Chapter 73: Ruler of Skypiea: The Rise of Karl

As soon as Gan Fall heard the commotion outside he hurried down from the loft. But the moment he stepped out, he found three Skypieans lying unconscious on the ground, surrounded by strangers he’d never seen before.

“Are you from the Blue Sea?”

“What did you do to them?”

Gan Fall’s questions drew everyone’s attention.

Over the years, Blue Sea people shipwrecked near Jaya would sometimes be swept up to Skypiea, so he wasn’t all that surprised. But those newcomers were always weak, so Gan Fall never gave them the precious Hot Air Octopus. Instead they were forced to do heavy labor—calling them slaves wouldn’t be far off.

Even now, a handful of Blue Sea people still lived on Skypiea.

“So, you’re Gan Fall.”

At this point, Gan Fall was still young, not yet the white-haired elder from the original story.

When Gan Fall saw the young man in front of him ignore his question, he felt slighted and instantly yelled out in anger.

“You still haven’t answered me! What did you do to them?”

“It’s a little weird having you talk to me like that.”

“Smack!”

“They’re fine. Just passed out.”

“Right now, I’d rather discuss some other matters with you.”

In a flash, Karl appeared in front of Gan Fall, grabbing his throat with one hand and lifting him off the ground. Gan Fall’s eyes bulged, veins popping across his face as he struggled desperately, both hands clawing at Karl’s grip.

In the Pirate World, those in power aren’t exactly saints. If you’re strong, people will show you their best side. But if you’re weak, you’ll experience every cruelty of humanity.

After all, even Skypiea’s land was seized by Gan Fall and his people.

“Urk! Urk!”

Just as he looked about to pass out, Karl flung him to the ground.

“Thud!”

“Gasp… gasp… gasp!”

“Now, shall we talk properly?”

Karl released his grip. Gan Fall, pale-faced and gasping for air, sat slumped on the ground—completely stripped of his earlier authority.

Gan Fall’s face tightened. He cast a glance at his three fallen compatriots.

Then he looked over at Karl’s group.

“Come with me.”

After having death stare him in the face, Gan Fall now knew he was at Karl’s mercy.

Throughout all this, Thompson and the others didn’t think anything was wrong. That’s just how this world works—the strong eat the weak, especially among powerhouses.

They followed Gan Fall into a large hall.

Inside, everyone found a seat and settled down.

“I’m here for two things.”

“First, I need you to unite all of Skypiea and acknowledge me as your ruler.”

“Second, once Skypiea is unified, you’ll help me gather every fruit on this island with mysterious markings.”

“Oh, and from now on, just call me Karl.”

Karl finished speaking and watched Gan Fall, who was still pale.

After experiencing Karl’s power, Gan Fall knew nobody in Skypiea could defeat him.

So naturally, he had no bargaining chips left.

“You have my word, Lord Karl. From now on, Skypiea is yours to command.”

To be honest, Gan Fall wasn’t that attached to his position. Being ‘God’ was really just like being a king but with little real power.

“Smart move. Knowing when to yield makes you a wise man.”

“I won’t make things hard for you.”

“You’ll become my representative on Skypiea.”

“I have high hopes for you. Don’t let me down.”

Karl tossed him a bottle of Great Revitalizing Pill, then set a Transponder Snail and a number on the bench.

……

With everything settled, Gan Fall respectfully saw them out the door.

“By the way, let me show you what I’m capable of. Consider it before you let me down—think about the consequences.”

Karl’s voice drifted from up ahead, followed by a deafening boom that reverberated across the sky.

Gan Fall’s eyes went wide, as though he’d witnessed something downright terrifying.

Up above, the thick layer of clouds overhead was blown open by some unknown force from Karl, leaving a huge gap. The surrounding clouds quickly scattered, and the blue sky showed through.

“This is the most terrifying power I’ve ever seen.”

“Is he even human?”

Gan Fall watched as Karl slowly lowered his right hand, looking utterly shaken.

He watched Karl’s group walk away, still stunned.

On the way back, Karl told everyone to split up. They could go wherever they pleased—Skypiea didn’t hold any threats to them, so there was nothing to worry about.

Afterward, he found a guide and asked for Bika’s location, then headed in that direction.

After about ten minutes on the road, he arrived at Bika, a much smaller island than Skypiea.

In the original, Enel found the Rumble-Rumble Fruit here on Bika. Karl figured he’d try his luck and see if he could snag it.

“If I remember right, it should be beneath a vine, hidden in a box.”

Karl carefully recalled the scene of Enel finding the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

He didn’t bother with the villages, instead heading straight into the wild jungle.

After searching for over three hours, he finally spotted a small wooden box under a vine-covered tree.

“Ha! I knew luck was on my side today!”

“Rumble-Rumble Fruit, here I come!”

There were only three Devil Fruits Karl truly craved in the Pirate World. One was Lady Oden’s—Paramecia, the Time-Time Fruit. Another was the mysterious Space Fruit, whose existence wasn’t even confirmed. And the third, of course, was the strongest Logia of all—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

He had his reasons for picking these three. First, there’s the Time-Time Fruit. While Oda set that fruit to only travel forward in time, not backward…

If he ever traveled to the Pirate World, maybe he wouldn’t care much for the Time-Time Fruit. But thanks to the Guoman System, anything might be possible.

With help from the System, maybe he could even break that limit and go back to the past.

As for the Space Fruit—time reigns, but space is king. He had a million ideas for how to misuse such an ability.

The Space Fruit is perfect for escaping, storing stuff, even getting rid of bodies—it’s practically the ultimate Devil Fruit.

If he got the Rumble-Rumble Fruit instead, he’d focus on pushing its power to the limit—maybe even develop a technique like a Heavenly Tribulation.

In classic cultivation or xianxia novels, Heavenly Tribulation is always a symbol of overwhelming force.

“Clunk!”

Karl popped open the wooden box and was greeted by a plump, deep-purple Devil Fruit with strange vein-like markings.

This had to be the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!

“Ding!”

“Congratulations, Host, for altering a side plot in the Pirate World!”

“Reward: System Points and a bottle of Bloodline Pills!”

Hearing the System’s notification, he just grinned—no doubt, he’d succeeded!

“Bloodline Pill: Unlocks rare power within your bloodline!”

Karl glanced at the System’s simple description and couldn’t help but sigh. The System was getting lazier all the time!

“Yup, that’s just typical for this System!”

“Does that even count as an explanation?”

“Whatever. I’ll stash it for now.”

“Today’s haul is seriously amazing!”

Karl looked contentedly ahead with a satisfied grin.

“System, open the panel!”

“Host: Lux D. Karl

Templates Fused: Elder Heavenly Master from The Outcast.

Legend of Qin’s Sword Saint Gai Nie (not fused), Fox Spirit Matchmaker’s Wang Quan Fugui (not fused).

Skills: Armament Haki Unleashed, Advanced Observation Haki, Intermediate Conqueror’s Haki, Navy Six Powers—Shave, Tempest Kick, Golden Light Spell, Palm Thunder, Yang Five Thunders, Tai Chi Fist…

Talent: Titan Strength!

Wealth: 3.7 billion Berries!

Items: Shaolin Great Rejuvenation Pill x4 (10 per bottle), Rejuvenation Pill x4 (prizes from the last eight months: 4 bottles of Youthful Great Rejuvenation Pill and 4 Rejuvenation Pills!), Bloodline Pill x1 (10 per bottle)!

Weapons: Halberd (Lu Bu’s Halberd), Dragon Spring Blade, Great Blade—Ancient Moon Blade, Great Blade—Silver Alloy Blade!

Devil Fruits: 12!

Evaluation: Top-level powerhouse on the seas. Overall strength: Admiral-level.”

Karl looked at his ever-expanding System panel and stood up, genuinely satisfied.

After spending over three exhausting hours searching for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, those efforts felt trivial compared to what he’d gained.

Whistling, he set off in the direction of the Shrine of the God.

The feud between the Shandians and Skypieans still needed his intervention.

Night fell.

Below the Shrine of the God, bright lights illuminated the area. Two separate groups lined each side, glaring at each other—the Shandians on one side, the Skypieans on the other.

“Step… step…”

A faint but resolute footstep echoed out of the jungle.

“Looks like everyone’s here.”

“Tonight, I’m here to put an end to your conflict.”

“Honestly, fighting over a piece of land all these years is just pointless.”

“That stops now—because I’ll be ruling Skypiea.”

“From this moment, everyone here follows my orders.”

Karl strode confidently to the seat prepared for him and nodded at Gan Fall before sitting down.

“Hey, who are you supposed to be?”

“Yeah, why should we listen to you?”

“You sure are arrogant.”

No sooner had he taken his seat than both groups began voicing their objections.

“Buzz!”

“Ugh…”

“What is this…?”

“Hey, what’s happening…?”

Karl’s eyes flashed as a visible crimson ripple exploded outward from him, covering everyone present.

Seeing everyone at the gathering drop to their knees under the pressure of his Conqueror’s Haki, he flashed a playful smile.

“Arrogance is only for those with real power.”

“And unfortunately for you—mine is greater.”

“Survival of the fittest. The strong prey on the weak.”

“So—do you submit?”

No sooner had he finished than everyone started shouting all at once.

“We submit! We give up…”

“Yes, we obey. Please, withdraw your power, my lord.”

“We’ll follow your orders—please shield us from your strength!”

“Good. That’s more like it.”

As soon as Karl heard their surrender, he finally withdrew his Conqueror’s Haki.

“Now, I hope you can all get along from here on out.”

“I’ll be forming a new team—everyone in that unit will learn my techniques.”

“Your sole duty is to train and to fight.”

“As for land, there’s no need to fight. There’s plenty below—I’ll bring more up when I can.”

“If you have any questions, just ask Gan Fall.”

“He’s your new chief from now on.”

“Greetings, Lord God! Greetings, Chief Gan Fall!”

The two groups exchanged looks, then everyone dropped to their knees and shouted their allegiance.

And just like that, Skypiea’s Martial Corps was born.

……