Chapter 6: Test of Strength on the Pirate Island

Just yesterday, he’d finally mastered the Eight Extremities Fist. Now, every move Karl made displayed his strength perfectly.

Even though Karl put his all into every punch, his opponent was none other than Edward Newgate—a young Edward Newgate at that, whose power was simply on another level. Karl was still at a disadvantage. If Newgate hadn’t held back, Karl would’ve been finished already.

In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged dozens of blows. Even so, Newgate was a little stunned—he hadn’t used his Tremor-Tremor Fruit yet, but his raw strength was not something any regular human could handle.

Newgate looked genuinely shocked. He couldn’t believe an eighteen-year-old human possessed such strength.

Karl was definitely a prodigy—maybe even of an unusually rare lineage. The thought made Newgate consider recruiting him.

Still, while Newgate’s thoughts wandered, his hands showed no mercy. He unleashed a barrage of heavy punches, each swing packing the destructive force to sweep everything aside. Karl’s eyes widened in shock. Before he could react, his body was sent flying, crashing through three large trees before coming to a stop.

Karl staggered to his feet, his face twitching. He couldn’t hold back a mouthful of fresh blood. The pain surging through his body was unlike anything he’d ever felt.

But with his body pressed against the ground, he suddenly felt a warm current rising up from deep below, spreading throughout his limbs and slowly healing his wounds.

Newgate saw Karl coughing up blood and quickly strode over to him.

“You okay?”

Newgate asked, real worry on his face. After all, Karl might have decent skills, but that last punch was at full force. He was scared he might’ve gone too far.

Looking down at Karl’s chest, he noticed a massive fist-shaped bruise. To Newgate’s amazement, the mark vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Haha, Newgate, guess I forgot to mention—my recovery’s not exactly normal. Let’s go again!”

Karl, showing no intention to rest, sprang up and pounced, locking into another intense scrap with Newgate.

“Gurararara!”

“That’s the strength of youth for you.”

Meanwhile, White Tiger looked on, bored out of its mind. With a big yawn it flopped over and dozed off.

And so, their battle raged on from daylight until darkness set in.

During those fierce exchanges, Karl picked up quite a few new attack moves. He also got even more comfortable with the Six Powers—Shave. Even though the system had helped him learn the Six Powers instantly, actually using them still felt a bit clunky.

Newgate, meanwhile, was amazed by how rapidly Karl was growing. From flailing at the start to moving with ease by the end, Karl could almost keep up with him on equal footing. Say what you will about Newgate giving him practice, Karl’s talent was undeniable.

Newgate couldn’t help but sigh. In such a short time, Karl had changed so much, completely exceeding all his expectations.

“Shockwave!”

Newgate twisted his waist and swung with all his might. The very air around them shattered like glass, sending out a terrifying shockwave.

“The Tremor-Tremor Fruit!”

“Not good! I can’t block this!”

Even with Titan Strength, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was what earned Newgate the title of strongest Paramecia user. In the hands of someone ordinary, it wouldn’t be the same, but Newgate’s power was unmatched.

Karl couldn’t block the hit. He was sent crashing into the ground, carving a man-shaped crater into the earth.

“That’s enough for today. You’ve proven your strength.”

Newgate was already admiring Karl. In his eyes, anyone this young with that kind of skill was incredibly rare.

Afterward, the usual routine resumed. White Tiger had it rougher than most—after a full meal, heavy snoring echoed from the wooden cabin.

The night passed without incident.

At dawn, sunlight streamed through the thick forest and into Karl’s room.

He climbed out of bed, stretching and breathing in the fresh, morning air. A look of pure satisfaction crossed his face.

Just as he stepped outside, Newgate strolled over.

“Karl, try this—Shock Fist!”

Newgate clenched his right fist and hammered forward with a powerful punch.

“Crack!”

A deafening boom split the air. The space ahead exploded apart like shards of broken glass.

“Perfect timing!”

Karl wasn’t backing down. He swung his fist and charged straight at Newgate.

Though their blows didn’t meet directly, the air trembled with a massive crack and the ground beneath their feet split into a spiderweb of fissures. A huge shockwave rushed out.

Towering trees a hundred meters tall were torn from the ground by the force, flung away like leaves in a storm.

The clash between Karl and Newgate unleashed a raging storm of wind and power.

Their face-off felt like lightning dancing across the sky, raw power and sparks flying in all directions.

Every collision of fist and foot sent tremors rippling as if the entire island might tremble apart.

When they finally paused, Karl wiped the sweat from his brow and caught his breath. “That was a good fight. My whole body feels refreshed.”

“You’re not half bad yourself! Back to full strength after just one night.”

Edward Newgate was a bit envious of Karl’s constitution. Who would’ve thought he’d recover so quickly?

Little did he know, Karl had actually gotten his strength back within an hour, not overnight.

Right as their spar ended, the sea began to churn with waves.

Both Karl and Newgate looked out toward the horizon. A large ship was moving swiftly across the open water.

Newgate squinted to get a better look. Turns out, his crew had come searching for him.

Because Newgate’s crew all carried Edward Newgate’s Vivre Card, they’d noticed their captain was missing right after last night’s storm and set out straight away, following the card’s direction.

“Look—it’s Captain Newgate!”

A pirate on the ship raised his telescope and shouted to the others as soon as he spotted him.

“Bring us in!”

The crew couldn’t hide their excitement. Newgate was always good to them, after all.

“Alright, boys! Let’s have a party! Gurararara!”

As the pirate ship docked, Newgate shouted joyfully from the shore.

“Roar!”

The pirates on the ship answered with cheers.

“Let’s get this feast started!” Newgate announced with even more spirit.

The pirate crew came ashore, some rushing to greet Newgate.

Others hauled out tables, benches, crates of wine, and platters of food, piling them high on the beach.

Barrels of fine drink were soon lined up on the sand.

“To meeting safely on this island—and to Karl, soon joining our ranks—cheers!”

Newgate and Karl raised their cups to each other, drinking heartily and without restraint.

“Cheers!”

The pirates all drank deeply, following their lead.

Sea breeze swept over them, carrying the scents of wine and laughter.

The rising sun bathed Newgate and his companions in gold, their fighting spirit burning as bright as the daylight.

The crew gathered together—some former slaves, some outcasts, some adventurers chasing strength and fortune.

They chased freedom across the seas, daring to defy the world’s chains and risking life and death for it.

Laughter rang out and good drink flowed. Happiness filled the air—if only for that moment, friendship and joy were all that mattered.

Karl watched it all unfold, a smile spreading on his lips.

He gazed at Newgate and his crew, hope for the future blooming in his heart.

Sunlight shone across Karl’s face, illuminating the resolve in his eyes. Since he’d come to the One Piece World, he’d decided to savor life to the fullest. And to reach that goal, he’d need to rewrite the world’s timeline—only then could he truly live unbound.