Chapter 124: Imposters and Farewells in the North Blue

Karl stared at the person in front of him, a look of surprise on his face as he rubbed his chin.

Something just felt off. The words got stuck in his throat. He couldn’t quite say what was wrong.

“I’m Karl!”

The person in front of him spoke, yet Karl couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

“So your name’s Karl!”

Karl almost nodded out of instinct, but then paused. There was definitely something weird going on.

“Wait, hold up. If you’re Karl, then who am I?”

A question mark practically popped up over Karl’s head.

When I get confused like this, it usually means you’re the weird one, not me.

“Smith?”

“Good one, Smith! Care to find out if I’ll beat you up or not?”

Sensing something was wrong, he immediately glanced over to where Smith had just fallen.

Sure enough, Smith wasn’t lying there anymore. Then he remembered that Smith had eaten the Morph-Morph Fruit. A mischievous grin spread across his face.

“Spare me, Captain…”

Of course it was Smith. Once he realized Karl had figured him out, he started running around the stool on the high platform.

Luckily, there were over a dozen stools up there. The two of them chased each other, turning the place into a lively scene.

After a round of commotion, Karl and Karl both plopped down in place.

“So how does it feel, turning into me?”

Once they stopped, Karl finally got to the heart of the matter.

The Morph-Morph Fruit shouldn’t work quite like Mr. 2 Bon Clay’s Copy-Copy Fruit.

It can probably mimic appearances, but maybe not the essence.

If that’s the case, then this power isn’t all that impressive.

“Lord Karl, you’re seriously strong.”

“Right now, I can only copy a small part of your strength.”

“But even with just that small bit, it feels like I could stomp all over myself.”

The Karl in front of him kept running his hands over his muscles and chest.

He looked absolutely entranced.

“Alright, enough!”

“Don’t make it weird! Change back already!”

Watching someone who looked exactly like him touch their own skin sent shivers down his spine. He definitely wasn’t into that kind of thing.

His scalp tingled. He was no pervert.

“Hahaha… uh…”

“Okay, okay, I’ll change back now.”

Smith was clearly thrilled by the rush of power in his body.

Then he caught sight of Karl’s increasingly icy stare and was instantly frozen in place.

The next moment, Smith shifted back to his original form.

“You two could really make a powerful team.”

Karl had suspected that Smith could inherit part of whoever he transformed into.

But if that’s the case… then what about…

“How would a team-up work?”

Jennifer had started to recover her strength too. She got up and sat down beside the two of them.

“What I mean is—the characters you summon, let Smith touch them.”

Karl paused, thinking it over.

He wasn’t sure if Smith could mimic those legendary figures, but it was worth a try.

“That way, Smith could turn into those people too.”

Karl rubbed his chin, weighing how feasible it was.

“Wait, you mean that kid from earlier?”

Smith spoke up before Karl could finish.

That kid from before clearly looked about three years old.

What kind of power would a toddler have?

“If they’re all like that, I think I’ll pass.”

Smith waved his hands frantically. He definitely didn’t want to turn into a little kid.

His whole face and even his body language screamed resistance.

“The phrase ‘It’s always those who complain first who end up liking it the most’ really applies to you.”

Karl gave a wry smile and shook his head. Smith really didn’t know how lucky he was. He was in for a surprise.

“Those summoned people are actually incredibly strong.”

“Didn’t you see? Even Jennifer could only hold out for fifteen seconds.”

“You’ll get it eventually.”

Karl stepped up and gently patted Smith on the shoulder.

“Maybe you’re right.”

Smith thought it over. It was true—even Jennifer could only keep a summoned person out for fifteen seconds.

At least he could hold Captain Karl’s form for a few dozen minutes.

So does that mean Captain Karl’s strength is worlds apart from that little kid’s?

“What are you staring at?”

Karl caught Smith sneaking peeks at him and started to feel a bit creeped out.

“It’s nothing, really.”

Smith waved his hands quickly. No way he was saying what was on his mind.

“Alright, you two get back and honed those Devil Fruit powers.”

With that, Karl turned and left.

Handing out those Devil Fruits—he just hoped the two of them could master them as fast as possible.

Best case, they’d awaken their powers. That way, three years from now, they might decide the outcome at God Valley.

North Blue!

“Hey, Borsalino! Look at this!”

Borsalino and his playmate Sayetti stood beneath a tree, staring up at a hornet’s nest overhead.

“Whoosh!”

“Thud!”

While Borsalino was gazing up, Sayetti grabbed a pebble and hurled it at the nest.

“That’s scary!”

Even as a little kid, Borsalino’s catchphrase was already well-practiced.

His small face twisted into an exaggerated look of terror. He yanked Sayetti’s arm and the two bolted for their lives.

They sprinted to a nearby stream and dove straight in.

The hornets hovered over the water for a full five minutes before flying back to their nest.

“Pfft!”

“Hahaha!”

As soon as the hornets left, Sayetti popped up from underwater.

“That’s scary!”

Borsalino followed right behind. Both of them were gasping for air as they crawled up onto the shore, sprawling out in exhaustion.

“Sayetti! Time to come home and eat!”

A woman’s shout echoed from a distance—Sayetti’s mother calling him home.

The sky was starting to grow dark.

“Borsalino, I’m heading back for now.”

Sayetti looked reluctant to part with Borsalino.

He knew Borsalino had lost both parents at a young age and lived alone.

So whenever he got the chance, Sayetti always made sure to come over and play with him.

“Yeah, go on home.”

Borsalino was already used to this kind of life.

Standing by the stream, he watched enviously as Sayetti ran into his mother’s arms.

Who wouldn’t want a mother’s hug?

“Is this the place?”

“Pretty sure it is.”

Hearing voices from the shore, Borsalino quickly lay flat in the grass to get a better look.

Two men in black suits were walking from the bank in the direction of his house.

“Let’s hurry up and find him. Once we do, we can report back.”

“You’ve got a point.”

Borsalino pressed close to the bank, not daring to move as he watched the two men walk into the distance.

“They’re not after me…are they?”

Once the men were gone, Borsalino took the shortcut and ran straight home.

“Splash, splash!”

He packed up in a hurry.

He put his clothes and the makeup box his mother had left him into his suitcase.

After thinking it over, he was pretty sure he hadn’t forgotten anything important.

With a nod, he grabbed his suitcase and headed for the door.

“Creak!”

“You’re Borsalino, right?”

The door swung open from the outside. Standing there were the two men in suits he’d seen at the riverbank.

Borsalino eyed the men, seeing they held a photo. When they turned it, he realized it was his own face.

“That’s me. What do you want?”

Borsalino answered calmly, but his posture turned wary.

He didn’t know what these two wanted, but judging by their looks, it couldn’t be anything good.

Borsalino might only be fourteen now, but tough times at home forced him to grow up fast.

His mind raced through possible escape routes.