The next day, high above Mary Geoise—
Carl lay in the backyard pool of his palace, flanked on both sides by Monet and Lucia. One wore a green-and-white striped swimsuit, while the other sported a dark purple patterned one.
He and his attendants had been partying here all afternoon, with not even a hint of the looming war in the air.
If anything, the closer the war approached, the more relaxed Carl became.
He withdrew his hand from beneath Monet, lifted his sunglasses slightly, and gazed at the distant glow of the setting sun.
The sun had yet to fully set, but the moon was already faintly visible in the sky.
Staring at the gradually emerging lunar disk, Carl smirked and said, "Another full moon night... Is Joy Boy still not making a move?"
Lucia, resting her head on Carl's chest, murmured, "Young Master, what if Joy Boy never shows up?"
"Then he better be ready to hide forever. The world today is nothing like it was 800 years ago. The longer he drags this out, the worse it gets for him. He should know that. If I were him, I'd be getting anxious by now."
Lucia propped herself up slightly, brushing a few strands of hair from her forehead. Her cheeks were strangely flushed—despite being in the cool pool water, a light sheen of sweat still clung to her skin.
Just then, Sugar approached, balancing a tray of wine glasses. She crouched down, set the tray on the ground, and handed each of them a glass of red wine.
Carl swirled the liquid in his glass before downing it in one gulp. Watching his throat move, Sugar subconsciously swallowed as well.
With a mischievous grin, she suddenly leapt into the water, wrapping her arms around Carl's waist as she playfully whined, "Young Master~ Play with me!"
Monet glanced down at her little sister, exasperated, and shook her head.
Sugar was infamous in the palace for clinging to Carl like glue. If he was around, she was stuck to him—no prying her off.
Not that anyone really minded. Being doted on by a beauty like Sugar was hardly a burden—Carl certainly didn't seem to mind.
He hooked a finger under Sugar's chin, smirking devilishly. "Little Sugar, what kind of game do you want to play?"
Under his teasing, Sugar's large eyes grew hazy. She murmured, "The kind of game you like best, of course..."
Lucia watched with amusement, while Monet blushed and averted her gaze.
It was clear where this was going—Carl and Sugar were about to engage in an intense "battle" right here in the pool.
However, just as Sugar reached behind herself to untie her swimsuit, Ginny suddenly came running over, holding a Den Den Mushi in her hands.
"Carl! Sakazuki's post is under attack!"
In an instant, the playful atmosphere in the pool vanished. Sugar's hands froze on her swimsuit ties.
But she recovered quickly, suppressing her desires as she and the others climbed out of the water.
Not far away, Hancock rushed over with a black-and-gold embroidered robe, draping it over Carl's shoulders.
Ginny held out the Den Den Mushi, its receiver crackling with the voice of a communications officer aboard Akainu's ship.
Carl took the receiver, his voice turning serious. "This is Fleet Admiral. Who is attacking, and what's the situation?"
The Den Den Mushi's face contorted into an urgent yet composed expression as the officer shouted,
"Fleet Admiral! We're under attack by a fleet of giants—confirmed to be the long-vanished Giant Warrior Pirates! Admiral Akainu is currently engaged in battle with their two captains, Blue Ogre and Red Ogre!"
"Blue Ogre and Red Ogre... So the giants have finally rebelled."
The strength of these two captains had always been debatable. In the original timeline, they were taken down early on by none other than Mr. 3, a man infamous for his Wax-Wax Fruit. That incident had left them looking rather unimpressive.
But later in the story, when they reappeared, they were strong enough to exchange blows with the Five Elders, and their combined technique, Hakoku, packed an impressive punch.
With the entire Giant Warrior Pirates backing them up, they now formed a considerable force.
Even for Akainu, dealing with them wouldn't be easy.
However, Carl showed no intention of rushing to his aid. Akainu and his fleet weren't exactly weak against the giants. More importantly, Kuzan's fleet, the closest reinforcements, had undoubtedly already received word. Once Kuzan arrived, the giants wouldn't stand a chance against two Admirals.
Not to mention, with Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit, escape would be impossible for them.
And as for the sheer number of giants? That wasn't even a concern—both Akainu and Kuzan were top-tier Logia users. Fighting large-scale battles was their specialty.
Carl's forces were so overwhelming that he could afford to sit back in Mary Geoise, waiting for Joy Boy to reveal his hand.
King versus King, General versus General.
Right now, they were still at the "General versus General" stage—far from the time for a true King's clash.
Carl ordered the communications officer to stay on standby and report any critical updates before cutting the call. Without hesitation, he pulled Sugar back into his embrace and stepped into the pool once more.
Sugar blinked in surprise. "Young Master, you're not going?"
Despite her words, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Carl's neck, making it clear she wasn't in a hurry for him to leave.
Lucia leaned in, whispering, "Shall I go in your place?"
Carl shook his head. Instead of answering right away, he turned, pressing a brief kiss against Lucia's soft lips. Then, tightening his hold on Sugar, he pulled her close against him.
The fire in Sugar's body, which she had suppressed moments ago, flared back up. She couldn't hold back anymore. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her face beneath the water.
Carl draped an arm over the pool's edge, eyes closed as he enjoyed Sugar's "service." With a lazy chuckle, he mused, "No need to rush. Once Joy Boy runs out of moves and reveals himself, I'll make my move. Until then... we might as well relax."
He opened his eyes, gazing at the darkening sky.
"As long as I'm here, the sky above Mary Geoise will never fall."
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+160 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg