"Nekomamushi!!!"
Inuarashi's desperate cry echoed on the deck of the warship. In front of him lay the body of Nekomamushi. Marco quickly flew over when he saw this, activating the blue flames on his body, and used his healing ability to treat Nekomamushi.
But it was all in vain. Nekomamushi was already beyond saving.
A look of anger appeared on Marco's face, and he said in a hateful voice,
"Damn! That guy named Carl, how dare he..."
Before he finished speaking, a gust of breeze blew over his pineapple-shaped head. His body stiffened, and he slowly raised his head.
Carl was looking down at him with ruby-like eyes, as if he were an ant.
Immediately afterwards, Carl's right hand turned into darkness and grabbed Marco's shoulder. With a click, Marco rolled to the ground clutching his shoulder and screamed in pain.
His shoulder blades had been crushed by Carl, and black gas was still seeping out.
Marco tried to activate the phoenix's ability again to heal the injury on his shoulder, but no matter how hard he tried, not a single flame appeared.
However, his screams awakened the overly distraught Inuarashi. He dragged his weakened body, picked up his sword, and stabbed at Carl fiercely.
"Asshole! I'll fight you!!"
Snap!
Carl casually slapped Inuarashi's sword away, sending it spinning through the air before it embedded itself into the deck.
Inuarashi was completely desperate at this moment. Carl's finger was already aimed at his forehead, just as it had been before.
"Stop!"
Oden finally arrived, his clothes in tatters, with obvious burn marks on his exposed skin and two wounds on his abdomen glowing with golden light.
Behind him, Borsalino supported Akainu. Both were breathing heavily. Oden's life-risking battle had taken a toll on them, especially Akainu, who had been the most aggressive. This guy had even tried to force molten lava into Oden's mouth.
This was why Akainu looked weaker than Borsalino. He bore a horrific stab wound on his abdomen. If Borsalino hadn't pulled him away just in time, that wound would have nearly killed Akainu.
Fortunately, Oden's main target was Carl; otherwise, Akainu would have been in real danger today.
Facing Oden, who was teetering on the edge of madness, Carl's face remained calm. He raised the demon sword Muramasa slightly forward, accurately pointing at the intersection of Oden's swords.
Carl's transformation had increased his power to a terrifying level, but Oden was already badly injured. Under these circumstances, he was no longer a match for Carl.
Silver lightning surged from Carl's sword-holding hand, covering Oden's entire body, soon filling the air with the smell of burning flesh.
Oden gritted his teeth and managed to shake Muramasa away with his two swords. To Carl's surprise, Oden did not attack again. Instead, he passed Carl directly, scooping up both Inuarashi and Marco with one arm each, and fled towards the Moby Dick.
He actually escaped!
Carl frowned and disappeared in a flash.
Aboard the Moby Dick,
Whitebeard waved his fists, punching the air on both sides. The sound of shattering mirrors echoed as Zephyr and Garp, who were attacking from both sides, were immediately knocked back by the violent shockwave.
Looking at the two who were forced to retreat, Whitebeard threw his head back and burst out laughing. However, before he could laugh for long, a sound from the air made him stop abruptly.
"Oden!!"
Whitebeard was stunned for a moment. When he saw Oden's condition, a violent aura erupted from his body, and he shouted angrily,
"Oden!? Who hurt you like this!?"
Before Oden could speak, there was a sudden crackling sound behind him. Carl had already caught up, and the demon sword Muramasa, infused with electric light and Haki, struck down.
Oden, still carrying Inuarashi and Marco, couldn't fight back. He desperately used his weapons to defend himself, but he was at his limit. Facing the transformed Carl, his weapons were as fragile as paper.
In Whitebeard's furious gaze, Oden's left arm and Inuarashi were split in half by Carl's sword, falling together onto the deck of the Moby Dick with a dull thud.
Seeing Oden lying on the ground, looking utterly miserable, both Whitebeard and Garp, along with Zephyr, fell into an eerie silence.
Garp walked up to Zephyr, nudged him with his arm, and pointed at Carl, who had also landed on the deck, his appearance drastically changed. Garp asked,
"Zephyr, who is he? Is he one of yours?"
Zephyr shook his head, then nodded, and finally said hesitantly,
"That seems to be Carl, my student."
After a pause, he added,
"The strongest one."
"Nani?! He's still a student? A student chasing Whitebeard's second division captain?!"
Not to mention Garp, even Zephyr was a little confused. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure if it was Carl.
He had long heard about the captain of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Although it's the second division, the situation with the Whitebeard Pirates is quite unique.
Whitebeard is keen on accepting sons, so the captain and crew differ significantly in both age and strength.
To put it bluntly, the Whitebeard Pirates are still in their development stage, with Whitebeard as the top strongman. Of course, he alone is enough.
Among the remaining crew, there are many trainee members with potential, but the only one who could truly be called strong was Oden, a close friend of Whitebeard.
Yet here was Oden, nearly chopped into a human stick by a Marine student tonight, lying half-dead. It was truly unbelievable.
Compared to Oden and the others, Marco was the least injured. After a while, he began to regain some use of his fruit abilities. Though the healing was limited, he was finally able to move freely.
Marco glanced at Inuarashi, who was already in pieces not far away, his eyes brimming with tears. He dragged Oden over to Whitebeard and shouted, his voice choked,
"Dad... Nekomamushi has been killed, and he also died at the hands of that Marine!"
Whitebeard's face was shadowed with rage. Judging by the bulging veins on his forehead, he was on the verge of exploding, and the Moby Dick began to tremble.
Since his transformation, Carl's mood had become extremely calm. He did not go crazy with battle lust like other warriors after transforming. So, after seeing Whitebeard, Carl didn't step forward to deliver a final blow to Oden.
Because he knew that, even in his current state, he was still no match for Whitebeard, especially not Whitebeard in a rage.
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+60 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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