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

York finished speaking, panting heavily, his Dom boots unconsciously scraping against the ground, his eyes fixed intently on Gern.

Guern continued to watch her quietly, his smile unchanged.

He neither refuted nor agreed, but simply watched as an observer witnesses the twisted fruit that Vegapunk himself had sown and which was ultimately borne.

After a long silence, Gern spoke again, his voice calm: "Being a Celestial Dragon is not a good thing."

After saying that, he stood up, looked down at York who was slumped on the ground, still unable to calm down, and then made an unexpected move.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on York's head, which was covered by goggles, in a gentle gesture.

“Because,” Guern’s tone was flat, “they’re worthless.”

"What...what are you saying?" York was bewildered by the sudden contact and absurd remarks. He looked up, his face still wet with tears, filled with confusion.

“Just words.” Gern withdrew his hand, put his hands back in his pockets, his tone indifferent, yet carrying a chilling arrogance.

"Because they're really worthless. In fact, if I wanted to go to the Holy Land right now, I could just casually chop off a few heads wearing bubble hoods..."

He paused slightly, looked down into York's eyes, and said, word by word, "They still don't dare to utter a single word."

Do you believe it?

York frowned subconsciously, clearly disbelieving.

Celestial Dragons? World Nobles? Descendants of God? How could they be as vulnerable as he makes them out to be?

In her limited understanding and the information she had been given, the Celestial Dragons were the pinnacle of power in the world.

When Guern saw her expression, he immediately understood.

Vegapunk clearly didn't instill much information about the outside world in these doppelgangers who were responsible for specific tasks.

Especially his "great achievements" in "Skyquake" Gern.

Having stayed on Egghead Island, they really didn't have much opportunity to learn more about what kind of person this Navy Grand Admiral was.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but chuckle, a hint of understanding mixed with a subtle mockery.

"Never mind." Gern straightened up, seemingly losing interest in continuing the explanation. "After I leave, if you're curious, you can look it up yourself."

York was more concerned about his own fate at that moment, so he looked up, his voice trembling with tears, and asked the question he feared most: "So... are you going to kill me?"

Tears welled up in her eyes again. "Don't kill me... I know I was wrong, I really..."

“I won’t kill you,” Gern interrupted her.

"Huh?" York's tears stopped instantly, and he froze on the spot, his expression switching from fear to utter confusion and helplessness.

"Then you...you..."

"I've decided not to interfere with Vegapunk's research and choices," Gern said calmly.

"Because, if given the opportunity in the future, you might become... the new 'Vegapunk'."

"Vegapunk belongs to the Navy."

He looked into York's eyes and said meaningfully at the end, "As for whether you will betray the World Government again..."

“Heh, I believe you will.” Gern’s lips curled into a smile. “Because you’re the kind of guy who’s always driven by desire to the very end, York.”

Having said that, Gern didn't linger. He turned around, strode across the mess, and disappeared into the shadows of the passageway.

York was left alone, slumped on the cold metal floor...

........

On the warship leaving Egghead Island, the sea breeze fluttered the white coat of justice.

Gern stood at the bow of the ship, his palm outstretched, on which a miniature Den Den Mushi was perfectly mimicking Tesorona's facial expression.

“Anyway,” Gern’s voice was clearly transmitted through the Den Den Mushi.

"Have Bartholomew Bear and Lipo set off immediately to Egghead Island to oversee the relocation of the Mother Flame, with Barrett providing full escort."

"If any obstacles are encountered during the migration process, regardless of their origin, the authorization will be directly removed."

The Mother Spark is the highest strategic priority; it must never be allowed to be completely controlled by the World Government.

Currently, they only have some data and samples provided by York, and have not yet fully understood its true potential (especially the possibility of activating ancient weapons).

This is our last window of opportunity. The migration must be completed!

After speaking, Gern hesitated for a moment before making his final decision: "The destination for relocation is not Naval Headquarters."

There are too many informants there; it's not safe enough. Transport them directly to Base G-10, where they will be stored and studied in a core area under our absolute control.

"Yes, Marshal Gern!" Tesoro responded crisply from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

"Oh dear," Gern frowned slightly, somewhat helplessly, "you should just call me General Gern!"

He always seemed to have a subconscious resistance to the title of "Marshal".

“No!” Tesoro’s answer was unusually firm, even tinged with a hint of defiance. “You are the Fleet Admiral! The real Fleet Admiral of the Navy!” He stubbornly refused to change his mind.

Gern knew this guy was quite stubborn in some ways, and too lazy to correct him, so he let him be and instead asked...

"Is there anything noteworthy happening outside lately?"

“Yes!” Tesoro’s voice became more serious. “Two things.”

"First, a massive explosion occurred at a secret laboratory set up by the World Government on Punk Hazard Island."

Initial intelligence indicates that the incident was caused by Trafalgar Law, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Oh?" Gern's eyes flickered slightly.

Tesoro continued, "Next, the second thing is Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

He announced to the world through the World Economic Herald that he would voluntarily relinquish his title and privileges as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!

“Doflamingo…” Gern repeated the name softly, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.

"Give up the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Ha... are you trying to play a trick on me?"

“Dresrosa.” After a moment of contemplation, Guern spoke again, “Tezzolo.”

Gern's tone became more relaxed, even carrying a hint of delight at the prospect of "having some fun."

"Your Marshal Gern... is going out to 'play'."

"Huh?" Tesoro was taken aback.

“Inform Enel,” Gern ordered, his smile widening. “That guy… isn’t he on vacation right now?”

"Anyway, Barrett isn't here, so let's keep him occupied on the artificial island."

"Let him come find me!"

Chapter 540 The "Situation" Doflamingo Faces

The New World, Dalsk Island.

The air in this island town, located behind Punk Hazard, still faintly carries the scorching and icy atmosphere of the distant Ice and Fire Island.

The atmosphere inside the town's tavern was exceptionally peaceful.

Gern sat alone by the window, a glass of untouched ale on the wooden table in front of him.

As the tavern door was pushed open and the hanging bells jingled, he looked up and saw the tall figure walking in, bending over.

The person who arrived was wearing a white V-neck long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and black boots.

He was wearing a dark green coat, a brown backpack, round-framed sunglasses, and a beanie pulled low over his head.

He was dressed exactly like a homeless person!

But that unique temperament and figure made Gern recognize the other person at a glance.

"I thought you were still leisurely traveling on your bicycle in the first half of the Grand Line."

A slight smile played on Gern's lips as he raised his glass to the man who approached the table.

"I didn't expect to enter the new world so soon, Kuzan!"

Kuzan, who had already left the Navy, pulled out a chair and sat down, pulling his beanie back to reveal his face, which looked somewhat tired but still lazy.

Then, glancing at the full glass of ale that Guern had pushed towards him, he smiled and said, "Well... don't underestimate a man on a bicycle, Guern."

"His speed and endurance are surprisingly good." He picked up his glass, but instead of drinking heavily, he took a habitual sip.

Then, setting down his glass, he looked at Gern and cut straight to the point: "So... you, the Grand Admiral of the New World Navy, aren't you stationed at G-10?"

"Hiding in a place like this all of a sudden, it can't be just to experience the local life, right?" He paused. "Or is it because of... Doflamingo giving up his Shichibukai status?"

“You could say that,” Gern said, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic tapping sound. His answer was ambiguous, before he changed the subject.

"Furthermore, don't you think the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' system shouldn't have continued to exist in the first place?"

Pirates are pirates; granting them the right to legally plunder is the greatest irony of 'justice.'

When faced with Gern's questions about the Navy, Kuzan clearly didn't want to answer and chose to remain silent.

"People really do change after they quit their jobs," Gern chuckled, changing the subject.

"I saw it on my way here. The mountain where the laboratory was hidden in Punk Hazard was cut in two... by someone."

"The power of the Op-Op Fruit is truly legendary."

Hearing Gern change the subject, Kuzan relaxed, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Those brats from the Worst Generation are starting to cause trouble," Kuzan said slowly, clearly well-informed.

"From what I understand, Trafalgar Law and Mr. Garp's grandson... Monkey D. Luffy have teamed up."

After speaking, Kuzan paused deliberately, then dropped an even more crucial piece of information.

"And their target seems to be one of the Four Emperors... Kaido."

"Tsk tsk tsk!" Gern shook his head, the wine glass between his fingers pausing slightly on the wooden table.

"Kuzan, you've underestimated Luo, or rather, he's kept his goals hidden for too long."

"His target has never been Kaido, at least not at this stage."

"Not at this stage?" Kuzan frowned.

"That's right. His target is Donquixote Doflamingo!"

After speaking, Gern leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, which made the logical chain of his words even clearer.

"That 'clown' used his connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds to act as a middleman in the underworld."

One of its core businesses is to scout for Kaido's 'Beasts Pirates' and manufacture artificial Devil Fruits in an attempt to build his army of Devil Fruit users.

Luo's plan, in essence, boils down to four words: destroy the supply chain and escalate the conflict.

Gern took a big gulp of his drink and continued, "He teamed up with the Straw Hat Pirates to destroy Punk Hazard and kidnap the scientist Caesar."

On the surface, it appears to be cutting off Kaido's supply of SMILE, attempting to provoke a conflict between Kaido and Doflamingo.

Weaken Kaido through Doflamingo, or vice versa.

"Heh, too bad..." Gern let out a soft, ambiguous chuckle, tinged with a hint of "appreciation" for Luo's scheming.

"This kind of story might fool that simple-minded straw hat kid."

In reality, this move was completely ineffective against Kaido and could not shake his foundation.

This is nothing more than a smokescreen used by Luo to conceal his true intentions and mislead both allies and enemies.

"His real killer move is to use someone else to do his dirty work, and he's using our navy as the weapon!" Gern's eyes sharpened as he peeled back the layers of Law's scheme.

"First of all, Doflamingo voluntarily gave up his status as a Shichibukai, which means he will immediately be wanted by the World Government again, and his head is worth a fortune."

According to convention and for deterrence purposes, the Navy Headquarters will inevitably need to dispatch admiral-level forces to personally carry out the operation as a warning to others.

This was the first 'knife' in his plan.

“Then,” Gern continued, “Law will ‘timely’ leak information, guiding the Marine Admirals who come to fight Doflamingo.”

The handover between him and Caesar, his "chips," likely took place at the same time and place, most likely on some small island.

At the same time, he would have the Straw Hat crew take the opportunity to destroy Doflamingo's core underground factory in Dressrosa, completely severing Doflamingo's financial resources and power base.

"Of course, if everything goes smoothly..." Gern concluded, his tone carrying a hint of assessment of this doomed situation.