One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

"You're a Devil Fruit user, yet you dream of using Seastone as a weapon every day. Should I call you naive or just plain foolish?

Have you ever considered that if your strength is lacking, and your Seastone weapon gets snatched away, you won't even have the chance to escape?

Focus on honing your Devil Fruit powers, practicing the Six Powers of the Navy, and mastering Haki when the time comes. Isn't that far superior to relying on a mere Seastone weapon?"

"But Seastone weapons are incredibly durable and can quickly boost combat strength. They're the perfect weapon!"

Faced with Karl's reprimand, Smoker sat obediently on his knees in front of him, but his expression betrayed no hint of remorse.

Karl was speechless for a moment. Observing the chunk of Seastone Smoker had brought, he noticed it was a raw, unprocessed Seastone ore.

This discovery surprised him, as all Seastone within the Navy's inventory was typically processed.

Finding an unprocessed piece of Seastone like this was unusual and naturally piqued his curiosity.

"From this moment onward, I'm confiscating this piece of Seastone. Don't even think about getting your hands on other Seastone items—not even handcuffs!

You should give up on this idea and focus on training your physical skills and Devil Fruit powers. True strength comes from within. Depending on external tools is no real achievement.

A true warrior would never stoop to using Seastone as a weapon!"

Karl earnestly tried to persuade him, but Smoker remained unconvinced. He still believed that Seastone weapons were the most suitable choice for him.

In the end, Karl doubled Smoker's training regimen for three whole months.

If he failed to meet the standards within this period, Karl threatened to kick him out immediately!

Smoker's training regimen was already intense. When it was doubled, his face turned pale, and he trembled uncontrollably. White smoke even began to seep from his body, clearly a reaction to his shock.

"Karl-sama, can't you… reduce it just a little?"

Smoker, now visibly scared, tried to plead, but Karl shook his head and replied coldly, "This is already quite lenient. You have no idea what kind of hellish training I endured in the past.

The training I'm assigning you now, I completed when I was only seven or eight years old. Are you saying that as a thirteen or fourteen-year-old, you're inferior to a child?"

Even though I nearly died doing it…

Karl inwardly grumbled to himself, but Smoker had no way of knowing that.

Faced with Karl's scolding, Smoker was left speechless. He believed Karl's words to be true.

After all, Karl's current strength was undeniable proof.

Having joined the Navy after much effort, Smoker had no intention of giving up so easily.

"By the way, where did you get this raw Seastone?"

"On an island near Loguetown…"

Smoker had stumbled upon the Seastone by chance. He wrapped it in layers of cloth before bringing it here.

Hearing this, Karl dismissed him to continue his training and kept the raw ore for himself.

"What a fool. Sure, I finished such training at seven or eight years old, but I nearly died doing it..."

Karl chuckled bitterly before stashing the raw Seastone in his pocket.

If Smoker was going to be this stubborn, Karl didn't mind letting him suffer a bit. Given Smoker's current strength, as long as he exercised some caution, there shouldn't be any real danger.

At the very least, Smoker now was much stronger than Karl had been at six or seven years old.

This level of training wouldn't kill him.

"Buggy, come here. I have a task for you."

Karl casually called Buggy over and instructed him to investigate the island nearby for anything unusual.

At first, Buggy was reluctant.

But the moment Karl mentioned the possibility of treasure, Buggy perked up, accepting the task without hesitation.

After shooting Buggy a disdainful glance, Karl ordered him to take a hundred seasoned Marines on the mission.

"Be careful. If you encounter any enemies, notify me immediately, and I'll be there in a flash."

"Understood, Karl-sama! I won't let you down!"

Buggy saluted enthusiastically before dashing off to assemble his team.

Karl was confident that Buggy, with his personality, would find something noteworthy even if there wasn't anything significant on the island.

As for the Seastone, he left the investigation to Buggy and waited with some anticipation to see what he would bring back.

Back in the Navy hall, Garp and Rouge were chatting and laughing.

Meanwhile, a Den Den Mushi sat by Garp's side, indicating someone had recently called.

"Karl, you're back. That old goat Sengoku called again.

But don't worry, I already sent him packing. He won't be bothering you again anytime soon, hahaha!"

As Garp spoke, he wore an air of smug satisfaction that left Karl at a loss for words.

"Let me guess. Old Man Sengoku told you to keep an eye on me and stop me from wandering around, right?"

"You've got a sharp mind, kid!"

"Tsk, Sengoku will probably never figure out where Miss Rouge has been hiding all this time."

Karl and Garp exchanged knowing looks and burst into laughter, startling Rouge.

"When are you planning to return the villagers of Baterilla Island?" Rouge asked.

"In a couple of days, once the Navy and CP9 operatives have withdrawn.

Sending them back now wouldn't be safe for the pregnant women," Karl replied after some thought.

Rouge seemed to share Karl's concern. Though the Navy was somewhat trustworthy, CP9 was another matter entirely. Their reputation for cruelty was well-known.

Three days later, the Navy and CP9 left empty-handed.

Taking advantage of their retreat, Karl returned the villagers to Baterilla Island.

At the same time, Garp prepared to leave for Foosha Village, with Rouge planning to accompany him.

Although Loguetown was safe, Karl's duties kept him busy, and Bellemere couldn't always look after Rouge. Not wanting to impose further, Rouge decided to leave with Garp.

Karl didn't object. With Garp around, Foosha Village was even safer than Loguetown.

That night, Karl assigned Bellemere and a squad of Marines to escort Garp and Rouge to Foosha Village under the cover of darkness.

These were Karl's trusted men, unaware of Rouge's true identity, ensuring her safety.

However, with Bellemere gone, Karl found his efficiency at handling official matters plummeting, much to his frustration.

"I've been relying on Bellemere too much. Looks like I need to work on my paperwork skills…"

Karl sighed, sipping his coffee as he prepared for a long night of work.

Just as he got into the flow, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?"

"Karl, sir! Someone is requesting an audience!"

"Not tonight. Tell them to come back tomorrow!"

"Karl, sir, they claim to have critical information about Admiral Crete!" 

~~~~~~~~~

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