Who would have thought that today, a small recruiting office would gather more than 80% of the top combat capabilities of the Navy Headquarters?
In addition to the students who came to cheer Carl on, the group of people standing around consisted of individuals, any of whom could casually throw a brick and hit at least the level of a Marine Colonel.
Carl himself didn't expect the situation to escalate this far, and he thought to himself,
"I originally wanted to take advantage of the chaos to do something to the Dragon, but this situation is a bit tricky..."
Despite these thoughts, he kept a smile on his face and waved to Lucia and the others.
Aokiji looked at Carl with eyes full of admiration and said,
"Senior Carl is so popular; everyone likes him."
Aramaki, still feeling resentful toward the guy who dragged him into this, couldn't find a way out under the current circumstances.
He squinted at Aokiji and said angrily,
"You ignorant country bumpkin, do you even know what will happen if Carl gets angry? We're not going to have a good time!"
He wanted to say that if Carl's true identity was revealed, he would be instantly admired by thousands. Compared to that, this scene was nothing.
However, halfway through the sentence, he remembered that he had to avoid exposing Carl's title here, so he awkwardly held back his words.
Dragon stood in front of the two of them. He looked back and said calmly,
"When the battle starts, stay away from me. I don't want to accidentally hurt you."
"Huh?"
Aramaki raised his eyebrows, clenched his fists, making a cracking sound, and said,
"You guys really annoy me!"
Aokiji raised his hand, scratching his head in confusion about why the fight was about to start even before the battle began.
Fortunately, Zephyr shouted at that moment,
"Alright, you can start! Carl, I emphasize again, hold back!"
As soon as he finished speaking—
Whoosh!
A gust of wind suddenly surged around Dragon. Aokiji and Aramaki, who were closest to him, were caught off guard and stumbled. By the time they reacted, Aramaki was about to curse, but Dragon had already merged into the wind, charging toward Carl.
However, getting close to Carl in this manner was clearly a mistake, especially for someone wielding Dragon's power.
Facing the howling wind, Carl simply reached out, and a dark vortex appeared in his palm.
"Universal Pull."
"Nani?!"
Dragon's exclamation echoed from within the wind as green wisps of air gathered into a humanoid form, then were pulled out by the vortex's gravity.
As soon as this figure touched Carl's palm, it materialized into the stunned Dragon. He glanced at Carl's hand on his shoulder, his voice filled with shock,
"Is this possible? Why can't I..."
Before Dragon could finish, Carl drove a powerful punch into his abdomen, causing him to cough up a large mouthful of blood. The darkness that seeped from Carl's body swallowed the blood whole, without a single drop reaching him.
Garp frowned from among the onlookers, while the students cheered even louder.
This punch brought Dragon back to his senses. He still didn't understand why his fruit abilities weren't working, but he knew that taking a few more hits like this would end the fight prematurely.
Dragon suddenly raised a claw-like hand wrapped in Haki and seized Carl's arm, shouting,
"Dragon's Claw!"
Those unfamiliar with Dragon's lineage couldn't help but exclaim upon witnessing the move.
Carl wasn't surprised that Dragon knew Haki, at 24 years old, with Garp as his father, it would be surprising if he hadn't mastered it.
Carl released Dragon's shoulder and swiftly moved his body, dodging Dragon's attack. Dragon's powerful claw grasped only air, leaving him momentarily bewildered.
Before he could recover, Carl delivered a sweeping kick to Dragon's waist, sending him flying like a kite with its string cut, landing heavily between Aokiji and Aramaki.
Aramaki looked at the disheveled Dragon and grinned mockingly,
"Oh, no wonder they told us to stay clear. I almost hit you just now. Such a noble guy!"
Dragon struggled to stand, but upon hearing Aramaki's words, his arms shook in anger, causing him to sit back down.
Finally, unable to watch any longer, Aokiji extended a helping hand to Dragon.
Dragon accepted Aokiji's assistance with a livid expression. No matter how composed he tried to appear, his discomfort was evident. He stood before them and said, without turning back,
"It seems I underestimated his strength. I can't beat him alone. Let's go together!"
Aramaki laughed with a neutral tone,
"I think you overestimated your own abilities, trying to challenge Senior Carl. Should I call you brave or just plain foolish?"
Aokiji, always the reasonable one, stepped forward and addressed Aramaki,
"Alright, it's a rare chance to fight someone like Carl. We should give it our all. If we don't perform well, how can we even think of getting closer to him after enrolling?"
Aramaki shuddered at these words. He realized their truth.
The goal was to impress Carl; if he didn't show his worth, would Carl even notice him again?
With newfound determination, Aramaki's demeanor changed completely. He patted Aokiji's shoulder and said seriously,
"Didn't expect you to say something so insightful. You've earned my respect!"
With Aokiji's skeptical gaze following him, Aramaki turned and walked toward the battlefield, calling out as he went,
"You're a Logia too, right? Show some real power and don't drag me down later!"
Seeing Aramaki's newfound resolve was a relief to the others. The trio exchanged glances, then positioned themselves around Carl in a triangular formation.
In the next moment, Dragon, Aokiji, and Aramaki unleashed their powers simultaneously.
Cyan hurricanes roared around Dragon, sending sand and debris flying.
A vast layer of ice formed under Aokiji's feet, chilling the surroundings.
Meanwhile, a blanket of green vegetation sprouted near Aramaki, painting the battlefield with vibrant green hues.
These elemental forces converged toward Carl, who watched with keen interest and murmured,
"Interesting..."
Boom!
A tide of darkness rippled out from Carl's core, clashing with the elements around him. The battlefield became a vivid tapestry of black, green, blue, and cyan. Yet, it was clear to everyone that the darkness was slowly but surely engulfing the other colors...
------------------
+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