Setting Sail

At the banquet, Carl dragged over an empty barrel, sat down on it, and relaxed as he asked Newgate, "Who are the major powers on the seas right now?"

Yesterday, they had only talked briefly about the current year and what had happened since Newgate joined the Rocks Pirates. Carl hadn't yet had the chance to ask about the powers ruling the seas at this time.

He still didn't know much about the pirate crews of this era. All he knew was that the Rocks Pirates were the strongest. Since he wanted to join them, he needed to find out whether any other crews could stand against them.

Newgate turned and smiled. "There are two crews that can hold their own against the Rocks Pirates. One is the Giant Warrior Pirates, made up entirely of giants. The other is the X Pirates, whose captain, X, has a trace of Oars the Continent Puller's bloodline."

In recent years, only these two crews had been worthy of being called true rivals to the Rocks Pirates. The other, smaller crews had all thrown in their lot with one of the three.

At this news, Carl felt a surge of excitement.

Looks like the sea won't be boring after all. I should find someone to fight soon enough once I'm out there.

After all, the battle yesterday had brought his Titan Power to a deeper level of fusion, further increasing his strength.

He raised his cup, took a long drink, and grinned.

More than anything, he craved fights to the death. If those two crews could stand against the Rocks Pirates, they had to be full of powerful fighters.

Newgate nodded in agreement.

"You're right. There are plenty of strong fighters in those two crews. But either one alone isn't a threat to the Rocks Pirates."

Newgate added, "It's only because those two crews joined forces recently that the sea has ended up in a three-way standoff."

He smiled and continued, "But they don't have any advantage over the Rocks Pirates."

Newgate wore the confident expression of a man who trusted his strength. After all, they were the strongest.

Carl nodded. He knew he might still fall short of the strongest fighters, but he wouldn't shy away from a challenge.

He believed that, in the battles to come, he would be able to face these powerful opponents head-on.

Perhaps it was the boost from his Titan Power.

His heart brimmed with longing for battle and excitement.

The banquet went on for the entire day. It looked like they wouldn't be setting sail today.

The night passed without incident!

Early the next morning, Carl and White Tiger boarded the ship with Newgate, and they set sail for Hachinosu.

Carl couldn't stop turning things over in his mind as they sailed.

He hadn't joined the Rocks Pirates just for wealth and Devil Fruits. More importantly, he wanted to secure his future.

He knew the Rocks Pirates' rule couldn't last forever. He had to start planning for what came next.

Whether he founded his own crew, became a lone pirate, or started a family bound together by blood, like Charlotte Linlin's, he needed to start making plans.

He could see that his own strength, even with the help of a few templates, wouldn't be enough. The system had already made it clear: the power he gained could never exceed the limits of the Pirate World.

So overthrowing the World Government was absolutely impossible on his own!

Even thinking about it felt childish and unrealistic. The World Government had ruled the Pirate World for 800 years, after all.

He couldn't claim he would definitely be able to overthrow the World Government. And the Pirate World had plenty of advanced technology. If he got caught off guard, he'd be in trouble.

All he could do was disrupt the timeline as much as he could, then wait for the protagonist to appear.

After all, he didn't want to die young.

He decided to start small and test whether he could rely on his own power.

If he succeeded, it would be a huge breakthrough. If he failed, he would still have this backup plan to fall back on.

After all, he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.

He needed to prepare for every possibility and make sure his future stayed on track.

The pirates aboard the ship were all surprised to see White Tiger. They hadn't expected the enormous tiger to become their traveling companion.

But Carl knew White Tiger's strength and loyalty. He saw him as his guardian, his friend, and a reminder of home.

As the ship sailed across the sea, Carl was thrilled.

He knew endless adventures and challenges lay ahead.

What he didn't know was that the Rocks Pirates' dominance was bad news for the Navy.

The Navy had already received word from an informant that Newgate had gone to sea alone. They didn't want the Rocks Pirates to grow any stronger.

So they had sent Steel Bone Kong with a fleet to hunt down Whitebeard, hoping to stop the Rocks Pirates from expanding.

Carl knew nothing about this. He was still looking forward to the adventures ahead, filled with excitement.

After all, he had never known this kind of freedom before. Back on Blue Star, he had been a wage slave working 996 every day.

He hadn't felt this free in a long time.

He gripped the railing, felt the sea breeze brush his face, and let his heart fill with longing for freedom.

As the ship sailed on, the sea opened up before them, its vast blue stretching as far as the eye could see. Carl knew his adventure had truly begun.

Brimming with courage and resolve, he would take his first step into the unknown.

The road ahead wouldn't be easy. He knew he would face all kinds of hardships and dangers.

But he wasn't afraid. With the system's help, he believed he could reach the top.

Carl stared at the distant horizon, a firm resolve kindling in his heart.

He believed he would create a legend of his own.

A few days earlier!

Marine Headquarters!

The meeting room was silent.

Fleet Admiral Hill sat at the head of the table, his face dark. His eyes betrayed his wariness and resentment toward the Rocks Pirates.

"This operation against Whitebeard will be led by Steel Bone Kong."

Fleet Admiral Hill's voice was low and stern. "We can't let the Rocks Pirates keep growing. It's time to take action."

The senior officers in the room nodded in agreement. They knew Whitebeard was a core part of the Rocks Pirates' strength. Only by taking him out could they truly weaken the crew.

Steel Bone Kong stood and saluted, his expression resolute. "I hope this operation goes smoothly and shows the Rocks Pirates the justice of the Navy."

Fleet Admiral Hill nodded. "Set out. Make sure you complete the mission."

After receiving his orders, Steel Bone Kong immediately led the Navy fleet out to sea.

His trusted companions, Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru, went with him. They were among the Navy's finest, each a Vice Admiral with strength and battle experience to match.

The Navy fleet raced across the sea toward an unknown deserted island.

Whitebeard had stopped there briefly, and the Navy had learned of it through intelligence. They decided to ambush him along his route back.

However, the Navy had no idea that this operation would bring them even greater terror.

They never imagined how difficult Carl would be to handle, or how badly he would disrupt their plans against Rocks.

They thought this operation would leave Newgate utterly defeated, unaware that they were about to face a battle on an unprecedented scale.

Steel Bone Kong stood on the bridge, gazing out at the sea ahead, filled with confidence and determination.

He believed he and his men could complete the mission without a hitch and wipe out Newgate for good.

But they didn't know that, across this vast sea, Newgate was heading toward them too.

The two forces were about to collide in these boundless waters. A world-shaking battle was about to begin.