31- "Chaos in Marineford: Kara is Here"
—You finally arrived —said Tsuru as she approached with a calm smile.
—Grandma Tsuru! —Kara exclaimed upon seeing the old woman, quickly running towards her, hugging her, and lifting her off the ground.
—Sigh… I told you to stop doing that —Tsuru said, looking at Kara like an uncontrollable child.
—Sorry, it's a habit —Kara replied with a smile, though her apology was hardly sincere. She quickly put Tsuru down.
—So this is the cute doctor I've heard about —Tsuru said, looking at Chopper, who hid behind Tashigi in embarrassment—. It seems Dr. Filma will be quite pleased.
—I've heard that idiot brought a doctor better than me! Where is he?! —a furious voice called out from a distance.
—Looks like he's already here —Tsuru said as she looked at an elderly man in a Marine uniform and a doctor's coat, approaching at a near run.
He stopped in front of them, glaring at Kara with irritation, and quickly asked:
—Where is the genius doctor who will surpass me in just one year?! —the old man, Filma, demanded.
—There —Kara said, pointing at Tashigi's feet, where Chopper was hiding… poorly.
—… Isn't it the other way around? —Filma asked, a bit confused.
Chopper quickly shifted positions.
—Hmph… It doesn't matter if you're adorable, follow me and I'll give you an exam. If you fail, you'll have to attend the base's medical school —Filma said with a slight blush before dragging Chopper away.
After all, although Filma was a grumpy old man, he had a soft spot for plush toys. His daughter used to give him many whenever she visited, and at some point, he had grown fond of them. That's why, even though he was a feared doctor at the base, he always calmed down whenever he had something plush-like in front of him.
—It's strange that the violent old man didn't come —Kara said as she looked around.
—If your sensei hears you call him that, he'll surely hit you —Tsuru said with a smile.
—Tsk. That old man didn't teach me anything… He just made me get beaten up by him and the old man who calls himself my grandfather until I learned Observation Haki and could dodge their attacks —Kara said with annoyance.
—Learning Observation Haki in just a few months is thanks to those beatings. And from what I see, your Armament Haki still isn't at a level you can be proud of. Why don't you go back to that violent old man so he can train it properly? —a voice said, appearing behind Kara.
—Shit…! Sensei…! Long time no see! I brought you a swordsman for you to beat up! —Kara said, pushing Zoro in front of her as she hid from Zephyr.
—Hmph… So you're the one who wants to break Kara's promotion record. How many days do you have left? —Zephyr asked, observing Zoro closely. Or more precisely, assessing his strength and feeling somewhat satisfied.
—One week —Kara said from behind Zoro, still hiding from Zephyr's gaze.
—Good. Boy, follow me. This week, I'll train you while we look for a pirate for you to capture —Zephyr said, taking Zoro with him, who was still quite confused, expecting Kara to explain something… but she just waved at him cheerfully.
—Sigh… I got lucky. That old man still wants me to improve my Armament Haki… but I'm sure he just wants to beat me up until I can defend myself with it —Kara said, wiping away nonexistent sweat.
—Your ability is quite powerful, but if you don't improve your Armament Haki, it will be difficult to harm those who master it better than you —Tsuru said, knowing Kara's way of thinking.
After all, Kara's ability to destroy everything was incredibly strong, to the point of cutting even diamond. The problem was that it seemed to weaken when she tried to cut organic matter. And if a person defended with Haki… Well, Haki was a power that worked with a person's vitality, which further weakened Kara's ability when trying to destroy it. That's why she needed a higher level of Haki to break through it more easily.
The truth was that if Kara had Haki on the same level as Garp, many believed she could turn even Kaido and Big Mom into cubes of meat. And they were known as the toughest beings in the sea.
—I know… but Armament Haki is more complicated for me specifically —Kara said with frustration, pouting.
After all, using Haki was like moving one's vital energy. The problem was the existence of magical energy, as both seemed to function the same way, making it twice as difficult for Kara to control them without mixing them.
"Alright. I just came to see if you arrived safely. You should go see Sengoku later. By the way, Gion has been looking for you since you left," Tsuru said as she turned around and started walking away.
