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

"You bastard, you can't..."

"What do you mean?" Looking at Gren's eyes, Dorag swallowed hard, subconsciously thinking that Gren had seen through his thoughts.

After all, he was the only one in the navy who had ever expressed his true feelings to Gern.

"You... after being transferred to the East China Sea branch, you haven't been skipping work to travel and slack off all day, have you?"

"..."

Chapter 57 Vice Admiral Garp, your sense of justice is wavering!

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept across the harbor of the windmill village, and the dog-headed warship slowly approached the shore.

Gern stood on the deck, gazing at the tranquil little village. Red and white windmills turned slowly on the rooftops, and the sounds of fishmongers and children playing could be faintly heard.

"We've arrived!" Garp's voice boomed like thunder as he leaped off the warship.

The military boots slammed heavily on the wooden dock, making the planks creak. "This is my hometown, Windmill Village! Gern, hurry up and get down!"

"Got it! Garp won." Gern jumped off the boat, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, Garp grabbed his arm.

"Come on! I'll show you the world!"

"Windmill Village? Broadening one's horizons? Can those two words really be combined, Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Hahaha!" Karp laughed, without answering, and instead took advantage of the fact that Gren couldn't resist him, dragging him directly towards the village.

The naval hero was like a child eager to show off his toy, his steps light and quick, unlike anything he ever did.

"Hey everyone!" Garp suddenly waved to a little girl with braids by the roadside, "Look who I've brought back!"

The little girl timidly looked up, her gaze lingering on Gern for a moment before she quickly hid behind her mother.

Gern's lips twitched. "Lieutenant General Garp, you've scared the kid."

"Garp, who is this...?" At this moment, many villagers who were familiar with Garp gradually gathered around.

"Hahaha!" Karp slapped Gern on the back so hard that he stumbled.

"Gern the Tremor! The rising star of the Navy who slashed Golden Lion in the newspapers!"

"Hey everyone." Gern managed to steady himself, and his ears burned as he suddenly found himself surrounded by onlookers.

Garp, in particular, has an incredibly loud voice that can be heard throughout half the village.

"Gold, Golden Lion?" An old fisherman carrying a fishing rod trembled. "Garp, is that the great pirate with a bounty of one billion?"

"A billion? That's ancient history from your youth!" Garp laughed, hands on his hips, spittle flying everywhere. "Now it's at least three billion!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Gern's shoulder with such force that he almost crushed his bones.

"But this kid made him run away in a panic with just one slash!"

Gern: "..."

The villagers gradually gathered around, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and curiosity.

Several teenagers even secretly reached for the Black Blade Eight Desolations at Gern's waist, but were scared away by a glare from Garp.

"Don't touch it!" Garp said, feigning seriousness. "This knife is... a cursed knife!!"

“Lieutenant General Karp is lying to you. This is just an ordinary knife wrapped in bandages.” Gern quickly interrupted, winking at the children.

Karp pursed his lips, but didn't expose him.

"Let's go! To the tavern!" Karp waved his hand and pulled Gern forward. "Let's show that Uup (the village chief) what treasures I brought back!"

What happened next left Gren speechless, or rather, he saw a completely different side of Garp.

Karp, like a human megaphone, boasted from one end of the village to the other.

Whenever he encountered a villager, he would rush forward in three strides and shove Gern forward:

"Do you recognize him? 'Skyquake' Gern! He's practically my disciple. The one who was all over the news last time!"

"Oh my, the Golden Lion is incredible, a terrifying being in the New World! Even I might not be able to defeat him!"

"Gern! My disciple! The one who slew the Golden Lion with a single blow, the Heavenly Tremor Gern!"

Even more outrageous, Garp would even temporarily "requisition" roadside benches.

He stepped on it and vividly described the battle at G-3 base to the children, even though he wasn't there at all.

He would even suddenly throw a punch when he got excited, scaring the onlookers into backing away.

"That golden lion roared and pounced!" Garp exclaimed, spittle flying, his fist tracing an exaggerated arc in the air.

"As a result, our Gern was covered in wounds... but!"

At that moment, images of all the civilians and loved ones he had protected flashed through his mind, and he finally shouted about bonds and such... He slowly stood up, and with a backhand slash, he delivered a fatal blow..."

"Snap!" The branch that Garp had used as a prop broke off with a sound.

"Please don't say it! How is this any different from having me tied up and having my diary read to me?" Gern covered his face, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

“Lieutenant General Karp, we…” Gern tried to interrupt.

"Be modest!" Garp suddenly turned around, his large, fan-like hand slapping heavily on Garp's shoulder once again.

"Young people should know how to be humble!" After saying that, he turned to the villagers and winked, "This kid is too modest, hahaha!"

Gern: "..."

As the sun set, this "traveling exhibition" finally came to an end.

Karp smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction, then, carrying the apple pie given to him by the villagers, led Gern toward their home on the hillside.

"How is it?" Garp suddenly asked, "Isn't my hometown nice?"

Gain gazed at the windmills turning in the distance and said softly, "It's peaceful."

It's so peaceful that it's hard to imagine that a man who will change the world will emerge from here.

"A cultured person speaks with such distinction!" Garp laughed heartily, his laughter startling the birds in the woods.

"However, that's just how the East Sea is! That's why I agreed to bring that brat Dorrag back..." His voice trailed off.

Gern keenly noticed that Karp's eyes dimmed for a moment.

