Carl silently stared at Burgess, his expression unreadable. Now that Blackbeard had become a Warlord, it was a sure sign that the Summit War was on the horizon. This also meant that the Blackbeard Pirates and the Straw Hats were destined to be enemies. Killing Burgess right now seemed like a perfectly reasonable move.
Burgess felt Carl's killing intent, but like many others, he believed the Straw Hats' reputation was just exaggerated. He couldn't imagine a group of rookies who had never been to the New World could be a match for a Marine Admiral. He assumed their bounties were high only because the Marines saw some potential, not because they were actually strong.
"Zehahahaha! Lightning Swordsman, Carl? I was just on my way to find the Straw Hats, but since you're here, this makes things easy. Hand over all your gold, and I might let you live!" Burgess boasted with misplaced confidence.
Carl didn't even bother to respond. He simply swung his obsidian sword at Burgess.
Burgess's face instantly changed. He could feel the sword's terrifying power. He quickly coated his forearms in Armament Haki and prepared to block the strike.
Bang!
Burgess was sent flying. His current strength was far from what it would become, and his Armament Haki was still weak. His fighting style relied on special techniques, but his elbow attacks were no match for Carl's power.
"This is getting good!" Burgess said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "Zehahahaha! The newspapers weren't lying! You really do have the combat power of a Marine Admiral!"
"Then you can go to hell," Carl said, slashing at him again without hesitation.
This time, Burgess didn't try to block. He rolled on the ground to avoid the attack, then got up and swung his arms. A special shockwave shot out from his fists, heading straight for Carl's head.
"Unsinkable Ship: Lasso Style!"
The name of the move was meaningless to Carl. With a simple flick of his wrist, he deflected the shockwave, causing it to dissipate with a loud bang.
Burgess's expression darkened. He was shocked that his two strongest moves were so easily neutralized by Carl. Carl's murderous look was unmistakable. He was in real danger.
Carl didn't waste any more time with words. He used his Devil Fruit ability to control a giant sword from the debris on the ground, sealing off Burgess's escape route. Then, he swung his obsidian sword once more.
Unable to dodge, Burgess gritted his teeth and fired another shockwave. The attack collapsed instantly when it met Carl's slash, lasting less than a second. The slash continued forward, completely undiminished.
With no other choice, Burgess swung his left elbow forward. "Undulating Elbo—"
Pfft!
Before he could finish the move's name, his left arm was cleanly severed and flew into the air. Burgess screamed in pain as blood gushed from his shoulder, staining the ground red. He fell to the ground, clutching the bloody stump of his arm and writhing in agony.
Carl showed no mercy. He raised his sword for one more final slash, aiming for Burgess's neck.
Just as the sword was about to connect, a black mist suddenly surged from the sea, swallowing Burgess whole. The mist quickly retreated to a distant ship that had appeared out of nowhere. Carl knew every person on its deck:
Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach. Sniper Van Augur. Helmsman Laffitte. Ship Doctor Doc Q.
The entire Blackbeard Pirates crew had arrived, and the black mist was clearly the power of Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit.
Blackbeard released Burgess from the mist. The injured man was unconscious, and blood was still flowing from his shoulder. Doc Q immediately began treating him.
Blackbeard looked at Carl and let out a booming laugh. "Zehahahaha! I didn't expect the Straw Hats' Lightning Swordsman to have the fighting power of a Marine Admiral! We really underestimated this ocean! Carl, a guy with your strength is wasting his time with the Straw Hats! Why don't you join me and we'll create a new era?"
Carl sneered. "A new era? You're a coward. You don't even have the guts to come ashore and face me, yet you have the nerve to say something like that."
Blackbeard's already dark face grew even darker. He had gotten a report on the Straw Hats' true power just before this. When he heard that Burgess was going after their gold, he had rushed over with his crew. It was a good thing he did; otherwise, Burgess would have lost his head instead of just an arm.
Carl had once fought an Admiral, and it was clear he was no pushover. Blackbeard didn't dare underestimate him and didn't want to fight him right now. He had bigger plans and needed to be cautious.
"Zehahahaha! Carl, you still don't understand how vast this world is! The New World has been controlled by the Four Emperors for too long; it's time for a change! You call me a coward, but I'm just being cautious—which shows how much I respect your power. The New World is about to be turned upside down, and you're here playing pirate games with the Straw Hat boy. Isn't that a waste? Come on, be my partner!"
Blackbeard kept trying to persuade him, but Carl's eyes were filled with nothing but contempt. This was the man who had killed his own father figure for decades for his ambition. He was the worst kind of person. Following him would lead to nothing good.
Carl didn't answer. Instead, he swung his sword, sending a massive slash across the sea toward Blackbeard's ship. The crew scrambled to move the ship out of the way, but the slash still caught the stern, nearly capsizing them.
Blackbeard finally got the message. He cursed under his breath and ordered his ship to leave. But Carl wasn't done. He leaped onto a giant piece of debris, chasing after them, and began launching a barrage of slashes that tore through the Blackbeard Pirates' ship.
With one final attack, Carl split the ship in half. As the ship broke apart, the entire crew, including the severely injured Burgess, dived into the water. When Carl arrived to check, there was no one to be found. He couldn't even sense their presence with Observation Haki. Carl's brow furrowed in frustration.
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