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

In the scene, wisps of smoke rise from the charred crater, and the glassy ground reflects an eerie luster.

Gern struggled to his feet and finally collapsed beside Kuzan.

The voice, weary yet incredibly clear, said, "It seems... today the 'tremor' on my side slightly outweighed your 'freeze,' Kuzan."

This sentence seemed to pierce through space, echoing faintly in the quiet hall, before slowly fading away along with the screen.

The projection bug wearily closed its eyes, and the room fell into an even longer, deathly silence.

On three sofas, the five elders, the world's highest authority, stood or sat in various postures, but each face was shrouded in an unyielding solemnity.

Previously, there might have been some anticipation for this "performance" they were leading, and a cold-blooded observation of the internal strife within the navy.

But at this moment, those emotions have been replaced by deeper reflections.

In particular, this was the first time the Five Elders had witnessed Gern's battle firsthand.

"Hoo..." Topman Vochuli Saint, dressed in a dark suit and with white curly hair, broke the silence first, making a crisp knocking sound.

"It was truly... a battle between monsters."

Kuzan's strength was already at the top of the ocean, but I never expected..."

“I never imagined that the power of ‘Heavenly Tremor’ could tear apart and suppress the ultimate ‘Freeze’,” Marcus Mazsan remarked, stroking his long beard as usual.

"Especially that last one, which transforms the vibration into extreme heat..."

Ah, the power of that fruit is far more dangerous than we initially assessed.

"It's just that the form in which energy is expressed has undergone a qualitative change."

Jaigolusia Satan's deep voice rang out, carrying an inhuman calmness.

After all, as a scientist, he saw things more clearly.

"It's not impossible to use high-frequency vibrations to generate thermal effects, but it's even more challenging to combine these two properties and unleash a burst of power that can instantly shatter Kuzan's defenses..."

It's not just the fruit's power, but also the user's terrifying talent and aptitude that drives it.

After all, there are very few people on the high seas who can achieve such extreme control over Logia-type abilities.

“Qualifications? Hmph!” Shepard X. Peter Saint sneered, his tone filled with undisguised apprehension. “That’s the most troublesome thing!”

A guy who possesses such power yet lacks reverence for the descendants of God, even openly humiliating them, and outwardly obeying but inwardly defying the orders of the World Government!

Allowing him to continue wielding such power is itself a risk of things spiraling out of control!

We initially pushed for this 'battle' to see if Kuzan could suppress him.

Or at least both sides would be severely injured, but now…” He paused, his gaze sweeping over the other four.

"Should we stick to the original plan? Or should we go with the flow and promote him to general? But what if he gains more power and freedom..."

The last words were left unsaid, but the meaning was self-evident.

A Gorn whose strength surpasses that of a general (Kuzan) and who is uncontrollable is not something they want to see.

“This matter certainly requires careful consideration.” At this moment, Izambaron V. Nassshuro adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses flickering uncertainly.

"After all, whether or not one is promoted is related to the balance of the Navy and even the World Government."

"Gern Reginald Sigmar's fighting power is a double-edged sword. If used well, it will be an invincible shield for the World Government against pirates. If used poorly..." He shook his head.

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy, and the scales of judgment seemed to begin to tip...

Satan spoke again, his tone still calm and even: "Regarding Gern's promotion and subsequent arrangements, perhaps we don't need to rush to conclusions."

Before you arrived, I received a communication request from the Sengoku period.

“Warring States period?” Vochuli Saint frowned. “He contacted us because of Gern?”

“That’s right,” Satan Saint said slowly. “According to him, before stepping down, Steelbone Kong seemed to have made a decision that shocked and was difficult for him to accept.”

This decision directly concerns Gern Reginald Sigmar.

"Steelbow Kong?" A hint of doubt flashed in Maz Saint's eyes. "What kind of trick is that old guy planning before he retires?"

"The specific details, the Warring States period demands in person." Satan Saint's gaze swept over his colleague.

He claimed that this matter concerned the future stability of the navy and that it had to be discussed with the five of us personally.

After all, in a few months, he would officially be in charge of the navy.

“Power…” Peter Saint scoffed, a mocking laugh tinged with a knowing understanding of human nature.

"Once you have someone in your hands, you won't want to give them away, especially not to such an uncontrollable subordinate."

It seems that even the 'wise general' Sengoku couldn't completely tolerate the 'legacy' left behind by Kong.

A brief silence fell over the hall once again.

The five elders exchanged glances, and unspoken messages flowed between them.

In the end, Sacred Vocuri made a decision: "In that case, let's hear what Sengoku has to say."

Perhaps he can offer us a new approach to dealing with 'skyquakes'.

"Pass down the message and arrange for Sengoku to come to Mary Geoise as soon as possible."

As he spoke, his gaze returned to the now-extinguished projection insect, as if he could still see the island that had been ravaged by destruction.

"All decisions regarding Gern Reginald Sigmar shall be suspended until the Navy's 'internal opinions' have been heard."

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the side door of the room, and after permission was obtained...

A CP0 member dressed in a white uniform and wearing a mask silently walked quickly to Satan Saint's side, whispered a few words, and presented him with a thin report.

Satan Saint's originally calm expression froze almost imperceptibly for a moment upon hearing a certain word.

He waved away the CP0 officer, his gaze sweeping over the keywords in the report.

“Ohara,” “Historical Text,” “Breakthrough in the study of the blank century.”

In an instant, the tense atmosphere that had been surrounding Gern in the hall suddenly changed.

A deeper, more absolute, and more unassailable cold majesty emanated from the five people.

Compared to the taboo represented by the "Void Century," even the world-destroying power displayed by Gern was nothing.

At this moment, it seems to have become a relatively "minor" trouble that can be temporarily set aside.

“Ohara…” A cold glint flashed behind Nasujiro Sei’s glasses, his voice low and terrifying: “Those scholars, they still won’t settle down, will they?”

“It seems there are more pressing matters to attend to than the internal power distribution within the Navy.” Mazsan’s tone turned icy, as if all the previous considerations had been instantly forgotten.

"An absolute ban of eight hundred years, which shall not tolerate any provocation."

In the eyes of the Saint of Vochuli, there was no longer any consideration for combat value; only absolute killing intent remained.

"Anyone who tries to pry into that history must be completely eliminated."

Although Saint Peter and Saint Satan did not speak, their eyes said it all.

Gern's problem is important, but O'Hara's movements touch upon the most fundamental bottom line of the World Government's existence, making it the absolute highest priority issue.

Chapter 245 Post-War Healing

Meanwhile, in the center of Sakapatchi Island

Scorched earth and freezing ice intertwined eerily. Inside the pit, Gern and Kuzan lay side by side, one breathing heavily with a dazed expression, the other completely unconscious.

"Gern!" At that moment, a white figure tore through the billowing smoke and dust with astonishing speed, becoming the first to rush into the center of the battlefield.

Libo's face was filled with anxiety; she hadn't even had time to take in the completely altered landscape around her.

All he could see was Gern's charred, drooping left arm, emitting wisps of white steam.

"It's alright, Lipo is here!" After saying that, Lipo squatted down without hesitation, her hands clasped together, and a soft green light emerged from her palms.

In the light, two crystal-clear carrots, as if carved from red crystal, slowly emerged, exuding a rich life force.

"Quick, Gern, eat it!" Lipo quickly shoved a healing carrot to Gern's mouth, her tone urgent and demanding.

This was before the "battle," when she used the Healing Fruit's power under Garp's guidance, expending a great deal of energy.

Healing carrots extracted from the resilient criminals on Level 6 of Impel Down.

Although it is nowhere near as good as the best one extracted from Oden back then, its healing power is still very strong.

Hearing the sound, Gren barely opened his eyes. Seeing the worry in Libo's eyes, he didn't ask any questions and took a bite.

The sweet juice melted in his mouth, instantly transforming into a surging yet gentle torrent of life, flowing into his limbs and bones.

The excruciating burning pain in his left arm subsided rapidly, and new flesh visibly grew beneath the charred skin. His excessive physical strength and domineering aura were also recovering at an astonishing speed.

Almost as soon as Gren began to swallow, Libo turned her gaze to the unconscious Kuzan beside her.

So he held another healing carrot in his palm, clasped his hands together, and an even more dazzling emerald green light burst forth.

"Healing Extraction, Life Infusion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the healing carrot rapidly decomposed in the light, transforming into the purest and most concentrated life energy.

Like a gentle stream of green light, guided by Ribo, it slowly flowed into the area of ​​Kuzan's chest that had been destroyed from the inside by "Shockwave: Molten Core Explosion," leaving it covered in charred cracks.

And as life energy surged in, Kuzan's near-collapse injuries were relieved as if a long-awaited rain had come after a drought.

The internal organs torn apart by the shockwave, the meridians burned by the high temperature, and the deep weakness caused by overexertion were all quickly soothed and repaired by this powerful healing force.

The energy from the carrot was exhausted. Although Kuzan's breathing had become much more stable, he was still unconscious.

Libo gritted her teeth and, without the slightest hesitation, conjured another healing carrot.

It was also converted into life energy and injected into Kuzan's body.

Consuming and converting two carrots of essence extracted from Level 6 criminals was an enormous burden even for Ribo.

Before long, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her face turned slightly pale.

But the effect is significant.

After the second surge of energy was injected, Kuzan's eyelashes trembled a few times, he let out a low groan, and then slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were initially unfocused and confused, but then quickly focused as he felt the surging vitality within him and his rapidly healing injuries.

So Kuzan instinctively used his hands to support himself on the ground and tried to move his body, and then... he actually rolled over and sat up!

"...That's...an incredible ability." Kuzan looked down at his chest, which had almost completely recovered.

I then examined the remaining, but no longer threatening, shock damage within my body.

Then she turned to look at Lipo, whose face was a little pale, and sincerely thanked her: "Thank you, our little rabbit brigadier general."

"It's good that you're alright! If you hadn't woken up, Lipo wouldn't have had the energy to transform into a third one!" Lipo waved her hand, her rabbit ears drooping limply.

On the other side, Gern had recovered most of his strength thanks to the healing carrot, and his left arm was now fully functional, though his face still showed signs of fatigue from the fierce battle.

He sat up, looked at Kuzan who had also sat up, and smirked: "Looks like you're pretty tough."

"Don't give me that..." Kuzan smiled helplessly upon hearing this, rubbing his still slightly aching chest.

"Did you hold back with that last thrust?"

"You noticed?"

"What do you say?"

Kuzan is still very aware of his own body.

In particular, the destructive energy that invaded the body experienced an extremely brief period of attenuation before its final eruption.

Otherwise, even with Ribo's incredible healing abilities, he would probably have to stay in bed for a year and a half.

It might even leave indelible scars, instead of allowing me to sit and talk like I do now.

Gern neither admitted nor denied it, but simply said, "Winning is enough."

Besides…” he glanced at Kuzan, “we really want to leave some permanent commemorative markings on you.”

"I'm not sure how to explain this to Professor Zeff; Vice Admiral Garp will probably be nagging me about it for years to come."

Kuzan paused for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head.

He knew that Guern was referring to those large, indelible, severe burn scars.

If it really turns out like that, it will be quite troublesome.