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

Shanks collapsed from exhaustion, Griffin dropped his grip, and Gern's Eight Desolations Blade coldly pointed at the throat of his former comrade.

In that instant, the string of "reason" in Beckman's mind snapped.

Shanks is their captain, the heart of the group.

Any of them can get hurt, but this 'core' cannot!!

So Beckman could no longer care about his fight with Enel, and he sprang up, wanting to rush towards the center of the battlefield.

"Where do you want to go, mortal?"

Enel's mocking voice rang out, and a blinding bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky.

"Divine retribution!"

But this time, Beckman did not turn back!

"Get out of my way!!" He let out a deep roar, and instead of dodging, he covered his back with Armament Haki to the extreme, and withstood the lightning strike that was enough to shatter a hill!

But he only staggered slightly, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his momentum forward did not slow down at all!

With an incomparably fierce will, he forcefully broke through the blockade of lightning!

"What?!" Enel's playful expression froze instantly upon seeing this, revealing a hint of astonishment.

He never expected that this man, who had always been known for his composure and rationality during their fight, would choose such a desperate and unconventional approach.

In that tiny fraction of a second that Enel was stunned, Beckman had already completed his move!

He didn't charge straight at Shanks because it was too far, and Gern would never give him the chance.

Therefore, his target is—Enel!

"Whoosh!" Beckman's figure disappeared from the spot, and the next instant, he appeared directly above Enel, who was slightly stunned and paused!

That was a speed far exceeding what he had shown before!

"Bastard!" Beckman's eyes flashed with icy killing intent, his usual composure completely gone.

With a burst of power from his waist, his right leg, wrapped in solid Armament Haki, swept fiercely toward Enel's head!

Enel's alarm bells rang in his mind. His "Mind Network" had detected the attack trajectory in advance, and he instantly activated his elemental transformation, his body turning into arcs of electricity and flashing to the side.

"Hmph, foolish..." After dodging, Enel instinctively wanted to mock his opponent for missing his attack.

But before the mocking words could be uttered, the pupils, which had not yet fully solidified after being transformed into elements, suddenly contracted!

Because he saw that, without him noticing, Beckman had raised the antique-looking rifle in his hand!

The gun wasn't pointed at his previous location, but rather its trajectory was predicted after he dodged in his elemental form.

The black muzzle of the gun coldly locked onto him!

This is an aura of dominance that surpasses even that of an admiral! (It's written on Beckman's Vivre Card)

"Bang!!!" A gunshot, not loud but extremely muffled and with great penetrating power, rang out!

There were no dazzling special effects, only a lead bullet wrapped in the domineering aura of flowing cherry blossoms, which instantly traversed a short distance at a speed exceeding the speed of sound!

"Damn it, why am I always the one who gets hurt?!"

Enel didn't even have time to re-enter the elemental form, or even to make any blocking move!

"Pfft!"

The specially made lead bullet accurately hit his left shoulder, and the advanced Armament Haki easily tore apart the golden staff he had hastily raised, bringing a solid physical penetrating wound!

Enel let out a painful groan as he was sent flying by the immense kinetic energy of the bullet.

It transformed into an out-of-control arc of electricity, crashing violently into a cluster of collapsed building ruins in the distance!

After shooting down Enel, Beckman maintained his shooting posture, his hand holding the gun as steady as a rock, but his eyes were fixed on the direction of Gern, his killing intent undiminished.

Meanwhile, on the other side, because of Enel, Kuma immediately left the battlefield and came to Enel's side.

But because of Kuma's departure, the Red-Haired Pirates' officers all gathered in front of Guern.

"Hehe... Hahahaha!!!"

Gern's gaze calmly swept over the red-haired pirate crew officers who were about to charge forward.

Raki Luke, Yasopp, Lyme Jones... every face was filled with anger, worry, and a hint of barely concealed fear.

Seeing these heroes, who once dominated the new world, now looking as if facing a formidable enemy, daring not to speak out against their anger...

Gern's smile faded, and then, under everyone's gaze, he bent down and extended his hand.

He grabbed Shanks' blood-soaked red hair and roughly lifted his face, forcing his gaze toward his companions.

Shanks, his eyes rolling back, groaned. He was already unconscious and didn't even have the strength to break free of the hand.

He could only let his disheveled appearance be displayed to all his companions without reservation.

"Damn it, it's rolling its eyes but still glaring at me, that's terrifying!"

Gern's calm voice rang out, not loud, but clearly carried throughout the entire area, drowning out the occasional crackling of electric arcs from the ruins.

"Don't be so despicable!! Gern!!!"

"It wouldn't be fair to call them 'despicable,' would it? Pirates." Gern paused, his cold gaze sweeping across the faces of each red-haired officer.

"He just defeated a one-armed kid who likes to talk big..." Gern shook Shanks' head in his hand, his tone tinged with contempt.

"And I am nothing more than an 'old man' who hasn't fully recovered from the weariness of ending the previous era."

"The way you're all acting like you're facing a formidable enemy, practically ready to fight to the death..."

Gern's voice suddenly turned cold as he slammed Shanks' head back into the bloody water with a condescending mockery.

"Isn't it a bit..." His gaze finally settled on Beckman, who had just knocked Enel away and was now radiating murderous intent.

"How tactless!"

Then, continuing to ask the most piercing question, word by word.

"Or perhaps..."

