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

He slashed with all his might from left to right, and with perfect precision, he blocked the powerful and heavy horizontal slash of flames that had anticipated his position!

"Tsk!" Gern's attack was blocked, but he didn't hesitate for a moment.

The air beneath his feet suddenly trembled, [Shake Flash] was activated, and his figure once again turned into a molecular blur and disappeared instantly!

The next second, appearing directly above BIG MOM's burning head, the Eight Desolations Blade turned and stabbed vertically down towards her crown!

The vibrational force gathered at the tip of the blade caused ripples to spread throughout the space!

"Prometheus!" Big Mom shouted without even looking up!

The great sun Prometheus, hovering in her hair, reacted swiftly, suddenly opening its "giant mouth" upwards.

A massive fireball, compressed to its limit and radiating terrifying heat, shot out like a cannonball and crashed directly into Gern!

Boom!!!

The fireball exploded violently in front of Gern, engulfing him in scorching flames and shockwaves!

Gern's figure shot backward from the explosion's flames, deftly flipping several times in the air.

Finally, it landed steadily, gliding backwards for several meters, leaving a clear mark on the ground with the tip of the Eight Desolations Blade before stopping its retreat.

Immediately afterwards, he slowly straightened his body, rotated his wrist, and the Eight Directions drew a sharp arc in the air.

"Twice in a row..." Gern frowned slightly, staring at the BIG MOM who was standing ready in the distance.

"They accurately predicted and reacted to my tremors twice in a row..."

【Shake-Flash】is a molecular-level flow technique developed based on the Heaven-Shake Fruit's power, not simply a physical technique called Instant Step.

Its appearance and disappearance are almost impossible to detect, and even Observation Haki cannot capture them.

Even giants like Roger and Whitebeard relied on a short period of time to adapt and react to this attack.

But this woman, who has spent decades doing nothing but giving birth and eating...

"It absolutely cannot be just Observation Haki..."

Gern's sharp gaze swept over the three Homi figures surrounding Big Mom in an instant.

Zeus the thundercloud, Prometheus the sun, and Napoleon, the self-aware bicorn hat in her hand.

A thought flashed through my mind.

"I see... Is it a shared field of vision?"

Gern's eyes turned cold.

"These three derivative lives created by your soul are connected to your senses, forming a comprehensive visual network."

The instant my aura leaked out after my flash ended, no matter which direction I appeared from, they could immediately synchronize the information they 'saw' with you..."

"That's why you can react almost instinctively."

Gern gripped the hilt of the Eight Desolations sword tightly, and an absurd thought flashed through his mind.

Damn, this BIG MOM in front of me has terrifying combat instincts, is a perfect blend of offense and defense, and is almost flawless.

How exactly did he lose to two supernova kids (Law and Kid) a year later?

Especially when they rely on the awakening of their fruits and join forces... this is completely illogical!

While his thoughts were racing, Gern's actions never stopped!

"Buzz, click!"

Gern slammed his left fist into the air in front of him, and the resulting air shock caused atmospheric cracks to spread like a spider web, the violent vibrations disrupting his opponent's balance and perception.

Almost simultaneously, he exerted force with his feet, his figure once again turning into a blur, wielding the Eight Directions, and charged towards BIG MOM!

"Hmph! A mere trick!" Big Mom sneered, not even needing to control it herself, with a thought...

"Prometheus—The Stolen Fire!"

The sun Prometheus, hovering in her hair, roared and broke free on its own.

It transformed into a gigantic, incredibly violent pillar of fire, actively meeting the charging Gern.

Wherever the flames passed, the air distorted and the ground scorched!

Facing the surging pillar of fire, Gern neither dodged nor avoided it, his momentum undiminished. He simply held the Eight Desolations Sword horizontally in front of him!

"Clang!" The flames struck the black blade, producing a dull thud!

Gern's arm muscles bulged as he withstood the impact of the pillar of fire, the ground beneath his feet shattering inch by inch.

Immediately afterwards, he exerted force from his waist and flicked his wrist, turning the Eight Directions from defense to offense, delivering an incomparably fierce upward slash from below!

"Heavenly Tremor - Earthquake Return!"

A massive, crescent-shaped shockwave, pale white in color and composed of highly compressed vibrating particles, roared out along the blade of the Eight Desolations!

This shockwave not only contained a sharpness capable of cleaving through everything, but also carried a portion of Prometheus's flames.

A destructive energy shockwave, a mix of pale and crimson, was formed and hurtled back towards BIG MOM with even greater speed and force!

"Mamama! It's no use!"

Big Mom let out a maniacal laugh, neither dodging nor avoiding it, simply thrusting out her enormous chest.

With its innate, abnormal defensive power, like a "steel balloon," it managed to withstand the combined impact that rebounded from it with its own body!

"BOOM!!!" A shockwave and flames exploded in front of her chest, scattering smoke and turbulent energy in all directions.

But the woman's massive body only swayed slightly, and not a single white mark was left on her domineering skin!

"Come back, Prometheus!" The old woman beckoned, and the exploded flames, as if summoned, quickly gathered together and were absorbed back into Prometheus's body.

In that brief moment, Gern's voice came through the still-lingering energy ripples clearly.

"Big Mom, Blackbeard is looking for you... what exactly do you want to collaborate on?"

"!!!"

Big Mom's wild smile froze instantly, a flicker of emotion flashing in her eyes as she stared intently at Gern, her voice deepening.

