Subduing Them!

In reality, Carlos had already wrapped an arm around Niu Niu's neck. If Niu Niu refused to submit, with one crack, he would snap the bull's neck.

That said, this bull's talent was fairly decent. He could transform his entire body into a bull, making him a notable figure in the West Sea.

When the surviving Pirates saw their captain standing there blankly, while Demon Boy casually seized his vital weakness, they immediately fell into despair, and the intensity of their resistance greatly weakened.

The survivors, meanwhile, were overjoyed. They had truly won. They could really survive.

The next moment, Carlos released the Illusion Technique. Olsen returned to normal, reverted to human form, collapsed onto the deck, and gasped for breath.

"Stop wasting time. This battle can end now."

"Yes, yes."

Olsen scrambled to his feet and roared at his crewmates, "The hell are you all still fighting for? Surrender! Surrender!"

Olsen's words completely crushed the Pirates. One after another, they dejectedly lowered their weapons...

Half an hour later, the weather was clear, the sun shone brightly, and the waves were calm. Carlos had arranged everything. The two merchant ships were returned to their owners, and amid Brocade Robe Captain's endless thanks, they headed back with the two severely damaged escort ships. In this state, who the hell could still do business...

Carlos reclined in a deck chair on an intact pirate ship. At his side stood Olsen, the cautious captain of the Mad Bull Pirates, along with several surviving Survivor Backbones. Every one of them attended to Carlos as though serving some great lord.

How could they not be careful? This operation had been a complete disaster. They had suffered a massive loss!

The Mad Bull Pirates had once been considered a first-rate pirate crew in the West Sea. Though they had been at the bottom among first-rate crews, they still barely counted as one.

The pirate crew had numbered more than four hundred members, but now it had lost over half of them. Its strength had plummeted, and it had become a mid-tier pirate crew in the West Sea.

The top first-rate Pirate Crews all had over a thousand members. This era was no longer like the beginning of the Great Age of Pirates, much less when Luffy first set sail. There were fewer Pirates now, but their overall quality was higher. An ordinary low-ranking Pirate could take on three opponents without much trouble.

At the start of the Great Age of Pirates, quite a few people who had lost their minds became Pirates, and their strength had truly been unbearable to watch. Today's low-ranking Pirates were all capable figures in their own hometowns. Otherwise, they would not have the nerve to put to sea.

Carlos lay in his deck chair, drinking wine and eating meat while listening to Olsen talk about the John Family. Some of the Survivor Backbones added details from the side. Only when they had nothing more to say did Carlos speak.

"Little Bull?"

"Here." Olsen answered bitterly. He, the great Mad Bull, was at least someone of note in the West Sea, yet now he was being called Little Bull—a strange and humiliating nickname. It was hard to put into words. He regretted it...

The other Survivor Backbones wanted to laugh but did not dare. They held it in with great difficulty. If they laughed out loud, even if their captain did not kill them, he would probably beat them into pulp. Better endure it.

"Want to learn this?"

Carlos picked up the massive cleaver used for cutting fruit beside him. It could not be helped—this was a pirate crew full of rough men. Even their fruit knife was so rugged, distinctive, and full of character.

Carlos raised the blade and viciously chopped it at his own arm. Yet the scene of blood gushing everywhere did not appear. There was only a clang as the cleaver bounced away without leaving even a white mark.

Carlos's Golden Bell Shield had reached a level where ordinary blades could no longer leave marks on him. Only bullets could leave traces, and even those would quickly fade.

Olsen's eyes widened enormously, truly becoming bull's eyes. Excited and thrilled, he said, "I want to learn, Boss! I really want to learn!"

If he learned this, who knew how many times stronger he would become? Bullhide might be thick, but it had its limits. He was simply strong, had powerful recovery abilities, and his speed was barely passable.

"Good. If you want to learn, work hard. As long as you handle the tasks I give you and earn merit, I won't be stingy about teaching you."

