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

"Luffy! Are you alright?" Robin asked with concern, while glancing warily at Guern.

"I'm fine! Thanks to that weird old man's food!"

Luffy patted his belly, revealing a satisfied smile, then turned to Gern and grinned.

"Thank you, weird old man!"

He was very outgoing and still called Gern the "weird old man".

After all, in his eyes, the person who gives him meat is not a bad person for the time being.

Gern neither agreed nor disagreed with Luffy's form of address, but simply nodded in response to his thanks.

"Where's Blackbeard?" Gern cut straight to the point. "What exactly happened between you two? Tell me in detail."

intelligence!

What he needs most right now is accurate intelligence about Blackbeard's exact condition, movements, and details of their fight!

This relates to his next assessment and actions regarding the overall situation in Egherd.

After all, the revolutionary army was waiting for the signal to attack!

When Blackbeard was mentioned, the relaxed smile on Luffy's face vanished instantly, replaced by a complex expression.

"That Blackbeard guy..." Luffy clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "He's been hiding his strength!"

He began to recall the fierce and bizarre battle that had just taken place:

"At first, he tried to use his black hole ability that could suck people in to grab me, but I used Gear Fifth's rubber properties."

Instead, they used his suction to accelerate their attack, catching him completely off guard!

Luffy gestured with his hands and feet, describing how he used the suction of "Dark Water" to unleash "Gum-Gum Jet White Spear" and severely injure Blackbeard.

"Later he discovered that his ability to absorb people seemed to be severely countered by my fifth gear, so he stopped using it much."

He kept using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit power that he stole from Whitebeard to fight me!

A deafening roar shook the ground, shattering it and creating numerous cracks!

Luffy's face showed lingering fear, clearly the battle between the tremors and the rubber had left a deep impression on him.

"However, even with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, my Gear Fifth can barely handle it!"

I can turn the ground and air into rubber, and I can even catch lightning and throw it at you!

Luffy became a little smug as he spoke, but his expression soon darkened again.

"But... towards the end, my stamina started to falter in Gear Fifth." Luffy scratched his head, frankly admitting his weakness.

"Maintaining that form is too taxing. I feel my body getting heavier and heavier, and my fists aren't as powerful as they used to be."

I could still barely handle it, but at the last moment, I didn't expect him to unleash his Conqueror's Haki!

Moreover, his physical skills are extremely powerful!

“But even so, Blackbeard isn’t having an easy time!” He looked at Gern.

"I hit him hard several times; his nose was crooked, and he was vomiting blood quite a lot!"

Luffy wasn't lying; of the three types of Devil Fruits...

Natural types play with creation, superhuman types play with rules, animal types play with the body.

Therefore, in close combat, Zoan-type attacks, when fully developed, will always have the greatest advantage.

Besides, Nika is a Zoan-type!

But Luffy's next words made Gern frown.

"But just when I was about to give up, and he seemed to be seriously injured as well..."

"I've realized he doesn't seem to be planning to fight me to the bitter end anymore!"

"He kept observing and testing me, and after realizing that it seemed impossible to take me down quickly, or that the cost of taking me down would be too high..."

Luffy paused, then used a very apt word, "He ran away!"

"Ran away?" Gern repeated, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

As expected, Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach is always the "hyena" who pursues a "100% win rate" and never takes risks lightly.

They realized that trying to bite through Luffy's tough nut might break their teeth.

They immediately opted for a tactical retreat to find a safer or more advantageous target.

“That’s right! They ran away!” Luffy nodded firmly, but then his tone changed immediately.

"But... I have a feeling that someone is helping him escape!"

"Hmm?" Gern's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Because even though I was exhausted, I still wanted to catch up and give him one last blow!" Luffy gestured. "But just as I was about to set off..."

Luffy pointed to his forehead, "It feels like someone hit me hard on the forehead with something I can't see!"

It wasn't a fist, nor a stone, it was... an impact that appeared out of nowhere!

Very sudden, very heavy!

It hit me so hard my vision went black, my head was buzzing, and I was completely stunned!

After saying that, Luffy rubbed his forehead.

"That's why I couldn't catch up immediately."

By the time they came to their senses, Blackbeard had already vanished!

An attack on the forehead out of thin air? Ignoring distance?

