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

However, Whitebeard's Murakumogiri remained as steady as a rock, and the white light from its vibrations became even more dazzling!

In an instant, two completely different vibrational forces clashed wildly between the blades, compressing the atmosphere to its limit.

Shockingly, as Gern exerted his reckless strength, his highly condensed and collapsing vibrating particles...

It actually started to erode and decompose Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Power in reverse, just like a drill!

At the point of contact between the Murakumogiri blade and the white crystal, tiny, spiderweb-like cracks appeared, as if it had been struck by billions of high-frequency impacts!

Upon realizing this, Whitebeard's ever-present, heroic smile froze on his face for the first time, and a genuine look of astonishment flashed deep in his pupils!

"This brat's ability... is it a Logia-type?! His tremor ability has become a Logia-type?"

Before he could finish speaking, the keel of Marco's ship, which had been pushed several nautical miles away, emitted a chilling groan of impending collapse under the strain!

Upon seeing this, Whitebeard's eyes narrowed: "Naval brat... your abilities are far more terrifying than mine!"

Besides, without a boat... I'd be really annoyed.

"So, I'm sorry!!" As soon as he finished speaking, a crimson light burst forth from the depths of Whitebeard's pupils as if it were a tangible substance!

It was no longer an invisible pressure, but transformed into a viscous, tangible torrent of destruction wrapped with dark red lightning, which crashed onto the blade of Murakumogiri!

Overlord color entanglement!!

The originally white vibrational halo was instantly dyed into a mixture of black and red!

"Bang, crack!!" It was only for the instant of contact!

"Bang!" In just an instant, Gern felt an unprecedented force pressing down on him like a tidal wave.

The Black Blade - Eight Desolations emitted a piercing wail, and the vibrating particles were forcefully dispersed by the Conqueror's Haki!

There was no chance to resist! His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, carving a trench a kilometer long in the sea.

Ultimately, only through elemental transformation and Whitebeard's restraint in not killing him were they able to barely crash back onto the warship's deck like cannonballs.

Two deep, charred furrows, revealing the ship's hull, were plowed out, barely managing to stabilize the ship's near-collapse.

......

On the warship, Gern knelt deeply in the wrecked deck, his feet sinking into the sand, his right arm covered in his combat uniform, which had long since turned to ashes.

The exposed area revealed a gruesome sight: torn muscle fibers, cracked bones, and a blood-soaked mess resembling a tattered rag bag.

The Black Blade, Eight Desolations, was deeply embedded in the molten steel deck, its blade dull and lifeless.

"Cough!" Gern coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, his body swaying violently, blood continuously spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He struggled to lift his head, his vision blurred, and he could only barely make out the figure that stood tall like a mountain in the distance.

On the distant sea, the white-bearded man stood proudly at the bow of the ship, his Murakumogiri, still wreathed in black and red arcs of electricity, slammed heavily onto the deck with a dull thud.

The lingering power of the Overlord's Haki still crackled in the air, like countless tiny dark red lightning snakes slithering about.

"Gurararara! It can make me serious, even to the point of using Conqueror's Haki to entwine me..."

A loud, booming laugh came from the white-bearded man, his eyes gleaming with undisguised admiration.

"You little rascal...you're so funny!!"

"Was my all-out attack... merely 'fun'?"

Amidst the dizziness from excessive blood loss and the lingering pressure of Conqueror's Haki, the white-bearded figure before Gern gradually disappeared from his sight.

.......

Meanwhile, after Whitebeard left, the naval warship was indeed deathly silent.

All the naval soldiers stood frozen in place, their eyes fixed on the figure kneeling on one knee on the deck.

Gern Reginald Sigma!

Just now, they witnessed this young naval warrant officer.

Clash head-on with Edward Newgate, the legendary monster who rivals Roger and Shiki in the modern era!

It even...forced Whitebeard to use Conqueror's Haki!

“Is that really… Warrant Officer Gern? And not Vice Admiral Gern?” A naval soldier’s voice trembled, and he could barely hold his gun.

In his mind, only Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, the top forces among the Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals, were capable of fighting these monsters.

“It’s true! He actually… fought Whitebeard head-on…” another person murmured, his eyes filled with disbelief.

“No, it’s not just a head-on clash…” A naval vice admiral took a deep breath, his voice low and resounding.

"Didn't you hear what Whitebeard said? He admitted that Warrant Officer Gern made him take things seriously."

In an instant, the way all the navy personnel looked at Gern completely changed.

From the initial disdain and skepticism when picking people up from the West China branch to the awe they feel now!

Even more so, there was a hint of indescribable fanaticism mixed in with it!

However, Gern seemed oblivious to the stares around him, slowly raising his right hand, blood dripping from his fingertips, his entire arm still trembling uncontrollably.

"The gap... is it really still too big?" he murmured softly, his voice hoarse, yet carrying an unprecedented clarity.

But surprisingly, his eyes were brighter than ever before!

That wasn't frustration, but...excitement!

"I saw it...I saw it..."

"That thing I've been waiting for..." Before he could finish speaking, his body finally gave way and he fell heavily forward!

