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

"Haha, since Senior Koushirou has said so, I won't decline. I'm eager to experience your swordsmanship firsthand!"

Karl's lips curled into a slight smile, his joy evident.

A hidden ability—Give Me Some Face—had inexplicably triggered, putting Karl in a great mood.

Although this ability had surfaced when he killed Sieg, Karl hadn't paid much attention to it. However, he hadn't expected such a seemingly trivial skill to play a significant role today.

"Senior Koushirou, I am a Float-Float Fruit user and also a swordsman. My swordsmanship is usually complemented by my Devil Fruit powers. I hope you don't mind."

"No problem. Come at me! I don't see any reason to be afraid of a greenhorn like you."

Koushirou nodded, dismissing Karl's words with ease.

Although Karl had killed the Golden Lion in collaboration with Kuzan and others, and even singlehandedly defeated Douglas Bullet, Koushirou didn't think much of Karl's strength. After all, Karl was still so young—not even twenty yet!

Seeing this, Dragon shook his head with a slight smile, while Karl grinned broadly, flashing his pearly white teeth.

"Haha, here I come!"

"Iaijutsu—!"

In an instant, the space around them seemed to freeze. Even the air itself stopped flowing.

Karl moved in a blur, appearing behind Koushirou. Slowly, he sheathed his Sandai Kitetsu.

Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind erupted!

Multiple slashes appeared on the ground out of nowhere, and even the nearby walls were blown down by the unexpected gale.

Only the space directly in front of Koushirou remained untouched.

However, his expression darkened slightly, and his hand, gripping the Wado Ichimonji, trembled faintly.

"Such power and speed… I almost couldn't hold my sword with just one hand!"

Koushirou sighed and switched to a two-handed grip, finally steadying his shaking arm.

"Now, it's my turn!"

Taking a deep breath, Koushirou countered with a lightning-quick slash, unleashing a silver wave of sword energy filled with a sharp, domineering aura toward Karl!

The strike's power was comparable to the one Mihawk unleashed against Whitebeard in the original story—capable of splitting the skies and shattering mountains.

Facing the sudden assault, Karl gripped his sword with both hands, imbuing it with the power of the Float-Float Fruit. With effort, he redirected Koushirou's sword energy upward into the sky.

In that instant, the sword energy dispersed the clouds, banishing the darkness and bathing the heavens in a dazzling silver light.

Under the sunlight, fragments of silver sparkled in the sky like a beautiful starry night.

Witnessing this, Karl couldn't help but be surprised.

As a swordsman himself, he understood the significance of what he had just seen.

This was Koushirou's unique sword intent—the lifelong pursuit of every master swordsman.

"That's enough! If we keep going, the destruction will be too great—it might harm my wife and unborn child. But with your talent, give it another ten years, and you might achieve what you aim for.

I even have a feeling that your future achievements could surpass Dragon's. It's a pity I didn't meet you earlier."

Koushirou sighed, admiration and respect for Karl clear in his eyes—a stark contrast to his earlier disdain.

Even Dragon, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

"By the way, I heard you're the adopted son of Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr. So why do you know Roger? Navy and pirates don't usually mingle, do they?"

Koushirou voiced a question he'd been curious about for some time. Karl scratched his head, dodging the topic.

"Senior, my background isn't worth discussing. Instead, I have a small request—will you grant it?"

"What's your request?"

"Please shake my hand!"

Koushirou: …

For a moment, Koushirou wondered if this kid had taken a blow to the head. At a time like this, he was still thinking about a handshake? Truly baffling.

Despite his confusion, Koushirou indulged Karl's request, shaking his hand for ten seconds.

Sign-in complete. Swordsmanship upgraded to Perfect Level!

Hearing the system's notification, Karl beamed with delight, unable to hide his excitement.

Karl's swordsmanship had already reached an exceptional level. Now, with Koushirou's acknowledgment, it advanced to perfection.

Roughly calculating, Karl now had at least four abilities at the Perfect Level.

However, beyond this level was a mysterious tier Karl couldn't yet comprehend. For now, perfection remained the highest level accessible, and unlocking the next would likely require a system upgrade.

"Getting this excited over a handshake? Still, it's good to maintain a childlike heart—it's essential for progressing further on the path of the sword."

Koushirou couldn't help but think Karl's mind worked in peculiar ways. Yet, he offered advice in a seasoned tone.

Karl nodded humbly, absorbing the wisdom.

Meanwhile, Dragon watched with mixed feelings—jealous, perhaps of Karl's charisma, or perhaps of Koushirou's evident respect for him.

One thing was clear: in terms of persuasion, Dragon couldn't hold a candle to Karl.

If he could, he might have swayed Koushirou with his own ideals instead of letting Karl inspire the man with thoughts of building a harmonious society.

After chatting briefly, Karl took his leave, needing to rendezvous at Enies Lobby.

Koushirou promised to visit Karl after his wife and child stabilized, planning to open a dojo and discuss future collaborations in detail.

They exchanged Den Den Mushi contact information and Vivre Cards before parting ways reluctantly—a sight that made Dragon's jealousy flare again.

"What a smooth talker!"

…

Leaving Shimotsuki Village, Karl set off with Bellemere and Kuro, eager to make up for lost time.

The journey to the Calm Belt would normally take several hours, but with the Float-Float Fruit, they reached the central region in under an hour.

Surrounded by countless Sea Kings circling ominously, Bellemere turned pale with fear, her body trembling. Even Kuro appeared visibly tense.

In their lives, neither had seen so many Sea Kings at once.

"Scared of this many Sea Kings? Sure, they're numerous, but the Grand Line is far more terrifying!

Pull yourselves together. If any of these Sea Kings attack us, it'll be up to you two to handle them.

This is my test for you!"

----------------------------

If you want to support me and read advance chapters, please visit:

patreon.com / madbot635