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

As Gern watched his food rapidly diminish, he subtly pulled his plate closer to himself.

"Captain Kuzan, if you're so curious, why don't you go and test Whitebeard's strength yourself?"

"Don't be so stingy~" Kuzan reached for Gern's steak again, "I'm on vacation, and besides..."

Suddenly, Gurn's fork shot out with astonishing speed, pinning precisely to the table in front of Kuzan's about-to-succeed fingers.

"Wow!" Kuzan whistled. "Not bad."

“Thank you for the compliment.” Gurn slowly put his fork away. “However, I would have preferred you to praise my table manners rather than my self-defense skills.”

Kuzan burst into laughter, drawing stares from the navy members at the surrounding tables.

He leaned back in his chair, seemingly unconcerned: "I like you, Guern."

Most newcomers are so nervous they can't speak when they meet me.

"Maybe it's because they've never seen you steal other people's food."

“Sharing is a virtue.” Kuzan, unashamed but rather proud, picked up Guern’s spoon and tasted the soup.

"Hmm, the cream of mushroom soup is good today."

Gern sighed and simply pushed the entire soup bowl towards Kuzan: "Please have some. It seems my lunch has become our lunch."

“That’s more like it.” Kuzan nodded in satisfaction. “In return, I’ll give you some inside information.”

Instructor Zefa wasn't in a good mood today; he argued with the Marshal about the new recruit training plan this morning.

Gern raised an eyebrow: "Is this good news or bad news?"

"It depends on how you think about it." Kuzan licked the soup off the spoon.

"The bad news is that he might be tougher, but the good news is that he will take your challenges seriously and won't go easy on you."

"That's really good news!" Gern said with a forced smile.

Kuzan suddenly became serious: "Hey, don't underestimate yourself."

There aren't many people who can withstand a single blow from Whitebeard.

Just as Gern was about to retort that it wasn't a coincidence, Kuzan resumed his lazy expression.

"But seriously, are you sure you don't need steel plates? I can lend you a few."

“No need.” Gern waved his hand, then glanced at Kuzan’s bandaged hands. “However, I think you do need one.”

"Huh! Hahahaha!" Kuzan burst into laughter, realizing what was happening.

"Interesting. I'll come see you this afternoon, so don't disappoint me, my friend."

Gern looked at his almost empty plate, then at Kuzan's nonchalant departure, and shook his head helplessly: "At least leave the spoon..."

Kuzan waved his hand without turning his head, and the soup spoon magically flew out of his sleeve, spinning and landing precisely back in Gern's plate.

Guern stared at the spoon for a few seconds before noticing a thin layer of frost had formed on the surface of his water glass.

"interesting."

Gern smiled, then got up to get some more food, only to find that the atmosphere in the cafeteria had changed again.

Now, people look at him with not only awe, but also curiosity and envy.

Clearly, his familiar conversation with Kuzan, one of the Navy's three current top rookies, has made him even more mysterious in the eyes of others.

"Tsk, looks like there will be more audience members this afternoon than expected," Gern muttered to himself, then served himself another large plate of food.

Chapter 29 Zephyr vs. Gern

At 3 p.m., outside Marineford Naval Academy.

Gern stood at the entrance to the training field, stunned by the sight before him. Outside Training Field No. 1, a large crowd had gathered.

The area outside the stadium was filled with naval personnel, ranging from ordinary soldiers to colonels, and even a few generals stood watching from a distance.

In the front row, he recognized several familiar faces.

Flying Squirrel, Onigumo, Doberman... these future vice admirals are still students at this moment.

"Gern! Go for it! Show the same fighting spirit you had when you fought Whitebeard!"

"You have to give it your all!!" Garp's loud voice was particularly noticeable.

"I didn't expect there to be so many people," Gern muttered to himself.

"What? Are you scared?" Zephyr's voice came from behind.

Gern turned around and saw that Zefa had changed into his training clothes, his short purple hair standing out in the sunlight.

"I just didn't expect Lieutenant General Zephyr to be so popular," Gern chuckled dryly.

“Ha.” Zephyr snorted. “They didn’t come to see me.”

With that, he strode towards the center of the training field, "Come on, let me see your current strength."

As the two entered the arena, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Gern took a deep breath, took off the Eight Desolations from his back and handed it to the guards on the sidelines, then slowly walked into the training field to stand opposite Zefa.

The sunlight shone directly on the sand in the vast training field, reflecting a dazzling light.

Standing on the field, Gern could clearly feel countless eyes focused on him, some of which were particularly intense.

Kuzan leaned against a tree in the distance, seemingly nonchalant, yet his gaze was piercing.

Dorrag stood at the edge of the crowd, his expression inscrutable.

And through the windows of the naval academy, several familiar little heads could be seen peeking out...

"Don't get distracted." Zephyr's voice pulled Gern back to reality.

"You don't need to worry about me today, you don't even need to hold back."

"You can fully unleash your Devil Fruit power, after all, I'm also curious about... the Tremor-Tremor of the Logia type."

“Since that’s the case…” Gern nodded upon hearing Zephyr’s words, his left hand slightly outstretched upwards.

"Is it alright if I call you Teacher Zefa?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the vibrating particles condensed, like a white energy body floating in the palm of his hand, causing the surrounding air to tremble.

"You should have called me that a long time ago, you stupid disciple." Zephyr didn't move an inch, but slowly raised his right fist, the pitch-black Armament Haki covering his entire arm as if it were a tangible substance.

"Remember, Gern." Zephyr's voice, amplified by his domineering presence, resounded throughout the entire arena.

"Domineering aura comes from momentum, willpower, and spiritual strength."

You must experience things to realize your potential!

You've already experienced the peak of Conqueror's Haki with Whitebeard.

"Now I will show you with your own eyes the pinnacle of Armament Haki and the application of Observation Haki." Before he finished speaking, Zephyr had already vanished from the spot.

"So fast!" Gern's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively dodged to the left, but it was too late.

A simple, unadorned straight punch landed directly on his abdomen.

With a loud "bang!", Gern's body flew backward like a cannonball and crashed heavily into the wall of the training ground.

The entire wall cracked instantly, sending rubble flying everywhere.

The area outside was deathly silent.

Gern slid down from the dent in the wall, kneeling on one knee, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. He then looked up at Zephyr in shock.

This punch not only struck his physical body, but also directly shattered his elemental state!

"This is... top-tier Armament Haki?" Gern wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly stood up.

“Completely different from that half-baked Logot!”

"Do you understand now..." Zephyr stood still, maintaining his punching stance.

"In the new world, there are countless people who can harm Logia-type Devil Fruit users."

Without your commanding presence, you're nothing but a paper tiger.

“And…” Zephyr’s lips suddenly curled up, and he shouted.

"At that level, I find it hard to imagine that you could have taken on Whitebeard back then, Gern!!"

"Heh." Faced with Zefa's roar, Gern laughed, this time a genuine laugh from the heart.

He moved his shoulders, and at the same time, the vibrations in the air became noticeably more intense.

"Since that's the case..." Suddenly, eight white vibrating particle spheres condensed around Gern.

"Get ready, Mr. Zephyr!!!"

"Heavenly Tremor - Eight Extremes Jade!" Eight vibrating particle spheres shot out and exploded in front of Zefa.

The shockwave, distorting space, spread like ripples, and the ground instantly collapsed, revealing a spiderweb-like network of cracks.

However, with his arms crossed, Zephyr's dark Armament Haki acted like an indestructible armor, tearing the shockwave apart!

Boom! A shockwave erupted, dust storms swept through, and the naval personnel outside the arena retreated in disarray.

"As expected of Lieutenant General Zephyr, he was able to withstand even such a terrifying tremor!"

"Instant Shock - Rail Slide!" Gern's gaze sharpened, and his figure suddenly blurred.

The air particles beneath his feet were instantly compressed into a high-density orbit, and his figure shot out in a straight line like a bullet, with a speed approaching the speed of sound!

Almost simultaneously, a white vortex gathered in his left foot, poised to strike.

"Next, let's begin... the execution of 'Zhen'!"

“A good choice. But…” Zephyr said coldly, his Observation Haki already predicting the trajectory.

"A straight-line attack with a side kick is just like Borsalino's approach—too naive!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zephyr dodged to the side, his left fist wrapped in Armament Haki, and he delivered an uppercut straight to Gern's jaw!

"Bang!" The fist pierced through the afterimage.

At the critical moment, Gern activated Shockwave, preemptively transforming into his element to avoid the attack and then teleporting behind Zephyr!

"Is he an idiot, Teacher Zefa?!" Gern's fists vibrated rapidly as he repeatedly struck Zefa's back.

"Heavenly Tremor - Star-Shattering Fist!" In an instant, the air cracked like glass, each strike capable of shattering steel!

"It's only been a year since it was developed, but I didn't expect you to be this good!" Zephyr didn't even turn his head, delivering a backhand elbow strike, Armament Haki and Vibration Energy clashing violently.

"Crack!!!" The moment the two forces collided, the shockwave exploded in a spherical shape, and the training ground collapsed!

Onigumo, who was watching the battle, was forced to draw his sword and plant it in the ground to steady himself, while Momonga's eyes widened: "Even the terrain!"

"He's got some skills!" Amidst the dust, Zephyr took a half-step back, tearing off his tattered sleeve before turning his gaze to the sky.

Gern, who had been thrown into the air by the recoil above the training field, swung his arms wildly as he flipped in mid-air, shouting, "Heavenly Tremor - Thousand Light Wheels!"

Hundreds of tiny white light rings poured down like a torrential rain. Zephyr shook his arms, covered his entire body with Armament Haki, and actually took the hit with his bare body!

At the moment the light wheel struck, high-frequency vibrations raged wildly, shattering the ground layer by layer. But Zefa remained as immovable as a reef, with only a deep pit forming beneath his feet!

"Since that's the case!" Gern leaped into the air several times, spreading his arms wide. In an instant, countless vibrating particles frantically condensed across the entire sky.

"Heavenly Roar - Meteor Shower!" Countless compressed shock spheres the size of basketballs fell like meteors, covering the entire battlefield!

"Back off!!" Garp shouted a stern warning, and the surrounding Marines hastily retreated.

The next instant, "BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"

The continuous blasts turned the training ground into a boiling furnace, with shockwaves mixed with ear-piercing noise raging and the windows of distant school buildings shattering!

"FrOZen Capsule!" Kuzan raised his hand, freezing all the flying debris around him.

"Does this kind of Devil Fruit power really exist...?" Dragon stared in shock at the training ground, which was shattering from the tremors, and murmured in astonishment.

"This is far more terrifying than Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit."

It's practically... a "natural disaster" that can destroy the world at will without any side effects!

Chapter 30 A Man Like a "Natural Disaster"