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

"Aside from Crocodile and Hanazawa, CP agents will recruit some powerful pirates."

Let them help the Navy contain the pirate forces on the Grand Line.

The navy may cooperate with it if appropriate.

They also have the legal right to plunder!

The air in the conference room froze instantly.

"Absurd!" Sakazuki wasn't at this meeting, so it was Zeff who stood up.

He glared angrily and shouted, "How can the Navy cooperate with pirates?!"

And that bullshit about legal plunder, how could you even utter such a thing?

“Zefa.” Steelbone Kong’s gaze was unwavering. “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.”

We need to focus our efforts on dealing with the real threats from the new world.

Don't forget, there are more than just the Golden Lion who are crazy about Roger on the high seas right now.

Barrett, known as the "Descendant of the Devil," is also going berserk at sea after losing his target!

After saying that, Kong and Sengoku exchanged a glance, and then Sengoku slowly nodded: "Zeff's suggestion... is worth considering."

Seeing this, Zephyr snorted coldly but did not object.

Just then, the conference room door was flung open, and an intelligence officer rushed in, his face pale.

"Report! Urgent news from the East China Sea!"

A red-nosed apprentice from the remnants of the Roger Pirates attacked Loguetown!

They attempted to destroy the execution platform! But they were stopped!

"What?!" Steel Bones slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

A strange light flashed in Gern's eyes, and he murmured to himself, "It's started after all..."

Sengoku's voice was as cold as ice: "A mere intern dares to act like this... what about the rest of the Roger Pirates...?"

"We must suppress it immediately! We cannot allow Roger's 'will' to continue to spread!"

Taking advantage of this situation, Kong cleverly secured the "Seven Warlords of the Sea" deal.

"And then there's the Barrett matter. We can't let him cause any more trouble like this. Considering his current strength, we should just launch a demon-slaying attack..."

"About Barrett..." At this moment, Gern slowly stood up, lifting the Black Blade Eight Desolations with one hand, the bandages on the scabbard fluttering lightly in the wind as he spoke.

"I'll handle it!"

After all, three months of rest and recuperation have taken their toll; a person is practically rusty by now.

“Is that so…” Looking at Gern, Kong nodded. “Then I’ll leave it to you.”

"Yes, Marshal Kong."

……

After leaving the conference room, Karp, who was standing next to Gern, suddenly spoke up: "Gern, you had all expected this, hadn't you?"

Gern did not answer, but looked at the distant horizon and said softly, "Mr. Karp, the tide of the new era is unstoppable."

All we can do is, in this wave,... pave a new path for the Navy.

"You're playing dumb with me again." Garp was silent for a moment, then grinned: "You kid, you always think further ahead than anyone else."

In the harbor of Marineford, the whistles of warships resounded through the sky.

The soldiers stood in neat rows, watching the two legendary generals board the ship.

"Depart!" With a command from Gern, the warship slowly sailed away from the port, cutting through the waves towards the Grand Line.

The sea breeze howled, fluttering Gern's coat of justice.

“Lieutenant General Gern, after this mission is over…” Tesoro stroked the ring, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Shouldn't you be promoted to general by now?"

"General?" Libo tilted her head, her fluffy ears twitching slightly. "Is it the same rank as Professor Zephyr?"

Gern gently placed his hand on Lippo's head, but his gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon.

"A general, huh..." A meaningful smile curved his lips.

"I can ask for it anytime, the question is whether the world government dares to give it to me."

“Lieutenant General Gern…” Upon hearing Gern’s words, Tesoro was stunned.

“Compared to so-called admirals…” Gern’s voice suddenly turned low, “what we need more now is strength within the navy.”

His gaze swept over the busy soldiers on the deck.

"After all, the Navy is also a political game."

"Right now, you and Ribo are still a bit weak in the factional-ridden Navy."

Gern was telling the truth. The faction issue had been delayed a lot due to the timeline, and since he wasn't recruiting from within the Navy, there were only Ribo and the other person openly in power.

But other people are different.

Currently, Kuzan, Sengoku, and Garp are doves in the Navy, Akainu has also drawn together a group of hawks, and Kizaru is undoubtedly a centrist.

As SteelBone is about to step down, various forces are secretly vying for power.

We are prepared to seize more say during the power vacuum.

Now, with the unparalleled achievement of "arresting the Pirate King," it is the perfect time to establish and expand one's own faction.

Thinking of this, Gern turned to look at Marineford, which was gradually disappearing into the distance, the rising sun casting a long shadow of him.

"It really is..." he murmured softly, his words fading into the sea breeze: "The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish!"

Chapter 206 Political Games

Holy Land, Marie Gioia.

Inside the Hall of Power, the five elders were gathered together, the air so heavy it seemed as if water could drip from it.

Outside the window, sunlight streamed through the stained glass, casting long shadows of the five people, like five silent statues.

"Steelbow Sky is about to be promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and the position of Admiral of the Navy must be determined as soon as possible." Shepard X. Pitt Saint crossed his arms, his voice deep and authoritative.

"There's no need to consider this anymore. Sengoku is currently the most suitable candidate in the navy."

