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

That spark, usually hidden and unseen, was not even fully understood by Gern himself.

But at this moment, in a desperate situation where consciousness is invaded, the self is about to be completely erased and enslaved,

Faced with Im's extreme "oppression" and "dominance", this hidden "spark" was completely ignited!

It's not like "Nika," the rubber god who brings laughter and liberation.

This is another kind of "liberation"!

Water and fire are natural opposites, and light and darkness cannot coexist!

Yes.

"A single spark can start a prairie fire!"

A cry that resounded deep within his soul echoed thunderously in the sea of ​​consciousness that was about to sink!

"boom!!!"

Gern's body, which should have been lifeless after being pierced by the tentacles, began to tremble violently and uncontrollably!

However, this tremor is no longer the power of the Heaven-War Fruit, but a deeper "activation" that originates from the essence of life and will!

Open those empty eyes!

The emptiness in his eyes was replaced by a light that was incredibly firm, incredibly pure, and even devoid of personal emotion!

It was not anger, not hatred, not any emotion belonging to "Gern" personally.

The imposing lightning reappeared around him, but its color had subtly changed; it was no longer dark purple, or rather, it was no longer imposing.

Instead, it has become a purer, more intense "spark" formed by the collective beliefs of countless people, without any impurities of personal will!

Gern's eyes were unfocused and devoid of consciousness, only the purest "spark" driving his body.

Immediately afterwards, he forcefully pulled his arms outward!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Five black tentacles pierced through and wrapped around his body

The instant he came into contact with that "sparkling" aura and the pure willpower that erupted from Gern...

It burst into flames in response!

It wasn't burned off, but rather "ignited," burned, and purified!

All restraints are gone!

Having broken free, Gern turned his head with an almost mechanical movement.

They locked onto Im (the Body of Control), who was within arm's reach.

There was no hostility, no murderous intent, and not even any "consciousness" belonging to the individual "Gern Reginald Sigmar".

It's a kind of locking that's closer to a natural phenomenon.

Flame will inevitably chase oxygen, and light will inevitably dispel darkness.

For the first time, Im fell silent.

Those dark red Rinnegan eyes clearly reflected Gern's current state, filled with utter confusion and disbelief.

And... a trace of instinctive fear that it couldn't even understand itself!

This power...this feeling...gave Im a vague sense of familiarity.

But one thing is certain: Gern is neither "D" nor "Nika"!

But the "spark" burning fiercely within him, that pure will to burn away all oppression and inequality...

This instilled in Im, the "Eternal Ruler" and "Lord of the Void Throne," a deep-seated, primal fear, as if he were facing a natural enemy!

Gern (or rather, the "will" driving this body at this moment) gave Im no time to think or react.

He rushed out unconsciously, yet with an inevitable trajectory!

During the journey, he grabbed at the air with his right hand.

"Clang!" The black sword Bahuang, stuck in the rocks, seemed to be summoned and flew up on its own, falling into "his" palm.

The blade was no longer covered with vibrating particles or Conqueror's Haki lightning, but instead was wrapped with blazing "sparks"!

A knife!

Simply and without any skill, he slashed diagonally down towards the left shoulder of Im's controlled body!

"laugh!!!"

The blade touched the body, but there was no strong defensive barrier as before.

"Spark" is a natural nemesis, the black energy and "dominant" will that Im uses to construct and maintain this body.

Upon contact with the "spark," it boils violently and melts away!

The blade sliced ​​into Im's left shoulder without any resistance, tearing diagonally all the way down to his waist and abdomen!

"Ugh... Ahhhhh!!!!"

A scream that was completely inhuman, filled with extreme pain and terror, burst from the throat of the body controlled by Im!

"Spark" is not only destroying the body, but also directly burning the will of Im that descended here!

Unable to maintain its composure and superiority any longer, it used its remaining strength to violently fling the close-knit Gern away!

Immediately afterwards, the body, scorched by the starlight and on the verge of disintegration, forcibly transformed once again into a gigantic horse skeleton.

But this time, there was no will to fight, only panic!

Im escaped!

Like a sewer rat seeing sunlight, bearing the horrific, still-burning wound ripped open by the "spark."

Without looking back, they fled at top speed, in a disheveled state, towards the horizon and the Red Earth Continent!

They didn't even bother to retrieve the fallen First Generation Kitetsu!

Its fear is real, and it stems from its very essence!

It was a force it had never encountered in its long reign, yet which it was naturally able to restrain... a force like a natural enemy!

Eight hundred years... The long-lost pain terrified it! It was filled with fear!

It fears death, and this flame can cause it pain and truly kill it!

That flame was more dazzling than the 'Sun God'!

On the island, Gern was thrown to the ground, rolled a few times, and then stopped. The "spark" in his eyes slowly faded.

It has returned to its original state, and the traces remaining on the Eight Desolations Blade in his hand are slowly fading away.

