For Carl, Aokiji was definitely an important fighting force worth recruiting. After all, he was a real potential Admiral. Aokiji in the original timeline was deeply influenced by Garp, but now, Carl was ready to intercept this newbie Aokiji and make him lean towards his side.
Anyway, words of encouragement are free, so Carl simply said a few more words, which moved Aokiji a lot, and finally, he retreated to the sidelines obediently.
In the sky, Aramaki, the user of the Woods-Woods Fruit, recovered quickly under the sun. Of course, this was also because Carl did not unleash his full strength, which gave him a chance to recover.
He looked at Aokiji, who had already left the field, and became interested, thinking, "Lord Carl actually appreciates this popsicle idiot so much. I have to work harder…"
Aramaki turned his head and glanced at Dragon, who was not far away.
Dragon was not in a good state. He looked like a mess, still reeling from the impact of Shinra Tensei earlier. Otherwise, he would have already reformed his body.
Aramaki sneered. He didn't like Dragon in the first place. What nonsense about tolerance and equality? People are inherently divided into different levels. Some are born to be kings above all others. This is an unchangeable fact!
After Dragon finally stabilized his body, Aramaki taunted him directly, "Hey, are you still okay? Maybe you should just give up now!"
Dragon glared coldly at him and replied, "If you want to give up, go ahead."
"Tsk, you're really stubborn. Fine, let me show you my strength."
With that, Aramaki's expression turned serious, and the dandelion behind him retracted into his body. He plummeted rapidly from the sky.
In mid-air, he transformed into his elemental state, expanding rapidly. With a loud crash, a massive treeman, several tens of meters tall, fell heavily to the ground.
Carl crossed his arms, observing the giant treeman with interest when suddenly, a tornado came roaring in, sweeping Carl away.
Dragon, smiling in the sky, muttered to himself, "Getting distracted in a battle is a big taboo..."
"You're right."
"Nani!?"
Dragon's pupils shrank as a dark vortex appeared behind him. Carl emerged from it and punched Dragon in the lower back.
Whoosh!
Dragon's body shot down like a meteor, crashing into the ground, leaving a human-shaped crater.
Carl followed, landing beside the pit. A shadow suddenly covered his spot, and a massive fist slammed down at him.
"Senior Carl! Watch out!"
Aramaki didn't dare to sneak attack Carl and even gave him a warning. However, Carl didn't bother dodging and activated his powers instantly. Aramaki's fist smashed into the crater where Dragon was, creating a deafening roar.
Aramaki knew his attack wouldn't affect Carl, but he continued swinging his house-sized fist at the ground, sending dust flying and enlarging the pit.
Eventually, a breeze lifted from the pit, and Dragon appeared, battered and clutching his lower back. He glared at Aramaki, snapping, "Have you smashed enough?"
Aramaki stopped and said in surprise, "Huh? You're tougher than I thought. I figured you were unconscious in there."
Dragon was infuriated, nearly passing out from rage. As an elemental being, Aramaki's attack hadn't hurt him directly, but the intense vibrations kept breaking his body into wind currents, preventing him from reforming.
Aramaki shrugged off Dragon's anger, while Dragon, suppressing his fury, summoned a gust of wind to clear the surrounding dust. Only then did he realize that Carl had vanished.
Grinding his teeth, Dragon muttered, "Damn it, he's using the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit in such a bizarre way. How am I supposed to hit his real body?"
Just as he spoke, Carl's voice echoed behind him, "Trying to hit me? Sure, I'll give you the chance later."
Carl's elusive tactics frustrated Dragon to no end. Hearing Carl's voice, Dragon transformed into a gust of wind, fleeing without a second thought.
Carl didn't bother chasing him. He shrugged and said, "Why so tense? I'll deal with you last."
Turning his attention back to Aramaki, Carl smiled and said, "I'll give you the same chance."
"Thank you, Mr. Carl!"
Carl was bewildered by Aramaki's enthusiasm. Aramaki's behavior reminded him of his loyal lackey, Spandam.
Aramaki crossed his massive fists, coated in dark Armament Haki. The effort nearly drained his Haki reserves, as his fists were enormous.
He raised his fists and slammed them toward Carl, shouting, "Sky Burial Tree!"
Carl narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious as he released his Armament Haki. Unlike Aramaki's brute force, Carl's Haki flowed elegantly down his right arm.
Among the onlookers, those unfamiliar with advanced Haki techniques thought the swirling black on Carl's arm was his Dark-Dark Fruit power.
However, veteran Admirals recognized the flowing Armament Haki and were stunned. Garp, with his deep mastery of Armament Haki, was particularly impressed.
"Flowing Haki? Incredible! He's already mastered it to this level at such a young age!"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Carl, appearing minuscule before Aramaki, threw a punch with his right fist, meeting Aramaki's giant hands head-on.
Before Aramaki's fists made contact, Carl's Haki condensed into a focused point, exploding outward and shattering Aramaki's fists into pieces.
Crack!
The impact disintegrated Aramaki's wooden fists, and the residual Haki power forced Aramaki back into his human form, landing with a heavy thud.
His arms were numb, and even photosynthesis wouldn't heal them quickly. Carl extended a hand to pull Aramaki up.
Aramaki, arms limp, smiled wryly, saying, "Senior Carl, you're so powerful that my arms are practically broken!"
Carl's expression twitched, but he offered Aramaki some encouraging words, which made Aramaki feel proud.
After comforting Aramaki, Carl glanced at the tense Dragon nearby and vanished in an instant.
Dragon, on high alert, swiftly countered as Carl reappeared, aiming a Claw at Carl's right fist.
To Dragon's surprise, the force of Carl's punch was far weaker than he expected. Dragon was briefly elated, assuming Carl's stamina was waning.
However…
"The Swordless Style: The Ultimate Ruler."
------------------
+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