Izambalon V. Nassuro said coldly, his hand resting on his sword, "His ability and qualifications are impeccable."

Rather, the Navy truly needs a dove in power; the successor cannot continue with such a hardline stance.

“But once Sengoku is promoted to Fleet Admiral, all the Admiral positions in the navy will be vacant.” Marcus Mazsan frowned, his fingertips lightly tapping the table.

"Currently, the only candidates in the Navy who can hold the position are Sakazuki, Kuzan, Borsalino... and Gern Reginald Sigma."

The temperature in the hall seemed to drop sharply when the name "Gern" was mentioned.

The five elders' gazes simultaneously darkened, and the air became so still it was suffocating.

“Gern…” Topman Vochuli Saint began slowly, his mustache trembling slightly.

"His reputation had reached its zenith after he arrested Roger, and he was hailed as a 'legend' within the Navy and even by most of the world."

But his relationship with the World Government…

"Don't forget," Izambaron V. Nassurou sneered.

"Back then, he completely disregarded the World Government and even made Grimm lose face!"

“But the Navy needs him.” Jaigolusia Satan tapped his cane and said in a deep voice, his profound gaze sweeping over the other four.

"Now that Roger's last words have led to the start of the Great Pirate Era, the Navy needs a flag, a symbol that can deter pirates."

“But if he becomes a general, his power will expand even further.” Marcus Mazsan’s gaze sharpened.

“His ideas are contrary to ours, and he may even become the next ‘trouble’.”

Silence fell again.

The Five Elders were well aware that Gern's achievements could no longer be ignored.

His feat of capturing the Pirate King made him a pillar of the Navy's spirit.

Forcibly suppressing his promotion would not only cause turmoil within the Navy.

“Perhaps…we could give him a nominal position?” Topman Vochuli tentatively suggested.

"For example, 'general candidate' or 'special operations commander'?"

“He won’t accept it,” Izambaron V. Nassuro sneered. “That man’s ambition goes far beyond just a title.”

“Then we can only…” Shepard X. Pitt Saint slowly raised his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Before he becomes a general, assign him a task he cannot refuse."

“You mean…” Marcus Mazsan narrowed his eyes.

"Don't forget, there are only three Admirals in the Navy Headquarters," Jaigolusia Satan said calmly.

“We can add more or not, and among the four, only Kuzan and Gern are the youngest.”

"You mean, you want them to fight?" Topman Vochuli asked meaningfully, "To make them fight their best friend for the position of general?"

"Hehe, that's a good idea. After all, if it fails, there's nothing we can do..."

“What if he beats Kuzan?” Izanbaron V. Nassuro added coldly, his thumb lightly pushing against the hilt of his sword, a flash of cold light disappearing in an instant.

"Kuzan is no weakling, and will he really succeed? After all, he's targeting his best friend."

Besides... in the end, doesn't it all come down to us who decides?

……

The Grand Line, Lulutark Island.

The entire island was reduced to ruins, with the wreckage of warships lying diagonally on the scorched earth like tombstones, smoke billowing everywhere, and the air filled with the pungent smell of sulfur.

At the very top of all this, Douglas Barrett stands like a mountain.

His muscular body was covered in scars, yet it still exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

"The Navy...this is never going to end." He grinned maliciously, crushing the tattered Navy branch captain's weapon in his hand, his pupils sweeping across the sea.

"Unfortunately, no matter how many small fry come, the result will be the same..."

Before he could finish speaking, a pale white particle ray suddenly tore through the air, heading straight for his brow!

Barrett's pupils contracted sharply, his Observation Haki triggered a frantic warning, and at the critical moment, he jerked his head to the side.

"Whoosh!" The ray, accompanied by a strong wind, grazed his cheek and blasted a huge crater a hundred meters in diameter into the rock wall behind him, causing the entire island to tremble!

“This kind of attack…” Barrett slowly turned his head, his gaze piercing the sea like a blade.

He initially thought he would be the user of the Glint-Glint Fruit, but...

At the bow of the warship, Gern was withdrawing his fingertips, and the high-frequency vibrating particles wrapped around them slowly dissipated.

The sea breeze lifted his cloak of justice, revealing the black sword Bahuang wrapped in gray and white bandages around his waist.

"Looks like you're much stronger than you were back then..." A dangerous smile crept across Gern's lips.

"I crushed you with one punch, little Barrett."

Seeing Guern's smile, Barrett's pupils trembled, and the humiliating scene from years ago flashed through his mind.

Especially since he was also the one who arrested Roger!

"Earthquake!!!" Barrett's roar echoed through the sky.

The Conqueror's Haki erupted like a tsunami, and a dark aura instantly enveloped the entire island!

The ground beneath his feet suddenly collapsed, and the violent shockwave blew away all the surrounding debris.

Gern remained motionless, merely raising his hand slightly.

"Whoosh!" A purple-black arc of Conqueror's Haki exploded from his body, colliding with Barrett's Haki in mid-air, instantly tearing the sky in two!

“You can’t beat Roger, but…” Barrett’s eyes widened, then he burst into laughter.