The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Within the Hall of Authority, the Five Elder Stars were gathered in full. The atmosphere was so heavy it felt as though it could condense into droplets and fall to the floor.
Sunlight streamed in through the stained-glass windows outside, casting long, stretched shadows of the five figures across the marble floor—like five silent statues carved from stone.
"Steelbone Kong is about to be promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the entire military," Shepherd Ju Peter spoke, fingers interlaced, his voice low and authoritative."The position of Fleet Admiral must be decided as soon as possible."
"There's no need to deliberate," said Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro coldly, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword."Among the Marines, Sengoku is the most suitable candidate. His abilities and seniority are beyond question. More importantly—"
His gaze sharpened.
"The Marines need a dove faction in power. The successor cannot continue down an overly hardline path."
"But once Sengoku becomes Fleet Admiral, all Admiral seats will be vacant," Marcus Mars said, brows tightly furrowed as his fingertips tapped lightly against the table."At present, the Marines only have a few who can fill those positions: Sakazuki, Kuzan, Borsalino… and Gern Reginald Sigmar."
The moment the name "Gern" was spoken, the temperature in the hall seemed to plunge.
The Five Elders' expressions darkened in unison, and the air itself grew suffocatingly still.
"Gern…" Topman Warcury spoke slowly, his thick mustache trembling slightly."He captured Roger. His prestige has already reached its peak. Within the Marines—no, across most of the world—he is called a 'legend.'But his relationship with the World Government…"
"Don't forget," Nusjuro snorted coldly,"That man never once showed proper respect to the World Government. He even humiliated Saint Garling back then!"
"Even so, the Marines need him," Jaygarcia Saturn said, tapping his cane against the floor with a dull thud. His deep-set eyes swept across the other four."Roger's final words have ignited the Great Pirate Era. The Marines need a banner—someone who can intimidate the pirates by mere existence."
"But if he becomes an Admiral, his authority will only swell further," Marcus Mars replied sharply."His ideals run counter to ours. He could very well become the next… problem."
Silence fell once more.
They all knew it—Gern's achievements could no longer be ignored.
The man who captured the Pirate King had become the spiritual pillar of the Marines.If his promotion were forcibly suppressed, it wouldn't just spark unrest within the ranks—it could tear the institution apart.
"Perhaps…" Topman Warcury ventured cautiously,"We could give him a nominal position? Something like 'Admiral Candidate' or 'Special Operations Commander'?"
"He won't accept it," Nusjuro sneered."That man's ambition goes far beyond a mere title."
"Then the only option left…" Shepherd Ju Peter slowly raised his head, a chill glint flashing in his eyes."Is to assign him a mission he cannot refuse—before he becomes an Admiral."
"You mean…" Marcus Mars narrowed his eyes.
"Don't forget," Jaygarcia Saturn said evenly,"There are only three Admiral seats at Marine Headquarters. We can increase them—or we can choose not to.And among the four candidates, the youngest are Kuzan and Gern."
"You want them to fight?" Warcury picked up the thought, his tone laden with implication."Make them raise their hands against their closest friend—for an Admiral's seat?"
"Heh. Not a bad idea. After all, if he loses, then it can't be helped…"
"And if he defeats Kuzan?" Nusjuro added coldly, his thumb pushing lightly against the sword's guard, a flash of steel glimmering."Kuzan isn't weak. And would Gern truly succeed—when forced to strike at his best friend?Besides…"
A thin smile crept onto his face.
"In the end, the final decision still rests with us."
...
The Grand Line — Lulutak Island.
The entire island had been reduced to ruins.
Wrecked warships lay skewered into scorched earth like tombstones, black smoke drifting through the air, thick with the acrid stench of sulfur.
And standing atop it all—
Douglas Bullet loomed like a living mountain.
His massive, corded body was covered in wounds, yet the pressure he radiated was suffocating, overwhelming everything around him.
"The Marines…" he snarled, crushing the shattered body of a Marine branch colonel in his hand. His eyes swept across the sea."Don't they ever learn?"
He spat blood to the side.
"Doesn't matter how many trash mobs they send—the result's always the same…"
Before his words could fade, a pale particle beam suddenly tore through the air, streaking straight toward his brow!
Bullet's pupils shrank violently. His Observation Haki screamed in warning. In the instant before impact, he snapped his head aside—
SHRIIIK!
The beam grazed his cheek, exploding against the cliff behind him and carving out a crater nearly a hundred meters wide. The entire island shuddered violently.
"That kind of attack…" Bullet slowly turned, his gaze sharpening like a blade as it locked onto the sea.
He had expected the Glint-Glint Fruit user.
But instead—
At the bow of a warship stood Gern Reginald Sigmar, lowering his fingertip as the high-frequency vibrating particles wrapped around it gradually dissipated.
The sea wind snapped his Justice cloak, revealing the black blade Bahuang at his waist, wrapped in gray-white bandages.
"So you've gotten quite a bit stronger than back then," Gern said, the corner of his mouth curling into a dangerous smile."Little Bullet—the one I smashed apart with a single punch."
Bullet's pupils trembled. That humiliating scene from the past flashed through his mind—
And worse still—
The man who captured Roger was this bastard.
"Heaven-Shaking!!!"
Bullet's roar split the sky.
Conqueror's Haki erupted like a tsunami, dark pressure swallowing the entire island in an instant!The ground beneath his feet collapsed with a deafening roar, and the violent shockwave hurled surrounding debris into the air.
Gern didn't move an inch.
He merely raised his hand slightly.
BZZZZ—!
Purple-black arcs of Conqueror's lightning exploded from his body, slamming head-on into Bullet's Haki. The clash ripped the sky apart, splitting the heavens in two!
"You could never defeat Roger," Bullet's eyes went wide—then he burst into wild laughter."HAHAHAHA! That's what makes this fun! Ever since Roger died, there's finally someone worth getting serious for!"
"You've really gone berserk," Gern stepped forward, his figure vanishing in an instant."Your mouth sounds like your left and right brains are fighting each other."
His voice echoed as he reappeared.
"Unfortunately, your idea of 'serious'… still isn't enough."
"Black Quake — Flashstep!"
Bullet snapped backward just as Gern's fist skimmed past the tip of his nose.Where the punch passed, the air itself fractured—pale, spiderweb-like cracks spreading through space!
BOOM!!!
The deck of the warship beneath them exploded. Using the recoil, Gern spun, and in the instant Bahuang was unleashed—
CLANG!
Bullet's Armament-coated giant fist collided with the blade. The resulting shockwave blasted the seawater within a hundred-meter radius completely away, exposing bare ocean floor!
"Sorry about this," Bullet grinned ferociously, eyes locked on the pale energy flowing along the blade's edge."But I'm not just a little stronger than before."
His smile widened.
"Heaven-Shaking."