Aboard a pirate ship bound for Hachinosu.
Carlo was reviewing his current stat panel.
[Physique: 7-Star 71.236]
[Haki]
[Observation Haki: 6-Star 68.354]
[Armament Haki: 7-Star 76.444]
[Haoshoku: 7-Star 74.028]
[Devil Fruit Power: 3-Star 32.002]
[Overall Rating: 7-Star]
[Comment: Bring her alongside—NOW!!]
After the clash with Kaido, every stat on his panel had soared.
The biggest leap was clearly Physique.
For months it had stagnated at 58 points—five-star tier.
Now it had jumped to 71 points—seven-star tier.
A colossal gain of thirteen whole points.
The number looked small, but translated to real flesh and blood, it meant his body had improved two- or three-fold across the board.
Strength, stamina, toughness, flexibility, explosive power—everything had leapt up.
Most obvious was raw strength.
At 58 points he'd matched an adult giant, hefting ten thousand tons.
Now, with a 7-star Physique of 71, he equaled an ogre—ten times a giant, no less than a hundred thousand tons.
What does a hundred thousand tons mean?
A modern aircraft carrier, three hundred meters of steel, weighs about that.
In other words, Carlo could lift a carrier with his bare hands.
In his old world he'd have been a Superman who didn't need to eat beef.
But in the fantasy world of the Pirate King, a hundred-thousand-ton punch is still far from the top.
Setting aside the physics-defying Devil Fruit Powers,
look at sheer muscle alone.
At Marineford, Jozu lobbed an iceberg eighty meters across—millions of tons.
Garp hurled iron balls just as absurd.
So Carlo felt no pride.
He was fired up.
Because after trading blows with Kaido, he knew seven-star Physique wasn't his limit.
He could still get stronger.
Second only to Physique in growth was Devil Fruit development.
Even so, the twelve-point jump from two-star to three-star barely affected his current combat power.
It was only a bump in technique familiarity.
What really interested him was Armament Haki.
That stat had climbed more than eight points.
Both strength and quantity of Armament Haki had noticeably increased.
Leaning against a corner of the deck, Carlo stared at his open palm.
Power stirred deep inside him, surging to the surface.
His hand turned jet-black, as though dipped in ink.
That black sheen was his Armament Haki.
What he showed now was the most basic application—Armament Hardening.
The only technique you can use the moment Haki awakens, no insight required.
Hardening turns skin iron-hard, letting flesh clash with blades.
The second step is Armament Coating.
Carlo pushed more Haki into his hand.
The black deepened, gaining thickness.
A one-centimeter layer of dark light flowed over his skin.
This layer is Coating—Armament wrapped around the body to boost strikes,
or around weapons, bullets, arrows, even cannonballs for massive extra damage.
Garp's trick of tossing cannon by hand?
He coats the shell in dense Armament, then hurls it with explosive force.
Reaching that level only needs steady training until your reserves are large enough.
The third Armament technique—Emission.
Carlo thrust his palm forward.
The black layer shot off like a geyser, ballooning as it flew.
Air rippled; wind howled, lines and sails thrashing.
Kaido, cross-legged nearby and tearing cloth from Rocky Port for a makeshift garment, took the blast square in the back.
Thud!
Caught off guard, he face-planted.
His stunned mug smashed the rail, splintering iron-bound wood.
Dazed, Kaido wiped chips from his cheek and turned.
He saw Carlo casually lowering his hand.
Kaido's face darkened.
"Carlo—you bastard!"
"Whoops, slipped. Don't be petty."
Apology words, zero apology tone.
Carlo looked ready to laugh.
From a time-traveler's view, bullying the future strongest creature and Emperor was pure bliss.
Seeing that grin, Kaido reached for his spiked club—
then spotted Whitebeard at the prow and swallowed the rage.
"Hmph. Wait till we reach Hachinosu—then you're dead."
He shot Carlo a glare and went back to his rags.
Carlo shrugged off the threat.
After sampling Kaido's teaching methods,
he wanted the dragon to grow stronger—
so he could fleece Teacher Kaido again.
He only wondered if Kaido could keep pace with his own rise.