c10: A brief fight!
"Even so, it is my duty to protect my subordinates. Boa Hancock is extremely dangerous. You can't face her alone!"
Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel pitied his subordinates very much. He understood that as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea recognized by the World Government—Hancock possessed immense Haki and strength, making it naturally impossible for Karl to confront her on his own.
But Karl was not afraid in fact, he was a little excited.
"I've long heard that the Shichibukai are some of the strongest fighters on the seas today I'll find out just how strong you really are!"
Karl's eyes were filled with fervent excitement.
He raised his arms, and the twin swords—Withered Wood and Sakura Ten shot into his hands with precision, clearly weapons of high quality, perhaps even Supreme Grade.
At the same moment, his figure vanished from sight!
Karl channeled all his speed—comparable to the Soru technique of the Six Powers and strength into a head-on assault!
"Navy! I am one of the Shichibukai! Are you really planning to defy the World Government and attack me?!"
Hancock hadn't expected Karl to strike without hesitation.her surprise evident.
But her reaction was not delayed in the slightest.
She lifted her right leg in an instant—infusing it with potent Armament Haki and intercepted Karl's slash with a decisive block, her high heels cracking the wood beneath her.
In his previous life, Karl was a man obsessed with martial arts. Yet due to a congenital disability, he could only study techniques through observation, never practice.
But after transmigrating into this world One Piece—with a complete body and formidable potential, he could never settle for an ordinary life!
Beyond the excellent benefits provided by the Navy shelter, meals, protection—Karl had one goal that burned within him.
To challenge the powerful to test his limits against legends!
It was a simple desire, but one of pure resolve!
When Hancock met Karl's unwavering gaze eyes undistracted by her beauty—she froze momentarily, as if reminded of something from the past. She let out a cold snort, her expression shifting and then she attacked with full force!
A thunderous boom echoed across the warship.
A massive crater tore through the deck, revealing the inner cabins below.
Karl remained airborne his stance stable.
The air around him trembled violently, and the seas beneath began to ripple erratically evidence of a mysterious Devil Fruit ability stirring to life.
"You possess Withered Wood and Sakura Ten?! You're the one who killed the Golden Lion?!"
Boa Hancock, now putting aside her pride, suddenly recognized the swords Karl held. One was said to resemble the legendary blade wielded by Shiki the Golden Lion, who had been rumored dead in the East Blue.
The realization sent a ripple of tension through her.
While she didn't know the full truth, she recalled the headlines—Golden Lion Shiki falls in East Blue!
She also knew Flying Squirrel's strength—among the higher-ranked Vice Admirals of the Navy and Karl had matched him?
Possibly even surpassed him?!
And to make things more dangerous he might possess the potential for Conqueror's Haki!
With all that considered, Hancock made a decision.
"Yes—I killed the Golden Lion. Is there a problem?"
Karl tilted his head innocently, his tone unreadable.
But Hancock narrowed her eyes—she had no intention of continuing this clash.
A mysterious and powerful Karl in the sky and a capable Vice Admiral on the ship's deck she knew she was not in a favorable position.
She chose to de-escalate.
"Hmph! The kōhi merely came here out of concern for your Navy's situation but now you dare raise your hand to me?
You shall compensate for what you've done to the kōhi or I shall reveal your unjust actions to the entire world!"
Boa Hancock curled her lips into a mocking smile, extended her finger toward Flying Squirrel, and turned dramatically lifting her chin high and glaring down at them with regal disdain.
Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel stood silent for a moment.but his eyes slowly drifted toward Karl, still hovering above.
He hadn't expected Karl to be so reckless.but he also hadn't expected such explosive power from him in an instant—rivaling his own strength!
Just days ago, they had sparred.
And at that time—Karl had clearly been the weaker one.
"Lieutenant General Flying Squirrel! Did you hear her?! The kōhi demands compensation or else she will expose today's events to the world!"
"You are committing extortion and I can't authorize anything like this. I must report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku immediately!"
When Vice Admiral Flying Squirrel spoke, he reached into his coat to pull out a Den Den Mushi, preparing to contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku of the Marines.
Boa Hancock's brows furrowed.
She had originally come here intending to leverage her position as a Warlord of the Sea to pressure the Marines into concessions but she didn't expect Flying Squirrel to be so by-the-book. And even more unexpectedly, another powerful figure was present.
This deviation from her expectations unsettled her.
"Lord Vice Admiral, you don't need to treat this like an official navy matter at all. I am not yet formally enlisted—I'm still operating under provisional authority.
Only once I report to Marineford and complete formal enlistment procedures will I officially obtain navy status so my actions now reflect only my own will, and are unrelated to Marine orders!"
Karl dropped to the deck, a confident, easygoing smile on his face as he walked toward Boa Hancock, each step deliberate.
"If this Shichibukai insists on extortion, Vice Admiral, you're well within your right to refuse. And if she pushes her luck well, let me make it simple.
As someone acting independently, I have no restrictions. If I were to take her down even kill her the World Government wouldn't fault the Marines at all, correct?"
Karl's smile shifted subtly at first, but quickly growing unnerving and twisted.
His bloodlust now fully awakened, his fighting instincts had taken over.
Faced with a worthy opponent who could match him in combat, Karl burned with the desire for a full-power duel.
But the aura he now gave off sent a chill through Hancock and even Flying Squirrel, who had spent time training Karl, found himself instinctively uneasy.
'He's a maniac… a battle-obsessed lunatic!'
That's what Boa Hancock thought instinctively, her gaze sharpening as she studied Karl more carefully.
"Hmph! If that's how it is—then my kōhi will simply act as if this never happened. I never saw you, and you never saw me."
Realizing she couldn't turn the situation to her favor, Hancock chose to withdraw gracefully but with edge.
Her eyes lingered on Karl's twin blades—Withered Wood and Sakura Ten both weapons that radiated dangerous aura.
"Your name is Karl, correct?"
"Very well. The kōhi shall remember you!"
Whether it was a warning or an acknowledgment, her tone made it clear she would not forget this encounter. With that, she turned away, leapt effortlessly into the air, and landed on the surface of the sea gracefully riding atop the giant sea serpent Salome.
If one looked closely, they'd see that Salome—her faithful mount glided across the water, bearing her away toward the horizon.
"I honestly didn't expect you to deal with Boa Hancock so casually. Was that fight we had before you holding back?"
"Don't say that. I always go all out when I fight never pull my punches. If you want to know the truth—it's just that I've grown stronger since then, that's all!"
Karl sheathed his two swords and smiled broadly his white teeth flashing in the sunlight, exuding a bright, almost boyish charm.
Flying Squirrel looked at the spirited, sunny young man before him—and thought of the terrifying, almost demonic presence Karl had displayed moments ago and struggled to believe they were the same person.
But he didn't press the issue.
In this world, where Devil Fruits and Haki made the impossible possible, eccentric personalities were not uncommon. A single-minded battle freak wasn't something to be alarmed about.
When Karl caught the subtle shift in Flying Squirrel's expression, he knew his plan had succeeded.
He had deliberately performed projected the image of a combat-crazed warrior. Combined with the way he had dealt with pirates in prior missions, the Navy would now label him a battle junkie.
They must think I'm completely unhinged in battle. Good. That's exactly what I wanted.
Karl mused silently to himself.
Even though his thirst for battle was genuine, he wasn't truly a mindless fighting maniac.
That borderline-insane act earlier?
That was strategy part of the image he crafted.
His real aim was to build a persona that everyone would instinctively misunderstand!