Akainu had been defeated, and the mission here was complete.
Originally, Carl only intended to intercept Akainu, but he didn't expect the admiral to refuse to back down. In the end, Carl had no choice but to fight to the death—and he emerged victorious.
However, killing Akainu was out of the question. That would provoke relentless retaliation from the Marines, which would be bad news for the Straw Hats.
After thinking for a moment, Carl took out a Den Den Mushi and made a call.
"Moshi moshi! You little brat, Carl! What the hell do you want from this old man? You're not calling about the scabbards, are you? Don't worry, [Golden Lion's two scabbards] have already been sent to you!"
Garp's voice sounded impatient.
Carl was momentarily stunned before glancing at Zoro.
Zoro's eyes lit up with excitement. Ordinary scabbards couldn't withstand the constant use of high-grade swords, so receiving a proper matching scabbard was definitely good news.
"Thanks, old man."
Carl smiled in appreciation, then quickly changed the subject. "Master, does the Marine know that Crocodile is plotting to overthrow Alabasta?"
"We've heard the reports. Smoker went to handle it, didn't he?"
"But Akainu came to stop us. Old man, we were helping to fight Crocodile, but your admiral interfered. Don't you think Akainu might be working with Crocodile?"
"Stop talking nonsense! Sakazuki would never do that!"
A different voice cut in. The Den Den Mushi's appearance changed to resemble an elderly man with a beard tied into a twist—it was Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Akainu, still conscious, nearly choked in anger upon hearing Carl's words.
He had assumed the Straw Hats were the ones trying to overthrow Alabasta, but it turned out that Crocodile—one of the Shichibukai officially recognized by the World Government and Marines—was actually the one plotting against the kingdom. And the Straw Hats had been fighting to stop him instead.
That meant... the Straw Hats were helping Alabasta!
Pirates were undoubtedly criminals, but if Akainu had attacked the Straw Hats while they were fighting Crocodile, didn't that make him look like Crocodile's accomplice?
Even if Sengoku and the Marines knew that wasn't the case, once the news spread, no one could silence public opinion.
If things went this way, Akainu would likely be forced to step down as an admiral.
Carl smirked and said, "Oh, it's Marshal Sengoku! But whether you believe it or not doesn't matter."
"What really matters is whether the people of Alabasta and the rest of the world believe it."
"After all, Akainu did stop us at a crucial moment. Because of that, we had to split our forces, which caused us a lot of trouble."
Sengoku's voice turned cold. "What do you want?"
He was being blackmailed by a pirate, something that infuriated him.
Carl simply shrugged. "Out of respect for Mr. Garp, I don't want to push things too far. Just tell Akainu to back off and not attack us until we leave Alabasta. The Straw Hats and our ship must not be threatened by the Marines. If that condition isn't met, I won't be so polite next time."
Sengoku let out a deep sigh of relief. "Fine! I agree to those terms. Where is Sakazuki?"
"Oh, he's lying over there. His fleet is completely wiped out. But don't worry, the casualties aren't too high—we held back."
Carl spoke casually, but his words sent shockwaves through the entire Marine headquarters.
Inside the marshal's office, Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, Aokiji, and Kizaru all unconsciously straightened up, their eyes filled with disbelief. Garp, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed, as if he had expected this outcome from the start.
Akainu had been defeated.
A Marine Admiral—one of the highest-ranking figures in the Navy—had been taken down by a newcomer!
What a humiliation for the Marines!
Sengoku hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Sakazuki, is what Carl said true?"
Akainu coughed weakly and responded, "Cough... Marshal Sengoku, I have disgraced the Marines! Also, I wasn't aware of Crocodile's scheme. I thought the Straw Hats were the ones threatening Alabasta..."
Sengoku and the others didn't know how to respond.
After a long silence, Sengoku finally issued an order. "Sakazuki, return immediately. All Marine forces near Alabasta are to stand down and allow the Straw Hat Pirates to leave without interference. No one is permitted to attack them while they're in Alabasta!"
"Yes, Marshal Sengoku!"
Akainu accepted the order, his voice filled with shame.
This was the biggest humiliation he had suffered since becoming an admiral.
And the person responsible was none other than that grinning bastard—Carl, the Lightning Swordsman!
Akainu clenched his fists and growled, "Damn pirates... I'll let you go this time, but next time, I'll make you taste true justice!"
Despite his injuries, he forced himself up and started reorganizing his remaining forces.
The Marines hadn't suffered too many casualties, but there were many injured, and Akainu himself was in critical condition.
Following his command, the remaining Marines reluctantly regrouped and boarded their warships, quickly retreating. This was likely the worst defeat they had ever suffered while serving under an admiral, and it was a crushing blow to their morale.
Watching the warships sail away, Carl and his two companions finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Carl collapsed onto the ground, completely exhausted.
Fighting Akainu had been incredibly difficult. If not for catching him off guard, the outcome could have been very different.
Akainu likely hadn't expected Carl's Conqueror's Haki to be so overwhelming. If he had been prepared, things wouldn't have gone this way. Next time, the battle would be much harder.
But Carl was growing stronger too.
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi in Carl's pocket rang.
It was Sabo.
"Good news—Crocodile has been defeated. The war in Alabasta is over."
Hearing this, Carl and his companions finally relaxed completely.
Carl then took out his Devil Fruit radar and activated it. The device detected a Devil Fruit nearby, and after estimating the distance, he realized it was coming from Albana—the capital of Alabasta.
It wasn't surprising. The royal family of Alabasta possessing a Devil Fruit made sense.
Even though Carl had helped Vivi, he didn't feel right asking for it. The crew already saw Vivi as a friend, and Carl knew she wouldn't be staying with the Straw Hats. She wanted to focus on developing Alabasta, and having a Devil Fruit could help her.
So, he decided to let it go.
For now, Carl planned to rest before heading back to the ship.
Meanwhile, things were getting lively aboard the Going Merry.
A group of Kung Fu Dugongs—small, turtle-like sea creatures trained in martial arts—were knocking out the remaining agents of Baroque Works who had tried to attack the ship. Strangely, the dugongs had markings painted on them.
Marie sat on the deck, holding a paintbrush in one hand and a biscuit in the other.
She lazily muttered, "Trying to mess with the Merry? The captain and Mr. Carl will be mad. Also, you interrupted my snack time."
Without hesitation, she ordered the Kung Fu Dugongs to toss the agents into the river.
Marie wasn't worried about the outcome of the battle. She had seen the strength of the Straw Hats firsthand and was certain Crocodile would lose.
She also knew that meant she was out of a job.
But... she had enjoyed her time with the crew.
So, she decided to stay.
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