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

"Look carefully." Gern slowly raised his right hand, palm facing up.

The air suddenly distorted, and countless tiny vibrating particles emerged from the void, leaping and condensing into a pure white sphere of light in his palm.

The recruits held their breath in unison, some even leaning back unconsciously.

"The essence of the vibration is..." The sphere of light suddenly collapsed.

In an instant, the ground centered on Gern undulated like ocean waves, and the training stakes turned to dust in silence.

What was terrifying was that the flying wood chips suddenly stopped just before they touched the recruits' noses, as if they were being held up by an invisible hand.

"Control." As Gern retracted his fist, wood chips rained down from all directions.

The silence lasted for three seconds, then erupted into deafening cheers.

"so amazing!"

"Is this the power of Logia-type magic?"

"Warrant Lieutenant Gern, please accept me as your disciple!"

Gern's lips curled into a slight smile, about to respond, when he caught a glimpse of something in the shadows at the edge of the training field.

The Asahi branch manager was frantically waving his short, chubby arms, looking just like a stranded seal.

"Continue training." Gern waved to the recruits, his smile fading as he turned away.

As he stepped into the shadows, Asahi suddenly lunged forward, her round body nearly crashing into his arms.

“Gern. It’s done! It’s really done!” Asahi’s voice was extremely low, but he couldn’t suppress the trembling.

"A transfer order personally signed by Marshal Steelbone!" His fingers trembled as he pulled out a gold-embossed document. "Look at this!"

Special Draft Order from Naval Headquarters

Recruited Person: Gern Reginald Sigma

Military rank determination: Warrant Officer (Headquarters)

Direct superior: Vice Admiral Zephyr, Naval Headquarters

Gern's pupils contracted slightly, and the bright red marshal's seal in the lower right corner of the document looked like a drop of congealed blood.

"Did it work?" Gern couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

Upon seeing this, Asahi also pretended to be serious and saluted, saying, "Hello, Warrant Officer of the 'West Sea Rising Star' Genn Headquarters!"

I am Asahi, the branch leader of the Xihai 133 branch!

"Haha! You little rascal." Looking at the chubby Asahi, Gern couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder, then continued...

"Has my rank remained unchanged?"

"No, it's just that group of guys at headquarters discriminating against us from the West Sea. They're saying that everyone born in the West Sea must be devoid of any sense of justice."

I also want you to go to naval school for a year to study the theory of justice.

“School theory?!” Gern’s pupils contracted.

"That's how it was supposed to be, but Lieutenant General Zephyr personally argued with the Marshal, slamming his fist on the table and saying..." Asahi deliberately lowered his voice to imitate Zephyr's deep tone.

"Those bureaucratic, nonsensical courses will only stifle true warriors!"

Gern raised an eyebrow: "Would Lieutenant General Zephyr really say that?"

“It’s absolutely true! My old classmate from the South China Sea branch heard it with his own ears! You even directly belong to Lieutenant General Zephyr’s command!”

At this point, Asahi himself was a little puzzled, "But Guern, when did you get involved with Lieutenant General Zephyr?!"

I heard Lieutenant General Zephyr isn't married yet. You wouldn't happen to be his illegitimate son in the West Blue, would you?

"An illegitimate child?" Gern sneered, his fingers tracing the bandages on the black knife. "I wish it were!"

"Haha." Asahi chuckled and took a half step back, then suddenly straightened up and saluted: "Anyway, congratulations to Gern on his promotion to Navy Warrant Officer!"

His voice suddenly rose eight octaves, drawing the attention of the new recruits in the distance. "Our West Sea is finally going to produce a commander-in-chief!"

Gern did not return the gift.

His gaze passed over Asahi's rounded shoulders and looked toward Marineford.

.........

Three days later, at the port of the 133rd branch of the West Sea.

A gentle sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept across the harbor, where naval soldiers had come to see them off.

The branch manager of Asahi stood at the front, his chubby face streaked with exaggerated tears, clutching a crumpled handkerchief in his hand, blowing his nose every now and then.

"Gern! You must come back to the West Sea often!" Asahi shouted, her voice choked with emotion.

"Our 133rd branch will always be your home! Let them see the men of Xihai properly!!!"

Gern stood on the deck of the warship, his back to the port, the Black Blade Eight Desolations still steadily slung behind him.

He didn't turn around, but simply raised his hand slightly and waved as a response.

The warship slowly sailed away from the port, and the cheers from the shore gradually faded away.

Gern's gaze fell on the distant horizon, his heart filled not with sadness at parting, but with anticipation for the future.

"Naval Headquarters, this is only the beginning..." he murmured to himself, his fingertips lightly tracing the hilt of the black sword.

.......

Two days later, in a certain area of ​​the West Sea.

The warship sailed smoothly on the azure sea. Gern stood at the bow, closing his eyes and feeling the sea breeze.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed slightly, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

"Hmm?" He opened his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping across the distant sea.

Where the sea meets the sky, a ruggedly designed ship slowly sails in.

The ship is not very large, but it has strong lines and an ordinary bow.

Most notably, the ship was not flying any flags.

It is neither a pirate flag nor the emblem of a merchant ship or warship.

The commander of the warship escorting Guern to Marineford was a lieutenant from headquarters, and they were traveling on a special naval route.

Therefore, this abnormal situation was immediately discovered by the scouts.

"Report!" A naval soldier rushed towards the lieutenant from headquarters and said.

"An unmarked vessel has been spotted ahead. Should we intercept and inspect it?"

The lieutenant did not answer immediately; he and Guern were both intently focused on the ship through their binoculars.

Two people were standing at the bow of the boat.

One of them was ridiculously tall, estimated to be over five meters, with bulging muscles, like a moving mountain.

He was wearing an open white captain's coat, and several hideous scars were faintly visible on his chest.

His long, golden hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and he sported a signature crescent-shaped white mustache on his chin. Yet, his eyes were surprisingly calm, even carrying a hint of languor.

Standing next to him was a tall, slender young man with a blond pineapple-shaped haircut and sharp eyes.

“That’s it!” Gern’s pupils suddenly contracted.

Even without a flag, and even before the man introduced himself, Gern instantly recognized him.

Young, at the peak of his life, a man whose face screams invincibility!

After the end of the Rocks era, a supreme being who rivaled Roger...

Edward Newgate, the "Whitebeard"!

Chapter 19 Encounter with Whitebeard at His Peak

For a moment, the air on the warship seemed to freeze.

"White...Whitebeard!!" The lieutenant's binoculars slipped from his hand and hit the deck with a crisp sound.

His face turned deathly pale at a visible speed, and his lips trembled uncontrollably.

"Why...why is Whitebeard on the Navy's shipping lanes...?"

Meanwhile, on Gern's side, whether it was his imagination or not, he suddenly felt that the sea breeze had become sharp, making his cheeks sting.

The mountain-like figure in the distance stood there casually, as if the weight of the entire sea was pressing down on his chest.

"All personnel, prepare for Level 1 combat!" the lieutenant suddenly roared hysterically, his voice shrill and distorted.

"Contact headquarters immediately! Activate the red emergency communication channel!"

We may now be facing a situation similar to the one following the era of Lox.

Edward Newgate, "Whitebeard," one of the strongest men in the world!

In an instant, chaos erupted on the deck.

The naval soldiers scurried around like headless flies, some knocking over ammunition boxes, and brass bullets rolled all over the deck.

The communications soldier stumbled and staggered toward the cabin, only to trip over his own feet.

"Warrant Lieutenant Gern, please return to your post!" The lieutenant looked at the man who was about to be promoted to the Navy Headquarters.

The man, carrying a long knife wrapped in white cloth on his back, had his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and the back of his military uniform was completely soaked with cold sweat.

"That's a monster that can cause tsunamis! Warrant Officer Gern!!"

Upon hearing the lieutenant's voice, Gern shifted his gaze and slightly turned his head.

The behavior of this elite soldier was in stark contrast to that of the Western Sea soldiers who had seen him off at the port three days earlier.

He suddenly remembered the Asahi branch manager's face, which was streaked with snot and tears.

Ah, at this point, the gap between the two is not that big.

"1.5 nautical miles away!" The soldier on the lookout tower's voice trembled. "The enemy shows no signs of accelerating!"

"Warrant Lieutenant Gern, please..."

The sound in his ears slowly faded away, and as he turned his gaze back to the distance, Gern's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints.

His right hand also subconsciously rose to grip the hilt of the black sword, Bahuang.

At this moment, all he could see was that mountain-like figure.

Whitebeard stood casually at the bow of the ship, his white cloak fluttering in the sea breeze, without even glancing at the warship where Gern was...

“Whitebeard…” Gern suddenly found himself trembling, not with fear but with a sense of excitement.

The Black Blade Eight Desolations had already been drawn from his back, and the vibrating particles in his right hand subconsciously began to condense...

"I actually want to experience the world's strongest..." A stiff smile appeared on Gern's lips, and cold sweat slid down his temples to his jaw.

"Attack!!" Gern laughed, but at that moment, a pulse suddenly came from the Black Blade Eight Desolations.

"Clang!" The clear sound of the blade cleaved through the chaos, revealing a sliver of clarity.

Gern looked down at the trembling blade, and the blood that had been frozen by fear suddenly began to boil again, his trembling fingers suddenly tightening.

The deck trembled slightly beneath their feet, and all the attention of the Gern Navy members instinctively stepped back, as they clearly felt a "vibration".

"Warrant Lieutenant Gern! Are you insane!" The lieutenant's heart-wrenching warning faded into the distance, leaving only the ever-growing thumping of his own heartbeat in his ears.

Not far away, on Whitebeard's ship

As Whitebeard's first son, the young Marco with the pineapple-like head also noticed the warship where Gern was located.

"Dad, I told you from the beginning, don't take the naval route."

"Gurararara!" Whitebeard chuckled upon hearing Marco's words.

"But we're already here! Sengoku and Garp can't possibly be here!"

“Father, you…” Marco pursed his lips. Although he knew that Whitebeard wanted to go find his “son,” he could avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Alright!" Whitebeard, now that he had a family, actually enjoyed Marco's nagging; it made him very happy.

"Marco, I will..." Whitebeard hadn't finished speaking when he said...