A squirrel Mink choked back tears as she said to Wanda:
"Wanda, where have you been all this time? King Pedro said you betrayed the Minks…"
A stoat Mink immediately scolded her:
"You actually believe that?! Wanda would never betray her own people! As for King Pedro, I think he's completely lost his mind!"
The other Minks quickly chimed in:
"That's right! Wanda is such a kind person—there's no way she'd ever betray us!"
"It's all that Joy Boy's fault! King Pedro must have been deceived by him again!"
"Waaah… Our home is gone! Why is there even a war?!"
...
Watching their fellow tribespeople still reeling in fear, Wanda and Carrot felt a deep sorrow in their hearts—yet at the same time, they were overwhelmed with gratitude.
Even in the middle of a war this massive, Carl had still kept his promise. He rescued their people from the brink of destruction.
Carrot raised her head to look at the looming darkness in the sky and murmured softly:
"Master…"
Someone blinked in confusion and asked,
"Carrot, who are you calling 'Master'?"
Wanda, having calmed down a little, helped a few kneeling Minks to their feet. Her eyes shimmered with tears as she said,
"Our master… is Saint Carl. He's the one who just saved you."
The Minks froze in surprise. Then, someone gasped in disbelief:
"Saint Carl? Wanda, do you mean… that Celestial Dragon?!"
Wanda and Carrot both nodded firmly. Wanda pressed her palms together at her chest and said reverently,
"Master is the most powerful man in the world. Carrot and I have already given him everything."
The Minks glanced at one another in confusion. They didn't quite understand what "everything" meant… but one thing was clear: the one who saved them was indeed Carl—the Celestial Dragon whom Joy Boy and Pedro had described as ruthless and unforgivable.
...
Above Zunesha, the battlefield had become a hellscape of light and shadow. Joy Boy's "Great Sun" scorched the skies into blazing daylight, but Carl's dark shroud consumed every ray of light like an abyss.
Joy Boy noticed Carl diverting part of his power to protect the Minks and send them to Mary Geoise. He raised a brow and said,
"Didn't expect you to care about the weak. Guess I have to look at you in a new light."
Carl's cursed blade, Muramasa, tore open a rift in space. Countless black chains surged toward Joy Boy's throat.
"You care about that crap? I just didn't want a flock of lambs interrupting my fun."
Joy Boy unleashed Conqueror's Haki, shattering the black chains with a roar of force. He turned into a streak of white light and charged.
"Well, I guess there's a bit of humanity left in you. Maybe I'll spare your life for that."
Carl scoffed and slashed with Muramasa, meeting Joy Boy head-on.
"Afraid already? 'Maybe'—don't say things that'd make a corpse laugh."
VMMM!!
The darkness pouring from Muramasa clashed with the power of Nika surrounding Joy Boy. Within a radius of ten kilometers, everything was obliterated by the shockwaves. Even the thick, leathery back of Zunesha was torn open, and blood spurted like a geyser.
Already weakened, Zunesha could no longer withstand the sheer destructive power of Carl and Joy Boy's battle. With a mournful cry, its forelegs buckled and its massive head plunged into the sea.
To those watching from above Mary Geoise, it looked as though the entire world had tilted. The Minks stared in stunned silence, unable to imagine what the battlefield on Zunesha's back now looked like.
Carl held Muramasa in one hand. The other was coated in a thick crystal of blood, dark purple spirals glowing across it.
Joy Boy's forearms had swelled with power, wreathed in white flame-like clouds.
Reinforced by their respective abilities, their bodies had reached unparalleled levels of strength. Every clash of sword and fist shook the heavens, carving craters into the surface below like meteor impacts.
Meanwhile, nearly half the sky across the world alternated between black and white, emanating an overwhelming pressure. Creatures everywhere instinctively dropped to the ground, trembling in fear.
CRACK!
After another collision, the blood-crystal armor on Carl's left arm exploded into thousands of dark red shards that rained down like a storm. Joy Boy's flame-cloud ribbons flared, releasing a white mist that swallowed the spikes, disintegrating them instantly.
The two hovered midair, facing off again.
That casual exchange alone could've erased an island from the map. Yet even now, both men were breathing evenly—like they hadn't even warmed up.
Joy Boy flexed his wrist slightly, then glanced down at the devastated land below—no, Zunesha's torn hide.
Its head was already submerged, and only half its body remained visible in the raging storm of power.
Seeing the blood pouring from the cracks, a flicker of pain passed through his eyes.
To Joy Boy, Zunesha wasn't just another creature—it had once been his comrade-in-arms eight centuries ago. The Minks were one thing, but Zunesha was different. He never wanted it to be harmed.
Now he could feel Zunesha's life force fading fast. If this kept going, the two of them were going to kill it in the crossfire.
Carl, noticing Joy Boy's silence, chuckled and asked,
"What's the matter? Looking for survivors up there?"
Joy Boy raised his head, face expressionless.
"I'm thinking… Zunesha shouldn't be a casualty of our fight. Creatures like it are treasures of this world."
Carl tilted his head and gave him a look like he was watching a fool.
"So what, you want me to aim carefully so I don't hurt the giant elephant? What are you, an animal rights activist?"
Joy Boy frowned.
"Animal rights? Whatever that is, Zunesha is my closest companion. It's not some 'beast.'"
Carl threw his head back and laughed.
"You'd rather waste your overflowing kindness on a walking zoo exhibit than spare a drop of it for the Minks? Joy Boy, you've really got thicker skin than that elephant!"
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+150 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg