The Decision

He had only just grasped Baji Fist yesterday, and now every move he made unleashed his strength to perfection.

Although Carl put all his strength into every punch, his opponent was Edward Newgate—and not just any Newgate, but Newgate in his youth. Their strength was on completely different levels, so Carl was still at a disadvantage. If Newgate hadn't held back, Carl would have been done for already.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged dozens of blows. Newgate was somewhat incredulous. Though he hadn't used the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, even his raw strength was more than an ordinary person could withstand.

Newgate was stunned. He couldn't believe an eighteen-year-old human could possess such strength.

Carl was undoubtedly exceptionally gifted. His bloodline might even be extraordinarily rare. The thought of recruiting him began to take root in Newgate's mind.

Though Newgate was thinking along those lines, he showed no mercy with his hands. He threw one heavy punch after another, unleashing a sweeping destructive force that left Carl wide-eyed. Before Carl could react, his body was already hurtling through the air. The blow sent him crashing into the woods, where he smashed through three trees in a row before finally coming to a stop.

Carl had just gotten back to his feet when his face twitched, and he couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood. He felt the pain coursing through his body. He had never hurt this much before.

But with his body pressed close to the ground, he soon felt a warm current rise from deep within the earth where he touched it. It flowed through his body, slowly healing his wounds.

Seeing Carl spitting blood, Newgate hurried over to him.

"Are you all right?"

Newgate asked with concern. Carl was skilled, but Newgate had just given it his all, and he was worried he might have seriously hurt him.

A huge fist-shaped bruise was visible on Carl's chest. To Newgate's astonishment, it vanished in an instant.

"Hahaha, I forgot to tell you, Newgate—my recovery is extraordinary too. Let's go again!"

Carl played dirty, immediately lunging at him. In an instant, he and Newgate were grappling again.

"Gurarara!"

"Young people sure do have great bodies."

White Tiger, watching from the sidelines, grew bored, yawned, and drifted off to sleep.

And so, the fight went on from day into night.

In the meantime, Carl learned plenty of offensive techniques and gradually grew more proficient with Six Powers—Shave. He realized that although the system had helped him master the Six Powers instantly, he was still a little stiff when using them in practice.

Newgate, meanwhile, was amazed by Carl's growth. Carl had gone from fumbling around at first to handling himself with ease, eventually matching Newgate blow for blow. Newgate had certainly been feeding him openings, but there was no denying Carl's tremendous talent.

Newgate couldn't help marveling at how much Carl had changed in such a short time. It truly exceeded his expectations.

"Shockwave!"

Newgate drew power from his waist and swung with all his might. Space shattered like glass, sending out a terrifying wave of air.

"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"

"Damn, I can't block it!"

Carl had fused with the Titan Power, but it was Newgate who had earned the Tremor-Tremor Fruit its reputation as the strongest Paramecia. Give it to an ordinary person, and they might not be able to bring out its full power.

Carl failed to withstand Newgate's blow. His body slammed hard into the ground, leaving a man-shaped crater.

"That's enough for today. I recognize your strength."

Newgate had already begun to admire Carl. In his eyes, it was remarkable for someone so young to be this strong.

Then they went through the same routine as before, though White Tiger had a somewhat rough time of it. After eating his fill, he could be heard snoring from inside the wooden cabin!

The night passed without incident!

Morning came, and sunlight filtered through the island's dense woods, lighting up Carl's room.

He had just crawled out of bed and yawned. Breathing in the fresh air, he took a deep, satisfied breath.

Just as he stepped outside, Newgate suddenly walked over.

"Carl, try this. Quake Punch."

Newgate clenched his right fist and threw a powerful punch forward.

"Crack!"

A deafening boom tore through the air. The space ahead exploded like shards of glass.

"Bring it on!"

Carl didn't back down. He swung his fist and charged at Newgate.

Their attacks hadn't even made contact yet, but a tremendous roar rang out. The ground beneath their feet instantly split like a spiderweb, and a massive wave of air burst outward.

The surrounding trees, standing a hundred meters tall, were swept up by the blast. One after another, the powerful current ripped them from the ground.

When Carl's and Newgate's strength collided, they unleashed the force of a raging storm.

Their clash was like crossing bolts of lightning, brimming with boundless power and sparks.

Every clash of fist and foot sent a powerful tremor through the island, as though the whole place were shaking.

After their sparring match ended, Carl wiped the sweat from his brow and asked between breaths, "That fight really made my body feel great."

"Not bad yourself. You recovered in a single night."

Edward Newgate was a little envious of Carl's physique. He hadn't expected him to recover his strength so quickly.

What he didn't know was that Carl had recovered just an hour after their fight, not overnight.

Just as they finished fighting, the sea began to stir.

Carl and Newgate both looked out over the water. A large ship was approaching from the distance.

Newgate took a closer look and realized it was his crew coming to find him.

His crew carried Vivre Cards belonging to Edward Newgate. So, once last night's storm had passed, they had quickly realized their captain was missing and immediately followed the direction indicated by the cards.

"Look! It's Captain Newgate!"

A pirate aboard the ship grabbed a telescope and immediately alerted the others.

"Come on, get closer!"

Newgate's crew were all delighted. Newgate had always treated them well.

"All right, lads, let's have a banquet! Gurarararara!"

As the pirate ship approached the shore, Newgate shouted happily.

"Yeah!"

The pirates on board immediately cheered in response.

"Let's have a banquet!" Newgate declared again, full of enthusiasm.

The pirate crew came ashore. Some of the pirates hurried over to check on Newgate.

The others excitedly carried tables, chairs, benches, food, and wine off the ship.

The pirates set barrel after barrel of wine on the beach.

"Let's celebrate our safe reunion here, and Carl joining us soon. Cheers!"

Newgate and Carl raised their cups to each other and drank to their hearts' content.

"Cheers!"

The pirates all clinked their cups and drank.

The sea breeze swept past, carrying the scent of wine and the sound of laughter.

The sun climbed higher, shining down on Newgate and his companions, their spirits burning as brightly as the sunlight.

The pirates gathered in a circle. Some had once been slaves in chains, others were criminals abandoned by the world, and still others were adventurers seeking power and wealth.

They pursued freedom on the open sea. Whether facing life or death, they dared to challenge the world's shackles.

Wine flowed amid everyone's laughter, and happiness filled the air. They focused only on the joy and friendship of the moment.

Watching it all, Carl couldn't help smiling.

He looked at Newgate and his companions, hope for the future rising in his heart.

Sunlight fell across Carl's face, illuminating his resolute gaze. Now that he had come to the Pirate World, he would enjoy life to the fullest. To reach that goal sooner, he needed to rewrite the timeline of the Pirate World as quickly as possible. Only then would he have enough strength to live free of all constraints.