CHAPTER 18

c18 Coming to Chambord again

"Report! I am recruit Carl, with the rank of colonel. This is my delegating order. Please check by the chief!"

"Hahahaha, you are Colonel Carl, very good!"

The Rear Admiral, stationed in the Sabaody Archipelago, pulled Carl very enthusiastically into his office.

"My name is Pizza not the pizza you eat, although the pronunciation is almost the same and I do like pizza..."

Hearing the absurd introduction, Carl's eyes twitched slightly he felt that the officer in front of him seemed more eccentric than authoritative.

He had said so much, rambling on about pizza, even describing how to make the perfect one using sea king meat and oven-stone baked crust from Wano.

This made Carl truly speechless.

"Chief Pizza, do you have anything else?"

"Ah? Oh! Sorry, I can't stop when it comes to pizza but don't mind me, I'm obsessed, it's delicious! Haha!"

Pizza laughed, then scratched the back of his bald head, his tone suddenly more serious.

"I am Pizza, the officer in charge of the Sabaody Archipelago, a Rear Admiral of Navy Headquarters. I'm forty-two. You'll follow me now and get familiar with the situation here.

I know someone like you won't stay stationed at Sabaody long it's just a pit stop for rising stars like you so during this period, stay within your post and don't wander too far!

Besides the pirates, Marines, and slave traders, there's a group of people who visit Sabaody that we absolutely can't afford to offend!"

"Is it because of the Celestial Dragons? I've heard about them. I really don't understand how such scumbags can..."

"Shhh..."

Hearing Carl's words, Pizza immediately blocked his mouth with his palm, then opened the door and looked both ways with sharp caution.

After confirming no one was eavesdropping, he exhaled in relief.

"Kid, you're still young with a bright future. Don't throw that away over the Celestial Dragons.

I believe it was Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself who assigned you to me to protect you to keep you from bumping into the Tenryuubito.

But you must never say things like that again at least half of my subordinates here are lapdogs for the Celestial Dragons.

If any of them overhear what you just said, they'll report it immediately and here, you must be extremely careful!"

"I understand, but I have one more question..."

"Go ahead and ask I'm an open book!"

Carl narrowed his eyes and asked softly, "From what I've heard so far, sir, you don't seem to like the Celestial Dragons so why are you still stationed here?"

"Now that is a good question and one I can answer truthfully, because it's no secret."

Pizza smiled, then turned and pulled a thick stack of Beli out of a drawer.

"Because of the money! Those bastards may have no redeeming qualities but they've got more Beli than they know what to do with!

As long as they pay me, I'm their dog but if they don't? Heh! Trash like that? I wouldn't spit on them!"

Seeing Pizza's face twist in disdain, Carl squinted in contemplation.

He could tell that Pizza's motives were clear he was after the money the Tenryuubito threw around like water.

It also made him suspect that Pizza was likely part of Sengoku's covert network, placed here to observe and report on Celestial Dragon movements.

Don't be fooled by the Celestial Dragons' status they may claim to be gods and rule the world under the World Government's flag.

But the Navy isn't blindly loyal to them.

Aside from a few like Saint Rosward's personal guard, most Marines harbor deep contempt for the Celestial Dragons.

But because of their political immunity and untouchable status, they suffer in silence.

And the Sabaody Archipelago, located just before the Red Line and Mariejois, is a vital hub for pirates heading to the New World.

The Celestial Dragons treat it like their playground hence, Sengoku had to place trusted officers here to watch their every move.

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say. Here take this stack of Beli. It's not much, but treat it as a welcoming gift."

"In that case, I won't hold back!"

Carl accepted the money with a grin.

Even though he had already claimed bounties on Luffy, Ace, and even the legendary Golden Lion Shiki

Which altogether totaled over a billion Beli, more than enough to live lavishly

But when someone hands you money, you don't say no.

Carl followed Pizza out to the sub-base's training grounds.

There, he saw tens of thousands of Marines performing synchronized drills rigorous, disciplined, and echoing the weight of the Navy's might.

There are still many people patrolling here.

The ranks on the clothes of these people are colonels like Karl.

"The people who come to me are basically colonels. People who reach the rank of rear admiral or brigadier general are eligible to lead missions across the Blues or enter the New World directly and they don't bother being stationed at Sabaody Archipelago.

Only those who have one foot in retirement or those looking to line their pockets with Celestial Dragon bribes choose to stay in Sabaody.

It can be said that most of the Navy colonels here except a few directly dispatched by Marineford come to gild their records and wait for transfer, just like you."

Pizza took a deep breath, then lit a cigar made from Boin Archipelago's exotic leaves.

Carl nodded, agreeing with his statement.

"Reporter, everything is normal today, and the training indicators have been completed normally!"

"Very well—in that case, we'll disband at sunset, let everyone regroup, and take the chance to welcome our new colleague!"

"Yes!"

The navy officer saluted, then glanced at Carl suspiciously.

"This kid is a new colleague? Doesn't look impressive he's a colonel at that age? Must be someone's political puppet, right?"

Carl scratched his head when he heard the comment, a little embarrassed.

"You're not wrong this kid is a political appointment but his background's a lot scarier than you imagine! Hahahaha!"

Pizza laughed loudly, as if he'd heard a bar joke in Water 7, leaving the navy officer puzzled.

Carl was even more embarrassed.

"This kid's name is Carl. He only enlisted in the Navy seven days ago and they made an exception, fast-tracking him straight to the rank of Captain. Sound familiar yet?"

"You're Carl?! Carl the one who took down Garp in seconds?!"

"What?! He's the one who beat Vice Admiral Garp?!"

"Wait wasn't it this kid who made Vice Admiral Garp call him 'dad' or something?!"

The surrounding colonels heard the outburst and turned to Carl together.

Their eyes were feverish, hungry even, as though they were about to swarm him.

But what they were saying made Carl's face flush with fury.

"Who the hell started that ridiculous rumor? Are you trying to get me executed?!"

Carl released his Conqueror's Haki intentionally or not and in an instant, 10,000 navy soldiers collapsed, stunned by the overwhelming pressure!

Even the hardened colonels, trained veterans of the Grand Line, were taken aback by the raw spiritual force.

Pizza's eyes widened, and his face turned pale with disbelief!

"This this is the legendary Haoshoku Haki?!"

Carl nodded with a snort and strode toward the base's front gate.

"Chief Pizza your unit's morale and discipline need work. Spreading slander that insults a legend like Garp and pretending I killed him is slanderous at best and treasonous at worst. It's time to clean house."

"Wait where are you going?"

"Out for a walk is that a problem?"

Seeing Carl's piercing gaze, Pizza swallowed hard and instinctively stepped back.

"N-no, no problem..."

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