Chapter 30: Dismissal of Power?
"So... he really possesses Conqueror's Haki what an unexpected surprise!"
Peach Rabbit Vice Admiral Gion looked visibly disturbed.
She had never heard of Carl possessing Haoshoku Haki.
That sort of information isn't commonly circulated within Marine ranks, after all.
While top officials like Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru were undoubtedly aware, they had never made it public.
Having Conqueror's Haki isn't unheard of among the powerful in the New World many Yonko and high-tier pirates possess it.
It's not exactly rare at the top of the power structure so it isn't something the Navy chooses to advertise widely within its own organization.
Peach Rabbit herself wasn't the type to go digging for gossip or details unless necessary so since she never asked, no one ever told her about Carl's Haki.
And that's why she suffered a humiliating loss today during their first encounter.
Her aura was overwhelming by normal standards most Marines couldn't handle her bloodlust.
But Carl's Haoshoku had outright crushed hers.
There was nothing she could do against such a natural, overpowering force.
"Tch. Fine—you win this time!"
"Here this is my official appointment order. Does that satisfy your regulations now?"
Seeing that she couldn't suppress Carl through sheer force of will, Peach Rabbit ultimately decided to back down handing over her sealed appointment scroll.
Carl gave it a quick but thorough inspection before handing it back and stepping aside respectfully.
"Welcome, Vice Admiral Gion Commander of the Sabaody Marine Branch!"
"Welcome, Vice Admiral Gion!"
As Carl's voice rang out clearly, the other Marines followed his lead their unified salute echoing throughout the naval port.
The waves of cheers and applause continued as Gion stepped past Carl and officially entered the base.
Whether the show of respect was genuine or just a formality, she couldn't tell but at that moment, she allowed herself to enjoy the attention.
It was the first time she had been welcomed so warmly at a base.
No matter their intentions, the warm reception gave her a rare moment of comfort.
"Vice Admiral Gion—do you have any orders for tonight?"
The Marine aide trailing behind her asked promptly.
Gion took her seat at the command desk, crossed one leg over the other, and thought for a moment.
"Forget it for tonight it's too late. Let everyone disband and get some rest.
But by tomorrow morning standard Navy inspection procedures will apply.
No one is to be late. I want full formation!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The aide gave a salute and left to relay her orders across the base.
Moments later
A tall, confident figure walked directly into her office without even knocking.
"Who just walked in without knocking?"
Gion snapped her head toward the door, her tone sharp and commanding.
But when she saw it was Carl who entered, her anger faded into surprise and then into resigned calm.
She didn't press the issue.
"I'm here to report my recent activity," Carl said as he stepped forward, placing a thick stack of documents on her desk.
"These are the mission logs from the past few days here's the list of traffickers I arrested.
This file covers smuggling operations we shut down.
These pages outline structural damage that needs urgent repair also..."
One by one, Carl briefed her on every major action he had taken over the last five days.
Although the time span was short, the workload he had completed was enormous.
Many of these missions had not yet been formally filed—he was effectively handing the credit for them over to her.
By submitting these results directly under her command, Carl was allowing Gion to benefit from the accomplishments as part of her new leadership.
Though such actions might slow down Carl's own rise in formal performance reports—it didn't bother him.
With his strength and reputation growing rapidly, he knew he could head out again tomorrow and easily capture two high-bounty pirates in a single day.
Anyway, he is not a temporary commander now, so naturally he doesn't need to be in the base every day and worry about the ceiling.
After explaining all these things, Taotu let out a light yawn and asked casually.
"You handled all of this in just the past five days? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"Too much? I don't think I've even pushed myself yet. If I hadn't been delayed coordinating the repair efforts on the naval compound, I could have done twice as much.
Those pirates and slave traffickers I could've cleaned out twice their number!"
Hearing Carl speak with such certainty, Taotu felt her temples throb.
Though she was a diligent and capable officer, she certainly wasn't fond of overworking herself like Sakazuki.
Peach Rabbit preferred Vice Admiral Kizaru's way of working casual, efficient, never doing more than was necessary, and always finding time for tea.
So when she saw the detailed files Carl had compiled arrest records, captured slaves freed, base renovations tracked line by line her head genuinely ached.
In her mind, Carl had completely shed the image of the Navy's promising rookie.
Instead, he had become a tireless workaholic with the same obsessive dedication as Admiral Sakazuki.
Carl, unaware of how Peach Rabbit was categorizing him, remained unsatisfied.
He still believed he could've accomplished more.
Given enough time, he was confident he could wipe out even more slave traders.
After all, with the level of strength he now possessed, letting that power go unused would feel like a betrayal of everything he stood for.
In his previous life, he had harbored a deep hatred for human traffickers.
Now, in the world of One Piece, where traffickers had evolved into full-blown slave traders protected by the Celestial Dragons, the essence of their evil remained unchanged.
And so, when Carl confronted such filth, he struck harder and without hesitation even more ruthlessly than when fighting pirates.
"Alright, go get some rest," Taotu finally said, rubbing her temples. "I'll sort through all this on my own."
Carl gave a respectful nod, cast one last thoughtful glance around the room, then turned and walked out.
After he left, Taotu slumped deeper into her chair, staring at the pile of reports stacked like bricks on her desk.
She dragged the nearest one closer, sighed heavily, and muttered to herself.
**"I didn't expect the so-called 'new star of the Navy' to have this side to him.
Once given a little authority, he turns into a task-hungry machine... just like Admiral Sakazuki used to be."
"Thankfully, unlike Sakazuki, Carl isn't that extreme not yet anyway.
Otherwise, managing him would be a full-time nightmare."
Reluctantly, she opened the first folder and began reviewing Carl's recent exploits, bracing herself for an all-nighter.
The lights in her office burned until dawn.
All across the Sabaody base, the other Marines were long asleep.
Only Taotu remained awake, tirelessly scanning through every form, log, and report Carl had submitted.
By the time morning arrived, she had finished reading through the last document.
After a quick wash-up, she made her way to the base's central yard for morning inspection.
She stopped in her tracks when she saw the newly restored compound.
Some areas were still unfinished paint not fully dried, scaffolding still leaning in corners but the work was already impressive.
According to the original intel, the naval compound had been nearly obliterated in Carl's clash with Donquixote Doflamingo.
Yet in just five days, Carl had rebuilt it into something that functioned and looked better than before.
Taotu carefully examined the repairs, taking note of the efficiency, the thoroughness, the leadership.
"Now I finally understand why Fleet Admiral Sengoku holds him in such high regard..."
"That drive, the balance between discipline and justice, the dual nature of a relentless fighter and a meticulous reformer.
He doesn't just chase pirates he despises injustice.
He's strict, but compassionate toward civilians.
He's not just a rising star he's the blueprint for what a Marine should be."
As she inwardly praised him, her eyes drifted to the lined-up Marines in the yard.
Everyone was accounted for.
Formed perfectly on time, uniforms neat, no signs of sluggishness.
But then she frowned.
"Where's Colonel Carl?"
She scanned the lines again—still no sign of him.
"Why is the one person I expected to be here early missing from formation? Where did he run off to?"
One of the aides behind her spoke up in a hesitant tone.
"Colonel Carl... might've gone to grab a drink..."
---