In the distance, the rising sun finally broke through the sea level, casting its first golden rays upon the almost completely destroyed island and the lying figure.

[The author believes that Im is actually a sewer rat.]

He defeated the original Joy Boy by betraying the Union Kingdom (or Joy Boy's allies), and then won against David by deception!

His true nature is that of a coward, so he never appears in his true form; he only descends upon others and always hides in the background.

As for Gern, the salted fish had long ago determined that he was neither D nor David, so the foreshadowing of defeating Im must be Gern's true nature!

The spark is its unique essence, its fundamental nature.

Chapter 579 The Battle Comes to an End

three days later

Gern lay in the center of the shattered island, his chest rising and falling slightly. He took a deep breath, then sat up.

He immediately tried clenching his fist, but his fingers gave a sluggish response.

"Is this... the aftereffect of being 'erased'...?"

Gern gritted his teeth, used the Black Blade Eight Desolations to support his body, and stood up unsteadily, looking down at his hands.

There were no visible scratches on the surface, but when he concentrated his domineering aura, they could be clearly seen.

A few extremely faint sparks occasionally flashed through the dark purple, domineering lightning.

"really……"

Guern muttered to himself, the images and words that were already etched into his soul flashing through his mind.

Immediately afterwards, he shook his head, temporarily suppressing his distracting thoughts.

The immediate priority is to assess the situation, since it's unclear how long I've been unconscious.

So Gern reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the tiny Den Den Mushi.

There were several fine cracks on the surface of the insect's shell, clearly indicating that the aftershocks of the battle had also affected it.

“Brubrubru… Brubrubru…”

"Click."

The Den Den Mushi was connected.

"Marshal Gern! You've finally broken through!" Tezzolo's voice came through, somewhat hurried, but quickly regained its composure.

"How are things on your end? We haven't heard from you for three days. If we don't hear from you soon, we'll have to come looking for you."

“As for me…” Gern paused, choosing to skip over the specific details of Im’s arrival.

"We encountered Nasujuro, one of the Five Elders, but the matter has been resolved."

The threat of the Mother Flame has been temporarily averted.

How's the base?

"Lucci and Kaku escaped with serious injuries, while Maha was confirmed dead."

Toritoma's knife nearly sliced ​​the owl's head off.

Gern could hear the delight in Tesoro's tone, a hint of pleasure at learning that he was alright.

"Also, news from the escort team consisting of Barrett, Kuma, and Ripo..."

They were ambushed by two members of the Knights of God, 'Saint Figarando Shamrock' and 'Saint Shepard Somaz', as well as the general 'Green Bull' Abandoned Shepherd.

"So it really is a divine rider..." Gern sighed, then asked, "And the result?"

"Repelled them." Tesoro's report was as concise and powerful as ever.

"Finally, the mother spark has been safely delivered to the designated sea area, and Mihawk has taken over the subsequent escort."

"Then Barrett directly overwhelmed Shamrock Saint, Kuma's spatial abilities completely disrupted the opponent's rhythm, and Ribo coordinated to deliver a crucial blow to Green Bull."

After realizing they couldn't win quickly and sensing that 'Hawkeye' might be approaching, Shamrock and Somaz retreated.

“Good.” Gern breathed a sigh of relief, but then his brows furrowed again. “Where’s Enel? He should have returned to base before me.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

“Enel…” Tesoro’s voice lowered, “On his way back, he was ambushed by ‘Blackbeard’ Marshall D. Teach and his entire crew in the waters outside G-10.”

Guern tightened his grip on the Den Den Mushi, causing the shell to make a slight "crunching" sound.

"Blackbeard, as expected of a hyena... he really did sniff out the scent." Gern's voice was icy. "The battle situation?"

“It was brutal.” Tesoro said succinctly, “Blackbeard used the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and the Dark-Dark Fruit powers simultaneously, in conjunction with Shiryu of the Rain’s sneak attack.”

Burgess's superhuman strength, Van Augur's sniping skills, and the abilities of the other Black Organization members... drove Enel to the brink of despair.

In the core area of ​​their battle, four small islands were completely destroyed, and the seabed was cracked.

Upon hearing this, Guern's heart sank.

Enel is strong, but Blackbeard's dual Devil Fruit abilities, combined with his cunning and ruthless fighting style, and the combined attack of his entire crew, are enough to threaten anyone.

"and then?"

"At the critical moment, Hawkeye, who had completed the handover of the mother flame, and Admiral 'Kizaru' Borsalino, who came to provide support, arrived on the battlefield at the same time."

Tesoro's tone was noticeably more relaxed, "Hawkeye directly forced Blackbeard, who was trying to steal Enel's power, back down, and with Kizaru's appearance..."

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Blackbeard used the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit to absorb part of the attack, then retreated with his crew using Van Augur's teleportation ability.