"Search for Zou."
"Huh? Fleet Admiral, are you referring to that rumored elephant island where the Mink Tribe lives?"
"That's right. Dressrosa is not far from where Zou was last seen. Do you have any information about it?"
Hearing this, Rosinante pondered for a moment before turning to Viola and asking,
"Viola, I remember you mentioned something about an unidentified giant creature passing through nearby waters over a month ago?"
Viola immediately responded,
"Yes. Around that time, many fishermen reported unusual waves and disturbances in the sea. I used my ability to investigate and found a colossal creature resembling an elephant moving across the ocean, about 500 nautical miles from here."
Carl hadn't expected to get news of Zou so easily. He turned to Viola and asked,
"What direction was it moving in?"
Viola recalled the scene and continued,
"It was heading southeast. I'm sorry, Fleet Admiral, but right after I spotted it, a sudden white light exploded. I was blinded for a moment, and by the time my vision recovered, it was already gone."
Carl furrowed his brows and said,
"That white light must be Joy Boy's doing. Looks like that guy has indeed returned to Zou. Southeast, huh..."
Hearing the name Joy Boy, Rosinante was momentarily stunned before suddenly asking excitedly,
"Joy Boy... that's Straw Hat Luffy, right?"
Carl looked at Rosinante and replied,
"Yes. Why? Do you have a grudge against him?"
Rosinante clenched his fists and gritted his teeth,
"I've never met him, but that bastard was responsible for the death of Vice Admiral Garp—his own grandfather! Garp was Fleet Admiral Sengoku's closest friend. Just imagine how much pain Sengoku must have felt upon hearing the news!"
Even someone as mild-mannered as Rosinante spoke with killing intent when mentioning Luffy. Because of his childhood experiences, he despised acts of patricide or familial betrayal. And this time, it involved someone he deeply respected—Sengoku.
What Rosinante didn't know was that the man before him, Carl, had done something quite similar to what his older brother, Doflamingo, once did.
The events between Carl and Darian were a well-kept secret, even among the Celestial Dragons.
From Rosinante's words, Wanda and Carrot learned yet another of Joy Boy's infamous deeds. Their hatred for him grew even stronger.
Carrot angrily exclaimed,
"He actually did something like that? Not only did he steal someone else's body, but he even killed his own grandfather? He's not even human!"
Rosinante, however, was confused and asked,
"Miss, what do you mean by 'stealing someone else's body'?"
Carl patted Carrot's head and explained on her behalf,
"Joy Boy and Luffy are two different people. You can think of Joy Boy as a demon residing within a Devil Fruit. At that time, he was still fighting with Luffy, the body's original owner, for control. Killing Garp was likely not Luffy's intention—he's not that brainless."
"What?! There really are demons inside Devil Fruits?!"
Rosinante was shocked, while Viola was so horrified that she paled, her eyes widening as she asked,
"Doesn't that mean all Devil Fruit users are in danger of possession?"
Carl glanced at her and said calmly,
"No need to worry. The Devil Fruit Luffy ate is special. Other Devil Fruits, even if they have consciousness, are usually limited to Mythical Zoan types. Their will isn't strong enough to significantly affect their users."
Hearing this, Viola sighed in relief. The idea of being possessed by another entity was downright disturbing, making her feel sick just thinking about it.
As for Rosinante, he wasn't too concerned since he had never eaten a Devil Fruit in the first place.
This traced back to Carl's first meeting with him in Sengoku's office. Back then, Carl thought Rosinante's Silent-Silent Fruit from the anime was too useless and casually advised Sengoku not to let him eat a Devil Fruit so easily.
That one comment stuck with Sengoku, and he had never allowed Rosinante to become a Devil Fruit user.
But now that Devil Fruits were being discussed, Rosinante looked at Carl as if he had something to say but hesitated. Carl noticed and chuckled,
"Rosinante, you haven't eaten a Devil Fruit yet, have you?"
Rosinante blinked and replied,
"No, I've never even considered becoming a Devil Fruit user."
His response surprised Carl a little. He had thought that with how hard Rosinante had been working all these years, he might at least want a Devil Fruit to help him in his duties. Being a king might be a dream come true for some, but for Rosinante, it was just a burden.
If Rosinante had asked for one, Carl wouldn't have minded gifting him a good Devil Fruit—both as a reward for his efforts and as a way to take care of Doflamingo's younger brother.
Seeing that Rosinante had no such desire, Carl glanced at the clock on the wall and said,
"So, do you have something else to say? If you do, get to the point. It's late, and I want to rest."
Of course, with Carl's endurance, he could go several days without sleep without issue. He only said this to push Rosinante into speaking his mind.
Sure enough, not wanting to delay Carl's rest, Rosinante hurriedly blurted out,
"Fleet Admiral, I just wanted to ask—how is Law doing now? I heard from former Fleet Admiral Sengoku that back in Sabaody, you didn't kill him but had him taken away..."
Carl's expression showed a flash of understanding as he replied,
"Oh, you mean him? Don't worry, he's doing fine. He no longer has to live a life of constant hiding. Once Dr. Vegapunk's research is complete, he'll be able to live freely again."
Rosinante had always worried about Law's safety. Upon hearing this news, he was so overwhelmed with relief that he couldn't hold back his emotions. He suddenly got up from the couch and dropped to his knees before Carl with a loud thud, making Carl's eyelids twitch.
This reaction alone showed that Rosinante truly had no sense of "royal dignity."
Kneeling on the floor, he loudly declared,
"That's wonderful! I thank you on Law's behalf!"
Carl waved his hand dismissively and said,
"You shouldn't blame your brother, Doflamingo, for what happened to Law. From the moment Law became the user of the Op-Op Fruit, his fate was no longer his to decide."
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+185 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg