One Piece: Starting as a Marine Lieutenant, I Slack Off and Get Stronger

Faced with Sengoku's question, Karl smiled faintly, took out a Devil Fruit encyclopedia from his pocket, and opened to the page with the Dark-Dark Fruit printed on it.

"Marshal Sengoku, please look. This is the Dark-Dark Fruit. According to intelligence, Blackbeard's ability basically matches the characteristics of the Dark-Dark Fruit."

"The Dark-Dark Fruit is very special. As a Devil Fruit, it can actually seal the power of other Devil Fruits, preventing the user from using their abilities. Fleet Admiral Sengoku, what use do you think this ability is?"

Sengoku remained silent, so Karl continued, "Ever since I met Blackbeard, I've been studying the Dark-Dark Fruit, and I have a bold guess."

"That is the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability to control the 'demon' within the user's body."

Sengoku gasped, staring at Karl in shock: "You mean?"

At this moment, a bold idea also came to mind during the Warring States period.

“That’s right. If the Devil Fruit user dies, can the Dark-Dark Fruit user control the dissipated power and transfer it to someone else’s body? In other words, Teach can reliably obtain the Devil Fruit he wants.”

To avoid arousing suspicion from Sengoku, Karl had already spoken very vaguely.

Sengoku jumped up from his seat: "If what you say is true, then Teach's target is very likely Whitebeard himself. Having been his son for almost 30 years, he knows very well Newgate's power..."

"Hiss~ This kid's trying to reap the benefits without lifting a finger!"

Karl nodded: "That's right. If my guess is correct, he will definitely come on the day Ace is executed, and it will be when Whitebeard is about to die."

Sengoku slammed his fist on the table: "Hmph! He thinks he can make our navy work for him for free? Let's see if he has the ability. If he dares to come, I'll make sure he doesn't leave alive!"

"This guy's mind and abilities are too dangerous; we absolutely cannot let him live in this world!"

Karl nodded in agreement: "That's right, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. We must be prepared for Teach to intervene in Ace's execution, no, to annihilate him along with Whitebeard."

......

Throughout the entire ordeal, Karl never told Sengoku about Teach's planned attack on Impel Down, because he felt it was better to let things happen naturally.

Since Luffy has no chance of entering Impel Down now, it means that the only people who want to break out of the prison are Teach's crew, and Teach only wants the crew from Infinite Hell.

Those guys in Infinite Hell are all ability users, so under normal circumstances there's really no reason to kill them, but if they escape, it's hard to say.

Moreover, now that the Supernovas have been basically wiped out, the Navy needs a grand and righteous act after the Marineford War to declare to the world that the Navy is the true master of the seas.

Those who escaped from prison would be a good target.

Everything is now just waiting for Ace's execution; that day will come soon...

Chapter 271 Ace's Execution Day

As the day of Ace's execution drew closer, the situation on the high seas became strangely calm.

The pirates have vanished, the navy has ceased operations, and the whole world awaits the day of their public execution.

Meanwhile, the Straw Hat crew, who had been swatted away by the bear, were scattered to various islands. They desperately tried to escape, but for various reasons, they could not escape and even had difficulty getting any news from the outside world.

Aside from Luffy, he was sent to Amazon Lily by Kuma. To be precise, he was the first leader of Amazon Lily, since Hancock and the others have long since disappeared.

"Luffy! Calm down! I know you want to save Ace, but this war is not something you can get involved in. You're too weak right now!"

With tears in his eyes, Luffy said, "No, I must go and save Ace. He's my brother, and I can't just stand by and watch him be executed by the Marines!"

"Besides, I don't need to go to Marine Headquarters. Ace is still in Impel Down. I just need to break him out of prison!"

Rayleigh said with a headache, "Luffy, I understand what you mean, but the problem is, do you know where Impel Down is?"

Luffy was stunned: "Uncle, don't you know?"

Rayleigh thought to himself, "How could he possibly know? He's never been captured, how could he possibly know where Impel Down is?"

"I really don't know. I only know that Impel Down is located somewhere in the Calm Belt, but only the Navy probably knows the exact location."

navy?

The face of one person instantly flashed into Luffy's mind: Karl! Apart from his grandfather, Karl was the only Marine he knew who was relatively easy to talk to.

"Uncle, I know Carl. Can you help me get in touch with him?"

