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

This little bit of pain... isn't even enough to tickle me!

Barrett actually took the blame for Enel, bearing all the injuries and pain he suffered from being ejected!

In that instant, as the dark red bear paw energy, containing all of Enel's severe injuries and pain, completely surged into Barrett's body...

Even his body, which had been tempered and was comparable to a monster, let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain!

In an instant, Barrett's bulging muscles tensed to their limit, and countless capillaries on his skin ruptured.

Fine beads of blood seeped from every pore, turning him into a blood-soaked figure!

Several deep, bone-revealing wounds flashed across his body, a manifestation of the deadly injuries Enel had suffered raging within him!

The intense pain is enough to make even the toughest man faint instantly!

However, Barrett just clenched his teeth tightly and didn't even let out a muffled groan!

He stood there like a rock, enduring and digesting all the painful energy surging into his body in the most savage and direct way!

Gern watched this scene, his eyes flashing with a complex expression, but in the end he did not intervene.

He understood that this was the way Barrett had chosen.

He then gave a slight nod to the others in the ward, and quietly led Kuma, Hawkeye, Tesoro, and the others out of the ward.

She gently closed the door, leaving the space to Enel on the hospital bed and the man covered in blood, silently enduring everything.

A deathly silence fell over the ward, broken only by Barrett's heavy, suppressed breathing and the faint smell of blood in the air...

.........

After an unknown amount of time, the sun set, and its warm, orange-red light streamed through the hospital room window, filling the room with its glow.

On the hospital bed, Enel's eyelashes trembled slightly, then he slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, and he subconsciously raised his hand to touch the spot in his chest that should have been pierced through...

It was completely smooth to the touch, without even a single scar.

"Huh...?" he uttered a questioning syllable, his voice still a little hoarse. "I... I'm still alive?"

He clearly remembered being attacked by those two monstrous enemies, his body torn apart, lightning scattered, and his consciousness sinking into endless darkness... How could such injuries be...?

Just as he was puzzled, he caught a glimpse of the scene by the window out of the corner of his eye.

Bathed in the blood-red glow of the setting sun, a towering, imposing figure stood motionless by the window, his back to him, arms crossed over his chest.

The man was covered in blood, his muscular back streaked with a mixture of dried and fresh scabs.

Some of his wounds were still bleeding slightly, making him look like a demon who had returned from hell.

Seeing this, Enel's expression suddenly trembled, his pupils contracted slightly, and he almost blurted out:

"Barrett... Barrett?! You... how could you..."

Upon hearing Enel's voice, Barrett, standing by the window, slowly turned around.

His blood-stained face remained expressionless, his eyes still holding that cold indifference and disdain as if looking at trash.

He looked down at Enel, who had just woken up on the sickbed, and let out a disdainful snort: "Hmph..."

"The so-called 'god'..."

"It's nothing special."

Chapter 320 Do you think I can't keep you?

After leaving Enel's hospital room, Gern whispered a few quick instructions to Tesoro.

Upon hearing this, Tesoro's expression instantly turned extremely serious. He nodded heavily, without asking a single further question.

He immediately left with Toritoma, Lipo, Kuma, Hawkeye, and others, seemingly to carry out some urgent order.

In the blink of an eye, only Gern was left in the corridor.

Instead of going to the command post, he went alone to a relatively secluded small garden inside the base.

The area is lush with greenery, and in the center there is a simple stone table and two stone benches.

Gern sat down alone at the stone table, but unusually took out two teacups and slowly filled them with tea.

He then picked up the cup in front of him, took a small sip, looked at the empty stone bench in front of him, and said calmly, "Tell me."

The moment the words fell

"Whoosh!" Countless golden light particles condensed in mid-air above the stone bench opposite, quickly outlining a human figure.

The next second, Borsalino, wearing the cloak of a Marine Admiral, was already sitting leisurely on the stone bench with his legs crossed.

"How terrifying~" Kizaru said in his uniquely strange tone, picked up another cup of tea on the stone table, and blew on it to cool it down.

"I never expected that after going out, not only would you have completely subdued Hawkeye Mihawk, but even that 'tyrant' from the Revolutionary Army would come back with you!"

Genn, your talent for poaching other people's partners is something even I'm ashamed of!

So, have you considered me?

Kizaru tried to ease the tension with his usual banter and probe Gern's attitude.

However, Gern didn't buy it at all.

He put down his teacup, staring coldly at Kizaru without any pleasantries, tearing away all pretense: "Did Sengoku send you to stop me, Kizaru?"

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of questioning.

Hearing Gern directly address him by his codename "Kizaru" instead of the somewhat teasing "Borsalino-senpai" he usually used was heartening.

Kizaru's fingers, holding the teacup, paused almost imperceptibly, and the nonchalant smile on his face faded slightly as he thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

He knew that Gern was truly enraged in his current state, and any jokes or tests would be pointless.

So Kizaru put down his teacup, his tone no longer so flippant, but still carrying a hint of admonition: "Gern-kun, don't say such harsh things."

The marshal was also considering the overall situation.

After all... some things, once done, truly have no turning back.

“And…” He paused, trying to persuade from a different angle, “Is it really… necessary to go to this extent, Gern?”

"Is it necessary? Heh!" Upon hearing this, Gern's lips curled into a cold smile: "You shouldn't be asking me this question."

His gaze was sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through Kizaru: "You should ask those five in Pangaea in Mary Geoise, and those bastards in the Knights of God!"

Ask them if they considered the consequences before they took action!

Kizaru was momentarily speechless, taken aback by the undisguised killing intent and resolute determination in Gern's words. He sighed and changed direction.

"But... the Navy Headquarters will absolutely not allow you to act recklessly."

This will cause…” Before he could finish speaking, Gern interrupted him, his voice becoming even colder.

"Naval Headquarters? Ha... Isn't Enel a commodore? Isn't G-10 a naval base?"

They didn't care about naval rules when they made their move!

Kizaru instinctively replied, "But Enel is already..."

However, as soon as he uttered the word "already," Kizaru's voice abruptly stopped!

Because he clearly saw, the moment he uttered those two words, a flicker of coldness in Gern's already icy eyes...

Suddenly, a murderous intent that was almost tangible burst forth!

At the same time, the fingers of Gern's right hand, which was resting on the stone table, twitched almost imperceptibly!

Kizaru was saved by his top-tier Observation Haki and lightning-fast reaction speed honed through years of combat!

Almost at the same instant that Guern's murderous intent erupted

Kizaru's body instantly transformed into elements, exploding into countless dazzling golden light particles, and retreated rapidly to the side and rear at the speed of light!

This is his most instinctive reaction when faced with danger!

The light particles quickly re-condensed a dozen meters away, revealing Kizaru's figure, a trace of astonishment still lingering on his face.

He thought he had already created a safe distance...

However, the moment his form solidified, a chilling, sharp sensation pressed against the skin of his throat!

The sheer sharpness of it made the hairs on his neck stand on end!

Kizaru's pupils suddenly contracted, and he glanced down slightly in disbelief.

The black knife, which had been wrapped in old, grayish-white bandages, was now completely freed!

The bandages disappeared completely, revealing a deep, dark, and terrifying blade covered with dark cracks!

Gern glanced coldly at Kizaru out of the corner of his eye, and said, word by word...

"you……"

"You think I..."

"Can't I keep you here?"

Borsalino.

For the last four words, Gern didn't use his code name anymore, but called him by his real name.

But the use of that real name was more terrifying than any threat at that moment!

All expression vanished from Kizaru's face, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and... a hint of disbelief and horror!

Moving at the speed of light... and I still couldn't completely dodge it?! No, it was him who perfectly predicted my location!

Has this guy's control over vibrations reached such an unbelievable level?!

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze!

The temperature inside the small garden seemed to have plummeted to freezing!

All expression vanished from Kizaru's face, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

You can even feel the surrounding air beginning to distort and tremble slightly, with countless invisible vibrating particles converging wildly!

He knew that Guern's words were definitely not a joke.

If his answer doesn't satisfy the other person, then in the next instant...

This quiet little garden is likely to become the battlefield for the two admirals!

Chapter 321 The Concealed 'Face'

I, Kizaru Borsalino, am an admiral who upholds "ambiguous justice" and is well-versed in the ways of workplace survival.

I've never been the kind of person who would fight to the death with a monster of the same level just for a monthly salary of 500 Berries (metaphorically speaking).

So, after clearly sensing Gern's undisguised killing intent and the Eight Desolations sword pressed tightly against his throat...

He very decisively... chose to follow his heart.

“Then, then, then! You know, Mr. Gern.”

"I've always supported you." Kizaru maintained his slightly raised hands, his tone returning to its characteristic cadence, but the words were filled with compromise.

"Since you've made your decision, Mr. Gern... then I won't say anything more."

As he spoke, he carefully and very slowly tilted his head back slightly and pushed the Eight Desolations with his fingers.

He moved his throat away from the blade, forcing a completely insincere smile: "After all, we've been colleagues, so I'll just offer you my support in spirit..."

"Good luck~" After saying that, he didn't give Gern a chance to attack again, and his body once again transformed into countless golden light particles.

This time, however, it wasn't a short-distance teleportation; instead, it rapidly disappeared into the sky outside the G-10 base.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the horizon, running much faster than it had come.

Escape at the speed of light, truly living up to its name.

Of course, while escaping, Kizaru didn't forget to use the encrypted Den Den Mushi to report the situation he had gathered.

Especially given the intelligence that Gern has returned to G-10 with an extremely tough stance and the appearance of the Revolutionary Army's "Tyrant" Kuma.

He gave a concise and clear report to Sengoku, who was far away in Marineford.