Whoosh!
Carlo's figure disappeared from the bottom of the island, instantly reappearing atop the winding staircase that led to the castle surrounded by the residential district.
The sun had yet to rise completely. But under the Trump Pirates' oppressive rule, the island's people were already up, laboring to assemble parts of the King Cannon, and building a massive castle for the pirates to live and indulge in luxury.
When Carlo appeared inside the palace, the massive Bear King was snoring loudly, his arm wrapped around an islander he had taken for himself.
The hulking pirate captain looked like a gorilla over three meters tall. Carlo frowned slightly and pulled out a high-voltage electric grenade.
Click.
The sharp sound made the Bear King jolt awake. In a flash, his whole body turned to steel as he jumped out of the bed to face the intruder.
"Guards!" he roared.
His booming voice echoed through the hall, sending waves of tension through the entire castle. Members of the Trump Pirates began rushing toward the central palace.
Carlo didn't move. He held the grenade between his fingers, calmly looking at Bear King.
"Bear King, captain of the Trump Pirates. A Paramecia-type user of the Hard-Hard Fruit. Your dream is to build the King Cannon and rule the world."
The sound of hurried footsteps grew closer outside.
Bear King's pupils contracted. He studied Carlo with growing unease, eyes locked on him.
"You sure know a lot," he muttered.
He was surprised someone knew both his Devil Fruit ability and his ambitions. In his mind, only the Marines had intelligence networks capable of that.
Whoosh!
Carlo's figure suddenly vanished.
A wave of sticky liquid splashed down from above, exploding where he had just stood before reforming.
The attack missed. The liquid slithered into the long coat drifting down from the ceiling, reshaping into a human form.
Descending from the air came the Trump Pirates' second Devil Fruit user, Honey Queen.
She smiled when she saw Carlo appear on the bed again, who had reappeared there after sending the captive woman away.
"What a handsome man," she said with a teasing grin. "Why don't you join us instead? I'd hate to waste a face like yours."
"Stop flirting, you idiot!" Bear King shouted. "He might be a marine!"
A hint of disappointment flickered across her beautiful face. "Such a shame then."
Moments later, three more strange-looking officers burst in, followed by a swarm of pirates.
With all his subordinates gathered, Bear King finally felt a little confidence return. But deep down, unease still lingered.
The intruder was far too calm, as if none of this mattered.
Just as he was about to speak, Carlo quietly raised the hand holding the electric grenade.
Bear King furrowed his brows as he said, "You're a marine, aren't you? And that teleportation just now, it's your Devil Fruit ability, right? Impressive…"
He gave a cold smile. "But this palace sits above the heart of the island. It drives the entire mechanism that keeps it afloat. If it's destroyed, the island will collapse, and everyone here will die."
He glared at Carlo. "So, marine…"
Carlo smiled faintly. "You're right. I am indeed a marine. But what does that have to do with me?"
His tone was calm, but the words spoken were cruel. "Are you trying to guilt-trip me with morals?"
The pirates in the hall froze. For a second, their minds went blank.
This was… a Marine?
Whoosh!
Carlo disappeared from sight.
The grenade rolled across the floor with a dull clatter.
Aside from Bear King, whose body was completely turned to steel, and Honey Queen, the special Paramecia-type user of the Liquid-Liquid Fruit, everyone else panicked and tried to flee.
But before they could take a step, a blinding surge of electricity engulfed the entire palace.
Zzzap!
No one was spared, not even the two Devil Fruit users. After all, steel and liquid weren't exactly insulated.
Whoosh!
Carlo reappeared and yawned lazily. "Idiots. I was lying."
Holding two Devil Fruit extractors, he ignored the room full of twitching pirates and crouched beside the fallen Bear King.
Despite the paralysis from the electric shock, the pirate captain's body remained hardened like steel.
Carlo smirked. his arm flickering with a blur of motion. The needle of an extractor, coated in Armament Haki, pierced straight into Bear King's pupil and buried deep into his brain.
The agonizing pain turned Bear King's skin red, and a beast-like roar tore from his throat.
Carlo tapped the pirate's chest. It made a hollow metallic sound. "So, even the inside turned to steel, huh?"
He stood up, drew Oto from his waist, and gently sliced across Bear King's neck.
The head rolled a few times before coming to rest. Inside the extractor, a Devil Fruit slowly started to take shape.
He then stabbed the second device into the half-paralyzed Honey Queen and swung his sword once more. Her head fell as another Devil Fruit formed within the extractor.
Sheathing his blade and pulling both extractors free, Carlo glanced at the two fruits, then at the pile of unconscious, spasming pirates around him.
He tossed two more electric grenades onto the ground.
Whoosh!
And vanished.
The next blast swept through the palace. Not a single pirate survived.
Beneath the island, Carlo stood by the water's edge. His Observation Haki spread across the island as he sighed in satisfaction.
"How convenient. All in one sweep."
* * *
New World, Punk Hazard.
Early morning.
Carlo appeared in the underground lab, carrying several Devil Fruits and looking utterly exhausted.
If things went as usual, Vegapunk wouldn't show up until late at night.
He found a spot, lay down, and dozed off.
Some time later, he felt something tickling his face. Drowsy and annoyed, he opened his eyes, only to see two unfamiliar faces.
One was a serious-looking man working on an experiment, and the other was a mischievous girl standing in front of him, holding a feather. The ticklish feeling came from her brushing it across his cheek.
Carlo sat up straight, frowning. "Who are you?"
The girl grinned and answered, "I'm Lilith. That guy's Shaka."
The man named Shaka put down his tools and turned around. "Don't worry, Mr. Carlo. We're the main body's satellites. The one you know as Vegapunk."
Carlo nodded slightly. "I see… what time is it now?"
"It's nearly three in the afternoon," Shaka replied.
Carlo let out a faint "Mm," picked up the bag of fruits lying at his feet, and said, "Then I'll leave these to you. Inside are the Hot-Hot Fruit, the Hard-Hard Fruit, and the Slow-Slow Fruit."
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!