"You Red-Haired Pirates..."

"Are you that afraid of...the old era?!"

The words "the old era" struck the hearts of every member of the Red-Haired Pirates like a heavy hammer!

Although this sounds a bit odd, at present...

Gern's posture and his words all emphasized a cruel fact.

No matter how glorious they are now, known as the "Four Emperors," they are still the ones who personally caused the downfall of the Pirate King Roger.

Compared to the "old era" who rivaled Whitebeard and Kaido, they certainly appeared...naive and fearful!

(Gern can indeed be called a member of the 'old era' at present, and the generational gap is roughly that of the generation after Whitebeard.)

“Gern.” Beckman practically spat out the name through gritted teeth.

His hand gripping the rifle trembled, his chest heaved violently, and the chilling killing intent almost materialized.

Knowing that their captain was being held by the hair like a rag doll and now being trampled underfoot, the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.

The battle could erupt at any moment!

But Gern simply watched them indifferently, even when Enel and Kuma appeared behind him.

The foot that was stepping on Shanks' hair didn't let go; instead, it moved Shanks' head from side to side.

"Want it? Then come and take it!! Losers have no choice!"

...........

The next day, at dawn, Gern stood on the shattered island, watching the fleeing Red-Haired Pirates, and sneered.

"I didn't expect Beckman to be so strong! He can unleash this level of combat power."

“However, pirates are pirates after all…” Gern looked towards the southeast coast of Parta Island, the place where he had gathered the island's inhabitants before the Red-Haired Pirates arrived.

"They will still be ruthless to civilians in order to survive, even if they usually pretend to be benevolent."

"Hey, Gern, let's keep chasing!"

"If it weren't for you protecting those insignificant mortals, you would have already sliced ​​Beckman's head off, and they wouldn't have ended up like this..."

Just then, a disheveled Enel was about to say something when he was met with a glare from Gern.

"Come on! You two are both injured too, you're not in much better shape!" Gern said, glancing at Big Bear, then giving him a quick glance.

"Wait, where's Ace? Where's my little flame?"

"He probably ran away!" Enel pouted unhappily. "After all, no one would have noticed him in that situation."

"Is that so?" Gern frowned, then used his Observation Haki to sense the area; indeed, there was no trace of Ace.

So he scratched his head, looking regretful, and said, "In that case, let's go! Thank you for your help, Bear."

..........

Not long after, on the night that Gern and the other two left...

Amidst a pile of ruins, Ace, who had been unconscious from the clash of power between Shanks and Guern, emerged from the ruins with a bewildered expression.

He didn't know what had happened, but judging from the situation... he felt like he was free again!

The Red-Haired Pirates, forced to retreat in disarray under Beckman's full force.

Chapter 400 You, Go Solo Big Mom

[World Economic Herald - Special Edition! Front Page Headline]

A shocking new world! Red-haired Shanks falls, the illusion of a new era!

This newspaper's special report was filed by a veteran reporter who risked his life to infiltrate the area.

Just yesterday, a clash of titans that could reshape the power structure erupted in that brutal sea known as the "ultimate paradise for pirates"!

The newly crowned Yonko, "Red-Haired" Shanks, suffered a devastating defeat on Partha Island, the heart of his sphere of influence!

It is said that the one who defeated this newly crowned and unparalleled young emperor was not any other sea emperor.

Instead, it was the Navy's absolute ace, who was already world-renowned but hadn't personally taken action for a long time.

Admiral "Bai Lin" of the Navy Headquarters, the supreme commander of G-10 "Calamity", and known as the "Cataclysmic" strategic commander-in-chief, Tian Zhen Geen!

The report describes how Admiral Gern, accompanied by only two subordinates, forcefully stormed into the heart of the Red-Haired Pirates' territory...

[Having just ascended the throne and suffered such a crushing defeat, is the red-haired man's 'throne' still secure?]

In the end, the new world is still ruled by that 'Fifth Pole'!

Industry expert commentator Morgans personally wrote an article pointing out that this battle was not simply a matter of victory or defeat; it declared an undeniable fact to the entire world.

On the turbulent chessboard of the New World, who reigns supreme over the four Sea Emperors?

It has always been the "Fifth Pole" that stands alone in all directions!

The Navy's anchor in the New World, the G-10's "natural disaster" controller!

"One man can suppress four emperors" is no longer just a legend or a deterrent, but a reality personally brought to life by General Gern!

His very existence is the most merciless mockery and the strongest shackle upon the pirate "emperors"!

Furthermore, this event will undoubtedly trigger a huge upheaval in the new world and even the entire world.

With the Red-Haired Pirates' reputation severely damaged, will their sphere of influence shrink?

How will the other three maritime emperors react? Will they feel a sense of shared loss, or will they seize the opportunity to strike?

What are the attitudes of the Navy Headquarters and the World Government towards this? Does Admiral Guern's actions foreshadow a further shift in naval strategy?

The tide of the new era is surging, but the behemoths of the old era still possess the power to tear the sky apart!

For details, please purchase the full edition of this issue of the World Economic Herald, which reveals the whole process of "Skyquake" Gern's triumphant return and the Red-Haired's defeat!

[Image caption: Gern holds the Eight Directions, with Shanks kneeling at his feet. The Red-Haired Pirates' executives stand in the distance, furious but unable to approach.]

.........

The first half of the Grand Line, Marineford, the Marine Headquarters