Carl couldn't rein in Luffy's aggressive nature. The previous failure to defeat Kaido single-handedly had clearly left a significant dent in Luffy's pride.
But things were different now. Having undergone rigorous physical enhancement through medicinal baths and mastered both Conqueror's Haki winding and advanced Armament Haki emission, Luffy likely possessed a newfound confidence to challenge a Four Emperor.
If that were the case, why not let him try?
Carl descended back onto the deck, addressing the crew. "Luffy will be engaging Big Mom. Given the circumstances, I anticipate others might seize this opportunity to make a move.
I might not be able to ensure everyone's safety at that moment, so please be prepared to handle yourselves."
He then offered a reassuring smile. "But have faith. Even though we haven't entered the New World yet, our strength is considerable, and we will undoubtedly overcome any powerful adversaries!"
"Aye! Leave it to us, Mr. Carl!"
Chopper, Jango, Sanji, and Raki responded with enthusiastic determination.
Perhaps their numerous encounters and victories against formidable foes had instilled a sense of unwavering confidence, for even the usually timid Chopper displayed little apprehension.
Zoro remained silent, but his hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, a clear indication of his readiness.
Sanji continued to smoke with his characteristic cool demeanor.
It was just a Four Emperor. While the previous encounter with Kaido might have been a bit overwhelming, they were all significantly stronger now. As they had discussed before, their strategic approach remained the same: whoever comes, they fight, be it a Four Emperor or a Marine Admiral.
"Since everyone is so confident," Carl said, a slight frown creasing his brow before he could finish his sentence, "I'll entrust the Merry to you all. I'm going out to sea to see if there's any... um..."
Under the influence of his Kenbunshoku Haki, he had detected a familiar figure appearing on the coast in a certain direction, and the individual was already heading their way.
"Jack the Drought! That guy actually drifted all the way to Water Seven, and he shows up now of all times. This is truly troublesome! It seems his near-death experience last time only inflated his ego. This time, I'll make sure he doesn't survive!"
Annoyed, Carl turned and strode towards Jack.
He tossed a quick instruction over his shoulder. "Jack the Drought is here! I'm going to deal with him!"
A wave of bewildered expressions washed over the crew. They couldn't believe Jack the Drought's terrible timing. He hadn't arrived earlier or later, but precisely when a Four Emperor made an appearance. Anyone would think Jack and Big Mom had coordinated their arrival!
Carl's speed was exceptional. He traversed the city center in a blink and halted at a secluded stretch of coastline.
Jack the Drought arrived moments later. Upon seeing Carl, his face contorted with rage, and he swung a bizarre scythe at Carl's head.
Without hesitation, Carl drew the Third Generation Kitetsu, parrying the twin scythe blades.
With his other hand, he unsheathed Shusui and unleashed a swift slash at Jack. The black blade tore through the air, sending Jack flying backward as a significant amount of blood erupted from the wound, a truly gruesome sight.
The few civilians in the vicinity scattered in terror.
Jack clutched his wound and staggered to his feet. Remarkably, the bleeding had already begun to subside, and signs of scabbing were appearing. It was a testament to the resilience granted by his Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit – undeniably formidable.
At that moment, a violent shockwave reverberated from a certain direction, and the unmistakable pressure of Conqueror's Haki began to spread.
Carl knew instantly: Luffy and Big Mom had clashed!
"What's going on? Someone's clashing with Conqueror's Haki?" Jack muttered, looking towards the source of the disturbance with a puzzled expression.
"Hey! Getting distracted during a fight? Really?" Carl's sharp voice cut through the air.
Then, with a fluid motion, Carl slashed both swords across Jack's chest, carving a deep, intersecting wound. Another torrent of blood gushed forth. Jack roared in agony and collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest and howling in pain.
Silently, Carl sheathed the Third Generation Kitetsu, gripping Shusui with both hands as he waited for Jack to rise.
True enough, Jack's cries of pain soon subsided. When he stood up, the deep gash across his chest had already stopped bleeding.
Carl couldn't help but roll his eyes. This guy's tenacity was truly astounding. If Akainu had taken those two blows, he would likely be out of commission for a considerable time.
No wonder Jack was so reckless; he had the durability to back it up!
While his raw power might place him only as an emperor's subordinate, his defense and regenerative abilities were monstrous, allowing him to clash desperately with Marine Admirals and even the Fleet Admiral without the fear of permanent incapacitation.
Such a character could only be described as a walking, talking bug!
"It hurts, you bastard!"
Jack roared his curse, then a wide, menacing grin spread across his face. "Bastard Lightning Swordsman, I'm back again! You could fly around at sea before, so you schemed against me, but now on land, you can't escape! Today, even if you beg for mercy, I'll tear you to pieces!"
Carl remained impassive. "Come and try, why all the talk, Rory?"
Jack bellowed, transforming into a colossal mammoth and charging directly at Carl...
Carl wasn't foolish enough to engage such a brute head-on. He sidestepped the charge with ease. But Jack's Kenbunshoku Haki was not to be underestimated; he immediately locked onto Carl's new position and swung his massive trunk.
However, while the power behind the attack was immense, its speed was less impressive.
Carl dodged again effortlessly, even managing to slash at the elephantine trunk, drawing another significant amount of blood.
This time, Jack didn't even utter a sound. In his mammoth form, Jack possessed not only immense size but also peak defense and resilience. A minor injury to his trunk was of little consequence.
In less than a second, the wound had stopped bleeding and begun to scab over.
It was utterly unreasonable!
A sense of frustration welled up within Carl. He disliked facing such opponents; he found a fight against someone like Akainu far more rewarding. But there was no one else to stand against Jack, so he had no choice but to continue this tedious battle.
"What kind of hero hides and runs? If you have the guts, fight me head-on, you bastard!"
Unable to land a blow, Jack roared in fury.
Carl remained unfazed. "Do you think I'm stupid? Your advantage is brute strength, and mine is speed. Why would I be so idiotic as to compete with you in a contest of power?"
But after speaking, Carl shifted to a more aggressive stance.
Relying on his incredible speed, he closed the distance to the mammoth repeatedly, unleashing a flurry of powerful slashes. Fifteen minutes passed. While he hadn't inflicted any fatal wounds, the mammoth was now covered in a dense network of cuts.
And Jack roared in pain the entire time, a clear indication that Carl's attacks were far from negligible.
"Sure enough, no matter where I attack, the result is the same.
I was hoping for some kind of weakness.
This mammoth's limbs, trunk, and neck are too thick, its defense is incredibly robust.
Cutting them off will likely be extremely difficult! Do I need to resort to something like... like dealing with Kaido? Forcefully awaken a Devil Fruit in this guy and directly eliminate one of the Beasts Pirates' Three Disasters!"
A palpable murderous intent flickered in Carl's eyes.
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