The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

He paused deliberately, then said, "Major General Gern of the headquarters, all field missions are suspended. He is on leave!"

Steel Bone Kong's gaze swept across the window and saw that countless naval soldiers had spontaneously gathered in the square.

A ruthless smile crept across his lips: "Everyone, if you were in Marineford that day, assemble at the central plaza of the Naval Headquarters three days from now!"

Let us welcome this 'distinguished' guest with the most solemn ceremony!

He slammed his hand on the communicator, his voice booming like thunder: "Let those high and mighty big shots see this!"

What truly constitutes a bastion of justice! Do you understand now?!

"clear!!!"

The entire Marineford Museum erupted in a deafening response, the sound waves sweeping through every corner like a tsunami.

Steelbone Kong looked out the window at the jubilant naval officers and soldiers, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Let me see whether your divine sword is sharper or the will of the navy is stronger."

“Come on, Grimm…” he muttered, “If you dare come here to arrest someone, I’ll make sure you never leave Marineford!!”

Outside the marshal's office, the naval officers in the corridor all straightened their backs as if by unspoken agreement.

The public opinion fermenting over the past few days has made everyone aware

This is not just a "welcoming ceremony," but a war concerning the dignity of the navy.

Chapter 157 The Naval Headquarters' Confidence

The broadcast echoed across the training ground, and Steelbone's powerful declaration ignited the entire Marineford circuit.

Meanwhile, the Marineford residential area

Gern sat beside Zephyr and Garp, a faint smile playing on his lips.

And he was still slurping his noodles with relish, seemingly unconcerned about the impending storm.

"Hahaha!" Karp suddenly burst into laughter, patting Gern's shoulder forcefully.

"Marshal Kong usually seems quite serious, but I didn't expect him to show his true colors this time!"

“That’s right, I’m impressed with Air Marshal!” Gern was also surprised by Steelbone Sky’s choice, but now it seems that his years of preparation are beginning to take shape.

"Hey! Gern, tell me what it felt like to beat up a Celestial Dragon!" Garp leaned forward with a mischievous grin.

“You’ll have to ask Libo.” Gren slurped another mouthful of noodles and turned his gaze to Libo, who was waving her pearl carrots by the window.

"Little Ripo!" Upon seeing this, Garp instantly teleported in front of Ripo and started chatting with her.

Watching Garp's antics, Zephyr rubbed his temples, glanced at the relaxed Gern, and couldn't help but sigh.

"You've caused such a huge mess, how can you be as heartless as Garp?"

"Haha." Gern shrugged and said with a grin, "That's because the teacher is covering for us!"

Zefa's temple throbbed, and he almost couldn't resist throwing a punch: "You brat!"

However, you did the right thing this time. If you had dared to abandon Ribo and seduce a Celestial Dragon, I would have killed you myself.

“Professor Zephyr, Lipo is my adjutant.”

"She's still my adopted daughter! Humph."

After chatting for a while, Zephyr calmed down and analyzed in a deep voice.

"In short, the Air Marshal's attitude this time is very clear. He does not intend to let the Navy take the initiative to act, but to use the power of the entire Navy to force Gringus to retreat."

“After all, whoever strikes first is in the wrong.” Gern nodded, then turned to Karp, who was carrying Ribo on his shoulder not far away, and shouted.

"By the way, Mr. Garp, how strong is that guy, Grimm?"

Upon hearing Gern's call, Karp stopped moving, his smile vanished, and a rare serious expression appeared on his face.

"Hmm, he's a capable guy, but..." He paused, "...he hasn't reached the 'King level' yet."

“Oh? Isn’t Figarando Green Ancient Saint a King-level?” Gern raised an eyebrow.

“No.” Garp’s gaze was distant, as if recalling the battle on God’s Island.

"Back on God's Island, Rocks' single strike sent their Knights of God scarey into retreating to the second line."

In the end, it was only through Roger and I working together that we were able to barely suppress Rocks.

That guy is a star among the Celestial Dragons, such a proud person.

"If it were a King-level being, how could they possibly have run away back then?" Garp picked his nose.

"He even said something to me before he left? It was to protect the Celestial Dragons."

Haha, so he couldn't even get past Newgate!

"Around the Emperor level..." After hearing Garp's words, Gern muttered to himself, "That's interesting."

"Funny my ass!!" Zephyr suddenly punched Gern on the head: "You brat, who told you to cause such a scene this time!"

"Teacher, didn't you just agree with what I did this time?" Gern rubbed his head, looked at Zefa with a pout.

"Besides, you're Black Fist, not Iron Fist..."

"What? You'd rather eat a thunderbolt or a hot knife than a fist?"

Gern: "..."

"Hmph!" Zefa took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He crossed his arms, and his gaze behind his sunglasses sharpened.

“Listen carefully, the optimal solution to this incident is…” He pointed to Gern.

"No matter what, you must fight the Grimm Ancient Temple fair and square in front of everyone."

Garp, who had just put down Ribo and was munching on a senbei, paused: "Oh?"

"The World Government cares about appearances, while the Navy cares about substance," Zephyr said in a deep voice.

"Direct confrontation will only escalate the conflict."

