"A real man doesn't shed tears; this isn't the time to relax. Come on, I'll give you a ride."
Carlo smiled, cradling Shamrock as he walked up to the heavenly dragon halberd that pinned Mafie. He gripped the halberd's shaft and flicked his wrist.
With a wet squelch, Mafie's head parted from her neck and rolled to Carlo's feet.
Dragon dashed over with Shanks in his arms, staring in shock at Mafie—now just a severed head—eyes still wide and glaring at him and Carlo.
"Carlo… how… how is she still alive?"
"She's a member of the God's Knights among the Celestial Dragons; practically all of them have this kind of immortality. You don't need to understand now, but one day you might deal with them."
Carlo slung the heavenly dragon halberd across the clasp of his black cloak, seized Mafie's head in his right hand, and let a surge of majestic Conqueror's Haki explode from his palm, stunning the woman senseless while suppressing her regenerative ability.
Dragon eyed the severed head curiously. "Carlo, what… do you want her head for?"
"I'm very interested in this immortality of hers; I plan to take one back for research, and while I'm at it…" Carlo glanced at Shamrock in his arms, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he murmured in a voice only he could hear: "silence a witness."
He tilted his head toward a distant spot; his black pupils narrowed into golden vertical slits as he telescoped his vision.
Instantly he saw Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Linlin, and Kaido cutting a bloody swath toward him.
At the sight, his body began to swell and soar at a speed that left Dragon gaping.
In moments he stood nearly ten meters tall.
Pairs of glittering golden wings unfurled from his back.
"Zzzzz—"
"Whoosh—"
With each beat, crackling lightning and howling gales coiled around the golden pinions.
"So… so cool! Is this the Golden Garuda transformation? I want that power too!" Dragon's eyes shone, drool nearly dribbling from his lips.
Seeing him still dazed, Carlo snapped, "The Rocks Pirates are coming. Hold on; I'm getting you out."
"O-okay!" Dragon hastily reached to wrap his arms around one of Carlo's thighs.
But whether it was his wounded arm lacking strength,
or Carlo's transformed leg being too thick, Dragon couldn't get a grip.
With Shanks in his arms, he yelped and slipped off the ascending Carlo.
Carlo sighed; a sweep of his wings whipped up a fierce wind that caught the falling Dragon and Shanks, ferrying them both toward the island's west side.
Far away, the sprinting Whitebeard and the others caught a fleeting glimpse of a golden after-image streaking across the sky.
"Was that Carlo just now?" Kaido craned his neck. "He got here early with Rocks; don't tell me he's already snatched the Devil Fruit I wanted?"
"That's great—if he did, we can just buy it from him," Linlin laughed.
"Buy?" Kaido's eye twitched at the word.
Buy your head!
He'd lost track of how much he already owed Carlo.
Was it fifty billion Berries?
Or sixty billion?
Whatever the sum, he could never repay it.
The thought of that crushing debt
only strengthened his desire to get a Devil Fruit.
He stared in the direction Carlo had flown, smirking coldly:
"Once I get a Devil Fruit—preferably one that lets me fly—I'm out of here. I'll go somewhere Carlo can't find me and start my own pirate crew! Heh heh heh, Carlo, you miscalculated this time. I'm a pirate—make me pay up? Dream on! Heeheehee!"
Just then a roar thundered behind them.
"Prime fishing ground spotted!"
Jolted from his fantasy, Kaido spun and snarled, "Who the hell's yapping?!"
He saw a burly figure plowing through pirates like a bowling ball, launching skyward. From dozens of meters up the man hurled a fist wreathed in black-red lightning down at them.
"Die, you pack of Sea Kings!!"
"Fist Bone·Galaxy Impact!!!"
BOOM!!
A mass of black-red lightning crashed like a scarlet meteor, slamming into the ground behind them.
The blast expanded at supersonic speed, rolling out in a ring of devastation!
"It's Garp—run! If we fight him we'll be stuck forever!"
Whitebeard and Linlin paled and bolted without a second thought.
"Huh? We're just fleeing? He's alone!" Kaido rolled up his sleeves, unwilling to back down.
