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

He then stepped on it, and through the reverse shockwave of the vibrating particles, his figure suddenly disappeared!

"Vibration Instant Slide!"

A deafening roar tore through the sea breeze, and the pirates on deck saw only a distorted, transparent track suddenly appear in the air.

Immediately following, like waves being cleaved by an invisible blade, the shockwave from the sonic boom sent the pirates on both sides flying!

"Where is he?!" Hawke had just raised his scimitar when he suddenly felt a cold touch on his back.

"Sorry, I have to carry out the 'Zhen' righteousness now!"

"Bounty of 23 million Berries, 'Gold Tooth' Hawke," Gern said calmly. "I'll take your head."

As soon as he finished speaking, the pure white shockwave condensed by Gern's left foot, like a star core compressed to its limit, had already pressed against Hawke's side of the head.

"Crack!" The moment it swept out, a muffled sound of flesh being pierced and a crisp sound like glass shattering exploded at the same time!

Hawke's pupils suddenly dilated into his field of vision.

All that could be seen was that the surrounding air was cracked like a spider web, as if the space itself had been shattered!

"Pfft!" Hawke's head twisted, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, collapsing to his knees.

Although the attack was aimed at his head, his internal body had already been crushed into a pulp by the shockwave.

The deck was deathly silent.

The remaining pirates stood frozen in place, their swords and spears clattering to the ground.

"Captain Hawke, with a bounty of 23 million Berries, was defeated in one move... in one move..."

They looked at the retreating figure in horror.

Gern slowly retracted his raised foot, the vibrating particles still lingering.

"Monster..." A pirate collapsed to the ground, his crotch oozing a foul-smelling liquid.

"Tsk! The skill developed by imitating Kizaru's light-speed kick is still a bit imperfect," Gern muttered to himself. "Although it can achieve short-distance supersonic gliding, but..."

But ultimately, it can't be as free as real 'light'.

Before he finished speaking, he had already lifted Hawke's gradually cooling body with his left hand, and with his right palm facing upwards, a pure white vibrating particle light ball quietly condensed.

"However... this is enough."

He suddenly flung the ball of light into the air.

"Zhen Step - Empty Step".

"Boom!" The compressed vibration particles exploded the moment he stepped on them, and the shock wave rippled out in a ring shape. Guern's figure was propelled into the air by the force of the impact.

Below, the violent shockwave spread like ripples, and the ship's planks, masts, gun emplacements—everything that came into contact with it—disintegrated into dust in an instant!

Before the pirates could even scream, the entire ship collapsed like a fragile glass artifact, the wreckage and debris instantly swallowed by the surging waves.

Gern's figure had already leaped into the air, and several shockwaves exploded beneath his feet. The air twisted and trembled with each push he made, as if an invisible staircase was carrying him away into the distance.

Chapter 8 "New Star of the West Sea" Gern

On the shimmering surface of the Western Sea, Gern walked all the way back to the deck of the warship...

"Warrant Lieutenant Gern!"

As soon as they landed, the naval soldiers on the deck straightened their backs and saluted in unison, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and admiration.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone." Gern casually tossed Hawke's body to the orderly beside him.

The latter hurriedly caught it, but gasped when he saw the distorted gold-toothed face.

"This...this is 'Gold Tooth' Hawk?! The infamous pirate with a bounty of 23 million Berries who's recently become famous!"

Upon seeing the pirate corpse that Gern had brought back, a commotion immediately broke out on the deck.

After all, this is not the Great Pirate Era that Roger started. A pirate with a bounty of 20 million Berries is not weak in the world.

"As expected of the 'Pirate Hunter'! This must be the sixteenth one this year!"

"I heard he became a sergeant at only fourteen last year, and this year he was promoted to warrant officer without any special qualifications..."

Amidst the whispers, Gern silently removed his blood-stained white gloves.

He was used to the soldiers' fanaticism.

Over the past year, in an effort to salvage his reputation for corruption, the West Sea Branch deliberately portrayed him as a "naval supernova."

After all, the aura of a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, coupled with the feat of single-handedly wiping out a pirate crew, is enough to make the lower-ranking soldiers blindly idolize him.

“It’s still not enough!” Gern glanced at Hawke’s corpse.

This kind of person might be considered someone in the Four Seas, but in the New World... they wouldn't even qualify to clean a deck.

"A major achievement is required..."

"Warrant Lieutenant!" At that moment, a soldier jogged over and handed over a stack of documents. "These are the newspaper intelligence reports you asked me to compile."

"Thanks." Gern smiled and nodded, while the navy man shook his head excitedly.

It was as if serving Gern, this 'Star of the West Sea,' was what he looked forward to most.

Large-scale conflict erupts again in the new world

"Whitebeard" Edward Newgate sank three government warships, and "Golden Lion" Shiki occupied six islands...

Gern took the document, his eyes scanning the densely packed casualty figures under the title.

The remnants of Lox's forces raged like wildfire.

After that man died, the monsters under his command did not perish; instead, they each carved out their own territory and turned the new world upside down.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Navy Headquarters is currently busy trying to contain these true maritime overlords.

“We can’t waste any more time…” Gern clenched the document, and tiny vibrations seeped through his fingers.

"Warrant Lieutenant?" the communications officer cautiously reminded him, carrying a document.

"The Asahi branch chief said that the intelligence you requested has been obtained..."

"Got it?" Gern's expression brightened. "It seems I'll be promoted to headquarters soon."

"W-what?! Lieutenant Gern, you want to..."

"The pirates of the West Blue are no match for us anymore." He looked up at the distant horizon.

"To keep up with the times... you have to go to the eye of the storm."

The sailors on the warship opened their mouths, but in the end they just swallowed hard. After all, that was the "Naval Headquarters"!

Who wouldn't yearn for it? You know, even if someone from the headquarters comes to the Four Seas branch and their official rank is three grades lower, it's still something that the branch can't compare to.

Seeing the bewildered looks on the navy men, Gern didn't say anything more. Instead, he turned and walked towards the cabin with his black sword, Hachiro, on his back.

……

The afterglow of the setting sun painted the port of the 133rd branch of the West Sea red, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty and fishy smell, swept across the dock.

Guern's warship slowly approached the shore, its hull colliding with the wooden dock with a dull thud.

The naval recruits on the harbor were already lined up, their solemn expressions tinged with barely concealed excitement.

Their "pirate hunter" Warrant Officer Gern has once again returned in triumph.

At the very front of this group of soldiers, a slightly chubby man named Asahi, with a beaming smile, was rubbing his hands together, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Asahi, the branch leader of the 133rd branch of the West Sea, was a man who, just a year ago, had expected Gern to be a naive young man who would collect his own pension.

At this moment, however, he was bent over so low that his back almost touched the ground, like a waiter welcoming a VIP.

"Warrant Lieutenant Gern! You've worked hard!" Asahi's voice was eight octaves higher than usual, so obsequious it gave one goosebumps.

He jogged up to meet him, his face jiggling with each step as he'd gained weight that year.

"I've already had hot water and hot food prepared, please rest!"

These miscellaneous tasks can be handled by the subordinates!

Gern slowly stepped off the warship, his signature white bandage-wrapped black knife slung across his back.

“You’re a branch secretary, after all…” He glanced at Asahi, his lips twitching slightly.

Ever since he demonstrated the power of the "Heaven-Shatter Fruit" in front of the branch members a year ago, the branch leader, who used to ignore him, immediately changed his attitude.

"Oh my! These new naval recruits all joined us just to see you!"

As the branch leader, I have to satisfy their curiosity, right?

“No need for such formality.” Gern’s tone was flat, showing neither disgust nor acceptance of the flattery.

"I just did what I was supposed to do."

"Oh dear! What are you saying!" Asahi rubbed his hands together, his smile widening even further.

"Do you know what? Now, pirates in the West Blue are terrified at the mere mention of the name 'Gern'! The reputation of our 133rd branch depends entirely on you!"

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the deck of the warship.

Several naval soldiers were carrying a body down the gangway.

The corpse still had gold braces on its mouth, which gleamed dimly in the setting sun.

"This, this is... 'Gold Tooth' Hawk?!" Asahi's eyes widened, and her voice became even more shrill.

"A pirate with a bounty of 23 million Berries! My God! You've broken another record!"

The surrounding soldiers also began to stir, whispering among themselves:

"Is this the sixteenth pirate crew that Warrant Officer Gern has taken down this year?"

"I heard that last month he single-handedly destroyed the hideout of the 'Blood Axe Pirates,' a crew with a bounty of 16 million..."

"Nonsense! That's a Logia-type Devil Fruit user! How many monsters like that are there in the entire West Sea?"

Gurn ignored the surrounding chatter.

He strode toward the branch building, and Asahi immediately trotted after him, looking like a lapdog wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

“Warrant Officer, look…” Asahi lowered his voice, his fat face scrunched up.

"You telegraphed that you have intelligence, intelligence..." As soon as he entered the office, he got straight to the point.

"Don't worry about me handling things." Asahi went straight to his desk and slapped a wanted poster down.

"The thing you've been waiting for..." Asahi smiled slightly, "This guy is not often seen!"

However, those who have returned from the Grand Line are not to be underestimated.

"Did he escape from the Grand Line...?" Gern smiled slightly as he looked at the photo on the wanted poster.

[The Blood Spear Pirates, Captain "Blood Spear" Logot, bounty 69 million Berries!]

Chapter 9 is almost there.

Upon seeing the wanted poster, Gern paused slightly.

Asahi, observing the situation, immediately added, "Gern, I know you'll be promoted to headquarters sooner or later!"

"A talent like yours is being wasted in the West Sea!" he said, his smile becoming somewhat forced.

"But...you see, you did come from our 133rd branch after all..."

Gern finally stopped and turned to look at Asahi.

He knew perfectly well what Asahi was thinking. The navy in this era was not like the navy of later times, and in addition, the naval academy at headquarters had very limited and precious spots.

Those who are promoted to headquarters are all "rising stars" from various branches across the country.

Therefore, naval personnel in this era have a strong attachment to their birthplace and a desire to return home in glory.

Just like Garp, even after graduating from the Naval Academy at headquarters, he still frequently returns to his hometown, the East Blue, after becoming famous.

It is both protection and perseverance.

In the office, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window onto Gern's profile, outlining his cold and austere features.

"Branch leader," he said slowly, "I'm from Xihai."