When Carl asked the question, only two words flashed through Iceburg's mind:
"It's over!"
The Straw Hat crew's Thousand Sunny was indeed built under his supervision, alongside his shipwrights and Franky.
However, Iceburg was still unaware that Franky had already been killed. After all, to Carl, Franky was nothing more than a "small fry"—and Carl had killed countless such small fry before.
At this moment, Iceburg had no idea how to respond. He stood frozen, trembling uncontrollably.
Kalifa stepped forward and slapped Iceburg across the face with a sharp smack, berating him:
"Carl-sama is speaking to you! Are you deaf?!"
Seeing Iceburg struck, Paulie's fury ignited instantly. He charged forward, intent on teaching Kalifa a lesson.
However, the moment he took a step, a thick shadow spear shot up from beneath him, piercing straight through his abdomen.
Paulie didn't even have time to utter a sound before collapsing lifelessly.
Blood splattered onto Iceburg, jolting him back to reality. He turned in horror to see Paulie's body skewered on the shadow spear.
"Paulie!!"
Iceburg cried out and rushed forward, trying to pull Paulie down, but his own shadow suddenly coiled around him, tripping him face-first into the ground.
Standing beside Carl, Lucci leaned in and whispered:
"Carl-sama, Iceburg must not die yet—the Pluton blueprints are still with him."
Carl nodded slightly and flicked his fingers. Iceburg's shadow split into countless black threads, tightly binding him like a mummified corpse, leaving only his nose exposed.
Next, Carl signaled for Kumadori to step forward and carry Iceburg away.
By now, a large crowd of Water 7's citizens had gathered. Carl swept his gaze over them and said coldly:
"Iceburg's collusion with pirates is now undeniable. I hereby strip him of his position as mayor. Furthermore, from this moment on, the Galley-La Company is absorbed into the military industry. Private shipbuilding is strictly forbidden. Anyone who dares to defy this order..."
Carl narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers.
In that instant, the unconscious Oimo and Kashi floated into the air. A dense barrage of shadow spears erupted from the ground, impaling the two giants, turning them into human pincushions. Blood rained down upon the terrified onlookers.
Seeing this horrifying display, the crowd instantly fell silent, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Water 7's shipbuilding technology was among the best in the world. Most of its residents possessed shipbuilding skills, and in the world of pirates, the importance of ships was self-evident.
For the World Government, a place like this was far too valuable to leave unchecked—it had to be militarized. Allowing private shipbuilding was simply out of the question.
Using the giants' blood as an example, Carl turned to Lucci and said,
"Take your subordinates to Pleasure Street and report to Stussy. Once that's done, you will officially become CP0."
Upon hearing this, Lucci immediately fell to his knees and bowed his head deeply before Carl. Kalifa and the others followed suit.
Carl gazed down at Lucci and the others with a smirk. He extended a finger, and the black threads binding Iceburg connected to his fingertip. He then spoke softly:
"We'll meet again."
With that, a pair of massive black wings unfurled from his back, and in the next instant, Carl soared into the sky and disappeared beyond the horizon. Lucci and the others remained kneeling for a long while.
—
Mary Geoise – Figarland Family Estate
A streak of black light descended from the sky. The surrounding golden-armored guards, recognizing the newcomer, immediately knelt on one knee and called out in unison:
"Welcome back, Carl-sama!"
Carl gave a slight nod before heading toward the library.
Upon entering, however, he found the library completely empty. Neither Olvia nor her assistant Pudding were anywhere to be seen.
Carl frowned momentarily. After summoning a golden-armored guard for questioning, he learned that both women had gone to his private chambers.
Only then did Carl remember that he had lifted Olvia's confinement last time. She was now free to move around within the Figarland estate.
Shrugging off the thought, Carl dragged Iceburg along and made his way toward his chambers.
However, upon arriving, he found the room empty once more. Fortunately, his keen hearing picked up the sound of laughter coming from the back courtyard.
Carl raised an eyebrow, tossed the mummified Iceburg onto the ground—who, after enduring Carl's high-speed flight, was still unconscious—and stealthily made his way to the courtyard.
What he saw filled his eyes with a sea of dazzling, porcelain-white beauty.
At the center of the courtyard was a massive swimming pool. A group of women lounged in the crystal-clear water, each dressed in different-colored swimsuits. Among them, the most eye-catching was the towering Shirahoshi.
Perched on the pool's edge, Monet and Boa Hancock sat side by side, clad in striped pale green and bright pink swimsuits, whispering to each other. Their faces occasionally flushed with shy laughter.
Nearby, Robin, wearing a sleek black swimsuit, reclined against Olvia's ample bosom. In contrast, Olvia wore a pristine white swimsuit. A book floated in front of them, its pages turning automatically.
At the pool's center, Sugar, clad in a violet swimsuit, was roughhousing with Pudding, who wore an orange one. As a Devil Fruit user, Pudding struggled to keep afloat even with a swim ring, allowing Sugar to repeatedly dunk her underwater.
From above, Shirahoshi giggled at the scene, her massive frame shifting, causing waves to ripple through the pool.
And resting atop her chest was none other than Charloss' younger sister, Shalria.
Unlike the others, Shalria wore a more conservative one-piece swimsuit adorned with purple floral patterns. As Shirahoshi giggled, Shalria nearly lost her balance and shouted:
"Shirahoshi! I was perfectly comfortable lying here—stop moving so much!"
Hearing this, Shirahoshi quickly covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears of guilt.
"S-Sorry, Lady Shalria..."
Seeing her pitiful expression, Shalria hesitated before sighing and sitting back down on Shirahoshi's chest.
"It was my fault for not sitting properly. You don't need to apologize."
Shirahoshi's tears vanished instantly, replaced with a radiant smile. Her breathtaking beauty left even Shalria momentarily dazed.
Carl stroked his chin, standing at the courtyard's edge, silently appreciating the scene.
After a moment, he steadied himself, closed his eyes briefly, then deliberately cleared his throat.
"Ahem..."
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