The naval hero, who always laughed heartily, now showed a rare sign of fatigue.

"Lieutenant General Garp?"

“Gern, Doragta…” Capmo stroked the apple pie wrapper, his voice suddenly lowering, “What did he say to you?”

Halfway up the mountain, the two walked one in front of the other when the sea breeze suddenly picked up.

Gern recalled Dragon's sharp gaze in the office and his words, "Can the Navy's justice change the world?"

“It’s nothing,” Guern smiled. “We were just catching up.”

Garp stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed and scolded, "That kid is just hopeless!" His tone was light, but his eyes drifted to the distant sea.

Gurn did not respond.

The two walked silently along the mountain path, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun.

How could Garp not know? An unusual report from the East Blue Branch.

For example, the frequent "outings" by the Dolag, and even the sudden "mysterious aid" from certain countries...

This naval hero simply chose to play dumb.

Because of belief, there is indulgence. Because of expectation, there is silence.

"We're here!" Karp suddenly quickened his pace and pushed open the wooden door of the small house on the hillside. "Sleep here tonight! Tomorrow I'll take you to see Dadan..."

“No need!” Gern exclaimed, startled. “I suddenly remembered I still have to make a trip to the South China Sea.”

Karp froze, then burst into laughter: "You rascal! Dadan is such a wonderful girl!"

Do you have some misunderstanding about the definition of a "good girl"?

"And Vice Admiral Garp, you're already forty. Dadan, who's about your age, is completely unrelated to the word 'girl'!"

"Uh...you found out!"

……

At night, when all was quiet, Gern lay on the wooden bed, while Black Blade Eight Desolations leaned against the pillow.

The sound of Kapu's deafening snoring drifted in from outside the window, occasionally punctuated by his sleep-talking muttered "Dorag, you brat."

He recalled the villagers' awe-inspiring looks during the day, Garp's smug expression when he boasted, and even more so, the fact that Garp clearly knew about his son...

“Justice…” Gern gently stroked the hilt of the sword, the purplish-black patterns faintly visible in the moonlight.

"Vice Admiral Garp, you have spent your life navigating the system, yet you have protected all your relatives (Revolutionary Army and pirates) who 'overthrow the system'."

You may seem carefree and easygoing, but the justice you uphold throughout your life is actually quite wavering!

"Swinging justice" does not mean that Karp's stance is wavering.

Rather, it is their belief that oscillates violently between "systemic responsibility" and "human nature".

He allowed the flames of revolution to rage unchecked over his son, Monkey D. Dragon.

To Ace: The iron fist that could not fall, yet he sat upright beneath the execution platform, "guarding" and fulfilling his naval duties.

Regarding Luffy: He tacitly approves of Luffy's path to pursuing his dream, and repeatedly boasts to Sengoku that he will capture Luffy.

Chapter 58 The Gentle Bear

South China Sea, Kingdom of Sorbe, port.

The Kingdom of Sorbet is divided. Half of its territory consists of member states of the World Government, where nobles live extravagantly and their flags fly high.

The other half is a lawless land, a place of chaos and poverty, where even the World Government doesn't bother to extend its reach.

Gern was aboard a warship from the East Blue Branch, and naturally disembarked at a port belonging to a member state of the World Government.

Officials of the Kingdom of Sorbe were used to this; it was common for naval warships to make short stops for resupply.

As long as they don't interfere in internal affairs, they're happy to turn a blind eye.

"Captain Gern, we'll head back now." The sergeant on the warship saluted Gern, who was dressed in black civilian clothes.

“Go ahead!” Gern waved with a smile. “If I need to leave later, I will contact the South China Sea branch directly.”

Watching the warship slowly sail away from the port, Gern took a deep breath, feeling the unique humid air of the South China Sea.

Then, he pulled down the brim of his hat to cover half his face and strode into the depths of town.

Four years ago, during the chaos of God Valley, young Bartholomew Kuma and Ginny escaped and eventually returned to Kuma's homeland—the Kingdom of Sorbet.

According to his vague memory, they should be hiding in some abandoned church.

"Four years have passed! Xiong is now 14 years old, and Ginny is 17 years old."

"I wonder how they are doing now..." Gern's lips curled up slightly, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

.......

The lawless lands of the Sorbe Kingdom are far more desolate than one might imagine.

Dilapidated houses, cracked earth, ragged residents... this place seems to have been forgotten by the world.

Because he didn't know which church it was, Gern had to ask around until he finally learned it from an old woman selling fruit.

Recently, a young couple has indeed been taking care of the elderly and children in a nearby abandoned church.

"The boy was very tall, and his hands were strange, like bear paws..." the old woman recalled, squinting her eyes. "The girl was always smiling and very lively."

"Thank you!" Following the old woman's words, Gern walked through several muddy paths and finally arrived at a half-collapsed church.

Outside the church, several elderly people sat in the shade of a tree, while a tall young man squatted on the ground, carefully bandaging an old woman's knee wound.

The boy was none other than Bartholomew Bear.

Despite being only 14 years old, he is already nearly two meters tall.

It also has two bear-like features on its head, along with broad shoulders and those distinctive fleshy hands that are particularly eye-catching.

At this moment, the bear treating the old man moved very gently, as if afraid of hurting him, and his eyes were so gentle that they didn't seem like someone who had experienced the hell of God Valley and a life of slavery.