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

That Akainu who constantly proclaims to uphold "absolute justice" yet is willing to kill him... that paranoid and ruthless Sakazuki...

In the end, they actually made this choice?

In the corridor, only the faint sound of wine sloshing in its bottle and the heavy, unyielding silence between the two men remained.

After a long while, Qingzhi sighed deeply, a self-deprecating smile on her face, and leaned back against the cold wall, as if she had unloaded a heavy burden.

“That extremist…” Qingzhi shook her head, her tone complicated, “The only thing he’s extreme about is his sense of ‘justice’!”

It seemed that only now did he truly understand the almost pure, yet misguided, persistence beneath Sakazuki's twisted behavior.

Then, turning his head, he calmly looked at Gern and uttered the fact he had already seen through.

"Actually, after all these years of fighting and competing with him... in the end, the Navy is still yours, Gern."

Gern did not evade the issue, nor did he feign modesty; instead, he directly admitted...

"Yes."

"The Navy can only be mine."

"Neither Sakazuki nor you can."

After saying that, Gern anticipated that Kuzan might be unwilling, might mock him, or might utter a few words of rebuttal with his last bit of pride.

Unfortunately, Kuzan's reaction was beyond his expectations.

This once passionate but now lazy man simply sighed softly, as if in resignation.

“Ara ara…” He habitually used his catchphrase, but his eyes were no longer lost.

Instead, it carried a calm born of insight, and even a hint of barely perceptible...respect.

"Over the years, you must have been exhausted, Gern."

Instead of questioning Guern's ambition, he inquired about the weight behind this path.

Gern paused slightly and looked at Aokiji.

“Gern, to be honest…” Kuzan continued speaking without waiting for his reply.

"If it were me, I couldn't do it."

"I can't even fully empathize with your journey."

Because every time I face those difficult choices and endless pressure, I'm afraid I'll... give up halfway.

He frankly admitted his "weaknesses" and "limitations".

He saw the extraordinary perseverance, shrewdness, patience, and risks that Guern had taken to achieve his goals.

This path is too heavy, too lonely, and not suitable for Kuzan.

Finally, Aokiji raised the bottle and gave a slight nod to Gern, as if a silent handover had been completed.

“Gern…”

"The Navy is now in your hands."

After saying that, he drank the rest of the wine in the bottle in one gulp, then stood up, his icy leg making a crisp sound on the corridor floor.

"Have you made up your mind, Kuzan?" Gern remained seated in his chair.

"I feel like I've lost my sense of justice, and I want to try to find it again."

"Also, thank you for the wine; it tastes just like when we first met."

"But the bar where we used to meet and chat is gone!"

After saying that, Qingzhi didn't turn back. Dragging her broken yet still upright back, she slowly walked step by step towards the end of the corridor.

He ventured beyond the navy, into that unknown future that belonged to him alone.

Gern sat alone on the bench, staring in the direction where Aokiji had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

The wine bottle in my hand was empty without me even realizing it.

In Kuzan's final words, there was no resentment, no bitterness...

Perhaps this is the best farewell between them.

Chapter 500: The Era of the Four Great Generals Comes to an End!

Three days later, Aokiji, whose injuries were far from healed, formally submitted his resignation to the Navy Headquarters, voluntarily resigning from his position as Admiral.

He ignored Sengoku's advice, ignored Zephyr's warnings, and ignored... his master Garp.

There was no grand farewell, no lengthy speech; he silently handed over his admiral's uniform.

And that cloak he'd worn for years, a symbol of justice...

Then, silently and alone, I packed my simple belongings one morning, before the sea fog in the harbor had completely dissipated.

That tall figure, dragging its icy legs, eventually blended into the blurred horizon.

He quietly left the organization he had dedicated half his life to, taking with him the last vestiges of gentleness and bewilderment of an era.

From then on, Akainu and Aokiji were together.

One person remained, carrying with him the obsession of victory and the scars of his wounds.

One person leaves, carrying with them the incompleteness and confusion of failure.

Meanwhile, their earth-shattering battle and final rift in Punk Hazard...

It also represents the era that once symbolized the navy's glorious peak, its dominance over the seas, and was...

'Whitescale' Gern Reginald Sigma

'Akainu' Sakazuki

'Kizaru' Borsalino

'Aokiji' Kuzan

Forged by four naval powerhouses with vastly different styles, yet all standing at the pinnacle of the world...

'The Era of the Four Great Generals'

And so, the curtain has come to a complete close!

Meanwhile, Koby, branded "the shame of the Navy" by Gern himself within the Navy, endures immense pressure and scorn.

His twisted sense of "justice" and his extreme desire for the identity of a "hero" finally broke through the dam of reason.

He could no longer tolerate this marginalized and scorned situation.

"I want to become a hero too! To wash away all the shame with an unparalleled feat!"

