From Zephyr's mouth, Carl understood the ins and outs of the matter and couldn't help but laugh and cry a little. He co-authored that he had attracted Aramaki and Aokiji to the Marines in advance.
Dragon had been watching Carl silently, clearly interested in him. After all, they were both Logia. Carl faced off against the Whitebeard Pirates at the age of seventeen and achieved such a dazzling result, which inevitably made them curious.
Aramaki ran directly to Carl, grabbed his hand, and said loudly, "Senior Carl, my name is Aramaki. I have seen all your deeds. I really like you so much. All trash like pirates who ignore the government should be cleared away!"
As soon as these words came out, Akainu immediately showed appreciation, while Dragon frowned slightly. He didn't like this extreme view and didn't have a good impression of the World Government. This was also the main reason why he had not listened to Garp's advice and joined the Marines.
He stared at Carl, wanting to see how the now-famous Marine super rookie would respond.
Carl smiled and responded unhurriedly, "Hello, Aramaki, welcome to join us."
Carl was obviously six years younger than Aramaki, but his demeanor and tone gave off a mature and steady feeling, and he had a faint temperament that belonged to a superior person. This also made Dragon more curious about Carl. Before Aramaki could speak, Dragon stepped forward and said,
"Hello, Senior Carl, it's an honor to meet you. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am—"
Carl directly interrupted Dragon's self-introduction and said with a smile,
"Monkey D. Dragon, I know you. Vice Admiral Garp mentioned you before. He was originally going home to see your son that day, but he didn't expect to meet the Whitebeard Pirates."
Dragon nodded and said,
"Yes, thank you very much. Without Admiral Zephyr and your support, my father would have been in danger that day."
"Haha, as Marines, this is our duty, but Vice Admiral Garp said that you seem to be a little resistant to joining the Marines. Can you tell me why?"
Everyone present also looked at Dragon with curiosity. Normally, the children of Marine generals like Garp would be assigned to enter the Marines as soon as they reached adulthood, and Dragon was already 24 years old.
Dragon was silent for a moment. He did not choose to answer but instead asked, "Then may I know why you joined the Marines, Senior Carl?"
Carl smiled with his eyes and said, "Me? I joined the Marines initially to gain strength, but now... I think it's for justice."
Carl spoke the truth, as the word justice has various interpretations among pirates, and his justice is: the only justice.
Everyone around him was a Marine. When they heard the word justice, a glimmer of light flashed in their eyes. Akainu clenched his fists, firmly believing in his justice from the moment he joined the Marines.
Dragon seemed unsatisfied with Carl's answer. He asked,
"Senior Carl values power very much, so does your justice mean suppressing everything with absolute power? Just like your attitude towards pirates, you kill but don't capture them. With all due respect, this seems to be seriously inconsistent with your teacher Admiral Zephyr's concept of justice."
This statement was sharp, causing Zephyr to frown. In his opinion, every Marine's concept of justice is different. As long as it doesn't go too far, he, as a teacher, would never interfere.
Akainu took a step forward, stared at Dragon with cold eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Monkey D. Dragon, there is absolutely no problem with Carl's justice. Do you think that just because you're the son of Vice Admiral Garp, you can criticize him? Let me tell you, there are no special privileges here. You are a soldier now, and Carl is a Rear Admiral. Didn't Vice Admiral Garp teach you how to talk to your commander?"
Borsalino said nothing. He put one hand in his trouser pocket and pushed the brown sunglasses on his face with the other. He also took a step forward and stood side by side with Carl and Akainu.
The combined momentum of the three was overwhelming. Aramaki on the side swallowed nervously, and Aokiji was immediately confused. He did not understand how Dragon could be so bold.
But Dragon, at the center of the storm, remained unfazed, looking directly into Carl's eyes. The atmosphere in the room grew more tense, and the temperature gradually rose.
Zephyr initially thought Dragon was showing off his "connections" and considered scolding him, but upon seeing the scene, he realized Akainu and Borsalino were trying to intimidate Dragon. He cursed silently in his mind, "Garp, why haven't you come here yet? Look at your good son!"
In fact, Carl was the calmest. He glanced around and said with a smile, "Sakazuki, Borsalino, why are you two looking so fierce? This junior is just discussing justice with me. Even if the concepts differ slightly, it is normal."
Akainu snorted coldly, staring at Long as he slowly stepped back. Borsalino commented, "Oh~ It seems this junior has unique views on justice. He is indeed Vice Admiral Garp's son!"
Dragon seemed to lose his cool and said, "Can you please stop mentioning my father? I said it was my choice to join the Navy!"
Borsalino, unfazed, plucked his ears and retreated alongside Akainu as if he hadn't heard.
With the two of them quiet behind, Carl continued, "Dragon, what do you mean? Do you think power is irrelevant, or do you think pirates shouldn't be killed?"
Dragon took a deep breath, regaining his calm, and said, "Of course, power is important, but I think a person's power is limited, and not all pirates are heinous. Only tolerance and equality can bring everyone's power together to achieve true justice!"
Carl couldn't help but chuckle. In his opinion, this concept might work on Earth, where power is limited. But in this world of supernatural abilities, individual power has limitless possibilities. If justice isn't achieved, it's simply because the power isn't enough.
Carl's laughter was harsh to Long's ears, and he asked sullenly, "Senior Carl, I don't understand what you are laughing at!"
Carl ignored him, smiling until Dragon's face turned livid, and a dark expression flashed in his eyes. "You don't seem to know anything about power."
------------------
+65 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
Unlock exclusive access to more fanfic chapters and support my work by joining me on Patreon! Your support helps bring your favorite stories to life!