Carlos picked up his wineglass with his left hand and placed a cigarette to his lips with his right. Olsen finally caught on and hurriedly pulled out a lighter to light it for Carlos. Somewhat fawningly, he said, "Boss, don't worry. I'll work hard and properly handle every task you give me."

"Boss, is this your own unique Body Technique?"

"Something like the Navy's recently developed Rokushiki, Fish-Man Karate, or Newkama Kenpo?"

"Well, well. I never expected a silly bull like you to be this knowledgeable." Carlos looked somewhat surprised.

"Of course, Boss. Don't look down on me. I, Olsen, once spent some time making a living on the Grand Line." Olsen said proudly, as though having set foot on the Grand Line made him the Pirate King.

"This is indeed a special Body Technique, and an extremely powerful one!"

Carlos gave an affirmative answer without hesitation. He was confident that if he continued cultivating his martial arts, they would not be inferior to any Body Techniques in this world. Moreover, his martial arts possessed a characteristic this world lacked. Golden Bell Shield especially was a method that cultivated both internally and externally. It caused very little harm to the body and was even greatly beneficial!

It would not be like some of this world's special techniques, which excessively developed the body's potential and caused one's strength to fall off a cliff in old age!

Of course, Carlos would not stubbornly forge ahead alone. In the future, he would draw on others' strengths to make up for his weaknesses, gradually perfecting his martial arts and making them stronger and more complete!

The Byakugan and Sharingan working together were truly the ultimate tools for stealing techniques!

The Byakugan revealed every tiny detail, allowing him to see minute changes throughout a living body's flesh. Take Rokushiki, for example: through the Byakugan, he could clearly see how every muscle moved, how they breathed, and how they exerted force. Combined with the Sharingan's copying ability, it was incredibly effective!

Although it differed somewhat from the Byakugan he knew, Carlos did not care. After all, it was not a real Byakugan, but something imitated by Eye of the Devil, a Special Paramecia Devil Fruit. He still had to adapt to this world!

In the future, whenever he encountered powerful Navy fighters, powerful Pirates, powerful fish-men, Newkama... Ahem, forget that one. He could not learn it, could not learn it. Too effeminate, too bizarre, too strange. No way he could learn it...

So his martial arts were not set in stone; they would continue evolving in the future. It did not matter if he taught them to others. After all, he held the advanced versions in his own hands. The strength of a faction lay in its collective strength. If only the Boss was powerful, it would be too hollow, a castle in the air, with terrible resistance to risk and pressure.

That was precisely why Carlos was so generous. He was dangling a carrot before the Pirates he had just subdued through fear of his strength, increasing their loyalty through both reward and intimidation. It was a simple method, but also a profoundly effective one!

One had to constantly grant favors where subordinates desired them most, and impose authority where they feared it most. Then their loyalty would be unbreakable.

Carlos had not had much time to use such methods on the subordinates at Iron Island. He had needed to sort out internal affairs, and the John Family's retaliation had come quickly. But it did not matter. There would be many opportunities in the future.

"You all have a chance as well. Serve me properly, and it isn't impossible for me to teach you too..."

"Let me show you something else."

Carlos spoke to Olsen's surviving Survivor Backbones. He set down his wineglass, kept the cigarette between his lips, and picked up the same fruit-cutting cleaver. He gathered strength into his fingers, curled them, and flicked. His power erupted instantly. With a crack, the seemingly sturdy cleaver snapped cleanly in half. The tip embedded itself deep into the deck, buried three inches into the wood!

"Boss, from now on, you're our real Boss!"

"Hahaha..."

Carlos laughed when he saw this. These Silly Pirates had quite a sense of humor. Interesting!

"Now, I have my first order for you. Go handle it immediately."

"Boss, please give the order!" everyone shouted eagerly.

Carlos smiled at the sight. Once he left the ship, these Pirates probably would not remain so loyal to Olsen. His earlier words had already driven a wedge between them. Just a little trick.