Thus, through repeated struggles of unwillingness and the serendipitous coincidences of a clandestine mission...

He made contact with two extremely dangerous individuals through certain clandestine channels.

Marshall D. Teach, nicknamed "Blackbeard," has just recovered from serious injuries and is eager to expand his power.

And Trafalgar Law, the "Surgeon of Death," who is also secretly plotting something with an unknown target!

A shocking conspiracy, orchestrated by a disillusioned navy officer, an ambitious pirate, and a mysterious strategist, is quietly brewing against Rocky Harbor, the pirate paradise (Beehouse Island).

Coby attempts to use the power of pirates to orchestrate a grand spectacle of "salvation" or "destruction."

Using this as a stepping stone to ascend to the throne of "hero," they are unaware that they are gradually becoming a poisoned piece on someone else's chessboard.

Meanwhile, on the other side, thanks to the bizarre reputation gained during the Impel Down escape incident in the Marineford War and a group of fanatical followers...

Bucky the Joker demonstrated his amazing "luck" and speculative skills.

After a secret deal (loan) with Crocodile, they successfully obtained start-up capital.

The "Pakistan Express," with its extensive coverage, was officially established.

They built a massive underground logistics and mercenary network at an astonishing speed.

Even more astonishing is that the World Government may have been attracted by its elusive "influence" and rapidly expanding power, or perhaps it was to fill the vacancy of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Buggy was formally invited to succeed Gecko Moria, the former Shichibukai who "sacrificed" himself in a mysterious attack shortly after the Marineford War, as the new Shichibukai!

The once comedic character has now transformed into one of the most influential figures on the high seas.

The tides of time have propelled countless unexpected figures to the forefront of public attention.

........

Months later, Aokiji's departure felt like a coin toss to Gern's head.

It made one sound, and then it was over.

He didn't dwell on it for more than a few days before packing up his feelings and putting them away in the "recycle bin of the past," then focused his attention back on the strategic blueprint that was bigger than the carpet in his office.

Right now there's an even hotter potato... no, it's hot volcanic rock.

How to deal with Sakazuki, this "double-edged sword" who just had a "close conversation" with his colleagues, is wrapped up like a mummy, and smells of gunpowder?

Especially his brilliant plan to "draw a big pie in the sky for Akainu and trick him into going to guard the gate in the first half of the Grand Line"—if it's not implemented soon, the pie will go bad.

We can't keep having the lieutenant generals take turns clocking in like students on duty, can we?

So, a few days later, one afternoon, Guern strolled into Akainu's temporary office in G-1.

Upon entering, the smell of cigars and medicine hit you.

Akainu sat behind his desk, his body wrapped in bandages, his expression as hard as aged lava.

Yet his eyes still burned with a stubborn light that seemed to say, "I can take on ten more Aokijis."

Of course, there was more dissatisfaction with Gern, since he clearly hadn't actually intended to kill Qingzhi at the time.

As a result, when Gern arrived, he didn't give him a chance to speak at all!

Wow, that's amazing!

He descended straight from the sky, and the first move was [Heavenly Tremor - Eight Extremes Jade], followed by a combo that was beyond explanation, leaving him no chance to say 'no'!

Also, Aokiji absorbed that wave of damage because he was carried away from his sickbed by Gern!

Since they're leaving anyway, let's leave them with a good impression!

That's just nonsense.

Although Aokiji is really gone now...

But is that a reason?!

Gern felt a little embarrassed when he saw someone's gaze shift slightly.

Clearing his throat, and without much small talk, Gern got straight to the point.

He deliberately stood by the window, his back to Akainu, gazing at the new headquarters construction site that was under construction in full swing.

"Sakazuki, Kuzan has left."

“A confused fellow cannot carry out justice; leaving is the best option,” Sakazuki replied with a haughty snort.

Upon hearing Akainu's words, Gern pursed his lips, turned around, and said directly, "I need you, Sakazuki."

"Hmph, I'm not going." Akainu replied instantly, having already seen through everything.

Nonsense! He nearly lost his life fighting Aokiji. Now you want him to leave the center of power? No way!

“I know you won’t go!” Gern first gave him an “I understand” look, then suddenly lowered his voice, as if he were about to share some top-secret naval information.

"But you think it's over after you fight Kuzan? No!! That was just a warm-up match!"

What is a warm-up match?

"Alas, Sakazuki, your battle with Kuzan does not mean that the internal strife within the Navy has ended."

On the contrary, new contradictions will arise in new forms under new circumstances.

Akainu remained silent, signaling for Gern to continue.

"Have you considered that when the Navy Headquarters completely relocates to the New World, all the elite forces and attention will be focused there?"

What will become of the first half of the Grand Line, that 'paradise' connecting the four seas and nurturing countless pirates?

To put it simply, it's a pirate kindergarten and a villain incubator!