"Warrant Lieutenant Gern!!"

Upon seeing Gern fall, the sailors on the warship panicked instantly, and several medics rushed forward frantically.

Chapter 22 Reaction

The waves surged, and Whitebeard's pirate ship slowly regained its stability amidst the aftershocks.

Marco folded his blue flame wings and landed steadily beside Whitebeard, a hint of confusion and worry between his brows.

"Dad!" he couldn't help but ask, "With that strike just now, you could have easily pulverized that warship, why did you stop?"

"Hmm?" Whitebeard leaned Murakumogiri against the deck and burst into his signature loud laugh upon hearing this.

"Gurararara! Marco, didn't you hear me just now?"

"When that brat gave his name, he said..."

"His name, 'Gern,' will one day resound throughout the seas!" the white-beard repeated, his eyes gleaming, his voice booming.

"So... I'm really looking forward to it! But what surprises me even more is that his strength is comparable to mine when I was young."

Seeing his father's excited expression, as if he had just adopted him as a son, Marco's eyelids twitched, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

So he subconsciously rubbed his temples, his tone full of helplessness: "Hey... Dad, you're not going to... do it again..."

At this point, Marco took a deep breath and almost groaned as he uttered the answer: "You want to adopt that navy guy as your son, don't you?!"

"..."

The air froze the moment Marco uttered those words.

The white-bearded man's magnanimous smile froze on his face, then turned into a hint of embarrassment at being caught red-handed.

He stroked his signature crescent-shaped mustache, threw his head back and laughed, trying to hide his laughter: "Gulp ulp ulp! You saw right through me!"

“Dad!” Marco rolled his eyes dramatically, his voice filled with a deep sense of helplessness.

"I knew it! You always do this when you see a new person who seems interesting!"

Seeing Marco's helpless expression, Whitebeard didn't care at all.

Instead, he patted Marco on the shoulder with great interest: "What? Jealous? Don't worry, you'll always be my best son!"

Marco slapped his hand away with a look of disgust: "Who's jealous!"

I mean, that guy's in the Navy! The Navy!

Moreover, he's a monster rookie who can go toe-to-toe with his father without using Haki, relying solely on his Devil Fruit ability and strength!

And his Devil Fruit ability is really...

"Ara!" Whitebeard merely grinned, interrupting Marco, before gazing intently at the distant sea.

"So what if he's in the Navy? Didn't that bastard Roger serve in the Navy too?"

"Gurgle la la! As long as you have the ocean in your heart, one day..."

"Roger just put on a navy uniform on a whim during the raid on the naval base!"

"Huh?!" Whitebeard exclaimed in surprise. "Is that so?"

"By the way, Marco, do you believe in fate?"

"Dad, you didn't drink any alcohol today!"

"Gurararara!" Whitebeard waved his hand. "They're all the same!"

"And I'm really looking forward to seeing that kid in the navy named Gern!"

Seeing his father's expression, Marco could only shake his head helplessly, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

"Seriously... I just can't do anything with you."

After saying that, Marco turned and walked towards the ship's side, preparing to repair the damaged deck.

However, just as Marco turned his back and his gaze left his face...

The smile on Whitebeard's face vanished abruptly, replaced by a deep and solemn expression.

His rugged brows were furrowed, and his gaze was fixed intently on the surging sea.

“That knife…” In his mind, the image of the double-edged sword in Gern’s hand, its blade as black as an abyss and covered with dark red cracks, clearly appeared.

Remove the vibrating particles wrapped around the blade, and the unique dark red cracks

And there's that familiar, domineering aura of Rocks, forged with an oppressive force that seems capable of devouring everything...

"I won't mistake you..." The white-bearded man's deep voice was almost inaudible, yet it contained a mixture of shock and complex emotions.

That's Rocks's sword!

The man who once dominated the seas, the man who made the world government tremble—Rocks D. Giebeck!

"Why... is it in that brat's hands?"

Whitebeard's fist clenched involuntarily, and the hilt of the Murakumogiri emitted a faint hum in his palm.

Various speculations flashed through his mind, but in the end, Whitebeard simply sighed deeply, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"How ironic, isn't it! Rocks..."

"You've always been the one who hates the Navy and the World Government the most."

But now your sword is in the hands of a navy officer, and it's starting to shake the sea..."

.......

Three days later, the naval ship's medical room

Gern, lying on the bed wrapped in bandages, slowly opened his eyes, the smell of disinfectant filling his nostrils.

The dull pain radiating from all parts of his body reminded him of the earth-shattering battle that had taken place not long ago.

He tried moving his fingers, and thankfully, they weren't damaged.

"Too impulsive..."

After waking up, Gern stared at the ceiling, calmly reviewing the events in his mind.

To dare to confront Whitebeard head-on at the peak of his power was practically a gamble with his life.

Fortunately, it was Whitebeard; if it had been someone like Shiki, with his ruthless personality...

I'm afraid the other side won't hold back at all; I'm already a corpse.

But soon, a sharp smile appeared on Gern's lips.

However, he won his gamble.