Garling hurriedly withdrew his ability in a fluster. Of course, it wasn't because he cared about his palace—he was just afraid that Amara might get hurt.
Even though the shards from the shattered cup aimed at Makino and her daughter had already been intercepted by Carl, Garling still stepped forward to Makino and carefully examined the child in her arms.
Seeing this, Shanks's gaze flickered subtly.
No matter how Carl had described Garling before—what kind of man he was—Shanks's own impression of him had always leaned more toward "cold" and "ruthless."
After all, it was true that Garling had abandoned him as a baby, leaving him in a wooden box. It was impossible to say there was no lingering resentment.
But the way Garling had shown such open and genuine affection toward Amara from beginning to end made it clear he wasn't an emotionless man. And strangely, a longing began to stir inside Shanks's heart.
This feeling unsettled Shanks. He sat blankly on the couch, staring at Garling in a daze.
Carl had been watching Shanks's expression the entire time. Normally, he wouldn't use his mind-reading ability on family, but this was a special situation. He knew both Garling and Shanks had emotional knots to untangle.
Especially Shanks. Carl needed to know what was really in his heart in order to "prescribe the right remedy."
After reading Shanks's thoughts, Carl narrowed his eyes slightly. A plan began to form in his mind.
Shanks still carried resentment—but fortunately, his impression of Garling had already changed significantly. Now, he was caught in an emotional struggle.
Carl understood exactly what that longing was—what else could it be but a desire for a father's love?
And what is fatherly love? Fatherly love is like a landslide... no, it's as weighty as a mountain—subtle, silent, yet immense.
To reconcile the father and son, he needed to shake things up a bit. Otherwise, both of them would just stay silent and stubborn, and who knew how long that awkwardness would drag on.
As for how to shake things up?
Simple—let them fight! A full-on brawl!
After all, both Garling and Shanks had a bit of a martial maniac streak. Plus, Garling had just obtained the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and was itching for a proper battle to test his new power.
Thinking of this, Carl's lips curved into a wicked grin.
He turned to Garling and suddenly said,
"Garling-san, you've been itching to test out your new powers, right? How about heading to the training hall?"
Garling was stunned. Unexpectedly, he shook his head and replied,
"Not today. It's not the right time."
That rejection caught Carl off guard. But Garling was the elder he respected most—it felt wrong to probe his thoughts with mind-reading.
As Carl was pondering his next move, Shanks suddenly spoke up.
"Why not? I've heard from Newgate that the scar on his chest was caused by your blade. I've always wanted to cross swords with you."
Carl raised an eyebrow and turned toward Shanks, who wore an eager expression. Garling's eyes gleamed sharply. He looked deeply at Shanks, then after a brief silence, nodded slowly.
"Alright. Let's do it."
...
Seeing things fall into place, Carl didn't waste any time. He snapped his fingers, and space instantly shifted—transporting everyone into an enormous training hall.
Considering the intensity of the upcoming fight, Carl summoned a golden aura into his palm. A moment later, it expanded outward, coating the entire room in a layer of golden light. A transparent golden cube formed, enveloping Makino and her daughter.
With everything set, Carl looked toward the others, who hadn't fully reacted yet, and said with a smile,
"Alright, we can start now. Don't worry—this place is reinforced."
...
Snapping back to their senses, Shanks turned to face Garling—and Garling was looking right back at him.
The two locked eyes without saying a word and silently drew the swords at their waists.
With the drawing of two Supreme Grade Blades, crimson-black Haki lightning clashed instantly, the sword edges gleaming with deadly cold light.
Fortunately, Carl had reinforced the space beforehand—anywhere else, just the pressure released by the two would've been enough to split the ground.
Their eyes flickered with red-black lightning, each reflecting the other's image.
The next second, both vanished from sight.
CLANG!!
A sharp metallic clash rang out through the golden space. Garling and Shanks's blades had collided and slightly rebounded. Between them, a sphere of deep-colored Haki lightning formed, radiating waves of destruction. Lightning bolts shot in all directions, rippling against the golden barriers around them.
Carl folded his arms and calmly observed the two figures at the center, thinking: What a lovely picture of father and son bonding.
Then again, given the noble traditions of the Figarland family, he felt oddly "at peace" with it.
...
The light from the Haki lightning cast shifting shadows across Garling and Shanks's faces. Though their expressions remained calm, power surged from them like a raging tsunami.
At last, the sphere of lightning between their swords exploded with a thunderous boom. The shockwave sent both men flying backward. In the next instant, they stabilized midair and shot toward each other like arrows released from a bow.
This time, there was no more testing—only pure swordsmanship.
Unlike Roronoa Zoro's chant-like technique, both Garling and Shanks fought with unpredictable, fluid swordplay. Their movements were lightning-fast, leaving behind streaks of afterimages as their blades clashed again and again.
The clash of metal rang without pause. In Makino's eyes, the two had become nothing but blurs—and the terrifying sounds of battle made her increasingly anxious.
She was just an ordinary person. Even witnessing regular scuffles was rare for her, let alone a duel between world-class powerhouses.
Even with the golden cube protecting them, she could feel the sheer devastation of the battle. The shockwaves alone seemed strong enough to flatten a small mountain.
Makino couldn't help but worry for Garling and Shanks's safety. If either were injured, the already tense father-son relationship might grow even worse.
But there was no way for her to understand what was happening in the fight. All she could do was glance at Carl.
Seeing him still standing casually with his arms folded, calm as ever, Makino finally relaxed a little.
Judging by 'his expression... Shanks and Garling-sama should still be fine...
That was the only thought she could hold on to.
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+120 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg