Carl seemed to notice the thoughts running through Law's mind and spoke directly, "Alright, go buy a Log Pose to Alabasta. On the way there, I'll teach you how to awaken and train Haki. Bepo and the others can listen in if they want. Not a bad deal, right?"
Law tapped the brim of his hat. "I won't refuse that."
Without delay, the Heart Pirates' submarine set sail. Carl stood on the deck, taking one last look at the island before turning back toward the cabin.
Golden Lion had been buried here.
Carl had personally erected a tombstone for the legendary pirate—at the very least, it was a final mark of respect.
Golden Lion had dedicated his final battle to avenging the Straw Hats, yet he met his end in complete obscurity, buried on an unknown island.
In the end, the Lion lost to Roger once again.
Roger had ignited the Great Pirate Era and died a legendary death, while Golden Lion, once his rival, had been laid to rest by Carl alone.
Both had been born in the same era… But Roger was destined to be king, while Golden Lion's fate was to be overshadowed.
Carl stretched his arms. "Alright, time for your Haki training! You'll have to endure the hellish lessons of me, the Demon Instructor of the Straw Hat Pirates—so don't go dying too soon!"
Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin instinctively clung to each other, trembling.
They could feel Carl's malicious intent!
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters—Marineford
Sengoku sat at his desk, reading through a special report.
"A large number of floating islands have fallen in a certain sea region? And those islands are swarming with powerful beasts? Falling islands…? Huh? No way… Golden Lion?!"
His expression darkened.
Previously, Kizaru had personally gone to East Blue but failed to capture Golden Lion. And now, the old pirate had apparently been causing chaos in the Grand Line.
"Why won't that damn rooster just die already?!" Sengoku muttered in frustration.
Vice Admiral Tsuru, who was standing nearby, paused for a moment before a thought crossed her mind.
"Fallen islands? It may not have been Golden Lion's doing—rather, this might mean that Golden Lion himself is dead."
Dead?!
The entire room fell silent.
And then, one by one, they began to process the implications.
It made sense. If Golden Lion had intended to use an island to attack, he wouldn't have chosen an uninhabited sea area. The islands seemed to have fallen uncontrollably, and the most logical reason for that was…
Golden Lion was dead.
"Golden Lion is dead? Who took him down? How terrifying," Kizaru muttered lazily as he casually trimmed his nails.
"A legendary pirate dying in such obscurity… What a shame," Aokiji said, adjusting his blindfold as if he were about to doze off.
"Hmph! Good riddance! I don't care how he died—pirates deserve nothing less!" Akainu growled, his usual hatred for pirates flaring up.
Sengoku furrowed his brows and turned toward Garp, who was dozing off in his chair.
That old man was pretending to sleep. He had definitely figured something out.
With an annoyed shout, Sengoku banged the table. "Garp! How dare you sleep during a meeting?! Wake up!"
Garp slowly opened his eyes, glanced at Sengoku, then wordlessly pulled out a pack of rice crackers and started munching.
Sengoku looked like he was about to explode.
Vice Admiral Tsuru quickly stepped in. "Garp, if Golden Lion is truly dead, what do you think about it?"
Garp paused for a moment, then pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
Inside the Heart Pirates' Submarine
Brrrr!Brrrr!
Carl picked up with a grin.
"Moshi moshi! Old man! Didn't expect you to call me first. Getting tired of being a Marine hero? Thinking about switching sides? No worries, Luffy's got a spot for you on his crew!"
Laughter laced his voice.
Law, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin were frozen in shock.
Was Carl… casually joking with the Marine hero Garp?! A pirate keeping in touch with a Marine legend—who would believe it?!
Back at Marine Headquarters
The room fell into stunned silence.
Sengoku and the others exchanged glances, all thinking the same thing—what the hell was going on?
Akainu, however, only scowled.
Garp, on the other hand, was already roaring into the Den Den Mushi.
"You little brat, keep running your mouth and I'll teach you a lesson with my Fist of Love! I didn't call you for jokes—just give me a straight answer. Is Golden Lion dead?!"
Carl didn't even hesitate.
"Oh? So you figured it out already. Yeah, the old rooster came after us for revenge, but I killed him. He's buried on XXX Island. If you don't believe me, come check for yourself."
The room went silent.
Golden Lion… was really dead?!
Sengoku, Tsuru, and the three Admirals couldn't hide their shock.
What truly shocked them wasn't just the death of Golden Lion—it was the fact that Carl was the one who killed him!
Perhaps they had still underestimated the Straw Hats. They had known Carl could fight Kizaru, but they had assumed he wouldn't stand a real chance against a Marine Admiral in a prolonged battle.
But now…
This Carl might actually be Admiral-level!
"Hahahaha! Golden Lion, a legendary pirate, and you just buried him on some nameless island?" Garp burst out laughing. "If he knew, he'd probably die of anger all over again!"
"Old man, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up," Carl said casually.
"You little brat! Can't even talk to your grandpa for a bit?! Do you even realize the mess you've made?!" Garp roared.
"When Golden Lion died, all the islands he was keeping afloat started falling! There were still people on some of those islands! And those beasts he created—do you know how many casualties they've caused?!"
Carl clicked his tongue. "Grandpa, you can't blame me for that! It's your Marines who were too slow!
"You had all this time and still couldn't catch Golden Lion or even find his stronghold!
"He was planning to unleash those beasts to destroy East Blue. If I hadn't taken him out early, East Blue could've faced a real catastrophe! Be reasonable, old man—you can't just scold me for everything just because I'm a pirate!"
"..."
Garp was momentarily speechless.
Even Sengoku and the others looked a little embarrassed.
After all, Marine had spent so much time hunting Golden Lion, making a big show of it… only for the Straw Hats to handle it instead.
Wasn't that humiliating?
Carl continued, "Anyway, instead of wasting time scolding me, you should focus on handling those beasts.
"And there's something even more important—the Lion Fruit is about to return to the sea!"
The room fell silent.
Everyone's pupils shrank.
Sengoku's face turned serious.
With Golden Lion's death, the Lion Fruit would eventually reappear somewhere in the world.
That Devil Fruit was too valuable. It was a strategic weapon.
Just imagine… if Marine obtained the Lion Fruit, they could control the skies.
Kaido only dared to invade Marineford because he could fly. But if the Marines got the Lion Fruit, they could launch airborne raids anywhere—even Wano Country. Kaido wouldn't be able to protect his territory, no matter how strong he was!
The Lion Fruit was a must-have!
"Hahahaha! You're right, kid. No time to chat!" Garp suddenly laughed and hung up.
Then, without saying a word, he turned to Sengoku, gave him a knowing look…
And casually went back to eating his senbei.
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