Setting Sail

At the banquet, Carl pulled over an empty wine barrel, sat down on it with a relaxed posture, and asked Newgate, "Who are the major powers on the sea right now?"

Yesterday, they had only briefly chatted about the current time and what had happened since Newgate joined the Rocks Pirates. As for the current landscape of powers on the ocean, he hadn't had the chance to ask yet.

He didn't know much about the pirate crews of this era, only that the Rocks Pirates were the strongest. Since he intended to join them, he had to know if there were any other crews capable of rivaling them.

Newgate turned his head and answered with a smile, "There are two crews currently capable of standing against the Rocks Pirates. One is the Giant Warrior Pirates, composed entirely of giants, and the other is the X Pirates, whose captain, X, carries a trace of the bloodline of Oars the Continent Puller."

In recent years, only these two crews could truly be called the real rivals of the Rocks Pirates; other smaller crews had all flocked under the banners of these three.

Hearing this news, Carl felt a surge of excitement.

It seems the sea isn't lonely after all. I should be able to find opponents soon after I head out.

After all, following yesterday's fight, the Titan Power had undergone a deeper level of fusion, further enhancing his strength.

He raised his wine cup, took a large gulp of the fine liquor, and said with a smile.

What he craved most right now was a life-or-death battle. Since these two crews could rival the Rocks Pirates, there had to be many powerhouses among them.

Newgate nodded in agreement.

"You're right, there are many experts in those two crews. However, a single crew alone is not enough to be feared by our Rocks Pirates."

Newgate interjected, "It's just that not long ago, those two crews joined forces, which created the current three-way standoff."

He added with a smile, "But in front of our Rocks Pirates, they don't have any advantage."

Newgate's face was filled with confidence in their strength; after all, they were the strongest.

Carl nodded in agreement. Although he knew he might still be a step behind the top-tier powerhouses, he would not shy away from a challenge.

He believed that in future battles, he would be able to compete with these powerful opponents.

Perhaps it was the blessing of the Titan Power.

His heart revealed a longing and excitement for battle.

The banquet lasted for an entire day, and it seemed impossible to set sail today.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Carl took White Tiger and boarded the ship with Newgate, heading toward Hachinosu.

Carl's thoughts swirled incessantly during the voyage.

He hadn't joined the Rocks Pirates just for wealth and Devil Fruits; more importantly, he was seeking his own future.

He knew the reign of the Rocks Pirates could not last forever, and he had to prepare for his future in advance.

Whether it was building his own crew, becoming a lone wolf, or establishing a family connected by blood like Charlotte Linlin.

Regardless of the path, he had to start planning.

He realized that relying solely on his own strength and the buffs from his templates—since the system had long ago stated that the power he obtained could not exceed the strength ceiling of the pirate world—was not enough.

Overthrowing the rule of the World Government on his own was absolutely impossible!

Such a thought was too naive and unrealistic just to contemplate; after all, the World Government had ruled the pirate world for 800 years.

He dared not claim he could definitely overthrow the World Government, and the pirate world was full of advanced technology. If he were to capsize in the gutter, he would be in trouble.

He could only do his best to disrupt the timeline first and then wait for the protagonist to appear.

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

He decided to start small and test the limits of his own power.

If he succeeded, it would be a huge breakthrough; if he failed, he still had this backup plan to rely on.

After all, one shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket.

He needed to be prepared for any eventuality to ensure his future could develop smoothly.

The pirates on the ship were all surprised by White Tiger's arrival, never expecting this massive tiger to become their companion on the voyage.

But Carl knew White Tiger's strength and loyalty well; he regarded White Tiger as his guardian, his friend, and a reminder of his hometown.

As the ship sailed across the sea, Carl felt incredibly stirred.

He knew that endless adventures and challenges awaited him ahead.

What he didn't know was that the Rocks Pirates being the sole dominant force was not a good situation for the Navy.

The Navy had long been informed by insiders that Newgate had set sail alone, and they did not want the Rocks Pirates to continue growing.

Therefore, they dispatched Steel Bone Kong to lead a fleet to surround and suppress Whitebeard, attempting to stop the development of the Rocks Pirates in this way.

Carl was unaware of all this; he was still full of anticipation and excitement for the adventure he was about to face.

After all, he had never experienced such freedom. Back on Blue Star, he had been a corporate slave working 996 every day.

He hadn't experienced such free scenery in a very long time.

He gripped the ship's railing tightly, feeling the sea breeze brush against his face, his heart filled with a longing for freedom.

As the ship moved forward, the ocean gradually revealed its boundless vastness, a wide expanse of blue filling his vision. Carl knew that his journey of adventure had officially begun.

Filled with courage and determination, he would take his first step toward the unknown seas.

The road ahead would not be smooth; he knew he would face all manner of hardships and dangers.

But he felt no fear, for he believed that with the help of the system, he would surely reach the pinnacle.

Carl gazed at the distant horizon, a firm resolve igniting within her heart.

She believed that she would certainly be able to forge a legend of her own.

A few days ago!

Marine Headquarters!

The conference room was shrouded in silence.

Marshal Hill sat in the high seat with a gloomy face, his eyes revealing his wariness and dissatisfaction toward the Rocks Pirates.

"Steel Bone Kong will lead the encirclement of Whitebeard this time."

Marshal Hill's voice was low and stern: "We can no longer allow the Rocks Pirates to continue growing; we must take action."

The high-ranking Marine officers in the room nodded in agreement one after another. They knew that Whitebeard was the core strength of the Rocks Pirates, and only by destroying Whitebeard could they truly weaken the power of the Rocks Pirates.

Steel Bone Kong stood up, offered a military salute, and said with a resolute expression: "I hope this operation will be resolved successfully, and let the Rocks Pirates feel the justice of our Navy."

Marshal Hill nodded: "Depart. Ensure the mission is completed."

Upon receiving the order, Steel Bone Kong immediately led the Marine fleet to set sail.

Accompanying him were his trusted subordinates Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru. They were the elite of the Navy, each possessing the strength and combat experience of a Vice Admiral.

The Marine fleet advanced rapidly across the sea, their target an unknown, desolate island.

This desolate island was where Whitebeard was making a brief stop. The Navy had obtained this information through intelligence and decided to launch an encirclement on Whitebeard's return route.

However, the Navy did not know that this encirclement would bring them even greater terror.

They would never have imagined that Carl's strength would be so troublesome, or that it would deal a painful blow to their plans targeting the Rocks Pirates.

They had assumed this operation would leave Newgate battered and bruised, never realizing that the battle they were about to face would be unprecedented.

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

He believed that he and his subordinates could successfully complete the mission and thoroughly eliminate Newgate.

Yet, they did not know that on this vast ocean, Newgate was also closing in on them.

Two forces were about to collide in this boundless expanse of sea, and a world-shaking battle was about to unfold.