"Hmm? Is this your real purpose in barging into the world and causing chaos at the tea party?"

“Naval brat…” she tightened her grip on Napoleon’s hand, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"For that 'hyena' that's hiding its head and tail?"

Chapter 513 Historical Landmarks (Main Text)

"A hyena hiding its head and tail?"

When Guern heard Big Mom's undisguised contemptuous way of addressing Blackbeard Teach, he raised an eyebrow and a clear look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The Emperor's assessment was completely different from the attitude he had expected Charlotte Perospero to have towards a "potential collaborator"!

"Mamamama!" Seeing the undisguised surprise on Gern's face, Big Mom let out a sarcastic laugh: "What else?"

"Does Mom have to respectfully call him 'Blackbeard'?"

The woman's face showed undisguised disgust, as if she had mentioned something filthy.

"A treacherous and morally bankrupt scoundrel!"

A scumbag who betrayed the 'family' who took him in, who committed the most unforgivable crime on that old man Whitebeard's ship!

Her words were filled with a defense of certain underlying rules of the old era and an extreme disdain for acts of betrayal.

"Is secretly plotting and seizing power the act of a tyrant? How laughable!"

A true hero would never lack even a shred of responsibility and magnanimity.

He thought he was acting like a tyrant, but he had no tyrant-like qualities whatsoever.

"Nothing more than a stray dog ​​lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance to pounce and tear at the man it considers its 'father,' stealing his power!"

As she spoke, the older woman stared intently at Guern, seemingly both wary and trying to ascertain whether he understood the fundamental difference. Finally, she concluded decisively...

"What else could this kind of scum be but a 'hyena'?!"

I think Newgate took him in because of his face, but... well, he's not like his father at all.

Gern listened in silence, understanding dawning on him.

Big Mom's relentless condemnation, though tinged with her personal emotions, clearly reflects a fact.

That is, on this vast ocean today, especially for those top experts who fought their way through the old era.

Blackbeard Teach and his ways of doing things were extremely despised and rejected (except by Wang Zhi).

He may have seized immense power through scheming and ruthlessness, barely managing to ascend the throne.

But against the backdrop of Whitebeard's demise and Shiki's burning out of his life, that so-called "success" built on betrayal and plunder becomes utterly meaningless.

In the eyes of true veteran powerhouses, he received no respect whatsoever; instead, it only confirmed his "hyena" nature.

Opportunists who only dare to feast on the rotting flesh when the 'old king' is dying or has fallen.

Especially the earth-shattering slash that Shiki the Golden Lion delivered to Blackbeard, a slash that burned everything away.

It not only dealt a heavy blow to Blackbeard, but also marked the end of an old-era legend, branding Blackbeard with the indelible mark of a "hyena."

"Oh?" Gern asked with a hint of amusement, following up on Big Mom's disdainful comment.

"Hearing you say that... it seems that your so-called 'cooperation' is merely nominal, or rather... 'nominal but not real'?"

"Cooperation?! Mamamam!"

Big Mom seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and let out a deafening laugh, her huge body trembling.

"That hyena hiding its head and tail is just delusional; it's just trying to make a copy of the [Road Poneglyph] that Mom has treasured!"

Clearly, the old woman knew exactly what Blackbeard was planning.

"They said they were 'hunting' ability users on a large scale, hoarding a lot of precious Devil Fruit abilities to trade with Mom..."

"Hmph! How ridiculous!" The old woman waved her enormous Napoleon, her tone full of contempt for empty promises.

"He wants me to make such empty promises? Does he think I'm some naive little pirate?!"

A Devil Fruit whose very existence and power are unknown—they think they can trade it for the key to the final island? Dream on!

(By the way: There are about 30 historical inscriptions scattered around the world, the most important of which are 4 red road sign historical inscriptions.)

Based on the unique information recorded on these four road signs, a precise route can be drawn to guide the end of the Grand Line.

The legendary island of Laugh Tale is also the nautical chart for "One Piece".

It is currently known that a signpost on Zou Island, located on the back of a giant elephant, is guarded by the Mink Tribe.

The two pieces are each controlled by one of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.

And the last piece is the one that everyone on the high seas is currently searching for.

It once existed on Fishman Island, and now it circulates in the body of a burned man.

Seeing the woman's attitude, a knowing glint flashed in Gern's eyes.

As expected, although Blackbeard's stated goal in the original work was for Pirate Island to become a member state of the World Federation, his true aim remained unchanged.

Collect all the keys to Laugh Tale and claim the throne of the Pirate King.

His choice to "cooperate" with BIG MOM was still full of scheming and the intention to get something for nothing.

"It seems this 'hyena' has a bigger appetite than we imagined," Gern said casually, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Big Mom.

"So, what is your answer to this 'hyena' that tries to exchange your priceless treasure for a worthless check?"

He needed to know whether Big Mom had truly rejected Blackbeard completely, or... left some room for maneuver.

"reject."

"Because he didn't meet my conditions..."

“However…” Big Mom finished speaking, but her eyes suddenly turned and locked onto Guern, as if she realized something, and the violence in her eyes subsided slightly.

"Hey! Navy kid!" The older woman interrupted the conversation about Blackbeard.

"Mom almost forgot...you're also holding a piece of the [Road Sign History Text] in your hand!"

"The historical text of the road sign in my hand?" Gern pointed to himself.