But if it's just a 'sparring match'..." A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"It can demonstrate the strength of the navy and give the world government a way out."

And, most importantly...

Marineford is our home ground!!

“So…” Gern nodded thoughtfully, “that’s why Marshal Kong said ‘friendly exchange’…”

“That’s right.” Zephyr pushed up his sunglasses. “As long as you demonstrate enough strength to make Grin Ancient Saint back down, this matter can be resolved gracefully.”

At this moment, Tesoro suddenly swallowed and asked, forcing himself to speak, "But what if... Major General Gern loses?"

Before he could finish speaking, three sharp gazes pierced him like swords.

Zephyr's sunglasses reflected a cold light, Garp's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and Gern wore a half-smile.

"Lose?" Garp suddenly burst into a deafening laugh, slapping Tesoro on the shoulder so hard he nearly knocked him to the ground.

"Hahaha! Your superior is a madman who dared to take Roger's knife!"

Zephyr pushed up his sunglasses, a cold glint flashing in the lenses: "Tesoro, you need to understand..."

Such 'friendly exchanges' often lead to many...unexpected situations." He deliberately emphasized the last four words.

“For example…” Zephyr suddenly revealed a dangerous smile, “in order to promote peaceful relations between the Navy and the World Government…”

Our beloved Lieutenant General Garp…

At this point, Garp immediately understood and eagerly chimed in, "Of course we have to 'maintain order' on the sidelines!"

“And as everyone knows…” Zeff spread his hands helplessly, “Our beloved Vice Admiral Garp is always so straightforward, what if he sees some ‘unfair’ match…”

"I couldn't resist." Garp grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"It's quite reasonable to just grab that kid Grimm and pin him down, then have him fall from the seabed for a 'close encounter,' right?"

Gern couldn't help but chuckle as he added, "After all, it's like Lieutenant General Garp's 'falling from the seabed'..."

But what about this 'friendly communication' method that even Rocks and Roger praised?

Tesoro stared dumbfounded at the three big shots working in unison, then suddenly realized...

This isn't a fair fight at all! It's clearly a trap set for Grimm!

If he can win, he'll fight Gern one-on-one; if he can't, he'll fight the Marine Headquarters one-on-one.

“So, Tesoro…” Gren patted him on the shoulder, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Are you still worried that your superior, me, will lose?

"And I don't think I can't beat him!" After saying that, Gern continued slurping his noodles.

"Oh dear~" Just then, a lazy voice suddenly came from the doorway.

"Is this still our respected teacher Zephyr?"

Everyone turned their heads and saw Kuzan leaning against the door frame, his hands in his pockets, with his signature lazy smile on his face.

Behind him, Sakazuki and Borsalino stood on either side, the three of them forming an extremely imposing figure.

"Kuzan!" Zeff frowned, but a slight smile played on his lips. "When did you learn to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?"

“It started when you said you wanted Mr. Garp to perform ‘falling from the sea.’” Kuzan shrugged and went inside.

"I must say, Professor Zephyr, you've become cunning."

"That's called tactical wisdom. I taught you guys that before!" Zephyr snorted, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

"However, the three of you have come at just the right time."

Gern stood up, dusted off non-existent dust from his clothes, and glanced at the three of them: "It seems you all know."

“The whole of Marineford knows.” Sakazuki sneered, his fist igniting with a dark red flame. “Gern, I support you.”

Borsalino pushed up his sunglasses, his tone still drawn out: "How terrifying~ Even the Knights of God have been mobilized~"

Gern walked up to the three of them, his expression turning serious: "Since you're all here, I'll get straight to the point."

If I were to fight Grimm...

“Ribo will be fine.” Sakazuki interrupted him directly, his voice low and firm.

“I, Sakazuki, swear by my justice that no one can take her away.”

"Don't worry!" Kuzan stood up straight for once, his lazy demeanor completely gone. "The Marine Headquarters is not the backyard of the Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise."

"Sigh~" Borsalino shrugged, looking at Ripo, "It's troublesome, but without Ripo..."

But then there's no one who can use their Devil Fruit powers to help me fake the medical records! That'll be really troublesome for me~

Gern looked at the three of them, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He knew that this was not just about protecting Ribo, but also a collective statement from the new generation of the Navy to the World Government.

“Thank you,” Gern said softly, then turned to Zephyr.

"Teacher, it looks like our 'welcome ceremony' is going to be quite a spectacle!"

Zefa crossed his arms and nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it." His sharp gaze swept over the crowd.

"Remember, the key to this 'friendly exchange' lies in..."

"It has to be both beautiful and dignified," Garp suddenly interjected, grinning.

“Mr. Karp…” Gern rubbed his temples helplessly, “Are you sure this is a good example?”

"Hahaha!" Garp laughed loudly. "Anyway, let that kid Grimm see the confidence of the Marine Headquarters!"

And we guys don't believe you'll lose, you idiot!!!

Tesoro, who was standing to the side, suddenly realized and murmured, "So that's how it is... No wonder Rear Admiral Guern said that the World Government has no right to touch us at Marine Headquarters."

He looked around at Zeff, Garp, Sakazuki, and the others standing beside Gern, and was deeply shocked.

His superior's influence and network within the navy were far deeper than he had imagined!