Almost instantly, a name and an ability locked into Gern's mind!

Jaigolusia Satan Saint!

One of the signature abilities of that Scientific Defense God among the Five Elders

It means that through some special "fierce eyes" or intention, it can ignore spatial distance and launch an invisible and powerful impact directly on the target's head!

“Satan’s fierce eyes…” Gern muttered to himself.

If it really was Satan who intervened, then things would be completely different.

This means that the highest authority in the world government, at the level of the Five Elders, has personally landed, or at least has projected his power onto Egerhead!

Moreover, his target wasn't Blackbeard, the World Government's nominal "ally," to deal with Luffy, who was essentially "Nika."

Instead, it helped Blackbeard escape from his battle with Luffy?

The implications of this are quite profound.

Is it simply about "saving" Blackbeard, a piece that is still useful?

Or perhaps Satan Saint has other plans for Blackbeard, and doesn't want him to be seriously injured by Luffy here?

Or perhaps he already knew I had landed on the island, so he was just in case Blackbeard was dragged to his death by Luffy and was held back until I appeared?

However, now, regardless of the circumstances, a clear conclusion has emerged.

Blackbeard has now, most likely, joined forces with Jaigolusia Satan, one of the Five Elders who landed in Egerhard!

It's just unclear what the two of them are plotting when they're together.

Guern's brain was working at lightning speed, combining it with other information he had previously received.

The dispersal of Blackbeard's subordinates, the actions of Hawkeye and others, and the battle situation of Kizaru and Enel.

A more complex picture of the situation in Egherd slowly began to emerge in my mind.

Chapter 674 He's not on the same level as us at all.

After gathering the crucial intelligence, the tense expression on Gern's face quickly faded, and he regained his composure.

His gaze returned to Lu Fei, and he didn't press Blackbeard for more details.

Instead, she abruptly changed the subject and asked a crucial question.

"Where is Vegapunk?"

Those five short words instantly tightened the tension once again, which had just eased slightly because they were "not enemies".

Luffy's expression instantly changed, and he straightened his back.

Although his physical strength had not fully recovered, his eyes were firm.

At the same time, he recalled Vegapunk's plea on the cloud platform.

I remembered the promise I made casually because I thought the other person's "brain was funny".

"Take you away? Sure! It looks interesting anyway!"

For Luffy, a promise is a promise.

Since you promised to take Vegapunk away

So, before Vegapunk himself changes his mind or explicitly states that he doesn't need it.

He will do his utmost to fulfill his promise.

"Sorry, weird old man."

Luffy did not mention York's betrayal, nor did he explain Vegapunk's current predicament and danger.

He simply and directly stated his position.

"If you've come here, are you planning to bring Uncle Apple along..."

Luffy paused, looking directly into Gern's eyes.

"I will not hand him over to you."

The atmosphere shifted slightly after these words were spoken.

Gern's eyes narrowed slightly.

Robin, Franky, and Brook immediately tensed up again and instinctively assumed a defensive stance.

After all, their captain's words meant that they could have a direct conflict with the unfathomable naval admiral in front of them at any time.

For a moment, silence enveloped the two sides.

The sea breeze swept across the ruins, stirring up fine dust and making a mournful sound.

A few seconds later, Gern slowly spoke.

"If I want to..."

His gaze swept over Luffy, then over Robin and the other two behind him.

"Can you protect Vegapunk, Luffy?"

This is not a threat, but more like a question based on actual strength.

Given the strength Gern has demonstrated, and the naval forces that may be fully involved behind him...

To be from a person who has just experienced a fierce battle and is physically exhausted

The Straw Hat Pirates, whose crew members were scattered and many were seriously injured, "took" Vegapunk away.

It seems... not difficult.

Luffy's gaze remained unwavering; instead, he spoke loudly.

"I promised Uncle Apple!"

"Furthermore... I've already taken a step back regarding Wano Country!"

He was referring to the time when Gern, riding high on his victory, stormed into Wano Country and forced the Straw Hat Pirates, who had just defeated Kaido, to retreat.

This forced Kozuki Sukiyaki to announce her allegiance to the Navy.

That time, due to various considerations (the status of partners, the overall situation, and fear of Gern's strength, etc.),

Luffy chose to temporarily concede.

But this time, it's different.