At this moment, Fujitora had already realized his Devil Fruit abilities were nullified. Startled, he exclaimed,
"This... I see now! The Red-Haired's Devil Fruit is also your doing!"
Carl glanced at him indifferently and said,
"He's my brother. Giving him a fruit is no big deal."
This revelation hit Fujitora like a thunderbolt. He felt his scalp tingle but also began piecing together the larger picture.
No wonder the Red-Haired Pirate showed such hostility upon hearing about the Revolutionary Army. After all, Carl had publicly revealed himself as a Celestial Dragon. If Shanks was Carl's brother, wouldn't that make Shanks a Celestial Dragon as well?
The Revolutionary Army's attempt to recruit Shanks now seemed laughable. Trying to enlist a Celestial Dragon to rebel against their own kind? It was the height of absurdity.
Still, you couldn't blame Dragon and his crew. Who could've imagined that one of the Four Emperors would share blood ties with a Fleet Admiral?
Fujitora collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. Although Carl had stopped his bleeding, the prior loss had left him weak.
Carl looked down at him and said coldly,
"Now you can die with clarity."
Fujitora let out a bitter laugh, despair flooding his heart as he muttered,
"Does this world even have a future anymore?"
Hearing this, Carl knew Fujitora had been indoctrinated by Dragon. Their stances were irreconcilable. Carl saw no point in wasting further words.
The cursed blade Muramasa appeared in Carl's right hand. With one swift motion, he stabbed it into Fujitora's heart.
Fujitora's body trembled, life quickly fading away. In his final moments, he heard Carl's chilling words:
"The world has never been black and white."
As Carl's words fell, Fujitora closed his eyes forever.
Snapping his fingers, Carl made Fujitora's corpse float into the air. Flames erupted from behind Carl, engulfing the body until only ashes remained, which scattered into the sea breeze.
Shanks, witnessing this, couldn't help but feel curious. It was the first time he'd seen Carl deal with an enemy so "gently."
Carl's unusual behavior stemmed from his regard for Fujitora as a genuinely good man who deserved a dignified death.
Afterwards, Carl extended his palm. A deep purple gravitational ring emerged, prompting Shanks to lean in with wide-eyed amazement.
"How did you manage to eat multiple Devil Fruits?"
Carl clenched his fist, dissipating the gravitational ring into sparks of light. He cast a glance at Shanks and replied,
"All thanks to your dear uncle…"
Shanks froze. His uncle? That meant Carl's father, right? But Carl's tone was laden with resentment.
Why did his brother harbor such hatred toward their father?
Shanks grew increasingly eager to learn more about the Figarland family. Carl, sensing his thoughts, smiled and said,
"Alright. Last time I left too quickly. This time, I plan to stay a day. How about we brothers have a proper drink tonight?"
Hearing this, Shanks was overjoyed, but Benn Beckman interjected,
"Shanks, what about Yasopp…?"
Shanks winced, a headache setting in. Carl, noticing Shanks' conflicted expression, smirked.
"Is it really that hard? Should I leave then?"
Alarmed, Shanks instinctively grabbed Carl's sleeve as if afraid he'd bolt.
"No! Stay tonight, please!"
Seeing Shanks like this, Carl chuckled and relented,
"Alright, I won't leave. Where's Yasopp now?"
"He's still resting in his cabin, recovering from his injuries. Wait—Brother, you're not planning to…?"
Shanks' face tensed in alarm. Knowing his brother's methods, the question of Yasopp's location immediately made Shanks think Carl intended to silence him permanently.
But Carl merely patted Shanks' shoulder and said softly,
"Relax. I won't make things difficult for you."
With that, Carl's ears twitched slightly before he turned and headed for the ship's cabin. Shanks' crewmates instinctively moved to stop him, but Shanks shouted sharply to stand down.
They could only watch helplessly as Carl entered the cabin.
Guided by his acute senses, Carl quickly located Yasopp's room.
Inside, Yasopp lay wrapped in bandages, looking like a mummy. His body was riddled with fractures—recovery was going to be a long process. Even if he healed, he'd never move as freely as before.
When Carl entered, Yasopp wasn't surprised. As the sniper of the Red-Haired Pirates, his Observation Haki was naturally strong.
Yasopp glared at Carl, eyes filled with hatred, and growled,
"What? Come to take my life? Go ahead and do it! Otherwise, I swear I'll kill you one day!"
Carl sneered.
"Stop barking. If not for Shanks, your head would've been rolling long ago."
Carl's lips curled into a mocking smile as he added,
"Like your son, Usopp. Back at Sabaody, I shot his head clean off with a slingshot. You should be proud—he even helped take down Roger's son, Ace."
These words cut into Yasopp like knives. Already weak, the provocation caused him to cough up blood.
Mad with rage, Yasopp struggled to rise and lunged at Carl, screaming,
"You monster! I'll kill you!!!"
Smack!
Carl grabbed Yasopp by the throat, lifting him effortlessly. Yasopp gasped for air, his bloodshot eyes glaring daggers at Carl.
But his fury was impotent, a display of helpless rage.
"You're nothing but a deadbeat who abandoned his wife and child," Carl said coldly.
"Ask yourself—how many days did you actually care for your son? Did you ever fulfill your duties as a father? Don't play the hero now, it's disgusting."
With that, Carl casually flung Yasopp back onto the bed like trash.
-----------
+255 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg