Chapter 52 : Everyone, Look At The Incredible Mountain

Boom! Carl knocked Shigure aside with a knife.

Tashigi's hands trembled, out of breath and unable to speak.

Carl sheathed his sword and started commenting, "Your moves are decent, but your strength is lacking. Your speed is too slow, and your legs and waist are weak. Right now, your strength is barely above that of an average sailor."

Tashigi clenched her fists upon hearing this.

She couldn't deny Carl's evaluation because deep down, she knew how weak she was. But being a woman, her strength naturally didn't compare to that of a man…

"You're thinking that because you're a woman, your strength isn't as good as a man's, aren't you?" Carl sneered. "Stop making excuses for your weakness.

Weakness is just weakness. There's no connection between men and women! Big Mom is a woman, and so is your Marine's future Admiral, Momousagi. Even Vice Admiral Tsuru is a woman, and they're all strong."

"It's ridiculous! The only problem is you. You swing that sword hundreds of times a day and expect to get stronger? It's laughable!"

Carl's words made Tashigi's eyes widen, leaving her speechless.

Zoro was also shocked, and his mind drifted to his distant childhood.

He thought about Kuina. He wished Kuina could hear Carl's words, but she was no longer around. Now it was this impostor, lacking the heart to become strong, hearing them instead!

It was infuriating!

Zoro suddenly understood Carl's purpose for training Tashigi.

This woman complained about how all the famous swords were in the hands of the bad guys and loudly proclaimed that she would take them back. But she didn't put in the effort to become stronger. It was maddening.

Carl didn't want to crush Tashigi's dream, but he was pushing her to be better.

Zoro, with his dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, was working tirelessly to grow stronger, even in the face of death. But what was this woman doing? Swinging a sword hundreds of times a day and talking about her dreams—why didn't she just give up?

The more Zoro thought about it, the angrier he became. He continued to swing his sword with a dark expression.

A tense aura surrounded Zoro, making everyone instinctively back away.

"Hey! Carl, you jerk! Don't pick on Tashigi-chan. She's just a delicate girl, you..."

"Sanji!"

Luffy suddenly and seriously interrupted Sanji, "Mr. Carl is right!"

Sanji froze for a moment, seeming to understand. He silently lit a cigarette and stepped aside without saying a word.

Luffy might not fully understand Carl's method of training Tashigi, but Luffy agreed with Carl's words. Weakness is just weakness—no excuses. It's better to use that time to become stronger.

Only when you get stronger can you talk about your dreams; otherwise, you're just bragging!

To Luffy, pirates are free, so Carl can do whatever he wants. Luffy wouldn't interfere with that.

Carl watched Tashigi, waiting for her response.

If her reaction was disappointing, Carl would no longer care. He would consider himself mistaken in taking on the role of instructor. But if that happened, Carl was certain Tashigi wouldn't get far.

Tashigi stood there, feeling stiff all over. Carl's words kept echoing in her mind, making her tremble with emotion.

She was angry, but not at Carl. She was angry at herself for not meeting expectations.

Just a moment ago, she had thought that her weakness was because she was a woman. But that wasn't who she was at all.

She, too, wanted to be strong and become stronger!

Suddenly, Tashigi straightened up, bowing deeply at a 90-degree angle, and said loudly, "I did have that thought earlier, and I was wrong! But I won't think that way again.

I want to become stronger! I will take back all the famous swords from the villains! Teacher Carl, even though pirates shouldn't teach Marines, please help me get stronger!"

Her voice was so loud that it almost echoed across the sea.

Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and the others couldn't help but smile slightly upon hearing her words. They seemed to be genuinely pleased.

Carl looked at Tashigi's bent but still straight back, hearing the determination in her voice. A smile crept onto his face.

But he quickly turned serious again. "Oh? You want to get stronger? Are you ready to give everything you've got?"

Tashigi shouted with determination, "I'm ready!"

"Alright! Then, before you leave the Merry, I will personally train you. Don't be overwhelmed!"

"I can handle it!"

"Heh, we'll see. If you can keep up, Zou will be yours!"

"Zou will definitely be mine!"

And so, Tashigi officially joined Carl's training team.

During breakfast, Usopp quietly approached Carl while no one was looking.

"Mr. Carl, why did you suddenly decide to train this female Marine?" Usopp still seemed confused.

"Heh, there's no special reason," Carl replied casually. "As a teacher, when I see someone so incompetent, I can't help but want to teach them a lesson. And it has nothing to do with their status. Don't you think Tashigi is a good candidate?"

Usopp was still a bit puzzled, but since Carl said that, he didn't press further.

Meanwhile, Nami and Tashigi seemed to be getting along really well.

Nami shared stories about her adoptive mother with Tashigi. Since her adoptive mother had also been a Marine, Nami felt a stronger connection to Tashigi. It almost felt like finding a best friend on the ship.

Tashigi was surprised by the identity of Nami's adoptive mother. But when she heard about the Dragon Pirates, she immediately remembered the report about Colonel Mouse colluding with the Dragon Pirates to harm a village in East Blue. A wave of guilt washed over her.

She bowed deeply and apologized to Nami, making Nami feel a little embarrassed.

"Those kinds of actions are the work of Marine scum," Nami thought. Even if an apology came from high-ranking Marines, it had nothing to do with Tashigi.

However, Tashigi's sincere apology made Nami like her even more. She began to truly see Tashigi as a best friend. If Tashigi weren't a Marine, Nami would have definitely wanted her as a crewmate.

At that moment, Luffy's voice rang out, "Hey! Everyone, look! An amazing mountain!"

Everyone turned to look and saw a towering mountain range stretching straight out of the sea. Countless whirlpools surrounded its base, making it seem incredibly dangerous.

No wonder Luffy called it an incredible mountain!

"That's Upside Down Mountain!" Nami instantly recognized it.

She quickly gathered everyone, then opened the Grand Line map and began to plan.

"That's right, this is Upside Down Mountain. We'll have to climb over it to enter the Grand Line!"

"Climb over it? With a boat?" someone asked.

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