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

His aura became erratic, as if he might vanish into particles of light at any moment or launch an attack from any angle.

"After all, protecting Dr. Vegapunk and this island is one of the 'missions' you yourself assigned to me."

"So, Mr. Gern, how about we give him some face and stop here?"

"Face?" Gern scoffed, deliberately glancing at Vegapunk. "I won't give it to you, what are you going to do about it?"

"That's terrifying!" Kizaru clicked his tongue, his gaze silently shifting to Vegapunk. "Back when we fought one-on-one, we almost shattered an island..."

"If this fight happens now, I'm afraid..."

"Heh." Gern snorted coldly, immediately joining the group, "If we can't beat them, we'll sink Egerhead!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless white cracks appeared in the air, and Kizaru began to transform into his elemental form...

"Enough!" Sure enough, Vegapunk interrupted everything at that moment.

"Stop. If you keep fighting... everything here, including everything you want, will be completely destroyed."

“The authoritarian chip… I’ll give it to you.” Vegapunk’s voice was hoarse as he looked up. “You can have the Mother Spark moved to Marine Headquarters or G-10, it’s up to you.”

After saying that, he ignored the two of them and turned to walk straight out of the laboratory.

Once Kizaru confirmed that Vegapunk was far away, he immediately dropped his businesslike, serious expression.

He pushed up his sunglasses, leaned closer to Guern, and whispered in a voice barely audible to the two of them.

"Gern-kun, five days off, you said it!"

Gern rolled his eyes at him, then lowered his voice and replied, "Shut up, they haven't gone far yet!"

He feigned disdain, but a barely perceptible smile played at the corners of his lips as he nudged Kizaru lightly with his elbow.

"But speaking of which, you're quite the actor...!"

Their earlier assertion about 'protecting important scientific research assets' almost convinced me."

Upon hearing this, Kizaru proudly raised his chin and elegantly straightened the slightly disheveled collar of his yellow striped suit.

"Well, it's all experience gained from slacking off! You have to appear to be trying your best, but you can't actually risk your life. This is a skill... quite profound."

"Alright, stop showing off." Gern's smile faded, his gaze sweeping over the messy laboratory, his tone returning to its usual calm.

"I'll approve your vacation time, now get lost."

"The mess left here..." He paused, glancing around with a hint of disdain, "...I bet that Sentomaru kid is going to have a headache again."

"Then thank you very much for your consideration, Grand Admiral!" Kizaru immediately seized the opportunity, his face beaming with joy, as if he were already lying on a beach chair at a resort.

"Then I'll have to take some time to recuperate while I'm 'injured on duty'~"

Before the words were finished, the golden photon completely dissipated into the air, leaving only a few light particles slowly drifting down, and the figure of Gern shaking his head helplessly.

Gern stood alone in the center of the damaged laboratory, looking around before his gaze finally settled on the spot where Vegapunk had stood. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he muttered to himself.

"Old fox... next time, you won't be able to fool me so easily."

After saying that, he turned around and strode towards the exit.

However, just as he took his third step, he suddenly stopped!

His head didn't even turn; his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, suddenly shot towards a spot to his left front.

A corner that appears to be empty except for a few wisps of energy escaping from it.

"Buzz!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Gern clenched his right hand in that direction.

The air in front of my palm felt like a piece of glass struck by a tremendous force, instantly covered with a spiderweb of pale cracks!

The terrifying force of the shockwave did not spread, but rather condensed into an invisible impact that fiercely gripped that space!

"Get out here!" Gern's voice was icy cold, carrying an undeniable killing intent. "Otherwise, you won't have a chance to speak!"

"Stop! Stop! Stop—!" A panicked and urgent female voice immediately came from the distorted and vibrating air.

Then, like ripples on water, the light there distorted.

A figure was forced to emerge from some kind of optical camouflage, staggered a step, and looked somewhat disheveled.

She has a hot and sexy figure and a cute face with freckles. Her wavy pigtails sway slightly with her slightly flustered movements.

He was wearing goggles, a dark cropped top over a light-colored thick jacket, and dark gloves.

He boldly wore only underwear on his lower body, and his long legs were encased in DOM boots invented by Vegapunk.

It was York, Vegapunk's embodiment of desire!

At this moment, she patted her rather large chest, her face showing lingering fear, and quickly waved her hands: "Don't do it! We're on the same side... uh, at least not enemies!"

After York finished speaking, his large eyes cautiously glanced at Gern's palm.

Clearly, the oppressive feeling she experienced just now made her truly feel the threat of death.

Gern slowly lowered his hand, the oppressive aura around him lessening slightly, but his gaze scrutinized the suddenly appearing York, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Vegapunk's... clone? Hiding like this, what are they planning?"

Chapter 538 Desire Doppelganger, York

"I heard everything you just said."

Looking at Gern, York's face broke into a smile, his eyes curving into crescent moons, a hint of smugness in his voice, as he lowered his voice and said...

"The highest authority of the Seraphim... and the Mother Flame."

"So?" Gern looked at this clone who was destined to betray in the original storyline, frowned slightly, and spoke in a flat tone, revealing no emotion.

"So?" York spread his hands exaggeratedly, as if he had heard something funny.

"Grand Commander Gern, you don't really believe that old man Vegapunk will obediently hand over the thing to you, do you?"

York, wearing dark gloves, pointed meaningfully to his temple.

"He's the man with the 'world's number one brain'!"

You might be able to send people to forcibly relocate the Mother Flame, which is a physical energy source.

"But the Seraph's highest authority?" York scoffed and shook his head. "Vegapunk will never truly relinquish it!"

At most, they'll just add your name as a favor, above the Five Elders' authority level.

"And he himself..." Her voice carried a hint of mockery and certainty, "...he himself will always be the one hiding in the back, the one with ultimate authority over everything!"

After York finished speaking, he looked at Gern expectantly with an expression that said "I've seen through everything," waiting for Gern's anger or at least surprise after being enlightened.

However, Gern simply looked at her expressionlessly and uttered a single word: "Oh."

"Oh???" York's smile and smugness froze instantly, replaced by complete bewilderment.

"He...that old man is lying to you! A blatant deception!"

You...you just said "Oh"?!

“Because I’m not stupid.” Gern’s gaze was calm, looking at York as if he were a clown.

“And Vegapunk is even less so.”

"If the world's smartest person can be so easily deceived or coerced, then what about all the things he researched..."

Gern's gaze swept over the technologically advanced creations around him. "Our navy wouldn't dare use them."

After speaking, he refocused his gaze on York's somewhat pale face.

"The Seraph privileges I need, from the very beginning, only require being one level higher than those five old fogies in Mary Geoise."

Being able to bypass them and issue orders directly is enough.

Most importantly, it has always been the Mother Flame. At this point, Gern's tone abruptly shifted, piercing York's deepest secret.

"And in this matter, didn't you also use 'that thing' to make some kind of deal with the World Government, York?"

"!!!"

Upon hearing this, York's eyes, which had been carrying a sly smile, were suddenly filled with boundless fear.

Subconsciously, DOM took half a step back, his boots clicking crisply on the metal floor with a sound tinged with panic.

"You...how could you..." Her voice trembled uncontrollably, filled with horror, "That thing was clearly...just four days ago..."

Her deal with the World Government was a secret agreement reached just four days ago!

Some of the mother flames were also transported out using artificial sea creatures.

What was supposedly a flawless, undetected act of betrayal—why would it have originated from G-10 in the New World and Naval Headquarters?

How could the Admiral, who should have been kept in the dark, say such a casual remark?!

Looking at York's ghost-like expression, Gern merely gave a cold twitch of his lips, offering no explanation or further pressure.

But that silent gaze is more intimidating than any words.

York felt as if he were standing naked in an ice cellar, chilled to the bone.

Seeing York's terrified expression, Gern did not continue to apply pressure.

Instead, he casually pulled over a reasonably intact metal chair and sat down without any hesitation.

He leisurely propped his chin on his hand, looking down at York, who had collapsed to the ground due to his weak legs and now had to look up at him, his tone playful.

"So, let me guess, what did our ambitious Miss York exchange for the World Government with this 'generous gift' of the Mother Flame?"

Gern leaned forward slightly.

"Endless wealth? No, Vegapunk's resources are enough for you to squander for several lifetimes."

Gern shook his head slightly, then threw out a startling conjecture, his tone casual yet carrying immense weight.

"Could it be... that he wants to change his 'Celestial Dragon' identity?"

"!!!"

The words "Celestial Dragon" instantly drained York of his last bit of strength.

Already slumped to the ground in shock, she trembled even more, barely able to support herself with her arms as she looked up at the man sitting in the chair, smiling with his chin propped up on his hand.

Although she was slightly taller than Gern, at this moment, in terms of presence and position, she was completely being looked down upon.

"You... are you a human or a ghost?!"

York's voice was filled with extreme fear; she felt that all her secrets were laid bare before this man.

"Even Vegapunk doesn't know, how would you know?!"

Gern didn't answer her question, but as if confirming something, he gave a soft "heh," tinged with sarcasm: "You really want to be a Celestial Dragon, huh?"

These words seemed to have struck a nerve in York's most sensitive and self-righteous heart.

The fear seemed to be temporarily suppressed by a twisted anger and resentment, then he suddenly raised his head, his face flushed with a paranoid rage, and almost roared out.

"Why not?!"

"That Vegapunk guy! He seems smart, but he's actually utterly stupid!" York seemed to have found an outlet, pouring out his pent-up resentment.

"Isn't it good to have supreme privileges? Why pretend to pursue equality for all?!"

He created us, his alter egos, to handle his chores and fulfill his desires, while he remained aloof, conducting his research.

What difference is there between his true form and those Celestial Dragons?!

"He is a dictator by nature!"

“My desires were given to me by him! My thoughts were programmed by him!” York pointed to his chest, his emotions running high.

Since He created me, gave me 'desire', and gave me the ability to 'want'

So what's wrong with wanting to stand at the top of the world, wanting to be someone superior to others?!

I'm simply living out the essence he gave me!

Chapter 539 Celestial Dragons Are Worthless

"Hoo, hoo!"