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

Cracker: "???"

Huh? He was completely stunned, his brain not even able to process what was happening for a moment.

Father? Which priest? Is it that ordinary old priest from all over the world, who's weak and helpless, always carrying a book, and speaks slowly?!

Comparing him to that old man?!

Katakuri... what terrifying future did he foresee?!

.........

Looking at the Charlotte family children before him, their morale plummeted and even tinged with panic at Katakuri's words, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Guern seemed to have seen something extremely amusing and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hehe, hahaha!!!"

Laughter echoed in the empty, dilapidated hall, carrying undisguised mockery and absolute confidence.

He then suppressed his smile, turned his head, and his gaze returned to Big Mom, whose face was grim.

"It seems... things aren't going as you expected, Big Mom."

"Now that I think about it carefully, even if you have the numbers and the power, it seems... I still have a slight advantage!"

Gern's words were like a knife, stabbing BIG MOM in the heart and completely shattering her previous plan to intimidate her with her numerical advantage.

In the face of an absolute disparity in strength, quantity can sometimes become a burden.

Then, Gern changed the subject and brought up the deal that had been temporarily shelved.

"As for the deal you just mentioned..."

"To be honest, I'm very interested."

"Hmm?" A fierce glint flashed in BIG MOM's enormous eyes.

She would naturally be pleased if Gern had responded in this way when she initially proposed the trade.

But at this moment, after Perospero was captured, and he was unable to defeat Gorn in time, Katakuri was intimidated.

After this series of events that led to a decline in the family's morale, Gern's "interested" sounded ominous.

Just as expected!!!

Before the older woman could answer, Gern slowly raised his eyes, the mockery in his gaze instantly replaced by a sharp edge.

The black sword, Eight Desolations, in his hand seemed to sense its master's will and began to hum.

Dark purple Conqueror's Haki intertwined with pale vibrating particles, emanating a terrifying aura of destruction.

“However…” Gern drawled, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

"As a marine, I represent the 'just' order. How can I possibly engage in any 'fair' deals with you lawless pirates?"

As he spoke, the smile on his face grew increasingly arrogant—the smile of a strong person, a conqueror.

"so!!"

Gern slightly raised the tip of the Eight Desolations Blade, pointing it at Big Mom, displaying an undeniable domineering presence.

"I, as a 'guest' holding a formal invitation, have come to 'attend' your tea party..."

"Moreover, he was a 'guest' who came to visit with 'candy gifts' worth '700 million Berries'..."

"So, now, as the 'organizer' of this tea party, I'd like to ask you for a 'small' rubbing of a historical landmark as a 'return gift'..."

Gern tilted his head, a smug, almost rogue-like smile on his face, and asked...

"This isn't too much to ask, is it?"

This is not a negotiation, not a transaction.

This is outright robbery!

It is blatant extortion based on absolute military intimidation!

"MAMA!!!!"

Big Mom's roar and laughter unleashed an uncontrollable burst of ferocious dominance.

His enormous body trembled violently with rage, and the Napoleon in his hand burst into flames.

"Gern, you little brat from the Navy!!! Who do you think you're talking to?!"

Mom, I've been a 'king' who has reigned over this sea for decades!

She brandished Napoleon, her voice filled with extreme anger at being offended and the pride of a seasoned powerhouse.

"He's just a naval brat who rose to prominence after our time!"

What right do you have to spout nonsense in front of me, your mother?! You little navy brat…

"Shut up!!!"

A colder, more domineering rebuke abruptly interrupted BIG MOM's roar!

Gern's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a power that pierced the soul, instantly overwhelming all the noise.

“Heh heh…hahaha…” Gern let out a low, mocking laugh.

"He keeps calling me 'Navy kid'! He keeps calling me 'Navy kid'!!!"

He repeated the way BIG MOM addressed him, his tone almost overflowing with sarcasm.

Hey! I'll call you BIG MOM out of respect!

If I don't give you face, you're just a lifeless old woman who hasn't moved in decades!

He ruthlessly used an even more insulting term, his voice suddenly rising and echoing throughout the entire cake castle.

"What 'emperor' who has reigned over the sea for decades??"

"Did that childish title really make you wallow in past glories and become decadent?"

Gern took a step forward, and the dark purple aura and vibrating particles surrounding him suddenly erupted.

Its momentum was like a rising tsunami, seemingly rivaling, or even... crushing, Big Mom!

"Now, please open your eyes wide and look carefully!"

Use your sweet-food-covered brain to figure this out!

Gern raised the Eight Desolations Blade in his hand, its tip pointing straight to the heavens, declaring to the entire world and to this vast sea.

"Whose era does this belong to?!"

"It belongs to me, 'Skyquake,' it belongs to me, Gern!!"

"It is destined to be reshaped by the will of me, 'Skyquake' Gern Reginald Sigma!!"

Finally, Gern stared at Big Mom's face, contorted with shock and rage.

He uttered each word clearly and forcefully, shouting out the title that transcended all others, a symbol of absolute authority and power.

"I am... "

"The only king of this era!!!!!"

The moment the word "King" was uttered, Gern unleashed his Conqueror's Haki without any concealment, unleashing its full power and an invisible impact that swept across the entire arena!

Katakuri's pupils constricted and he knelt down, Cracker was horrified and his eyes rolled back several times, and all the other Charlotte family children present fainted!

This is not a declaration, it is a statement of fact!

It is the final ultimatum issued by the new era's king to the remnants of the old era!

Chapter 516 "King"

"I am the only king of this era!!!"

This is not just a declaration of voice, but the ultimate manifestation of will and dominance!

The overwhelming Conqueror's Haki that swept in was not merely a clash of power, but carried the weight of an entire era, crashing down on Big Mom's heart!

Under this unprecedented mental shock, BIG MOM's huge pupils trembled violently and uncontrollably.

In a daze, she seemed to see behind Gern's towering figure several blurry figures who had once made the entire sea tremble, symbolizing the pinnacle of different eras...

Rocks is a man who, with absolute power and ruthless ambition, attempts to control the world and become the king of the world!

He was Gol D. Roger, who ushered in an era, stirred up a frenzy with his life, and had an unruly smile!

He is Edward Newgate, who bears the title of "the strongest" and supports an era with his family as his belief!

These figures, who once truly stood atop the sea, revered or feared by countless people as "kings,"

They represent will, spirit, and strength!

It was as if at this moment, it resonated with, intertwined with, and converged with the domineering aura of self-importance and the desire to reshape everything emanating from Gern, all within him alone!

And now, the man standing before these former kings...

It's Gern!!

He was the one who proclaimed a new era, seeking to trample all the glory and order of the past underfoot...

Earthquake!

"Ugh..." Big Mom let out an unconscious groan.

The massive body, under the crushing force of pure spirit and will, uncontrollably and subconsciously staggered back several steps!

"king"……

How heavy this word is!

This title carries not only power, but also spirit, vision, and the capacity to make the entire era bow down!

Charlotte Linlin, in her youth, aboard the Rocks, had also been full of vigor and ambition, declaring...

She wants to become the queen who rules over all nations and allows all races to live together in equality!

However, as time went by, ambition seemed to gradually turn into a paranoid rule amidst the sweetness of Totland.

She remains powerful, still one of the Four Emperors, but the title of "King" has long been tarnished.

That initial pure ambition to "become a king" seems to have long been forgotten, even by herself.

Because she knows better than anyone else.

The title of 'King' is not something that just anyone can bear!

It has too much to carry, too much to bear!

The man before me not only uttered those words, but also demonstrated them through his actions, his strength, and his unwavering will.

This word will be firmly engraved on the opening page of this era!

Gern looked at Big Mom, who instinctively stepped back, her eyes filled with shock and a complex, indescribable emotion.

His domineering aura gradually subsided, but his domineering attitude remained undiminished.

He no longer needed to say anything.

Those few steps back said it all.

The emperor of the old era, in the face of the king of the new era, ultimately... showed signs of decline.

"Mamamama...Mamamama..."

BIG MAMM's bewildered laughter echoed through the empty ruins.

The massive body swayed slightly, its eyes somewhat unfocused, completely absorbed in Gern's declaration of his "kingly" status.

The mental impact of the event, intertwined with his own past memories, left him unable to completely break free for a time.

This is the terrifying aspect of top-tier Conqueror's Haki!

It can not only clear the area and deter others physically, but also directly shake the opponent's will on a psychological level.

Especially when one side is completely suppressed in terms of spirit and will, it may even trigger a brief wavering of beliefs and self-doubt!

At this critical moment.

"Mother!!!"