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

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, I overheard Captain Karl, Vice Admiral Kuzan, and Vice Admiral Saul speaking ill of you. Shall I go and stop them?"

A naval officer emerged from the cabin, eager to report to Sakazuki.

Sakazuki cast a disinterested glance at the officer and replied nonchalantly, "They're colleagues. Let them say what they want as long as it doesn't interfere with my execution of justice.

"Of course, if you feel inclined to confront them, I won't stop you—provided you can handle all three of them."

The officer, initially brimming with a desire to earn merit, was immediately struck speechless by Sakazuki's words. His face turned sour, as if he had swallowed something foul.

"What's wrong? Scared? Useless!"

Sakazuki snorted coldly, flipping his cape as he strode back to his seat.

The officer saluted awkwardly before retreating, silently cursing his poor judgment. He couldn't believe the usually hot-tempered Sakazuki had been so composed this time—it was nothing like the Sakazuki he knew.

What the officer failed to realize was that as long as no one betrayed the Navy's interests, Sakazuki didn't care about gossip behind his back.

But if it were pirates or outsiders talking... well, they'd best prepare for the worst.

Meanwhile, Karl and Kuzan had spent nearly an entire day persuading the stubborn Saul.

At last, their efforts paid off.

Jaguar D. Saul finally agreed to Karl's advice: to proceed with caution, avoid impulsive actions, and follow Karl's instructions no matter what.

This was the only way to ensure Saul wouldn't meet his end at Kuzan's hands.

In the original storyline, Kuzan was one of Saul's few friends. Having to kill Saul himself left Kuzan mentally devastated for a time, as though he'd lost his soul.

Coupled with Sakazuki's massacre of civilians and children aboard a ship, these events forged the lazy and indifferent Kuzan of the future.

Karl's mission now was to prevent such tragedies from occurring while preserving Kuzan's current passion and drive.

After all, even the slacker Kuzan of the original story became an admiral, equaling Sakazuki in strength. If he remained motivated and worked even harder, his potential might far exceed his canonical counterpart.

As for Saul, though stubborn and a bit single-minded, he was a solid and reliable Marine. His strength was beyond question—a model vice admiral of Marine Headquarters.

In the original, Saul's apparent weakness stemmed from injuries he sustained protecting Robin while being hunted by the Navy. Otherwise, Kuzan wouldn't have defeated him so easily in a single move.

Keeping Saul alive also served Karl's future plans.

"Brother Saul, Kuzan, I've calculated that it will take three to four days to reach Ohara from here. I can make the trip in less than a day if I fly ahead.

"I'll go first and evacuate the people. If Sakazuki or Spandine asks, just say the same. I'll take full responsibility for everything."

Karl, confident in his backing, acted with increasing audacity. He wasn't worried that the Five Elders would discharge him over such actions.

Though punishments would inevitably follow, Karl didn't mind. He'd already violated orders multiple times to save lives. At this point, what's one more?

Saul, who had known Karl for a long time, merely gave him a thumbs-up without saying much.

Kuzan, still relatively new to Karl's antics, couldn't hide his admiration.

"Truly worthy of being the adopted son of Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr. Your courage puts me to shame!" Kuzan admitted sincerely, almost reverently.

Karl waved him off. "It's basic stuff. Don't make such a big deal of it."

Yawning, Karl added, "It's getting late. I need to rest. I'll leave tomorrow morning. Keep an eye out for Sakazuki. If he catches me, I won't be able to leave."

With that, Karl stretched and headed to bed. Having stayed up all night, he needed proper rest before his mission.

At dawn, before anyone else awoke, Karl snuck out, carrying not only his own breakfast but also those intended for Kuzan and Saul.

When the two woke up to find their breakfasts missing, they could only shake their heads, both amused and exasperated.

"That Karl, always so amusing. But doesn't eating so much in the morning make him uncomfortable?" Saul laughed heartily.

"Easy for you to laugh," Kuzan sighed, slumping onto the deck. "Now what are we supposed to eat? He took both our portions."

Just then, Sakazuki approached, his expression icy, with Spandine trailing behind in pajamas, half-asleep.

"Good morning, Vice Admirals," Spandine mumbled weakly.

Sakazuki, however, flung two breakfasts onto the ground and scowled.

"Pathetic! You let Karl escape without even trying to stop him! If my Geppo were faster, I would've caught him myself. But you two just stood by and watched. Unbelievable!

"Karl's desertion is a severe violation of orders. I'll be reporting this directly to Admiral Sengoku. Let's see how he protects that troublemaker this time!"

Saul and Kuzan exchanged nervous glances. Desertion was indeed a far graver offense than defying orders to save lives.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, they acted instinctively.

Pinning Sakazuki to the ground, Saul shouted, "Sakazuki, stop! This isn't what you think!"

"Then let me up and explain!"

"Not unless you promise not to call Sengoku!"

"You idiots! Release me! I have to report this!"

"All the more reason to keep you down!"

Together, Saul and Kuzan restrained Sakazuki with all their might, while the furious vice admiral struggled to break free.

Nearby, Spandine wiped sweat from his brow, carefully inching away.

"Uh… you guys carry on. I'm just heading back to bed. I won't say a word, I promise."

"Goodbye..."

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