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

Looking at Guern lying on the ground, pounding the floor and sobbing, frantically spewing out negative quotes.

And Perona, her face flushed with excitement at the "outstanding effect" of her ability, was constantly directing more and more negative ghosts through Gern's body...

A clearly visible "well" shaped vein finally bulged on Hawkeye's forehead.

So our world's greatest swordsman took a deep breath.

Then, silently, he raised his right hand, which had been clasped to his chest, and grasped the hilt of the black sword "Night" behind his back.

There was no warning, no gathering of power, and not even a trace of murderous intent leaked out.

A true zero-frame start!

"Whoosh!" The dark green slash was unleashed instantly, carrying the intent to sever everything, but it wasn't aimed at Perona or any ghost.

Instead, it struck at a speed that was impossible for the naked eye to detect, aiming straight for the back of the neck of Gern, who was lying on the ground in an "Orz" pose, radiating intense negative energy!

Fast! Ruthless! Accurate!

"Whoosh!!!" A terrifying, dark green flying slash shot out close to the ground, instantly vaporizing several negative ghosts along its path.

Undeterred by its momentum, it directly overshadowed the enormous hull of the terrifying three-masted sailing ship behind them.

A huge crack, hundreds of meters long, cleaved through half of the ship's hull!

But... in the fraction of a second that Hawkeye drew his sword...

Gern, who had been lying on the ground passively waiting to die, suddenly teleported, his figure blurred for a moment, and he disappeared from the spot!

Then, in the next instant, an arm appeared behind Hawkeye, instantly wrapping around his neck and pulling him backward, causing him to stumble.

"Damn it!" Gern whispered in Hawkeye's ear, his previous listless and dejected expression completely gone.

Instead, he wore a smile that was so "kind" it was chilling.

"You bastard! That last stab... you really wanted to kill me, didn't you?! Huh?!"

Hawkeye was having some difficulty breathing due to the choking from Gern, but his face showed no panic.

Instead, he answered slowly, with a hint of "relief."

"Oh my... I didn't expect that even after being infected by so many negative spirits, you could still resist in such a 'positive' way."

It seems the recovery is going well; at heart, they're still striving for improvement!

Gern: "Hey...you...I, you f***ing..."

Perona, standing to the side, had already cowered behind her parasol in terror, staring at the earth that had been cleaved in half by a single stroke.

And those two big shots who instantly switched from "negative comedy" to "life-or-death brawl" mode were trembling with fear.

"What... what's wrong with these two?! They're a million times more terrifying than Lord Moria!!"

At this moment, forced by Hawkeye's two merciless and rapid slashes to loosen his grip and take a half step back, Gern...

He awkwardly straightened his somewhat disheveled cloak of justice, cleared his throat, and turned his gaze back to...

Perona was so frightened that she huddled behind the parasol like a quail, "truly too scared to move an inch."

Seeing this, Gern put on that enigmatic "gentle" smile again and walked a few steps to Perona.

Under Perona's horrified gaze, he reached out his right hand and lifted her by the scruff of her neck as easily as if she were a kitten.

He easily grabbed the back of her gothic dress by the collar and lifted her up.

“Come on, little girl, I’ll show you the world.” Gern said casually.

Then, without even looking, he casually tossed his arm behind him and grabbed the bewildered Perona he was holding.

He threw it in the direction where Hawkeye Mihawk was behind him.

The movements were fluid and natural, just like dropping a package.

Logically, or rather, according to Gern's expectations, Mihawk should have caught it...

But the reality is...

Hawkeye didn't even blink when faced with the "Gothic Lolita package" flying towards him.

Just a fraction of a second before Perona was about to crash into his arms, very naturally, even with a hint of disdain, he silently... took a half-step to the side.

The movements were precise, the posture elegant, and the avoidance was swift and decisive.

"Ah!" Perona let out a short cry of surprise, completely unexpected that the world's greatest swordsman would be so "unlovable"!

Just as she was about to fall face-first onto the hard ground, her survival instincts made her activate her ability at the last moment!

My body instantly became as light as a ghost, hovering precariously a few centimeters off the ground, avoiding close contact with the earth.

Then, still shaken, she steadied herself and floated in mid-air, her large eyes filled with disbelief and deep grievance.

He stared intently at the world's greatest swordsman, who remained expressionless, as if he hadn't done anything at all.

Hawkeye completely ignored Perona's accusing gaze, still holding his arms, looking indifferent as if it were none of his business.

Perona looked at the two guys in front of her, each more outrageous and more difficult to deal with than the other.

Looking again at the half-split crack in the distance and the zombies still pretending to be dead... he felt utterly hopeless.

"It's over... I really can't escape now..." She pouted and lowered her head resignedly.

Like a kitten soaked by the rain, it floated there pitifully, no longer daring to have any thought of escaping.

"These two guys are not cute at all~"

On the other side, after easily "dealing" with Perona's ownership (a unilateral decision), Gern appeared in front of Nami in a flash.

Nami, who was already on edge because of the appearance and interaction of the two big shots, was startled by the sudden "face-to-face" contact and cried out. She lost her footing and fell down on the deck.

Then, looking up at the tall, smiling Guern, his voice involuntarily trembled slightly.

"Uncle... Uncle Gern... It's been a long time! Haha..."

Looking at the girl in front of him, who had grown into a beautiful young woman and become a famous navigator of the "Straw Hat Crew" on the high seas, Gern rubbed his temples with a hint of helplessness.

“Nami…” His tone carried a hint of elder’s concern, mixed with a slight headache, “Ever since your wanted poster appeared in the newspapers, Bellemere’s phone has been ringing off the hook.”

She was gritting her teeth and telling me, as a 'Naval Admiral,' to teach that audacious straw hat kid a lesson when I got the chance.

As he spoke, Gern leaned slightly forward, his gaze fixed on Nami's eyes with a hint of inquiry: "So, tell me honestly, did he 'kidnap' you, or..."

"I went to sea voluntarily!" Nami interrupted him without hesitation, her eyes firm and without the slightest doubt.

She has never regretted the path she chose.

Gren looked into the familiar light in Nami's eyes—the light of pursuing dreams and freedom.

He understood the situation and didn't dwell on it too much.

Seeing that Gern didn't press further, Nami took a deep breath and asked the question that had been bothering her: "Uncle Gern, your appearance here... is..."

Gern straightened up, put his hands back in his pockets, and his face returned to that enigmatic, nonchalant smile.

He then glanced around the gloomy area and retorted, "I'm a Marine, what do you say?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the thick fog and haze that had shrouded the terror three-masted ship for countless years began to dissipate rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Suddenly, the long-awaited, brilliant sunshine pierced through the clouds, pouring down without reservation.

It dispelled the pervasive chill and darkness, illuminating the entire terrifying three-masted ship (island) in a bright light!

The originally eerie environment, under the sunlight, surprisingly revealed a strange beauty of... decay but tranquility.

Gern looked up, squinted at the suddenly clear sky, felt the warm sunlight on his face, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

"Heh..." He chuckled softly, his tone carrying a hint of expected感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both awe and satisfaction).

"Gekko Moria...it seems he has truly been defeated."

Chapter 409 Nami Leads the Way

At this moment, Nami was in no mood to appreciate the clear blue sky.

Instead, he stared at Gern's tall back, thinking about the words he had just uttered: "I'm a Marine."

Then, recalling the Straw Hat crew's earth-shattering act of "declaring war on the World Government" on Enies Lobby, a sudden tightness gripped his heart.

Realizing that Gern's presence here was not simply for watching the spectacle or capturing Perona!

He's very likely... here to capture Luffy!

"No! We absolutely cannot let him capture Luffy!"

In an instant, a resolute glint flashed in Nami's eyes.

There was nothing they could do; they had already witnessed the terrifying power of a naval admiral.

The last one could freeze the ocean, and this one was even stronger than she could imagine!

So, Nami decisively raised her Clima-Tact, her face showing apology but her movements showing no hesitation as she shouted.

"Sorry, Uncle Gern!" Before the words were even finished, the small ball at the tip of the Weather Stick instantly condensed into a jet of dark thunderclouds.

"Thunder and lightning!"

Boom!!!

Dark clouds appeared, and a thick bolt of lightning struck with perfect accuracy on the head of Gern, who was standing still and completely unprepared!

Blinding lightning engulfed him, electric snakes thrashing wildly and crackling continuously.

Nami didn't even dare to look back at the result. Having landed a successful blow, she immediately and nimbly flipped off the broken wall.

Without looking back, he ran at full speed towards the direction where the Straw Hat crew's main force was located.

........

On Gern's side, the lightning strike lasted for nearly three minutes before the flashes gradually dissipated.

But he remained standing there, without even changing his posture.

She simply reached out and lightly brushed away non-existent dust from her shoulders, then smoothed the ends of her hair that had been curled by the electric shock.

Then he sighed helplessly, his tone tinged with disappointment: "Sigh... just now you were calling me 'Uncle Gern' so sweetly."

When they saw that I might be about to attack the Straw Hat Boy, they immediately changed their tune and called me "Uncle," and even tried to strike me with lightning..."

"I'm so sad~"

The tone was exactly like that of a lonely old man who had been disliked by his juniors.

At that moment, Hawkeye walked over, and behind him, Perona floated cautiously, like a stray kitten.

However, upon seeing Gern's "heartbroken" appearance, and recalling the scene of him being struck by lightning and charred to a crisp, he...

Instantly, all fear and worry vanished from her mind, and she couldn't help but let out her signature laugh, tinged with a hint of mockery.

"Heh heh heh heh~ Serves you right! Who told you to mess around with girls like that!"

"You must have been struck by lightning! Not cute at all, ho ho ho ho~"

Perona laughed so hard she almost fell over, completely oblivious to the fact that she was a "prisoner".

Gern glanced at the gloating Perona, then at Hawkeye who seemed indifferent, and sighed heavily again.

"Alas, people's hearts have changed, and the world is going to the dogs... They're all so unlovable."

Perona: "Damn it, that's my line!"

Gern ignored Perona's disgruntled expression, and instead feigned a sigh, his "sadness" instantly vanishing.

Instead, a smile appeared on his face as he looked in the direction Nami had disappeared, and he smacked his lips.

"Tsk, but..." he drawled, slowly saying, "Disrespecting elders will result in a small punishment."

As for the punishment... I'll have my 'sensible' eldest niece personally lead the way for us." After saying that, she stepped out.

Perona, floating behind the two, muttered under her breath, "He clearly wanted to find Straw Hat Boy, but he made it sound so high and mighty. What a nasty old man!"

.........

Meanwhile, at the main battlefield of Moonlight Moria's castle, the battle had ended.

Moonlight Moria's massive body lay unconscious amidst the ruins.

The thousands of shadows it stole, like birds returning to their nests, transformed into streaks of black light.