Carl smiled in satisfaction at Vegapunk's words. He had been testing him just now—after all, with the destructive power of the Pacifistas, their highest command authority could not fall into someone else's hands.
Vegapunk, unaware of how close he had just been to danger, continued to shout enthusiastically,
"Saint Carl, you can directly issue an attack command to the Pacifistas!"
Carl nodded lightly and took a few steps back. The three Pacifistas locked onto him with their cold, mechanical eyes.
They were standing in a wide, open testing ground, used specifically for Pacifista trials. Surrounding them were numerous researchers eager to record valuable data from this test.
Carl loosened up his body, then looked at the three Pacifistas before him and spoke calmly,
"Attack me with full power."
The Pacifistas' eyes flickered with light, but they did not immediately act.
Carl's command conflicted with a fundamental directive embedded within their core—never to harm their highest authority holder.
Only when Carl issued the command again, using his supreme authority, did the Pacifistas finally begin their assault.
The central Pacifista slowly opened its mouth, forming a spherical golden energy orb. A dazzling beam of golden light erupted forth, shooting straight at Carl.
Boom!
A violent explosion rocked the area, engulfing Carl in a cloud of thick smoke.
The other two Pacifistas fired their lasers in quick succession, relentlessly bombarding the spot where Carl had stood.
Terrifying energy waves surged through the testing ground, sending debris and dust into the air, forming a massive mushroom cloud.
The bright flashes and flying debris forced the surrounding researchers to put on protective goggles.
...
After a moment, as the smoke cleared under everyone's watchful eyes, Carl's figure emerged.
He stood exactly as before, unscathed. His shoulders had transformed into dark shadows, exuding wisps of black mist.
Seeing this, York immediately clapped and cheered loudly,
"Amazing! As expected of Saint Carl!"
Lilith shot York a look of disdain, but York ignored her and continued showering Carl with praise.
Carl remained indifferent to the commotion outside the arena. The black mist on his shoulders gradually dissipated, revealing his completely unharmed body, showing no signs of having been attacked.
The Pacifistas launched another attack, splitting into three directions to surround Carl from all sides.
Carl narrowed his eyes slightly. A transparent, spherical force field materialized around him, keeping the Pacifistas firmly at bay.
"Hmm?"
Carl raised an eyebrow. He had expected the Pacifistas to be repelled outright, yet they remained stationary. Looking closely, he noticed a strange, bubble-like substance forming in each of their palms, pressing against the force field and neutralizing its impact.
Of course, Carl had not exerted his full power. If he had, not a single researcher in the area would have survived.
Nonetheless, this demonstrated that these "bubbles" were indeed an impressive technological achievement.
Realizing they could not break through the barrier, the Pacifistas opened their mouths simultaneously, gathering energy for another laser attack.
Just then, Carl abruptly dismissed the force field, fully exposing himself to their line of fire.
The Pacifistas, devoid of emotions, reacted instantly. Since Carl had removed his defense, they fired without hesitation.
However, the lasers vanished upon contact with Carl's body, as if swallowed by an endless abyss.
Before the Pacifistas could process the situation, an immense gravitational force erupted from Carl. The three massive machines were instantly pulled toward him.
In a flash, the Pacifistas countered with synchronized punches, their massive fists plunging into Carl's body.
Carl smirked. With a slight tremor, he deactivated his ability. Suddenly, the Pacifistas' bodies crackled with electricity, and they retracted their arms.
But their fists were gone—completely disintegrated.
Black Hole Form.
Carl had evolved his mastery of the Dark-Dark Fruit from basic elementalization to Shadow Form after acquiring the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, and now to its ultimate stage—Black Hole Form.
Among all Logia transformations, Black Hole Form was the strongest, rendering the Pacifistas' steel fists into dust the instant they made contact.
After a brief recalibration, the two remaining Pacifistas launched another attack.
This time, Carl chose to fight with pure physical strength. He met the first Pacifista head-on, exchanging punches.
Upon impact, the Pacifista's specially reinforced fist, far larger than Carl's, shattered into fragments.
The researchers exchanged stunned glances. If they had not witnessed it themselves, they would never have believed a human could destroy a Pacifista's fist with sheer strength.
Vegapunk gulped nervously and muttered,
"Saint Carl, please don't think I cut corners when designing the Pacifistas..."
...
In the arena, Carl effortlessly destroyed the already-handicapped Pacifista, reducing it to a pile of scrap. He flexed his fingers and nodded slightly before commenting,
"Decent strength and defense."
Hearing this, Vegapunk finally let out a breath of relief.
The remaining two Pacifistas, unfazed by their comrade's destruction, charged at Carl again.
Possessing learning capabilities, they had adapted. The destruction of their ally's fists had demonstrated Carl's overwhelming power.
Thus, as they attacked, both Pacifistas coated their fists with the mysterious bubbles, aiming for Carl.
Intrigued, Carl allowed them to strike. Instead of dodging, he caught their bubble-covered fists with his palms.
A familiar sensation pulsed through the bubbles.
Carl's eyes flickered with interest.
"The sea's presence? Now this is interesting."
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+175 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg