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

"It seems the excitement in the arena has come to an end?"

Chapter 552 Sabo

"Hehe, I didn't expect this..."

Sabo looked at Gren, raised his hand to adjust the brim of his hat, the shadow obscuring some of the emotion in his eyes, but the coldness in his tone could not be concealed.

"The current Grand Admiral 'Tianzhen' who holds naval power and stirs up the winds of the New World"

"To have the leisure to stroll around the kingdom of a Shichibukai..."

Gern was unfazed by the sarcasm in Sabo's words, and said with a touch of emotion, "You didn't have this expression when you saw me as a child."

Although I was just as nervous as a prickly kitten back then, there was something in my eyes...

"But I didn't feel this intense hatred before, Sabo."

"Don't call me by my name!" Sabo's expression suddenly darkened as he interrupted him sharply.

"If you really still care about that brief 'acquaintance' with the three of us brothers..."

His voice trembled slightly as images of the Marineford War and the photograph of Ace's death flashed through his mind, instantly filling his eyes with bloodshot veins.

"You wouldn't have stood by and watched Ace die on the battlefield of Marineford!!"

Before he finished speaking, the blazing flames seemed to echo his boiling emotions, suddenly bursting forth from his fists!

Orange-red flames coiled and rose, making the water pipe in his hand scorch, and the surrounding air distorted due to the high temperature!

This flame is no longer an illusory symbol, but a real force!

He has completely inherited the abilities and will of his brother Portgas D. Ace!

Seeing Sabo engulfed in flames and visibly agitated, Gern did not become angry.

Instead, he chuckled softly, as if looking at a sulking junior, completely ignoring the scorching heat, and spoke in a calm tone.

"The distinction between pirates and revolutionary army can be quite blurred at times."

The Navy and pirates, at least in terms of their stance, are clearly opposed.

As he spoke, Gern spread his hands slightly, as if to say, "I've done my best."

"I believe that I have done my 'best' job, both before and after the Marineford War."

At least, I didn't personally attack Ace, did I?

"What kind of bullshit is this...?"

Before Sabo could retort, Gern abruptly changed the subject, throwing out an extremely tricky, even somewhat cruel, hypothetical scenario, his gaze sharply fixed on Sabo.

"Then let's put it another way!!!"

If I were to execute a Celestial Dragon right now... well, perhaps one with a tiny bit of 'goodwill' in him.

"Would you choose to save him?"

"!!!"

In short, a psychological blow struck Sabo instantly!

The anger and resolve on his face suddenly froze.

He opened his mouth, but found that his throat was blocked, and he couldn't give an answer immediately.

Or rather, at the very moment Gern uttered those words, he subconsciously paused to think for a moment.

And the answer came to mind almost instantly: No!

He's Sabo! The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army!

He is the successor personally trained by Monkey D. Dragon and on whom he has placed high hopes!

His stance, his beliefs, and the countless warriors behind him resisting the tyranny of the World Government all determined that he could never save a Celestial Dragon.

Regardless of whether that Celestial Dragon had "good intentions" or not!

If he did that, he would be regarded as a complete traitor within the revolutionary army, his foundation would be destroyed, and he would be doomed forever!

Having figured this out, Sabo's expression became extremely complicated.

But still believing he had fallen into the other person's verbal trap, he could only grit his teeth and forcefully squeeze out a sentence.

"You...you're twisting the facts!"

"A fallacy of equivocation?" Gern laughed out loud as if he had heard something utterly ridiculous.

Laughter echoed through the empty corridor, carrying undisguised mockery.

“Little Sabo, you accuse me of changing the subject? How amusing.” Gern’s smile vanished abruptly.

"From beginning to end, you only stood on your own ground and used your own 'assumptions' to demand things of me."

And you, for even a second, have you tried to put yourself in my shoes and think from my perspective?

As he spoke, he took a step forward, and an invisible pressure surged towards Sabo like a tidal wave.

“I didn’t ask you to understand my choice, but the question I just raised was genuinely considered from your perspective and situation.”

"Now, tell me..."

"Who exactly is trying to mislead us?"

Sabo was completely stunned by Gern's question that pointed directly to the essence of his position.

The other party's logic was impeccable, forcing him into a dead end in terms of ideology.

He could not give a definite answer to the question of "saving the Celestial Dragons".

After a brief moment of speechlessness, the daring and skilled Sabo's expression darkened.

The courage shown in the original story, where he didn't back down even when facing the Five Elders and Im, was fully unleashed!

Stop trying to argue verbally!

Action is the most direct response from the revolutionary army!

"Shh!"

Sabo leaned slightly forward, lowered his center of gravity, and his right hand's five fingers moved in a unique way.

The index and middle fingers are bent and together, the ring and middle fingers are separated, the ring and little fingers are bent and together, and the thumb is slightly curled inward.

Immediately, Armament Haki covered his face, and he adopted the starting stance of Dragon Claw Fist!

After finishing everything, when Sabo raised his head, the confusion and complexity in his eyes had completely disappeared, and his voice was calm and steady.

"So, setting aside all positions and sophistry..."

Surely you don't disagree with the opposing concepts of the Navy and the Revolutionary Army?

Seeing Sabo assume a fighting stance without hesitation, even revealing a determination to "fight to the death here," Gern's eyes narrowed slightly.

Instead of getting angry, he seemed to have seen something amusing, a slight mockery and wistfulness playing on his lips.

"Young people... are so arrogant!"

He sized up Sabo, who was poised to pounce, and asked slowly, with the air of an elder looking at an arrogant junior.

"You wouldn't... be thinking of killing me here, would you?"

Faced with Gern's question, which was almost mocking yet carried an invisible weight, Sabo did not evade or make excuses.

He straightened his spine, his Dragon Claw Fist stance unwavering, and met Gern's gaze intently, admitting it frankly and directly.

“That’s right.” The voice echoed in the dimly lit passage.

"If I could, that's exactly what I think."

There were no grand pronouncements, no angry roars.

This frankness, rather than any sophistry, demonstrates his determination at this moment.

Gern looked at the determined young man in front of him and remained silent for a moment.

Then, he suddenly chuckled softly, his laughter revealing neither joy nor anger.

After a long while, Gern finally stopped laughing and uttered only these two words.

"very good.

"However, have you ever considered that even Monkey D. Dragon wouldn't dare say that to me?"

"Who do you think you are?!"

Conqueror's Haki descended with a deafening roar, centered on Gern!

The air inside the passage turned a dark purple and became viscous, and the light dimmed slightly.

This is not a shock, but something even more despairing, all-encompassing, absolute... control!

Gern responded to Saab's "idea" in this most direct way.

Faced with this domineering aura that seemed to freeze and crush even the soul...

Any skill, any determination, seems so insignificant and laughable.

With his very existence, he silently told Sabo a cruel reality.

You want to kill me?

You are still far from perfect.

Chapter 553 You're still too weak!

Sabo's expression hardened in the face of Gern's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki.

With a low roar, he forcefully broke through the invisible mental shackles, the ground beneath his feet shattered, and his figure shot out.

He unleashed his burning right arm, unleashing a Dragon Claw Fist straight at Gern's face!

"Dragon Claw Fist - Fiery Claw!"

Flames gathered at the tip of the claws, and the temperature and destructive power instantly soared!

Faced with the fierce attack, Gern didn't even move his feet. Only at the moment when the burning dragon claw was about to touch his nose did he seemingly casually raise his right hand.

He only extended one index finger.

Above the index finger, there were no vibrating particles, only a layer of dark metallic Armament Haki covering it.

"clang!!!"

The fiery dragon claw collided with that pitch-black finger, producing a soft sound!

The blazing flames were instantly shattered and mostly extinguished. Sabo felt his entire arm go numb and weak, and his forward momentum was abruptly halted!

Immediately following, his left fist, covered in Armament Haki, slammed into Gern's ribs at an even more tricky angle!

At the same time, he changed his footwork, trying to find an opening.

Unfortunately, Gern was still the same finger, predicting all his moves.

"Clang!", "Bang!", "Bang!"

Every precise contact was intercepted at the exact moment when Sabo's power was about to erupt!

Sabo's relentless barrage of attacks

The fiery claw strikes and the heavy force of the fists were all effortlessly blocked and neutralized by that seemingly fragile finger!

Gern didn't even use a second finger, relying solely on his index finger, which was covered in top-tier Armament Haki.

He completely ignored all of Sabo's exquisite physical skills combined with his fire attacks!

It was completely one-sided...playing with them.

Every parry was so precise it was despair-inducing, and the recoil from each contact sent Sabo's blood churning and his arm bones throbbing with pain.

Absolute skill! Absolute power! Absolute control!

Sabo grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

His proud physical skills and fire abilities seemed so clumsy and powerless in the face of that one finger!