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

"Thank you!" Gern accepted it solemnly, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

As he walked home, Gern looked up at the starry sky, and the warm scene from tonight came to mind.

He knew what kind of pain Zefa would experience in the future, and that her gentle and virtuous smile would one day disappear.

"I absolutely cannot let that happen..." Guern clenched his fists and silently made up his mind.

.......

After Gern left, the Zephyr family home returned to silence.

Lina gently closed the door, and when she turned around, she found Zephyr standing by the window, looking in the direction where Gern had left, with a faint smile on his lips.

She walked over, hugged Zefa from behind, pressed her face against his back, and said softly, "Gern is a good boy, don't be too harsh on him."

Zefa didn't answer immediately, but simply raised his hand and placed it on the back of her hand, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles.

After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "Hmm, although he's a troublesome disciple, he's actually quite good."

Lina chuckled, walked around to face him, and looked up into his eyes: "You rarely bring students home for dinner, let alone personally coach them or even ask Karp to help."

It seems you really value him.

Zefa snorted, but his eyes softened: "This kid has good talent, but more importantly, his heart is righteous."

At this point, Zefa paused, his tone unusually tinged with emotion, "I see a younger version of myself in him."

"Haha." Lina reached out and stroked his cheek, her fingertips lightly tracing the fine lines at the corner of his eyes. "Is that why you admire him so much?"

Zefa didn't deny it, but simply held her hand and kissed her fingertips: "Soon."

"Ok?"

“When I become a general…” Zephyr’s voice was deep and firm, “I will be able to marry you honorably at the height of my power.”

Lina's eyes welled up slightly, but she just smiled and pinched his nose: "Silly boy, I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

For once, Zefa didn't argue. Instead, he pulled her into his arms, rested his chin on the top of her head, and whispered, "I won't keep you waiting any longer."

Outside the window, moonlight spilled onto the streets of Marineford, peaceful and gentle.

Chapter 36 Two Years

Two years have passed since Gern was promoted to headquarters.

In the year 1488 of the Sea Calendar, Gern was 18 years old. It had been four years since he obtained the Heaven-Shaking Fruit from the Valley of Gods...

Over the past two years, under the tutelage of Zephyr and Garp, Gern's Armament Haki has begun to take shape, but it is still far from its true peak.

After all, Armament Haki cannot be reached at its peak instantly; this power requires long-term perseverance and cultivation, and cannot be rushed.

However, Gern's Observation Haki was completely different, almost abnormally sharp.

It's unclear whether it's a gift from the superposition of two souls, or the fact that the Devil Fruit "Tianqu" grants him the ability to perceive subtle tremors.

He could clearly perceive everything, from the movement of the air and the breathing of an enemy to the tremor of a blade as it cut through the air.

This led even Zephyr and Garp to praise Gern's near-top-tier Observation Haki talent.

This talent also greatly enhances Gern's nature-based abilities, allowing him to transform into elements just before an attack strikes, perfectly avoiding it.

As for Overlord Segun, he was prepared to let things take their course, since he didn't have a system to complete tasks or offer free rewards for signing in...

It took him two years just to master Armament Haki and Observation Haki, especially considering the daily training he received under the tutelage of two of the strongest Marines.

Meanwhile, the Navy Headquarters has undergone personnel changes in the past two years.

In the first year, Zephyr and Sengoku were promoted to Admirals of the Marine Headquarters, while Garp refused the promotion and continued to act freely as a Vice Admiral.

Soon after, Zephyr married his fiancée Lina, and almost all the naval officers attended the wedding.

At the wedding, this notoriously stern "black-handed" man showed a rare gentle smile.

After that, as Zefa's adjutant, Gern began to follow him on missions, and his rank rose from warrant officer to captain at headquarters.

However, things didn't go smoothly.

Over the next two years, Zephyr quickly began to notice something was amiss...

He discovered that this disciple, whom he considered to be highly enlightened, displayed a completely different style on the battlefield.

Especially when going on missions with him, regardless of whether the pirates surrender or not, Gern's blade never hesitates, and he will even deliver a fatal blow after the battle, or even decapitate them.

Zephyr had reprimanded him many times, but every time he arrived at the pirate ship...

Gern was already sitting down, wrapping bandages around his black sword, Eight Desolations, while the pirate's head lay quietly to the side.

This was also the first time that Zefa had sensed the so-called "cruel justice" in this disciple, which was the opposite of his "justice of not killing".

......

Navy Headquarters, Sengoku Office.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the desk.

Zefa sat on the sofa, his knuckles tapping lightly on the armrest, his brow furrowed.

Zhan Guo sat opposite him, holding a cup of hot tea, the wisps of steam blurring his glasses.

"The Warring States period..." Zefa paused for a moment before finally speaking.

“That kid, Guern, is reminding me of someone more and more lately.”

Sengoku blew on the tea leaves and asked calmly, "Sakazuki?"

Zefa clenched his fist slightly, then slowly relaxed it.

He didn't deny it.

“The same stubbornness, the same…uncompromising approach,” Zeffa whispered. “But at least Sakazuki adheres to ‘absolute justice’ (following orders).

But sometimes, in Kegan's eyes, you couldn't even see any conviction, only pure killing intent.

Looking back on every mission Gern went on with him, whether it was a mission objective or just a chance encounter...

As long as they are pirates, and you decide not to kill them... then Gren will definitely give them a free "blessing package" of being decapitated.

Hearing Zephyr's words, Sengoku put down his teacup. "About Gern..."

Zephyr didn't turn around, but simply nodded slightly: "I know what you want to say."

Sengoku sighed and closed the file: "In the past two years, Gern's performance has indeed been outstanding. Whether it is his strength or the degree of mission completion, he is impeccable."

But his methods... run counter to your principle of 'no killing for justice'."

Zefa's back stiffened slightly. After a moment of silence, he turned around, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "I thought he could understand my beliefs."

“Zeffa, everyone has a different understanding of justice.” Sengoku looked directly into Zephyr’s eyes.

“Like Sakazuki, his ‘absolute justice’ may be extreme, but it is undeniable that it is effective in certain situations.”

Upon hearing Sakazuki's name, Zephyr's brow furrowed even more.

“That’s why I don’t want Gern to become the second Sakazuki,” Zephyr said in a deep voice.

"The potential he has shown in the last two years... he can go much further than I have."

“Zepha, have you ever considered that perhaps it is precisely because you have always kept him by your side that he has been unable to find his own ‘justice’?”

Upon hearing this, Zephyr was taken aback for a moment, then frowned: "What do you mean?"

"In the past two years, although Gern has made many contributions under your command, he has always been just your adjutant and has never had the opportunity to truly stand on his own."

"Zeffa, I know you have high hopes for Gern, but... you can't decide his path."

Zefa remained silent.

Seeing this, Sengoku continued slowly, "Gern is already 18 years old, and he has the right to choose his own justice."

Moreover, Kuzan and Sakazuki, at this age, are already capable of standing on their own.

"Gern has always been kept by your side, and has never had the opportunity to command independently."

Zefa walked to the desk, placed his hands on the surface, and spoke with a hint of resentment.

"I just wanted him to understand that the meaning of power lies in protection, not in killing."

“I understand your good intentions,” Zhan Guo’s voice softened a bit, “but some things he must experience and understand for himself.”

Zefa straightened up and took a deep breath: "So, you mean?"

"Kuzan, Borsalino, even Sakazuki"

During this period, they had already begun to independently command missions, exploring their own path in actual combat.

But what about Kegan? He hasn't even been given a single task requiring independent decision-making.

“So…let him carry out the mission independently,” Sengoku said decisively.

“Give him a chance and see how he defines his own justice.”

“…Perhaps you are right.” After a long silence, Zephyr finally spoke, his voice low and deep, “It’s time to let him walk on his own.”

Zhan Guo smiled slightly and picked up his teacup: "Then it's settled."

I will speak with Marshal Kong and arrange for him to be in charge of the next independent mission.

"Wait, how did you arrange this so smoothly?" Zephyr suddenly realized and turned his gaze back to Sengoku.

"Haha." Sengoku chuckled. "Because I have a guy here who needs to be dealt with!"

After speaking, Sengoku pulled out a piece of intelligence from his files.

"A troublesome pirate crew has recently emerged in the Grand Line!"

Zefa took the document and flipped through it:

Pirate Crew Name: Broken Pirates

Captain's title: "Doger the Island-Splitter"

The Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user, the Rip-Rip Fruit, can instantly split non-living objects (such as weapons, buildings, and the ground) into multiple fragments or smaller units upon contact.

Bounty: 360 million Berries (named for destroying three naval branches in the South China Sea and three warships in a fierce battle on the Grand Line).

Age: 33 years old

Origin: Son of a fisherman in an unnamed town in the South China Sea.

Chapter 37 Teacher, I told you my answer a long time ago.

Marineford, Tavern

The boyish look on his face had faded as Gern sat upright at the bar, pouring himself a drink.

As soon as the glass was filled, a layer of frost appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey lone buddy, chilled liquor tastes even better." A familiar, languid voice came from beside me.

Gern smiled slightly, without even looking up: "Kuzan, your way of making an entrance shows absolutely no improvement."

The tall man in the navy coat sat down and, without any hesitation, grabbed the bottle and filled his own glass.

"There's nothing I can do. Mr. Garp only has eyes for Roger. Since I'm carrying out the mission alone, I'm naturally faster."

Kuzan poured himself a glass of wine and clinked glasses with Gern.

“Gern, your reputation isn’t so good lately! The ‘Airquake’ Gern of yesteryear, now the Headless Demon.”

Gern's silence over the past two years has made people forget about him for a while.

At the same time, there's also the reason related to Zephyr...

In the four years following the Battle of God Valley, the shadow of Rocks completely dissipated, and the seas entered the Three Legendary Era.

The Whitebeard Pirates, the Flying Pirates, and the Roger Pirates formed a powerful three-way alliance.

Among them, the Golden Lion's Flying Pirates were the most powerful, followed by Whitebeard, who dominated one side, while Roger was like a free wind, not occupying an inch of land.

The Navy should have been balanced by the three giants: Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp, but Zephyr's peak years have passed like the receding tide.

He is now powerless to face three top-tier sea warriors directly, and can only restrain the next level of pirate forces...

"The first stage is advancement to headquarters, the second stage is forging domineering aura..." Gern stared at his wine glass, the frost quietly melting.