Hearing that Gion was looking for her, Kara quickly glanced at Hina, who shook her head to indicate that she hadn't said anything.
"Shit… Did that psycho figure out it was me?" Kara muttered, starting to sweat as she seriously considered whether she should let herself be swallowed by a Sea King again to escape.
She was still standing on the dock, lost in thought, when some vice admirals spotted her from a distance and began pushing another one in her direction.
"Let me go, you idiots! I don't want to be near that woman!" complained Vice Admiral Onigumo, struggling as some of his colleagues dragged him toward Kara.
Akainu's faction both hated and feared Kara. Despite being part of Aokiji's faction, whenever the Absolute Justice faction did something that endangered civilians, Kara had no problem showing up and challenging them to duels, leaving them hospitalized for days.
Onigumo, for example, had shot a Marine who tried to save a child who had been forced into piracy. As a result, Kara challenged him to a duel and broke thirty-two of his bones during the fight, leaving him out of commission for three months.
These kinds of actions made Kara very popular among common Marines, but they also made Akainu's faction think twice before attacking their own comrades. After all, Onigumo wasn't the only one—others who did the same met a similar fate.
Even a vice admiral from Akainu's faction had to be retired from service due to the injuries Kara had inflicted on him.
Many wondered why Kara never faced sanctions or formal complaints, and the answer was simple: the duels were to the death and approved by all of Marineford. The opponent could accept or reject the challenge. However, everyone in Akainu's faction saw this as an opportunity to defeat the woman who had humiliated them along with their leader. But so far, no one had managed to beat her. Although Kara had been injured multiple times, after her tenth duel, she began winning with increasing ease.
"Don't say that, Onigumo. Kara hates spiders. If you're near her, she'll surely stay away. Maybe we can make her leave Marineford for another month," Tokikake said, trying to convince Onigumo.
"Come on, we're already here," said another vice admiral.
"What are you doing?" Kara asked, frowning as she saw them approaching.
"Come on, Onigumo…" Tokikake whispered, encouraging him to extend his spider legs to scare Kara.
Although irritated, Onigumo obeyed. After all, keeping Kara away was beneficial to his faction. So, he extended his spider legs behind him.
"…"
Kara stared blankly at Onigumo's legs. Then, she reached into her pocket and pulled something out.
It was a can of insecticide.
Without hesitation, she aimed it at Onigumo's face and sprayed the poison.
"Aaaah!!" Onigumo screamed as the venom got into his eyes, writhing in pain.
"Looks like it didn't work," Tokikake commented, watching his comrade roll on the ground.
"Where is Kara?!" a furious woman's voice was heard approaching at high speed from the sky.
"Shit, the crazy one…" Kara muttered before turning and running.
"Wait, Vice Admiral Kara, not that way…!" some soldiers shouted, trying to form a barrier in front of a building.
But Kara ignored them, sending them flying and bursting through the building, leaving a massive hole in its structure.
A beautiful woman with a sword in hand landed right in front of Tokikake, staring at him intently.
"Where did she go?" she asked with a deep frown.
Without saying a word, Tokikake simply pointed at the hole in the building.
Gion gritted her teeth, her face full of fury, and followed the trail of destruction.
"Well… looks like bringing Gion was the best idea," Tokikake said as his companion helped Onigumo rinse his eyes with a bottle of water.
Meanwhile, in his office, Sengoku watched the scene from the window, holding his forehead with an exasperated expression.
"It seems like whenever Kara is on base, these guys' intelligence plummets… They forget they are the strongest powers in the Marines!" he said irritably, feeling a headache coming on.
"Kara's back… so scary…" Kizaru commented lazily, filing his nails without showing the slightest interest.
Sengoku shot him a warning glance, sighed, and returned to his work.
.---------------
Thanks for reading
Dear readers,
Thank you for joining me on this literary journey. If you enjoy my novel and wish to continue reading, I invite you to support my work through Patreon and Ko-fi. Your contribution will allow me to continue creating and sharing more exciting chapters.
I hope to count on your support and continue bringing you unforgettable stories!
patreon.com/c/YoDarki
ko-fi.com/yodarki