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

"Gale—!"

Karl acted the moment the thought struck him.

He summoned a ferocious wind, whipping up the desert sand and loose stones into a massive vortex. His target? The exhaust and ventilation ports scattered across Barrett's colossal Gundam.

The scale of Karl's maneuver was immense, and Barrett quickly realized his intent. Of course, he wasn't about to let Karl succeed so easily.

Barrett launched himself skyward, aiming a devastating strike at Karl.

But aerial combat was Karl's domain, and Barrett was no match for him there.

If Karl wished, he could avoid direct confrontation entirely.

What's more, by the time Barrett landed back on the ground, Karl had already used his Devil Fruit powers to clog most of the Gundam's ports and vents.

Though Karl wasn't entirely sure what functions all the ports served, he knew one thing: blocking them all would be enough.

Faced with Karl's frustratingly sly tactics, Barrett was incensed.

He had hoped for a fierce and straightforward battle, but never imagined Karl would fight so deviously!

Barrett couldn't even get close to him—let alone land a hit.

This left him torn between two bad options: should he abandon his Gundam form and fight Karl hand-to-hand?

But Barrett's earlier clash with Karl had made him wary of the young marine's strength.

Now he found himself in a dilemma. Staying in his combined form would inevitably lead to defeat.

The Gundam's interior was filling with seawater, and even the oxygen levels were depleting. Most of the vents and air intakes were now blocked.

If this continued, by the time Barrett disengaged his transformation, the Gundam would be completely inoperable.

"You've really impressed me, kid! Using such underhanded methods to stall him—now that's something to be proud of!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A hearty laugh suddenly rang out beside Karl.

From above, a figure descended like a meteor, landing a devastating punch that sent Barrett's Gundam hurtling dozens of meters away.

Caught off guard, Barrett barely had time to react. In desperation, he maneuvered the Gundam's massive arm to block the strike.

But the sheer force of the punch was terrifying.

It shattered the Gundam's right arm entirely.

Had that punch connected with the Gundam's core, it wouldn't have killed Barrett outright, but it would've left him in critical condition.

This was the strength of Monkey D. Garp.

Sheer, overwhelming power!

"Old man, you've still got it!" Karl gave Garp a thumbs-up before shifting his gaze to the naval fleet amassing on the horizon.

"Old man, are you still planning to unleash the Buster Call?"

"Ha ha ha! You're just itching to blow up an island, aren't you?"

"The Buster Call is a last resort. Unless absolutely necessary, we'd best avoid using it!"

"Understood, old man. In that case, leave him to me!"

Karl's eyes gleamed with a fervent light as he charged forward.

Barrett, still reeling from Garp's attack, struggled to control his Gundam as it rose unsteadily to its feet.

But before he could fully recover, Karl conjured massive dragons of sand, directing them to attack the Gundam's vulnerable points.

"Damn it!"

Barrett's pupils contracted as the dragons bore down on him. But he didn't panic. Instead, he maneuvered the Gundam to drop prone, exposing its back—a puzzling move.

In the next instant, the sand dragons crashed into the ground, triggering a massive explosion that shook the entire island.

Karl waved his hand, dispersing the dust and smoke.

Before him lay a crater over a kilometer wide and a hundred meters deep.

But Barrett was nowhere to be seen.

"Not here?"

Activating his Observation Haki, Karl scanned for Barrett's presence.

Soon, he spotted one of the Gundam's arms lodged in the crater, its joints still spewing faint flames.

Suddenly, a massive figure descended from the sky like a meteorite, hurtling straight toward Karl.

"You brat! Die, marine scum!"

The Gundam—now missing both arms—had undergone an emergency transformation.

It was clear Barrett had severed the arms himself to evade Karl's attack and had launched this desperate aerial strike in retaliation.

Facing the oncoming Gundam, Karl dodged calmly, only to realize the machine had abruptly changed direction mid-air.

He looked closer and saw a thruster attached to the Gundam's rear, propelling it toward him with tremendous force.

Then, in a shocking twist, the Gundam began to shrink. Its legs vanished, replaced by a massive, cylindrical structure that jutted out like a lance.

The lance expanded rapidly, thrusting toward Karl with immense power.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Even Karl was stunned by Barrett's unorthodox tactics.

"Watch out, Karl!"

Even Garp, observing from a distance, was on edge.

If Karl were truly in danger, Garp wouldn't hesitate to step in and dismantle Barrett himself.

But Karl remained composed, raising his Sandai Kitetsu and activating his Devil Fruit powers.

If escape wasn't an option, he'd use this opportunity to strike back.

With a determined swing, Karl barely deflected Barrett's attack, though the impact left him severely injured. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying.

Yet this exchange cost Barrett dearly. He missed his chance to retreat.

In an instant, the ground began to quake violently.

The entire island shifted, lifting from the sea's surface.

Garp, feeling the tremors beneath him, was stunned.

The naval fleet quickly retreated, avoiding the looming tsunami.

The beach below transformed into turbulent ocean waves, leaving Barrett in a precarious position.

Barrett was utterly bewildered.

Without the ability to fly, his Gundam was incapable of prolonged aerial combat.

His earlier strike had been his best chance.

But he never expected Karl to have the ability to move an entire island.

Despite his injuries, Karl mustered his strength, gripping his sword with both hands.

"This ends now!"

With a mighty slash, Karl struck Barrett's Gundam.

"Serious Strike!"

A deafening roar echoed as cracks spread across the Gundam's surface like a spiderweb.

Karl didn't let up, delivering relentless blows until the Gundam shattered completely.

Barrett, unable to maintain control, plummeted into the ocean below.

"Karl, you damn brat!"

Barrett's furious roar echoed as he sank into the sea, defeated by Karl's unyielding resolve.

A warrior on par with the infamous Golden Lion Shiki, Barrett lost not due to lack of strength, but because he couldn't overcome Karl's cunning tactics and his inability to take to the skies.

Who would believe such a tale?

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