Chapter 36: Ginny Is So Beautiful

Carl was momentarily stunned after hearing Gion's words, then sighed helplessly. He supposed this was inevitable.

After all, the sister he had recognized was indeed exceptionally talented. Not even the boys her age—let alone the girls—could match her strength. In the end, only Carl could truly serve as her opponent.

With Gion's strong-willed nature, it was inevitable that she would grow restless if she stayed in her comfort zone for too long. So, when she heard that a group of students "not weaker than her" had appeared at Marine Headquarters, she couldn't resist coming to see for herself.

Then, she met Carl—who had just returned from a mission—and as the strongest among the students, he had completely shattered her pride.

Thinking of this, Tsuru rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She softened her tone as she asked:

"Then what exactly happened between you and Ginny? It was just a spar—how did things escalate to this level?"

"Well… it must have been something I said that provoked her," Gion admitted, her voice carrying a trace of guilt. "She has a strong temper and even grabbed my sword with her bare hands..."

She hesitated briefly before adding, "I was careless and got hit by her, so I retaliated with more force. If Carl hadn't arrived in time, then..."

"Then it would have been a real disaster!" Tsuru cut in sharply.

She pinched Gion's cheek as if scolding a misbehaving child. While she felt somewhat amused, she couldn't ignore the fact that if Ginny had been seriously injured, Garp and Sengoku would have gone berserk—just like Carl had.

Carl, who had been shaken back by Tsuru's Haki, retreated toward Ginny. He barely managed to steady himself when Ginny rushed forward, her eyes filled with worry.

"Brother Carl, are you okay? That's enough already! It's just a little injury on my hand—really, I'm fine!"

Carl patted her cold, delicate hand and reassured her, "I'm fine, don't worry."

After saying that, he looked up at Tsuru, a serious expression on his face.

"I still underestimated her," he murmured to himself. "To be able to cultivate Haki to such an extent… she really is in a different league."

Through months of training and real combat experience at sea, Carl had become very proficient in Haki. His strength wasn't low, yet he still couldn't wield it as freely as Tsuru had just now.

This was the first time he had personally experienced the sheer intensity of a Haki master's power. It was overwhelming, and yet, he could tell that Tsuru hadn't even used her full strength.

Tsuru had fought against the Rocks Pirates alongside Garp, Sengoku, and the other top Marines. She was undoubtedly the strongest among female Marines, and in this era, she was still in her prime.

Carl estimated that her strength was likely close to an Admiral's level.

It wasn't shameful for him to have been overpowered by her—after all, he had just turned sixteen. He still had a long way to go before reaching the peak of his combat abilities.

**"Hmm?"**

Carl was lost in thought when he suddenly felt warm air blowing on his hand. He looked down to find Ginny holding his hand gently, her lips pursed as she blew on his reddened skin.

He frowned slightly. "Ginny, what are you doing?"

Ginny kept blowing softly and replied, "Brother Carl, your hand is a little red. It must have been from Vice Admiral Tsuru's attack. I'm blowing on it to help it feel better!"

Carl sighed. "Idiot, I'm not that fragile. Your hand is much redder than mine!"

Ginny smiled, raising her injured hand playfully as if to show off. Thanks to her excellent physical condition, the wound had already started scabbing over.

Seeing the bright, cheerful smile on her face, Carl felt most of his anger fade away. He reached out and pinched her soft, elastic cheeks, his voice turning serious.

"Listen to me—don't act recklessly when I'm not around. If something happens, wait for me to handle it. Understand?"

Ginny tilted her head, her big, watery eyes gleaming as she asked sweetly, "Then wouldn't it be perfect if Brother Carl was always by my side?"

"..."

Carl rubbed his forehead, at a loss for words. He had been ready to scold her for being reckless, but faced with her innocent expression, he found himself unable to say anything.

Back on Earth, he had always thought that hopeless romantics were ridiculous, and he had never believed that such girls truly existed.

But now… he had met one.

And not only that—she was hopelessly devoted to **him**.

Faced with this level of sincerity, he realized just how terrifying it was.

At the very least… he had no way to resist it.

Sighing, he gently stroked Ginny's soft, pink hair. He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he simply whispered, "Alright."

Ginny beamed and hugged his waist tightly, her face glowing with happiness.

Just then, Tsuru approached with Gion in tow, much like a strict parent dragging a mischievous child. She quietly observed Carl and Ginny for a moment before speaking.

"If Gion hadn't been pestering me, I might have let you two finish your conversation," she said, giving Gion a sideways glare.

Gion scratched her palm awkwardly but didn't say anything.

Tsuru turned back to Carl and said solemnly, "Carl, I understand the situation now. Gion was the one who provoked Ginny, and she failed to control herself during the fight. I apologize on her behalf."

To the shock of everyone present, Tsuru actually bowed her head.

Considering her rank and status, this gesture was incredibly rare.

Tsuru was known for her wisdom and fairness. It was precisely this trait that made Garp and Sengoku—two hot-headed men—respect her so much.

Feeling guilty, Gion followed suit, bowing her head in apology as well. Ginny, taken aback, waved her hands frantically and quickly bowed back.

"I-It's okay! I'm at fault too—I took things too seriously!"

Carl didn't respond immediately. Instead, he simply gave Gion an indifferent glance before addressing Tsuru.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru, I was too reckless earlier. You don't need to apologize. This has nothing to do with you."

Tsuru waved her hand dismissively as if to say it wasn't a big deal.

But before she could respond, a loud **pop** echoed through the air.

Everyone turned their heads upward to see a figure hurtling toward them, using **Geppo** to travel through the sky.

It was **Zephyr**, kicking off the air with powerful bursts of movement. Behind him, a golden flash of light flickered.

Zephyr's voice boomed as he shouted, "Carl! Stop causing trouble, kid! If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have let you return early…"

Then, as if realizing something, he turned back and shouted irritably, "Borsalino! Why are you dawdling behind?!"

Everyone's attention immediately shifted back to Carl.

Ginny tugged on Carl's sleeve and asked curiously, "Speaking of which, Brother Carl… how **did** you get back?"

Carl pointed at Zephyr in the sky and said casually, "Just like him. The warship was too slow, so I used **Geppo** to run back ahead of schedule."