Chapter 157
### Chapter 157
Garling looked at the two bloody tear marks on Carl's face and his scarlet right arm with concern.
"Carl, what happened to your face? And your arm?"
Carl raised his right arm, flexing his fingers and rotating his wrist. A faint smile played on his lips.
"This is a gift from my ancestors, Uncle Garling. I'll explain later—for now, we have guests."
The "guests" Carl referred to were, of course, the Five Elders. Apart from Saturn, who had intervened mid-battle, the others had simply stood by as spectators.
The Elders exchanged subtle glances. Carl's claim was beyond belief. If what he said was true, then didn't it mean he could call upon Casillas' power at any time?
Warcury, unable to contain his curiosity, decided to probe.
"Saint Carl, could you allow us to meet Saint Casillas?"
Carl gave him a calm glance.
"That will depend. I'll need to consult my ancestor first."
Warcury, who had been nothing but arrogant in the past, immediately lowered his stance and spoke with newfound respect.
"Of course, of course! Please tell Lord Casillas that we hold him in the highest regard. It would be an honor to meet him!"
Carl responded indifferently, then released his grip on the demon sword Muramasa, letting it float before him.
He stared at the blade in silence.
The oppressive quiet made the Five Elders uneasy. Even Garling subconsciously rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
Carl nearly laughed.
Casillas had completely disappeared—he would never return. This entire performance was nothing more than an act.
After a moment, Carl shook his head and sighed.
"No. My ancestor says he needs to rest. He will not appear unless absolutely necessary."
Warcury's lips curled into a smirk.
This kid is bluffing, he thought. You're still too naive to fool me.
Just as he was about to call Carl's bluff, his expression froze.
All five Elders stared at Carl in shock, their bodies rigid as though they had seen something terrifying.
Carl's black hair swayed as if caught in an unseen breeze. A sinister darkness spread from his body.
The once-clear sky turned pitch black. The sun vanished.
A suffocating darkness swallowed the world.
Carl's eyes glowed with an eerie, black light. When he spoke, his voice carried an unnatural, majestic weight.
**"Darkness is coming."**
All around them, countless dark vortices materialized out of thin air. The entire **Red Line trembled violently.**
But it wasn't just the Red Line.
Across the **entire world**, the same phenomenon occurred. A vast, overwhelming darkness swallowed everything in sight.
It felt like the end of days.
—
**Somewhere on the Grand Line…**
The barrel in Roger's hand slipped and hit the deck with a dull thud. His face turned grave as he instinctively reached for his sword.
His entire crew gathered on deck, eyes locked on the unnatural darkness overhead.
Buggy, who had yet to master Observation Haki, clung to Shanks' sleeve in panic.
"Oi, oi! What the hell is this?! Is the world ending?!"
**Buzz!**
Roger unleashed his **Conqueror's Haki** at full force.
Rayleigh, Gaban, and Bullet followed suit, their combined willpower tearing a gash through the darkness above.
Rayleigh frowned and turned to Roger.
"Roger, do you know what's causing this?"
Roger closed his eyes, activating his ability to hear the **Voice of All Things.**
But when he opened them again, his expression darkened.
"No… My Observation Haki failed. I couldn't hear anything. What the hell is this darkness…?"
—
Elsewhere, **Whitebeard, Big Mom, and countless other powerful figures** stared at the sky, their hearts weighed down by an unfamiliar, crushing pressure.
—
Back on the Red Line, the dark vortices began to close. The darkness receded like an ebbing tide.
Within seconds, **everything returned to normal.**
The entire phenomenon lasted **less than ten seconds.**
Yet, it left an indelible mark on everyone who had witnessed it.
Outside of Garling and the Five Elders, **no one in the world knew what had caused this.**
—
The Five Elders stood like statues, their eyes glued to Carl.
He exhaled slowly.
Even he was **shocked** by the power he had just unleashed.
He had only **tapped into a sliver of Casillas' residual power.**
Yet… it was enough to shake the entire world.
A glimpse into the true potential of the **Dark-Dark Fruit.**
His control over darkness had evolved.
As Carl absorbed the experience, Warcury and the others finally snapped out of their daze. Cold sweat dripped down their backs.
Warcury swallowed hard.
"Saint Carl… was that… Lord Casillas just now…?"
Carl gave him a calm look.
"Yes. Though my ancestor cannot physically appear, he can manifest his power through me."
A small smirk crossed Carl's lips.
"Otherwise, people might actually start believing he's dead."
Warcury let out a nervous laugh.
"Hahaha! No, no, no! We all witnessed that power firsthand! If anyone doubts it, I'll be the first to deal with them!"
Standing behind him, Saturn shot Warcury a disdainful glance.
Warcury noticed it but **didn't dare to say anything.**
Instead, he **fumed internally.**
Damn you, Saturn! You knew all along, didn't you?!
Warcury now suspected that Saturn had always been aware of **Casillas' contingency plan.**
**That's why he always supported the Figarland family.**
And now, Warcury felt like a complete **clown.**
Casillas—one of the **First Twenty.**
A man who had once **stood on equal footing with Imu.**
Perhaps the **strongest among them all.**
And now… his legacy **lived on through Carl.**
Warcury thought back to all the times he had opposed the Figarland family.
A shiver ran down his spine.
**He regretted everything.**
But it was far too late.
—
At that moment, **Nusjuro**, the Elder who had always remained neutral, stepped forward with a polite smile.
"Saint Carl," he said, "you have done a great service in eliminating Darian. I propose we hold a grand celebration tonight in your honor.
"What do you think?"