Decision

Having just mastered the Baji Fist yesterday, Carl now executed every move and stance with perfect power.

Although Carl put his full strength into every punch, his opponent was Edward Newgate—and a young Edward Newgate at that, whose strength was in a league of its own. Consequently, Carl remained on the defensive; had Newgate not held back, he would have been finished long ago.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged dozens of blows. Newgate felt a sense of disbelief; although he had yet to utilize the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, his raw physical strength was not something an ordinary person could withstand.

Newgate was somewhat shocked, unable to imagine that an eighteen-year-old human could possess such power.

Carl was definitely gifted, and his lineage might even be extraordinarily rare. This couldn't help but stir a desire in Newgate to recruit him.

Though Newgate thought this, he did not hold back in his strikes. He unleashed a series of heavy punches, delivering destructive force that swept through everything. Before Carl could even react, his eyes widened as he was sent flying backward. He was struck instantly, hurtling into the woods and crashing through three large trees before finally coming to a stop.

As Carl stood up, his face twitched, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. He felt the pain coursing through his body—the most intense pain he had ever experienced.

However, as his body pressed against the earth, he soon felt a warm current rising from deep within the ground. It traveled through his entire body, slowly healing his wounds.

Seeing Carl spit blood, Newgate walked over to him with quick strides.

"Are you alright?"

Newgate asked with a look of concern. After all, while Carl's skills were decent, he had used his full strength just now, and he was worried about causing the boy serious harm.

He looked at the large fist imprint on Carl's chest, but to Newgate's astonishment, the mark vanished in an instant.

"Haha, Newgate, I forgot to tell you—my recovery speed is also beyond that of an ordinary person. Let's go again!"

Carl didn't stand on ceremony; he immediately crouched and lunged, instantly engaging Newgate in a brawl once more.

"Gurararara!"

"Young people really do have resilient bodies."

As for the White Tiger, it found the scene somewhat boring and drifted into a deep sleep with a yawn.

And so, the battle raged from day until night.

During this time, Carl learned quite a few offensive techniques and gradually became more proficient with the Six Powers: Shave. He realized that although the system had helped him instantly grasp the Six Powers, his actual execution remained somewhat stiff.

Newgate, meanwhile, was amazed by Carl's growth. From his initial flustered state to his eventual ease, he could even stand toe-to-toe with him. While there was a suspicion that Newgate was "feeding" him moves, there was no denying that Carl's talent was immense.

Newgate couldn't help but sigh; the massive transformation Carl had undergone in such a short time had truly exceeded his expectations.

"Shockwave!"

Newgate put his weight into his waist and swung with force. The space shattered like glass, piece by piece, kicking up a terrifying wave of air.

"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"

"Oh no, I can't block this."

Although Carl had fused with Titan Power, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was only considered the strongest Paramecia because of Newgate himself; if you gave it to an ordinary person, they might not necessarily be able to unleash its full potential.

He failed to withstand Newgate's strike and was slammed hard into the ground, creating a human-shaped crater.

"Alright, let's call it a day. I acknowledge your strength."

Newgate had begun to admire Carl; in his view, possessing such strength at such a young age was indeed rare and commendable.

Afterward, the routine remained the same, though it was a bit hard on the White Tiger. After it was fed, the sound of snoring drifted from the wooden cabin!

The night passed in silence!

At dawn, sunlight filtered through the island's dense forest, illuminating Carl's room.

He climbed out of bed, let out a yawn, and took a deep, satisfied breath as he felt the crisp morning air.

Just as he stepped out of the room, Newgate suddenly approached him.

"Carl, try this: Quake Punch."

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

"Crack!"

A deafening roar tore through the air, and the space in front of him shattered like shards of glass.

"Well met!"

However, Carl did not show weakness; he swung his own fist and charged toward Newgate.

Although their attacks had not yet made physical contact, a tremendous sound erupted. The ground beneath their feet instantly cracked like a spiderweb, and a massive shockwave rippled outward.

The hundred-foot-tall trees surrounding them were uprooted by the blast, sent flying by the powerful air currents.

The collision of Carl and Newgate's power ignited a force as violent as a storm.

Their duel was like clashing lightning, filled with endless power and sparks.

Every collision of fists and feet brought intense tremors, as if the entire island were shaking.

Once their duel came to a halt, Carl wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked with heavy breaths, "After that fight, my body feels surprisingly comfortable."

"You're not bad yourself. You recovered in just one night."

Edward Newgate felt a bit envious of Carl's constitution; he hadn't expected his stamina to return so quickly.

In truth, he didn't know that Carl had recovered his stamina within a mere hour of finishing the fight, not over the course of the night.

Just as they had finished their battle, ripples began to stir on the surface of the sea.

Carl and Edward Newgate looked toward the horizon at the same time, where a large ship was sailing in from the distance.

Newgate squinted, realizing to his surprise that his subordinates had tracked him down.

Because his crew members possessed Edward Newgate's Vivre Card, they had noticed Captain Newgate was missing the moment the storm subsided last night and immediately set out in the direction indicated by the paper.

"Look, it's Captain Newgate!"

The pirates on the ship used their binoculars to alert the others immediately.

"Bring us alongside!"

Newgate's crew members were overjoyed; after all, Newgate treated them very well on a daily basis.

"Alright, my lads, let's have a banquet! Gurarararara!"

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

"Ooh!"

The pirates on the ship responded in an instant.

"Let the banquet begin!" Newgate announced once more, filled with high spirits.

The pirate ship docked, and some of the crew disembarked first to check on Newgate's condition.

The other pirates excitedly began moving tables, chairs, benches, fine wine, and delicacies off the ship.

The pirates lined up barrel after barrel of fine wine across the sandy beach.

"To celebrate our safe reunion here, and to celebrate Carl joining us soon. Cheers!"

Newgate toasted with Carl, and they drank to their hearts' content.

"Cheers!"

The pirates all raised their glasses in turn.

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

The sun gradually rose, shining down on Newgate and his companions, burning as brightly as their fighting spirit.

The pirates sat together in a circle; some were former slaves who had been bound, others were criminals abandoned by the world, and some were adventurers pursuing power and wealth.

They chased the freedom of the sea, and regardless of life or death, they dared to challenge the shackles of the world.

Fine wine flowed amidst everyone's laughter, and an atmosphere of happiness permeated the air. They focused only on the joy and friendship of the present moment.

Watching all of this, Carl couldn't help but smile.

He gazed at Newgate and his companions, a longing for the future rising within his heart.

The sunlight shone on Carl's face, illuminating his determined gaze. Since he had arrived in the pirate world, he would enjoy life to the fullest. To reach this goal as quickly as possible, he needed to rewrite the timeline of the pirate world, for only then would he have the strength to be a man without restraints.