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

"Uncle Tiger!"

"Uncle Karl!"

"Are you both okay?"

Koala ran breathlessly to the port, only to be greeted by the sight of unconscious Marines scattered all over the ground.

Seeing this, Koala felt a twinge of fear but mustered her courage to approach Tiger and Karl, who were standing nearby.

"Koala, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay put and wait?"

Tiger, clutching his wound, walked over to Koala and gently ruffled her hair.

"I heard gunfire and got worried… so I followed Uncle Karl here…" Koala whispered softly.

Fisher Tiger sighed helplessly, then glanced at Karl, who was cleaning up the aftermath.

"I owe you my life twice now. I don't even know how I can repay you."

"This isn't a big deal. Besides, you did well by not exposing me earlier."

Karl's tone was casual, though he exaggerated the severity of the situation a little.

"The Five Elders have ordered your execution, but I defied them and saved you. Even though I'm a Celestial Dragon, the Five Elders won't let me off so easily."

While Karl downplayed the danger for himself, the implications weren't trivial. The Five Elders were unlikely to do anything drastic, but he might face restrictions, like house arrest for a few years.

Tiger didn't know these details. He only knew Karl had saved him twice. Even though Karl had arrived a little late this time—Tiger had taken a few bullets—it was nothing serious. With his regenerative abilities, the wounds would heal in minutes.

But if Karl hadn't shown up, Tiger might have been killed in the sudden Marine ambush.

"Karl, I've always wondered—why do you, a Celestial Dragon, go to such lengths to help us? Could it be… there are others like you among the Celestial Dragons?"

"Tiger, let me be clear. I can maintain my status as a Celestial Dragon only because of certain special circumstances and my own strength.

"Don't assume other Celestial Dragons are like me. Most of them are still garbage—parasites of this world! Sure, there are a few decent ones, but they're either dead or stripped of their Celestial Dragon status and reduced to ordinary people.

"Make no mistake: don't trust the Celestial Dragons, and don't believe a word from the World Government!"

Hearing Karl's sharp critique, Fisher Tiger opened his mouth as if to speak but found himself at a loss for words.

He hadn't expected Karl, a Celestial Dragon and a Marine, to speak so harshly about his own people—and even the World Government.

This confirmed one thing in Tiger's mind: Karl was different from other Marines. He was an anomaly among them.

"Tiger, is your crew nearby? If they are, take them and leave immediately. From now on, you'll need to 'die' once. Otherwise, the World Government will relentlessly pursue you.

"And until I say otherwise, you're not allowed to step foot off Fish-Man Island. If you do, it'll bring disaster to the entire island."

"I understand. I'll do whatever you say. I have no objections!"

Tiger's unwavering trust in him surprised Karl.

As Karl and Tiger prepared to leave, Koala suddenly ran up with tears streaming down her face. She clung tightly to Karl's leg.

"I want to leave too! I don't want to stay here anymore!"

Koala was sharp. She had already pieced together why Tiger had been ambushed here. Even though neither Karl nor Tiger had mentioned it, Koala could guess the truth.

Seeing this, Karl and Tiger exchanged awkward glances.

"Koala, staying here is the safest option. Following us would be far too dangerous," Tiger said, gently stroking her hair to comfort her.

But Karl had a different idea.

"Koala, would you be willing to become a Marine?"

"I… I wouldn't…"

Koala hesitated for a moment before shaking her head vigorously. It was clear she had no fondness for the Marines, aside from Karl.

This left Karl in a bit of a bind.

Just then, Karl noticed a massive ship with a dragon-shaped figurehead in the distance. He blinked in surprise and then smiled.

"Well, what do you know…"

Only ten days ago, this ship had been on an island inhabited by the remnants of Ohara's people. Now, it had returned to the Grand Line.

Karl hadn't expected it to appear so soon.

"Come with me, both of you. There's someone I want you to meet!"

With that, Karl scooped Koala up and flew toward the enormous dragon-headed ship. Tiger, spotting the ship as well, dove into the sea and swam after them.

At the same time…

A man who had been merely passing through noticed a familiar figure flying toward his ship with a young girl in his arms.

Even though Karl was covered from head to toe, the man recognized him instantly. They had grown up together, and he'd even seen Karl naked as a kid.

"Karl… Did Garp send you to tail me?"

"Hahaha, Dragon, you've got it all wrong! This is just fate, pure serendipity!" Karl landed on the deck, grinning broadly.

"To be honest, running into you here is a big help for me."

Walking straight up to Dragon, Karl ignored the wary looks from Dragon's crew. But Dragon waved them off, and they retreated into the cabin.

"Do you need something from me? Or are you finally ready to join us?" Dragon asked, his tone suddenly hopeful.

His question was met with Karl's disdainful glare and Koala's wide, alarmed eyes.

"Uncle Karl, who is this man? What's your relationship with him?" Koala asked, her voice trembling.

Though she was still young, her years as a slave had taught her far too much about the world.

"Don't overthink it, kid. He's just a sworn brother of mine. And the person I want to introduce you to… is him."

Karl pointed to Dragon and continued, "Since you don't want to join the Marines, how about giving the Revolutionary Army a try? You've got nothing to lose.

"This guy here—yes, the one with the sandal print on his face—is none other than Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army."

"The Revolutionary Army? You're the Dragon?!"

Koala gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Her amazement quickly turned into awe.

Dragon, feeling smug, nodded proudly.

Just then, Tiger emerged from the water, drenching Dragon as he surfaced.

"Karl, you're faster than I thought!" Tiger exclaimed.

Dragon's pride was thoroughly extinguished.

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