged Marine officer arrived.

Carl recognized him instantly—Lieutenant Colonel Lippa, the highest-ranking officer at the branch apart from Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan.

"Carl Ensign, welcome! We sincerely appreciate your support," Lippa said with a formal bow.

"Well, it's my duty," Carl replied calmly. "Now, what exactly happened at the 153rd Branch?"

Lippa hesitated. "To be honest… it's humiliating for us."

He then proceeded to explain the full story—the real events that had transpired.

Meanwhile…

"Not good! Lieutenant Colonel Lippa!"

A panicked Marine suddenly ran into the room.

"Monka—Monka has escaped!"

"What?! How did he escape? Where is he now?!" Lippa demanded, his expression darkening.

"He was last seen heading toward the port!"

Lippa's face twisted with rage. "Damn it! If he reaches the warship, he'll have a means to escape! We cannot let him get away!"

"Mobilize all available forces! We must stop him!"

At this moment, Carl's expression darkened.

"So… he plans to steal my warship?"

He had anticipated that his presence might start affecting the flow of events in this world.

It was already apparent when he had encountered that man named Kingsley earlier.

But now… it was becoming painfully obvious.

Lippa turned back to him, bowing his head in apology. "Carl Ensign, I deeply regret this lapse in security. This is our branch's failure—please don't worry, we will not allow Monka to escape."

Carl, however, waved his hand dismissively. "No need to be so tense."

To be honest, he was actually curious.

After all, Monka was the man who had once attacked Garp.

He wanted to see for himself—was this Monka actually skilled, or had Garp simply not cared when he was cut?

But before Lippa could process Carl's response, he blinked—

Carl was gone.

Port of Shields Town

A towering figure stood at the docks, wielding a massive axe, slashing through the soldiers trying to stop him.

"Hahaha! You weaklings can't stop me!"

"I am the highest authority here! You dare defy me?! DIE!"

Just as Monka was about to board the warship, a single pink petal drifted through the air.

"Hm?"

The onlookers were stunned.

The docks were empty—so why were petals floating in the wind?

Just then, Monka reached the warship's gangplank.

Before he could take another step, a voice rang out from the ship's bow.

"You must be Monka?"

Monka froze. His head snapped up to see a young man standing atop the warship, arms crossed, his Justice cloak fluttering in the wind.

Carl gazed down at him with an unreadable expression.

"Tch, so this is the guy who dared to strike Garp?"

Up close, Monka looked far less impressive than he had expected.

The so-called "fearsome captain" of the 153rd Branch was nothing more than a brute.

Carl sighed. "I thought you might be something special, but you're just another piece of trash."

Monka's expression contorted in rage.

"You dare insult me?! You're DEAD!"

He raised his massive axe and charged—

Shing!

A single pink petal flashed.

Monka skidded to a halt, staring at his arm.

A moment later—

SPLURT!

Blood sprayed as his right hand, axe and all, detached from his body.

His face twisted in shock. "Wh-what…?"

Carl smirked, gripping the hilt at his waist. The blade had vanished—only countless floating petals remained.

"Not bad…"

He examined the petals with satisfaction.

This was just Shikai, yet its power was already overwhelming.

A pity Monka was too weak—Carl hadn't even gotten the chance to truly test Senbonzakura.