Chapter 371: The Winner is Decided

A scorching flame erupted, illuminating Detir Island as if it were broad daylight. The raging fire carried destructive power, twisting the island's terrain and turning the already fragmented ground into uneven scorched earth.

Subsequently, a loud noise exploded Move Move Like thunder, and the shockwave spread out Move Move Like a tide. This was an indescribable terror, Move Move Like the roar of an angry God, destroying everything in its path. The originally calm sea was whipped into waves tens of meters high, as if the ocean itself were weeping for this disaster.

Trees were uprooted, the coastline was destroyed, seawater was evaporated, and those innocent marine creatures struggled in the sea of fire and shockwaves, but they still couldn't resist the natural disaster brought by Karl.

At the center of the explosion, a massive fireball and mushroom cloud formed, Move Move Like giant beasts from hell, spreading in all directions. The flames licked the sky, dyeing the entire sky blood-red, as if it were a sign of the apocalypse.

When everything returned to calm, Detir Island had lost its former spiritual energy and vitality, Move Move Like a land of dead silence.

Karl, in his intangible state, looked down at this land, panting slightly. This move could be called "killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred." Although Karl wasn't injured, the cost was a massive loss of stamina.

He would need at least half an hour of rest to recover.

And Luffy, who had borne all of Karl's damage, was now lying quietly on the scorched earth.

"Young people's bodies are really good! Falling asleep the moment they hit the ground..."

Karl exited his intangible state, landed beside Luffy, kicked him twice, and after confirming that Luffy had entered a baby-Move Move Like sleep, he breathed a sigh of relief. He shouldn't be able to stand up again Move Move Like this.

Above the sky, The Thousand Sunny.

"My God! What was that sound just now?"

"An explosion! It was definitely an explosion! What on earth happened down there?"

Usopp looked left and right, and after finding no one guarding them, his face lit up: "The Renhai Army guarding us is gone, let's take this chance to escape! We can't let Luffy face the Renhai Army alone!"

"How do we run? The Thousand Sunny is controlled and can't move. Are we supposed to jump off the ship?"

Just as the Straw Hat crew was discussing, Karl appeared on The Thousand Sunny with Luffy, smiling and saying: "I seem to have heard just now that you were planning to escape?"

"Luffy!!" "What did you do to Luffy?"

*Thump~*

Karl threw Luffy beside Chopper and said calmly: "The bad news is, he was defeated, and you are all now prisoners of the Renhai Army. The good news is, he's not dead yet, and the Renhai Army doesn't plan to execute you."

"But, you'd better behave yourselves now. If anyone dares to escape? Heh heh~"

After speaking, Karl took out a Den Den Mushi from his system space and contacted Peng En: "This is Karl. Straw Hat Luffy has been captured. I am now on The Thousand Sunny. You all hurry over! We're preparing to return to the Renhai Army Headquarters!"

"Yes! Admiral Karl, we'll be back immediately!"

A few minutes later.

"Luffy! Where is Luffy? He's not dead, is he?"

Karl shrugged and said to Garp: "I thought he would die, but I didn't expect his frame to be so tough."

Garp breathed a sigh of relief and rushed straight into the infirmary on The Thousand Sunny.

Seeing Luffy wrapped Move Move Like a mummy, Garp's hanging heart finally settled. He said to the Straw Hat crew: "I'll leave Luffy to you to take care of."

Garp sighed and turned to leave. At this moment, Usopp gathered his courage and asked: "Mr. Garp, what will happen to us next? Will we be sent to the execution platform?"

Garp turned to look at Usopp and shook his head: "You can rest assured about that. According to my understanding, the Renhai Army does not plan to send you to the execution platform, but you must cooperate with the Renhai Army's subsequent actions."

"As for what actions, you'll know in a few days, but before that, you'd better behave yourselves!"

"Are you going to let us join the Adventurers' Guild?" Robin suddenly said.

Garp looked at Robin deeply, said nothing, and turned to leave directly.

Renhai Army Headquarters, Marineford.

Peng En landed the warship and The Thousand Sunny at Crescent Moon Bay, and a group of Renhai Army soldiers walked off the ship to greet the cheers of the crowd.

Capturing the Pirate King's crew—everyone had made an indelible contribution.

"You've worked hard. You did very well. I will not forget your merits. Next, you should rest well for a few days! Just remember to come to the victory banquet!"

"Yes!"

"Admiral Akainu, Admiral Karl, come with me."

"Okay."

Marshal's Office.

"Karl, do you think Straw Hat Luffy will be willing to give up the title of Pirate King and join the Adventurers' Guild?"

Karl grinned: "You can rest assured about that. Before I started fighting him, we had already reached an agreement. As long as he lost, he would unconditionally cooperate with the Renhai Army's work. Besides, all he wants is freedom and adventure; becoming an adventurer is enough to satisfy his requirements."

"But before that, the title of Pirate King can still be utilized."

Sakazuki nodded in agreement: "Not bad. The Pirate King turning around to join the Adventurers' Guild is definitely a bombshell piece of news. But the only problem is how to eliminate the influence brought by his pirate identity so that other adventurers can accept the Straw Hat crew."

Karl touched his chin and said playfully: "How about we say he was an undercover agent for the Renhai Army? Renhai Army Hero Garp, in order to end the Great Pirate Era, didn't hesitate to use his own grandson as an undercover pirate and secretly helped him become the Pirate King? How is this whitewashing idea?"

Admiral Admiral Admiral Admiral Admiral Kuzan's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "That's it! We'll make an issue out of the identities of Mr. Garp and the Straw Hat boy, and then publicize the differences between the Straw Hat crew and other pirates. In this way, whether it's the Renhai Army or other adventurers, they should be able to accept the Straw Hat crew's joining."

Sakazuki raised his hand: "This method is good, I agree. I will prepare the Adventurers' Guild internally in advance. As for how to publicize it, that's up to you, Admiral Admiral Admiral Admiral Admiral Kuzan."

Karl: "Let's do it!"

That night, every news agency was busy. After all, the intelligence shared by the Renhai Army was truly shocking.

The next day, the news gulls delivered the newspapers to every corner of the world, and the headlines were still eye-catching.

"Pirate King Fallen? His True Identity Is Actually..."

"Regarding Pirate King Luffy, the Secrets You Must Know!"

The general content was that the Renhai Army had invited the Pirate King's crew to the Renhai Army Headquarters to plot a grand plan. But why didn't the Renhai Army and the Pirate King have a conflict?

It turned out that the Pirate King had been a man of the Renhai Army from the very beginning!

*Ahem*, I have to say, the reporters of the news agencies have mastered the essence of the UC department; they managed to turn a simple whitewashing article into a gossip piece.