One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

"You little brat! I told you to keep an eye on him—not to kill him, you idiot!

"Do you even realize the magnitude of your mistake? You've seriously violated military regulations. If it were anyone else, I would have arrested you on the spot!

"Cough, cough! You… You're going to be the death of me, you fool!"

Steel-boned Kong's voice was hoarse with frustration as he berated Karl. Already aged and having just finished a grueling operation, Kong was visibly short of breath, his words punctuated by constant coughing.

But his irritation was primarily fueled by Karl's reckless behavior.

At this moment, Kong finally understood why Sengoku had gone prematurely gray—purely from dealing with this brat!

Karl had always been Sengoku's responsibility. While Kong admired Karl's potential and his decisive, no-nonsense style, he rarely interacted with him directly.

Initially, Kong had intended to heap praise on Karl, calling him a talented and promising young officer. But under the current circumstances, Kong deeply regretted that idea.

To the World Government, a living criminal was far more valuable than a dead one. This was precisely why they emphasized capturing criminals over killing them outright.

"Admiral Kong, I firmly believe that leaving dangerous criminals alive poses too much risk. Executing them immediately is the only way to ensure safety!

"So I made the decision to personally execute him. Furthermore, sparing unarmed pirates is akin to condoning their crimes!

"It's one thing to show leniency to petty offenders, but when it comes to a monstrous pirate like Patrick, not eliminating him on the spot would only invite greater disaster!"

Karl's righteous declaration left Kong momentarily speechless.

"You little brat! Are you trying to drive me insane?!"

Kong pointed a trembling finger at Karl, but after a moment of helpless gesturing, he gave up. He knew all too well how sharp Karl's tongue was—if Sengoku couldn't out-argue him, what chance did Kong have?

In the end, Kong ordered Patrick's corpse to be dealt with, fixing Karl with a cold glare.

"From today onward, you're to patrol the Four Seas alone. Don't come back to headquarters until you've captured a hundred pirates alive!

"And I mean alive. You're not to kill a single one of them—they all go to Impel Down!"

"I'll show you who's in charge! Hmph!"

With that, Kong stormed off, boarding the Navy warship.

The other Marines cast sympathetic glances at Karl.

A younger version of Dalmatian patted Karl's shoulder with a grin, giving him a thumbs-up before limping back to the ship. His injuries from the fight with Patrick hadn't fully healed, even after several days.

Most of the others were in a similar state—battered, bruised, but looking at Karl with admiration for avenging their fallen comrades.

"Understood! Mission accepted!" Karl called out confidently, watching Kong's retreating figure.

Kong stumbled slightly at Karl's words but didn't turn back. Instead, he grabbed a nearby rope and hurled the small boat tied to the warship onto the shore, leaving a massive crater in the sand.

Moments later, the warships departed, leaving Karl alone on the island.

"Looks like my promotion's off the table again. What a shame..."

[TL/N: I think, I incorrectly translated Karl's rank from the previous chapters as Rear Admiral when he is currently a Commodore. I tried to find which chapters to correct them, but I only found a few. So, if you are confused about Karl's rank at this moment, he is still a Commodore, who was given a few chances to promote to Rear Admiral yet always messed it up.]

Despite his words, Karl's expression remained as cheerful as ever. With a lighthearted shrug, he approached his battered boat and began repairing it. This small craft was all he owned, and he wasn't about to abandon it.

Brrr-brrr-brrr!Brrr-brrr-brrr!

As Karl worked, his Den Den Mushi rang. Answering it, he heard Sengoku's excited voice.

"Hahahaha! Karl, how'd the mission go?

"I just got the report—it was a total success, wasn't it?

"Going on this mission with Fleet Admiral Kong must've earned you major credit! When you return, forget Rear Admiral—there's even a chance you'll be promoted straight to Vice Admiral! You're on the fast track, kid!"

Sengoku's joy was genuine, like a proud father thrilled by his protégé's success.

But Karl sighed and calmly recounted Kong's reprimand and his decision to execute Patrick.

He spared no details, knowing Sengoku would find out sooner or later anyway.

"You little brat, you really did that?!"

"Admiral Sengoku, don't scold me just yet. I—"

Before Karl could finish, Sengoku hung up abruptly.

With a resigned sigh, Karl muttered, "Looks like the old man won't want to hear from me anytime soon. Guess I really am on my own now."

Shrugging again, Karl resumed fixing his boat.

Meanwhile, in his office, Sengoku's face was ashen. Setting down one Den Den Mushi, he quietly picked up another, muttering into it before ending the call.

"Why can't any of them just behave for once?!

"Karl's antics are bad enough, but now there's trouble with Smoker, too. This is exhausting..."

Sengoku wasn't actually furious with Karl. The earlier call had been cut short because of an incoming message of greater urgency. He'd merely hung up to prevent Karl from overhearing.

Slumping back in his chair, Sengoku stared at the growing streaks of white in his hair, wondering if it was time to dye it.

Before he could dwell further, another Den Den Mushi began to ring. Seeing it was his private line with Kong, Sengoku felt a headache coming on.

Unaware of Sengoku's mounting stress, Karl finished patching up his boat.

Though he could travel under his own power, having a proper place to rest was always more comfortable.

"West Blue…"

"I wonder how Capone Bege is doing these days. Might as well pay him a visit."

Among the Four Seas, West and East Blue were the most stable.

East Blue required no explanation, but West Blue's peace was largely Karl's doing.

Under Capone Bege's leadership, the mafia in West Blue had been almost completely eradicated. Those who remained were scattered, living in fear and hiding from the "Red Church" and its "Priest," Bege.

Even pirates avoided West Blue, wary of being captured and indoctrinated into Bege's "peaceful order."

Only a few like Patrick dared challenge the status quo.

Even the Marines preferred to steer clear of the Red Church, unwilling to risk Bege's unique and overwhelming influence.

In West Blue, Capone Bege's authority surpassed even that of the Navy.

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