The sudden shift in the conversation made both Zoro and Tashigi turn bright red, as if they had been scorched by physical fire. Zoro bared his teeth, growling at the Straw Hats' strategist, "Mr. Carl! Stop talking nonsense! How could I ever have that kind of relationship with this impostor!".
The rest of the crew watched the exchange, and a realization seemed to dawn on them all at once. They concluded that big, tough men were actually quite shy, and when they felt embarrassed, they subconsciously said the opposite of what they meant.
Carl spread his hands with an innocent expression. "Zoro, why are you blushing so much? I was just giving an example. You don't actually have any hidden feelings for her, do you?".
Zoro's face darkened from red to a frustrated black. "Not a chance! I am a man who intends to become the world's greatest swordsman. How could I let myself be delayed by a woman!".
Tashigi did not take that remark lightly. She raised her voice, retorting, "Mr. Carl, you really shouldn't say such things. No one in this entire sea would ever take a fancy to this green-haired, three-sword-wielding brute!".
Carl merely shrugged, pretending there was nothing he could do for Zoro's predicament. However, to prevent a full-blown argument between the two swordspeople, he quickly pulled the conversation back to the main point.
"Ahem. So, Luffy, you see how it is," Carl explained. "It's not that Ace doesn't want to take responsibility. He's just shy, exactly like Sabo was. If he wasn't so embarrassed, he would have told you long ago. You have to be considerate of your brother".
Luffy didn't give the matter any further deep thought and accepted the explanation immediately. "Oh, so Ace is just shy! I almost misunderstood him. I guess I won't have to beat him up the next time we meet". The rest of the crew nodded along, convinced by Carl's logic. Only Robin looked at Carl with a knowing expression; she understood her husband well enough to see he was simply enjoying the chaos, but she chose not to expose him.
With the drama regarding Ace and Yamato settled for the moment, the Straw Hats returned to their rigorous training on the island. Carl organized special sessions where Zoro, Sanji, and Law focused on mastering the release of Armament Haki. Luffy and Sanji sparred against one another, while Carl acted as the opponent for Zoro and Law. Zoro's training was particularly intense, as he needed to master the advanced technique of Infusing Conqueror's Haki into his blades.
One morning, the latest edition of Morgans' newspaper was distributed across the world, reaching even the newly rebuilt Marineford. The headquarters had begun to regain its former glory, and the Marshal's office was currently crowded with high-ranking officers. It was a momentous day, as the two newest Admirals, Ryokugyu and Fujitora, were officially taking up their posts.
As the senior officers read the morning news, coffee and tea were suddenly sprayed across the room in shock.
"Hahahaha! This report is incredible!" Garp laughed loudly, ignoring all decorum. Even Vice Admiral Tsuru, usually the picture of composure, looked stunned by the front-page headline.
Across the sea, everyone who saw the paper rubbed their eyes in disbelief. The headline, written by "Lightning Great Swordsman Carl," read: Shocking! Kaido is the Best Teacher in the Entire Sea!.
In the article, Carl described in detail how he and Luffy had managed to comprehend the true essence of advanced Armament Haki and Conqueror's Infusion after being struck in the face by Kaido's Thunder Bagua. He even noted that Zoro, Sanji, and Law had recently received the same "lesson" from the Emperor. Carl praised Kaido for his tireless and patient teaching, highlighting that the Emperor never even charged a fee for his services. Carl claimed that while he taught the Straw Hats, he wasn't nearly as selfless or effective as "Teacher Kaido".
The article was incredibly strange, considering the Straw Hats and the Beast Pirates were mortal enemies who had clashed multiple times. Many readers wondered if being hit by the Thunder Bagua was actually a viable training method or if people would simply be beaten to death trying it.
On a deserted island in the New World, the Supernovas Kid, Apoo, and Hawkins had just finalized their alliance. In this era of the Six Emperors, they felt that joining forces was their only way to survive without submitting to a Yonko. They were currently staring at the report with deep skepticism when a sudden commotion broke out among their crew.
Running to the shore, the three captains saw a massive, horned figure climbing out of the water. It was Kaido himself.
"Hooo! No matter how many times Whitebeard throws me into the sea, I'll never die!" Kaido roared, glancing around the island until his eyes landed on the three Supernovas.
"I know you lot. You're the brats they call Supernovas," Kaido growled, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "You're far pathetic compared to those kids in the Straw Hat crew. I'm in a terrible mood right now, so I'm going to give you all a 'lesson' to vent my anger. You'd better wake up and face me!".
The three captains could only stare in shock as the "Best Teacher in the Sea" prepared to begin his next class.
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