Before the Battle

Knowing that the John Family had already made its move, Carlos hurriedly filled his stomach and replenished his strength. He continuously used Kamui to travel, crossing the sea and the Red Line before finally arriving at the summit of the Red Line adjacent to West Blue.

Standing atop the Red Line, seemingly amid the clouds, Carlos activated his Byakugan. Pupil Power surged as his vision rapidly extended, and he soon spotted the ship that had come to pick him up on the sea.

Although he possessed such a bug-like means of travel as Kamui, Carlos would not use it as his usual mode of transportation unless there was business to handle. Otherwise, he would miss far too much beautiful scenery. This world still had plenty of interesting places, and it would be a shame to miss them.

After confirming the ship's location, Carlos's eyes returned to the Kamui Mangekyo. Pupil Power surged, and in the blink of an eye, his body merged into a spatial vortex hanging in the void.

Having used Kamui continuously during this period, its activation speed had increased somewhat. It would continue to improve as his Pupil Power grew stronger.

If he reached the point where a single thought could send him into Kamui Space, then, in a sense, he would truly become invincible.

At the base of the Red Line, rolling waves swept in. An utterly ordinary ship, with no distinguishing features whatsoever, rose and fell with the rhythm of the waves. Kelly and the others had already been waiting on deck for quite some time.

Just as everyone was beginning to grow impatient, a spatial vortex appeared, and Carlos's figure was spat out from it, appearing before them.

"Boss!" everyone said respectfully.

"Mm. Set sail back immediately. Kelly, stay behind and give me a more detailed report."

"Yes."

Before long, the others left to attend to their own duties, while Carlos sat down in a chair on the deck.

"You sit too."

"Mm."

"Tell me the details."

"Alright."

When it came to serious matters, Gretel Kelly was quite reliable. After all, she was a ruthless woman who had avenged herself through her own efforts alone. How could someone like that possibly be unreliable in her work?

"Based on information from people we bribed and intelligence purchased on the black market, the John Family has dispatched roughly 2,500 men, along with three family retainers."

"This force is commanded by John Limos, the fifth son of John Abad, the John Family's patriarch. Two of the retainers are named Degu and Kara."

"Their exact strength is unknown, but anyone who can become a retainer of the John Family must be very strong."

The more Kelly spoke, the graver her expression became. Although the 2,500 Mafia Members outnumbered them, she was confident that their own men could hold them off. The real problem was the two retainers and the unknown strength of John Limos. They were the root of the trouble.

In addition to their large numbers of Mafia Members and the powerful members of their own families, the Five Great Families of the West Blue Mafia also had family retainers—high-level enforcers.

These retainers received extremely generous treatment and enjoyed considerable freedom in ordinary times. Apart from a select few people such as the current patriarch, no one else could command them.

To receive such treatment, these retainers were naturally very powerful. In the waters of West Blue, they either stood at the very top or close to it. Every one of them had their own unique strengths!

"Good work. It's already quite impressive that you managed to obtain this intelligence while at a disadvantage."

"At least we didn't wait until they were at our doorstep before finding out." Carlos chuckled, full of confidence and still in the mood to joke.

"They barely made any effort to hide it. They clearly intend to crush us in one thunderous blow..." Kelly said with a bitter smile.

"Indeed, there's no need for them to hide it. Coming openly and carrying overwhelming momentum would actually have a better effect..."

"They can strike at our morale. Maybe they can take us down without shedding a drop of blood..."

"Even if it does come to a fight, they don't take us seriously at all. After all, despite developing for some time, we still look so weak in their eyes."

"Tsk, tsk... They really are in a hurry. The Great Pirate Era has only just begun, and the John Family can't wait to use this opportunity to replenish themselves."

"This really is a good time to act. For anyone with ambition, it's a good opportunity."

"But in the end, it all depends on whose fist is harder. Otherwise, it's easy to get yourself killed. I, Carlos, am not as soft as they imagine!"

"About how many days until the John Family reaches Iron Island?"

As Carlos spoke, a cold smile appeared on his face. After lying low for so long, it was finally time to show his true capabilities and devour everything like a shark swallowing a whale. He had been waiting impatiently for this.

This time, he would make sure the John Family received a lesson they would never forget for the rest of their lives!

"Based on our estimates, the John Family should arrive within five days at most."

"I see... There's still enough time."

"You've worked hard during this time. Go get some rest."

"Don't worry. It won't be so easy for the John Family to swallow my forces and take all the benefits of Iron Island. This time, they'll bite off more than they can chew!"

"Oh, and if things truly reach a critical point, you may leave on your own. Don't feel burdened by it. I won't blame you. After all, your life is what matters most."

Kelly rolled her eyes at Carlos upon hearing that. As if he needed to tell her? If things became impossible, she certainly would not stubbornly hold on. She was not loyal to him to that extent. Still, Carlos's words were indeed pleasant to hear.

After Kelly left, Carlos took out a Den Den Mushi and began calling the three leaders under him, issuing instructions one by one. An army was raised for the day it would be used. The peaceful days were gone forever.

Following Carlos's orders, the entire Lucifer Family in Iron Island East City mobilized and entered a state of war. Blades and guns were brought out of storage, while bullets and cannon shells were carried out by the crate. The air carried the scent of an approaching storm!

Carlos was currently returning to Iron Island by ship, but the journey back was no longer as peaceful as the journey there.

With the Great Pirate Era underway, countless men with dreams—or rather, ambitions—and even some women, threw themselves into the sea. No, they set sail. The number of pirates surged dramatically, shaking up the balance of the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line!

Many newcomers still set sail for the New World, but they found it difficult to make any waves there. The people of the New World were simply too strong; it was a complete one-sided beating.

The Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line were different. With pirates of wildly varying quality and numbers soaring, they were bound to disrupt the existing order!

Only through the difference between his journey there and his journey back did Carlos truly understand just how great an impact Roger's words had had on the world!

On the return trip, he encountered four groups of Pirates in less than two hours of sailing. Three groups had ill intentions, while one was relatively laid-back, and they left each other alone.

You had to know, on the way there, he hadn't encountered a single group of Pirates. Luck might have played a part, but how could he possibly run into four groups in under two hours?

None of the three groups of Pirates were particularly strong, and Carlos dealt with them quickly. He struck ruthlessly and showed no mercy, giving these Pirates—whose minds had been clouded by ambition, desire, and greed, and who had no idea of their own limits—a proper lesson!

Carlos was utterly speechless. Did they really think the Four Seas didn't need navigators? That knowing how to use a compass and being able to read it made someone a navigator?

Of the three groups of Pirates, two had no navigator at all. The one that did have one had a half-baked navigator among half-baked navigators. He might have managed sailing on a river, but out at sea, they would be finished within days...

The seas of the Four Seas might be gentler, but that was only relative to the Grand Line. Did they really think they were little streams or fish ponds they could wade into whenever they pleased?

The three groups of Pirates Carlos had wiped out were exactly that sort of trash. They were cannon fodder on the sea—idiots who got fired up, made no preparations whatsoever, and rushed out to sea in a hurry...