The next day, two Marine warships departed from Marineford.
One was Karl's original Seastone-hulled warship.
The other was a newly refitted Marine vessel converted from the Salamander, which Karl renamed the Holy Light.
The Holy Light was a steam-powered warship, its underside reinforced with Seastone. Aside from that, its specifications were similar to standard Marine battleships. The sails bore two bold characters—"Karl"—clearly announcing its owner.
Naturally, Karl chose to live aboard the new ship.
After all, men liked shiny new toys. The old ship was left to Nelson.
"This ship's really fast."
Karl nodded, then glanced at Ain beside him. Today, she wore a crisp white Marine uniform—short skirt, black stockings—pure uniform temptation. Karl couldn't help but look a few extra times.
In two words: very smooth.
"We'll probably be stationed in the New World for a long time," Karl said casually.
"Stronger enemies, fiercer battles. Are you scared?"
Ain turned to him, pressed her lips together slightly, and reached out to straighten his collar before answering softly,
"With you here, I'm not scared."
Karl smiled.
"That much faith in me?"
"Hehe, of course! You're the man who went deep into Totto Land alone and drove off the strongest Sweet Commander!"
Karl made a strange face.
"That's the journalists exaggerating. Katakuri was already exhausted. Otherwise, beating him wouldn't have been so easy."
"That's still amazing, okay?" Ain said—then suddenly froze.
"Eh? What's that ahead… a pirate ship?!"
"Let me see."
Karl immediately had someone bring binoculars.
What came into view was a massive mammoth head, long tusks stretching out on both sides. The sails were blood-red, emblazoned with a skull sporting tusk-like horns.
"Jack?! It's that guy?"
On the Other Side
"Boss! A Marine warship ahead—judging by the name, it's Vice Admiral Karl's ship! He's the one who defeated Big Mom's Katakuri. He's dangerous! Shouldn't we retreat?"
Karl—
That pretty-boy Marine.
Jack remembered him. The last time he'd been captured, he'd met that guy.
If memory served, that pretty-boy had said something like: Pray you never meet me again on the sea—because if you do, I promise you'll die miserably.
Heh.
Today, they finally met again.
Jack's eyes bulged. He slapped the subordinate who suggested retreat clean across the deck and roared,
"Who the hell do you think I am?! A mere Vice Admiral—I'll crush him easily!"
"You! Bring the ship over. I want to see this bastard myself!"
Not long after, Jack's ship charged straight toward the Holy Light.
"He's coming right at us," Karl said calmly.
"All units, prepare for battle."
"Sir! Shall we open fire?"
Karl stroked his chin.
"Notify Nelson. Once they're within range, both ships fire together."
"Yes, sir!"
Karl watched Jack's ship approach with interest.
This guy's really reckless. Pirates with guts like this were rare these days.
Then again—this was the same man who would later dare to approach a ship carrying Sengoku, Tsuru, and Fujitora. Facing a Vice Admiral? Of course he wouldn't hesitate.
"Ain," Karl said, "if they try to board, you're coming with me. We'll fight on their ship."
Ain nodded.
"Understood. You know him?"
"Yeah. One of the Beasts Pirates' All-Stars—Jack, the Drought. Ancient Zoan, Mammoth form. Tough as hell."
"Oh…" Ain thought for a moment.
"Then he shouldn't be very fast, right? Not exactly agile?"
As Jack's ship entered firing range, Karl drew Shusui and Ame no Habakiri, rolling his shoulders.
"Correct. To be precise—other than being hard to kill, he doesn't have any strengths."
"Fire!!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Both Marine warships unleashed a full barrage. Cannon shells filled the sky, crashing down toward Jack's ship.
Suddenly, a giant mammoth appeared on the pirate deck, swinging its massive trunk to swat shells aside—some even wrapped up and hurled back toward the Marines.
"What are you standing around for? Fire back!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The pirates retaliated immediately. Cannonballs rained down around the Holy Light—but not a single one hit.
Because Karl's flying slashes weren't for show.
"That's enough. Ain, let's go."
Ain nodded. The two vanished simultaneously, kicking off with Moonwalk and charging straight toward Jack's ship.
"Boss! Two Marines are flying over!"
"I can see it! Shut up!"
Jack had just finished yelling when Karl and Ain landed on the deck.
Karl smiled brightly.
"Well, if it isn't Drought Jack. Long time no see."
"Hmph, pretty-boy. Got some nerve—boarding my ship."
Jack sneered. "Saves me the trouble. Kill him! All of you!"
Several punk-styled pirate grunts immediately raised their guns and aimed at Karl and Ain.
Bang bang bang bang!
Bullets poured out.
Karl slowly raised a hand. Haki erupted, forming an invisible barrier that stopped every round.
"Ain," Karl said calmly, "the grunts are yours. Leave none alive."
Shing—
Short blades snapped out from Ain's sleeves. She vanished—and reappeared in front of a pirate grunt, killing him in a single strike.
"Jack," Karl continued, "looks like your luck's pretty bad. Ran into me so soon. Remember what I told you last time?"
"Hah! Pretty-boy, don't think I'm afraid of you!" Jack roared.
"I'm Drought Jack!!!"
Mammoth Jack charged, trying to smash Karl aside.
Karl used Soru, effortlessly dodging. He countered with a single slash.
"AAAAH!!! That hurts like hell!"
Jack instantly reverted to human form. Reckless as he was, he wasn't stupid—mammoth form was too clumsy. Against someone as mobile as Karl, human form gave him a chance.
"I heard your bounty's six hundred million," Karl mused.
"Feels like at least five hundred million of that's just your tusks."
"Hey… that's a business opportunity!"
"Your tusks are valuable—and they grow back, right? How about we cooperate?"
"You supply tusks, I sell them. Seventy–thirty split. Everyone profits. What do you say?"
Enraged, Jack yanked out his twin curved blades fashioned from tusks and slashed wildly.
"DIE!!!"
Soru.
Karl dodged again, then raised both blades.
"Two-Sword Style · Raven Feathers."
Boom!
Karl stomped down hard, leaving a footprint in the deck as his body vanished.
Only two streaks of light—one purple, one red—passed through Jack's back.
Jack froze.
Slowly, he looked down at his chest.
Shhk—
Blood burst forth.
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