"Ain, you look like you're in a great mood."
Ain narrowed her eyes and smiled brightly.
"Yes! Karl, once the internship is over, I'll be able to serve under Advisor Tsuru. I really admire her!"
"That's great," Karl nodded. "Though… I guess you'll gain something and lose something too."
Ain froze.
She understood the gain—but what was she losing?
"W-What do you mean?"
Karl let out a slow breath and flashed her his trademark handsome grin.
"Because you'll rarely meet a Marine as ridiculously good-looking as me ever again."
"Yuck! Karl, you're so full of yourself!"
Karl just smiled and didn't argue. He took the bounty poster for their internship target from Ain's hands and read it with interest.
Hunter Blade Pirates
Captain: Zakel
Bounty: 24,500,000 Beli
Specialty: Swordsmanship
"Hmm~ how terrifying~" he muttered lazily.
…Wait.
Why was he already talking like Kizaru when he wasn't even officially his subordinate yet?
Ain clenched her small fist in dissatisfaction.
"Zakel is extremely cruel! He raided Autumn Island and killed more than twenty innocent civilians! I absolutely won't let him get away!"
"Hahaha, of course," Karl said cheerfully.
"Under my leadership, we'll complete this internship perfectly. Relax."
Ain stared at him suspiciously, then her expression sharpened.
"Right—Karl. What is your ability, exactly? You can tell us now, can't you?"
"Well… that's—"
"It's fine, Karl," a voice said calmly from behind him.
"You're all on the same ship now—Marines, comrades. It's best they know your ability in advance."
Karl turned around to see Zeff standing there.
Before Karl could respond, Zeff raised his voice again.
"Everyone, gather up."
Then, with a smile, he stepped aside.
"Karl—this one's yours."
Seeing the curiosity and confusion in the recruits' eyes, Karl took a deep breath and smiled.
"I'm sure over the last two months, most of you have been curious about my ability.
Because of certain reasons, it wasn't convenient for me to explain it before."
"But now—it's time to be honest."
As the words fell, Karl raised his right hand.
A golden sphere of light condensed in his palm, dazzling even under the blazing sun.
"This is my ability. I call it Holy Light."
"It currently has two effects.
First—healing.
Second—enhancement."
Then, without warning, Karl pulled a pistol from behind his back.
He aimed it at the clueless, popcorn-eating Binz—
—and fired.
Bang!
"AAAAAHHHHH!!"
Blood blossomed on Binz's thigh.
For a moment, he stared at Karl in disbelief, brain completely blank.
Then—
An earth-shattering scream echoed across the deck as he clutched his leg and rolled around.
Zeff frowned slightly, but remembering Karl's ability, said nothing and allowed him to continue.
"Everyone, watch carefully," Karl said calmly.
"Binz was shot. In real combat, this would severely reduce his fighting ability, and recovery afterward would take time."
"But…"
Karl tossed the Holy Light toward Binz.
The screams stopped instantly.
Binz blinked, utterly confused.
The recruits saw a dark bullet fall out of Binz's leg and roll across the deck.
"What—?!"
"That recovery… no, it's that Holy Light!"
They rushed forward, tore open Binz's pant leg, and examined his thigh.
Apart from dried blood—
There wasn't even a scar left behind.
"This is the healing effect of Holy Light," Karl said.
"As for enhancement—it varies from person to person."
"Anyone want to experience it?"
"YES!!!" the recruits shouted in unison.
Karl grinned.
He clasped his hands together as golden light gathered again, growing larger and larger until it formed a sphere the size of a yoga ball.
"Holy Radiance: Redemption!"
Boom!
The golden sphere exploded—
—but caused no damage.
Instead, golden rays washed over every recruit, and their auras surged visibly.
Karl panted slightly.
Enhancing so many people at once was a heavy drain—but with Serene as a Maiden, his stamina would recover within fifteen minutes.
"I—I feel like I could punch a cow to death right now!"
"That's insane! I twisted my ankle yesterday, and it's completely healed!"
Shouts of amazement erupted one after another.
The recruits' gazes toward Karl grew blazing hot.
Who wouldn't want to be stronger?
With Karl beside them, they had top-tier healing and physical enhancement at all times.
No wonder Karl had kept quiet.
No wonder Zeff valued him so much.
No wonder all three Admirals fought over him.
If it were them, they'd do the same.
Because Karl's ability was simply too powerful.
"Looks like everyone is satisfied with my ability," Karl said, nodding in approval.
"Then for this internship mission—"
"I'LL HANDLE IT!" Binz shouted instantly, eyes burning.
"With your Holy Light, we're not afraid of anything!"
"Yeah! The Hunter Blade Pirates are nothing!"
Karl nodded with satisfaction.
Perfect.
Now he could slack off with a clear conscience.
The only thing still bothering him was Weevil—a ticking time bomb whose timing he couldn't predict.
But seeing Zeff standing nearby—vigorous and powerful as ever—Karl relaxed slightly.
With Zeff around, it would be absolute domination.
Karl handles the "ga-ga," Zeff handles the slaughter.
Who knew how long had passed—
Karl and Zeff were already chatting in a quiet corner, casually smoking cigars, while the recruits excitedly tested their boosted strength in one-on-one sparring.
Zeff didn't bother stopping them.
Long voyages were boring. Letting them burn off energy wasn't a bad thing.
"Karl," Zeff said calmly,
"What you did earlier was excellent. To be honest, with your strength, you could wipe out the Hunter Blade Pirates on your own."
"But this… is exactly the situation I hoped to see."
Karl flicked ash from his cigar, smiling leisurely.
"That's what my ability is meant for, isn't it?"
"Hahaha—exactly," Zeff laughed.
"The Marines are strong because we are one whole. A few powerful individuals aren't enough."
"Only when the entire Marine force grows stronger can we truly deter those reckless bastards."
Just as Karl was about to respond—
Buru buru buru~
Zeff's Den Den Mushi rang.
"This is Zeff. Speak."
"Chief Instructor Zeff—according to Marine Intelligence, the Firelock Pirates, with a total bounty of 30 million Beli, have landed on Spring Island."
"Your internship ship is the nearest Marine vessel—"
"Understood," Zeff said instantly.
"We'll move immediately."
He hung up and strode toward the bustling deck.
Three minutes later—
The internship ship accelerated sharply, cutting through the sea at full speed.
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