Inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
After spending some time looking at the scenery, Sakazuki and Carlo returned here.
Sitting in the Fleet Admiral's chair, Sakazuki finally went through the documents again, along with the current state of the war. There were no major changes. He closed the files and set them aside.
"Have there been any special Devil Fruit users discovered recently?"
Carlo smiled and replied, "Yes, and quite a few. For some reason, rare ability users have been appearing more often lately. They've all been registered."
As he spoke, he opened the drawer at his desk, took out a booklet, and handed it to Sakazuki.
It was filled with dense records of ability users. The rarer ones were specially marked.
Sakazuki took it and skimmed through, then nodded slightly. "Find time to deal with these people and recover some of the Paramecia-type abilities. Things like the Barrier-Barrier Fruit and the Magnet-Magnet Fruit. Leave the rest for now. No rush."
He recalled a request for support he had seen earlier.
"The Rommel Kingdom is in the New World, right. Go take a look tonight."
Carlo nodded. "Yes."
* * *
Late at night.
New World, Rommel Kingdom.
The entire royal capital was brightly lit, yet completely silent. Every room was illuminated by various light sources, leaving no blind spots. People hid in corners with weapons in hand, afraid of something unseen.
Everything began with a legend that had spread without anyone knowing when it started. It was called the "Kamaitachi of Rommel."
The name came from its killing speed, swift as the wind.
At first, the rumors spread throughout the capital. Later, they reached the entire kingdom.
According to the stories, once night fell, a figure like a demon would roam the capital, slaughtering famous figures without restraint.
It covered every profession. Anyone with even a little fame, no matter how small, could become a target of the Kamaitachi of Rommel.
The kingdom tried to connect the victims to find a pattern, hoping to identify the killer. After endless investigations, they finally realized the truth.
It was just a madman.
There was no motive at all.
He seemed to simply enjoy killing well-known people.
The kingdom sought help from the Marines, but the Kamaitachi was far too fast. Countless soldiers were injured or killed during attempts to surround him.
With no other choice, they reported the situation upward. However, most mid and high-level forces were already deployed on the front lines. Step by step, the report climbed higher, until it eventually reached the Fleet Admiral's office.
Inside the capital, on the highest rooftop.
A handsome man with golden curls stood there, dressed like a fairy tale prince. Holding a rose, he inhaled deeply, completely absorbed.
"Ah. This is my popularity. The entire kingdom has fallen before my handsome beauty. Tonight as well, I'll begin a glorious hunt."
After savoring the moment, he closed his eyes, as if falling asleep.
A few seconds later, black pressure poured from his body. His face twisted into that of a demon, and bloodlust flashed in his eyes. He leapt down toward the capital below.
Cavendish.
Born in the Bourgeois Kingdom, he was its prince.
Because his face was far too handsome, all unmarried women in the country refused to marry. In the end, for the sake of national development, he was exiled.
After wandering into the Rommel Kingdom, his second personality slaughtered several famous figures while he slept, causing widespread panic and discussion.
Cavendish seemed to immerse himself in the voices of those discussions. He enjoyed the popularity brought by his second personality and took pleasure in it.
But tonight…
Boom!
Just as he landed in the capital, Carlo appeared out of nowhere and kicked him straight into a wall.
People hiding inside nearby buildings peeked out. Their faces lit up with excitement.
"The Marines! It's the Marines!"
"That's great!"
"He sent that demon flying in an instant! That monster will be killed tonight!"
Carlo looked at Cavendish as he pushed himself out of the shattered bricks embedded in the wall. He gave a slight nod.
"A mental disorder."
He felt a bit disappointed. He had thought it might be some special ability.
Earlier, he had sensed Cavendish on the rooftop with his Observation Haki, but nothing seemed abnormal.
Then, in an instant, his presence changed and turned into something demonic.
In his second personality state, Cavendish let out a low growl. A longsword appeared in his hand as he stepped forward and lunged at Carlo.
The airflow split faintly around him. Sword energy spun along the blade, vaguely forming the shape of a bird.
Looking at the bird-shaped phantom rushing toward him, Carlo smiled. "A blue bird."
He then gripped his famed blade and spoke softly.
"One Sword Style: Blue Bird."
A long, clear cry rang out. A massive blue slash shot forward, also forming the shape of a blue bird. It was vivid and almost solid.
Slash!
It pierced straight through.
Cavendish's second personality halted right in front of Carlo. His head stiffly turned to look at his chest, disbelief written all over his face. Then his aura shifted, and the second personality vanished instantly.
His main personality returned, but it was too late. The searing pain in his chest told him the truth. He was finished.
Before he could even look up at the one who struck him, the world spun, and he saw a familiar lower body.
His upper body had been cut clean in half. It fell to the ground. As his consciousness faded, he clearly saw Carlo's face, watching him with cold indifference.
'That face… It's even more handsome than mine…'
Strong resentment surged through his mind, but he could do nothing. Darkness swallowed everything.
Carlo slowly sheathed his blade. He picked up the famous sword Cavendish dropped and showed no interest in investigating further. This had only been a side task.
* * *
South Blue, an island occupied by the Revolutionary Army.
The pirate crew that once ruled the island and oppressed the people had been wiped out by the revolutionaries.
Everything began moving in a better direction, but for the island's teenage gangs, things were not so friendly.
Rules and order restrained them. They could not adapt and began thinking of solutions.
Four gang leaders gathered together. This was the early form of what would later become the Kid Pirates. At this time, Kid had already obtained his ability, and unlike the original timeline, his first love, who had been killed by the occupying pirates, was still alive.
Including the four teenage leaders, the five quickly reached an agreement and began discussing plans to set sail.
Whoosh!
Carlo appeared on a distant tree, hiding his presence. Listening to their discussion, he let out a light chuckle.
He lay down on the thick branch, crossing his hands behind his head. He had originally planned to deal with a certain special ability user directly. But since they were already planning to go to sea…
"This timing is just right…"
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!