"Scram! Don't forget what you came for! If we tangle with him, every Devil Fruit will be gone by the time we're done!"
As she sprinted, Linlin summoned a ball of flame and a ball of thundercloud.
"Prometheus!"
"Zeus!"
"Mama, I'm here!"
After putting distance between them, she whirled, left hand crackling with storm and right hand blazing with fire, aiming at the pursuing Garp.
"Heavenly—"
"Fire-Thunder!!"
BOOM!!!
Raging flames and violent lightning burst simultaneously from Prometheus and Zeus in her hands, crashing toward the pursuing Vice Admiral Garp like a tsunami of fury.
In an instant, apocalyptic energy erupted with endless light and heat, swallowing Garp whole.
"Vice Admiral Garp!!"
Marines locked in combat with pirates cried out in alarm.
A colossal boom shook the entire island for an instant.
Kaido grinned coldly. "Oro-ro-ro, Garp's in for it now after taking that hit from you, Linlin..."
Before he could finish—
From the rising flames, a figure cloaked in jet-black Haki strode through the burning earth, exuding a devil-king aura, and charged them again!
"This little fire couldn't even sear a steak..."
"Linlin!!"
"Damn it, run! He's mad!" Linlin broke into a cold sweat and bolted.
West shore of the island.
Carlo dropped from the sky, set Dragon down, and glanced at the Roger Pirates a few hundred meters away.
Roger, battling other pirates, sensed something and looked back.
He didn't see Carlo—only sensed his presence through Observation Haki.
Roger paid it no mind.
It was normal for Carlo to be here.
He was the Fourth Division Captain of the Rocks Pirates.
"Dragon, we part here. There are warships over there; take the child and shelter if you wish."
Carlo said.
Dragon hesitated. "You're not coming with..."
The moment he spoke, he realized it was a foolish question.
He knew Carlo's current status.
Still, Dragon hesitated, glancing at Shamrock in Carlo's arms.
He wanted to ask if he should take Shamrock too.
Carlo shook his head. "I won't risk both eggs in one basket. You know how unreliable the Marines here are—present company excluded, of course."
Dragon looked gloomy. "I understand... Then take them both! They're twins; separating them..."
Carlo sighed. "I'm not in a position to; taking one is already hard."
"Right—you're still a Division Captain of the Rocks Pirates; you can't leave yet." Dragon nodded.
Seeing his worry, Carlo smiled. "Relax. I trust you to deliver him safely. And don't worry about the one I take; the brothers will meet again on these seas."
Dragon's fears eased at Carlo's smile.
He straightened, nodding firmly. "Yes, big brother Carlo! Leave the child to me! We'll meet again!"
He hugged Shanks tight and strode toward the warships.
Carlo smiled as Dragon departed.
He wondered: if fate existed, would the boy whose destiny he'd altered still sail with Roger?
Perhaps Shanks would still join the Roger Pirates.
As for Shamrock—splash!
The sea burst open beside him; a giant catfish-man surfaced, shouldering a ten-meter submersible.
Babel grinned. "Boss Carlo, I'm here!"
Carlo nodded. "Did you bring everything?"
"Yep." Babel opened the hatch with a thick finger and pulled out a sealed chest.
"This is the Sea Stone-lined box Black Charcoal Cicada got from Wano Country."
"Good. Open it."
Carlo had Babel open the custom chest and tossed Mafie's head inside.
After locking it, he handed Shamrock to Babel.
"Take him and go; this place won't be safe much longer."
"This child..." Babel cradled Shamrock gently.
Carlo smiled.
\"My son—Sorus Shamrock.\
"Huh, you've got a kid too?" Babel placed Shamrock and the chest inside the sub, sealed it, and hoisted the vessel onto his shoulder.
\"Then I'm off to Hachinosu.\
"Go."
Splash! Babel dove into the sea and vanished.
Carlo turned back toward God Valley.
"Now, what should I do next?"
His golden eyes blinked, settling on the fleeing Celestial Dragons deep in the island.
Carlo smiled—he had a splendid idea.
But first... "I need to claim those Devil Fruits."'