Swordsman

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Carl was sitting inside the cabin, deep in thought, when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

"Lord Carl."

"We've reached the Phil Kingdom."

Clay opened the cabin door and said excitedly.

"Oh, we're here already?"

"Then let's go."

Carl headed for the deck.

Clay followed close behind.

Carl had actually been talking with the system just now. He wanted to know whether joining the Rocks Pirates had affected the Pirate World's timeline.

But the system's response was that, since the story was still a long way from beginning, his joining the Rocks Pirates had had too little impact on the timeline. The world's will might even correct it.

So, in terms of the overall timeline, nothing had really changed.

From that, Carl knew that if he wanted to disrupt the timeline, he would have to take part in major events that would go down in history.

After all, even the God Valley Battle had all but faded into obscurity by then. Compared with God Valley, his joining the Rocks Pirates was even more insignificant.

Still, he wasn't discouraged. He knew that if he took part in enough major events, their effects would add up, and he could truly influence the timeline.

"All right, boys, let's head straight for the capital of the Phil Kingdom!"

Carl's lips curled into a slight smile as he stood at the bow and addressed his pirates.

"Fire the cannons!"

The gunners immediately adjusted their cannons and fired at the port of the Phil Kingdom.

"Charge! For the gold!"

The other pirates leaped ashore and charged toward the heart of the Phil Kingdom.

"Oh no, pirates! Quickly, alert the Kingdom Guard!"

The moment the pirates opened fire, the guards on the shore realized they had come to attack. The Phil Kingdom often had pirate ships stop by to gather supplies, so when this ship had arrived, they hadn't reported it to the Kingdom Guard right away, assuming it was just another ordinary visit.

"Prepare to die!"

"Ha ha ha!"

"It's all mine!"

But by then, it was too late. Most of the pirates had already landed and begun pillaging, burning, and killing.

The port was soon filled with the sounds of cannon fire and fighting, and the seawater was stained red with blood.

Carl strolled toward the center of the Phil Kingdom, looking rather relaxed. Since they were making a scene, he would take care of the strongest opponent and let his men rampage through the rest of the place. That should be enough to get the job done. After all, he still hadn't abandoned his conscience, and he didn't want to slaughter ordinary people.

Coming to the Phil Kingdom to kill hadn't been Carl's intention, but now that he was a pirate, this was something he would inevitably have to go through.

"Open fire!"

"Raise your guns!"

More than a hundred people approached in the distance, raising their rifles. Even more Kingdom Guard members were hurrying over from farther away.

The Kingdom Guard had arrived.

"Fire!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Gunshots erupted all around.

"Fish-Man Karate: Shoulder Throw!"

Clay stood at the port and used Fish-Man Karate to hurl the seawater at the guards. In an instant, more than a hundred of them were sent sprawling.

"Way to go, Lord Clay!"

"Follow Lord Clay! Charge!"

The pirates laughed excitedly and charged at the guards.

In no time, every guard who had fallen was slaughtered.

"Damn pirates! How dare you invade our Phil Kingdom!"

A voice came from Carl's right.

Carl turned to look. A burly, middle-aged man in golden armor was sprinting toward them.

"I'm Admiral Klein!"

"Pirates, your time is up!"

"Slash Wave!"

Seeing the Kingdom Guard suffering heavy casualties, Admiral Klein immediately drew his sword and slashed at Carl.

A blue blade of energy appeared out of thin air.

"A swordsman? Interesting."

Carl hadn't expected the Feier Kingdom to have a swordsman.

"Tyrant Fist!"

Carl coated his right hand in Armament Haki. His Haki could now cover his entire arm, a testament to how quickly he was mastering it.

He punched toward Admiral Klein's flying slash. Fist met blade, unleashing a massive Shockwave that shattered the surrounding buildings.

The pirates nearby immediately cleared the battlefield, afraid of getting caught in the shockwaves.

Admiral Klein was shocked when Carl deflected his slash, but his expression didn't change.

He knew at once that Carl was no ordinary opponent, so he focused completely and gave the fight everything he had.

Admiral Klein swung his sword, unleashing a series of exquisite sword techniques.

His sword energy came at Carl in endless waves, attacking from every direction.

Carl stood his ground, channeling Armament Haki to make his arms even tougher.

He dodged and weaved, using his Haki-coated right hand to block Admiral Klein's sword energy as he steadily closed the distance. Before long, blade and fist clashed.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The two fought for dozens of exchanges. Thanks to his powerful physique, Carl found himself fighting more smoothly with every passing moment.

Admiral Klein gradually fell into a disadvantage.

"The warm-up is over."

Now it was time for the real fight.

Carl's aura changed. A dazzling light radiated from his body, his muscles tensed, and he became extremely dangerous.

He vanished in an instant, moving at a staggering speed beyond the naked eye. With an overwhelming presence and a powerful physique, he appeared beside Admiral Klein and threw a punch capable of sweeping away everything in its path.

Admiral Klein's eyes widened, but his mind hadn't yet caught up. He hadn't expected Carl to be so strong. Had Carl just been playing with him?

But instinct took over. His muscles reacted, and he raised his sword with his right hand to block. In the next instant, the sword shattered into pieces, and he was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.

He still hadn't been able to withstand Carl's punch. He could clearly feel his life slipping away, and knew he didn't have much time left.

"This farce ends here."

Carl didn't look at Klein. He simply continued toward the palace.

He knew Admiral Klein wouldn't survive. His life force was slowly fading away.

From what Carl could sense, Klein had the strongest life force on the island.

"Y-what's your name?"

Admiral Klein clutched his chest, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and asked in a trembling voice. He hadn't expected Carl to see this as nothing more than a farce.

He knew his life was quickly slipping away, but he couldn't accept that he had failed to protect his kingdom.

"When you report to the afterlife, remember to give them my name. Carl."

Carl kept walking and casually answered his question.

He knew Klein was a loyal man, but that didn't mean he could go easy on him.

Giving it his all was a way of showing him respect.

"Carl? The Phil Kingdom... I... I really did everything I could..."

Admiral Klein slowly fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Lord Carl, some of the slaves we rescued want to join us."

"Most of them came from the auction house."

Just as Carl finished the fight and was leisurely making his way to the palace, Clay jogged up beside him.

"Oh, this island has an auction house too?"

Carl was a little surprised. The island had a small population, so he hadn't expected it to have an auction house. Could the king have been trafficking people in secret?

"These people were rescued from the Phil Kingdom's auction house. Most of them want to join us."

Clay led a group of gaunt people over to him.

They looked at Carl with hopeful expressions. Clay wanted him to take them in. He had once been sold as a slave himself, so he felt some sympathy for them.

"If you follow me, your lives will no longer be your own."

Carl didn't mind either way. He looked at the gaunt people before him. He knew they hadn't chosen to become slaves, but there was nothing he could do to change the situation now.

"Thank you for saving us, sir. We'll gladly serve you from now on."

Everyone present cupped their fists toward Carl as they spoke.

They knew that if they ran away, the slave traders would only capture them again and sell them as slaves.

They had no other choice. Rather than risk being captured again, they would join the pirates. At least then, they wouldn't have to endure another life of endless darkness.