Rayleigh was shocked: "You know that guy? Didn't he arrest you?"

Luffy shook his head: "He said he'd turn a blind eye to me because of my grandfather, so he's never arrested us, as long as we can contact him..."

Before he could finish speaking, Rayleigh waved his hand and said, "Impossible. I'm a pirate, and he's a marine. How could I contact him? Besides, this kid isn't as easy to talk to as you make him out to be!"

puff~

Luffy knelt on the ground in despair: "Is there really no way? Am I not even going to see Ace one last time?"

Seeing Luffy like this, Rayleigh felt a pang of sympathy, but he really had no other choice, unless...

Rayleigh looked towards the distant forest. This was Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock's territory. Perhaps, considering that he and Shakky had saved her life years ago, she might be willing to help.

"Luffy, wait a moment, I'll be right back."

......

"I'm sorry, Luffy, but I really can't help you now."

This is unbelievable! There's not a single person left on Daughter Island. What's going on? Did Daughter Island move away?

Wait a minute, it seems that's actually possible. He vaguely remembered Xia Qi telling him a few years ago that the people of Daughter Island hadn't been out and about for a long time, and even when they were out, they were just shopping everywhere.

After taking a few deep breaths, Luffy said seriously, "There will definitely be a way, Uncle!"

......

Impel the city.

"Sigh~ There's really no way around it. If you hadn't come to me in person, Carl, I would never have agreed to this plan."

"But since the Warring States Marshal has agreed, I have nothing more to say."

Karl smiled slightly: "So, you agree?"

Magellan sighed and nodded: "There's nothing I can do if they don't agree! I'll take good care of the Blackbeard Pirates, but if they go too far, I won't stand idly by."

"Don't worry, his only target is Level 6 criminals."

Magellan said sullenly, "They were all captured with great difficulty by your navy, and you just let them escape like that?"

Karl chuckled and patted Magellan's arm: "Isn't that what we have? Just make life cards for everyone in advance, and no matter where they run, I'll kill them all one by one!"

"Okay, then I'll listen to you."

Magellan's mission was actually quite simple, which can be summarized in four words: turn the tables on them.

Magellan and the others just need to play along with whatever Blackbeard does, as long as Blackbeard dares to lead his men into Marine Headquarters.

And that day is fast approaching, as Ace's public execution is only three days away.

......

Three days later, in the Navy Headquarters dungeon.

The jailer removed the chains from Ace's feet and said calmly, "Stand up! Prepare to depart..."

squeak~

The heavy wooden door opened, and with the crisp clanging of chains, Ace slowly walked up the steps leading to the execution platform.

Meanwhile, in the South China Sea.

"There are only three hours left. Will Whitebeard really storm Marine Headquarters?"

"Who knows! Even if it's Whitebeard, he's already quite old. What's the difference between barging into Marine Headquarters and committing suicide? The Navy has two naval heroes!"

At this moment, an old lady reading a newspaper said calmly, "What are you talking about! It is precisely because they are an opponent that cannot be ignored that the navy has drawn elite forces from all over the world and used all its naval elites to be on high alert."

"Therefore, I believe that Whitebeard will definitely appear."

"What would happen if Whitebeard appeared?"

"I don't know that."

East China Sea.

"Whitebeard, he's got the old-school pirate vibe! In any case, the Navy definitely won't lose."

"Yes! No matter what kind of pirate they are, they can't possibly defeat the Navy."

North Sea, the Kingdom of Lubniz.

"Come on! It's about to start! Vice Admiral Karl is from our Rubnir Kingdom, he'll definitely defeat the Whitebeard Pirates! He's a Marine hero!"

The West Sea, an island in winter.

"Phew~ It's so cold! Why hasn't it started yet? Boss, bring me some more wine to warm me up!"

"Get lost! Who wants to do business on a day like this? If the Navy and the pirates start fighting, who knows what kind of chaos will ensue! Go back, all of you! If the world still exists tomorrow, I'll definitely open for business! Now, I need to watch the live stream!"

Sabaody Archipelago, a hub for journalists.

Because this place is closest to the Navy Headquarters, the live broadcast footage is also the latest. In order to deliver first-hand information to the world, they are all on high alert, as if they were the ones going to the battlefield.

At this point, there were less than three hours left before Ace's execution.

Chapter 272 is about to begin

Naval Headquarters, Marinevandor.