The surface of the West Blue shimmered under the sunlight as Gern stepped back onto the deck of the Marine warship.
"Ensign Gern!"
The moment his boots touched the deck, the Marines snapped to attention in unison, backs straight, salutes crisp. Their eyes carried a mix of awe and reverence.
"Good work, everyone," Gern said calmly, tossing Hawk's corpse toward a nearby orderly.
The young soldier fumbled as he caught it, then sucked in a sharp breath when he recognized the twisted face with the gold-plated teeth.
"T-This is… 'Gold Tooth' Hawk?! The pirate with a bounty of twenty-three million Berries?!"
The deck erupted into murmurs.
After all, this wasn't the era that followed Roger's rise. In the current age, a pirate with a bounty exceeding twenty million in the Four Blues was no small figure.
"As expected of the 'Pirate Hunter'! That makes sixteen this year alone, doesn't it?"
"I heard he became a sergeant at fourteen and was promoted straight to Ensign this year…"
Amid the hushed excitement, Gern calmly removed his bloodstained white gloves.
He was already used to this kind of reaction.
Over the past year, the West Blue branch had deliberately shaped him into a symbol—a "Marine prodigy" meant to restore faith in a force rotting from the inside.
A Logia user.A lone soldier wiping out pirate crews single-handedly.
To the common Marines, he had become something close to a legend.
"…Still not enough," Gern muttered, glancing at Hawk's corpse.
In the Four Blues, this level of opponent might count as formidable—but in the New World, such a man wouldn't even qualify to scrub a deck.
"I need something bigger…"
"Ensign!" A soldier jogged over, handing him a bundle of documents. "This is the newspaper intel you asked for."
"Thanks." Gern nodded.
The young Marine beamed with pride, as though serving him were an honor beyond measure.
[Massive Conflict Erupts in the New World!]Whitebeard Edward Newgate sinks three Marine warships!'Golden Lion' Shiki seizes control of six islands!
Gern's gaze skimmed over the dense casualty lists.
The remnants of Rocks' crew were running rampant.
That man was gone, yet the monsters who once served beneath him had only grown more ferocious—each carving out their own dominion, tearing the New World apart.
Meanwhile, Marine Headquarters was stretched thin, desperately trying to contain those true kings of the sea.
"…I can't afford to waste time anymore."
His grip tightened around the papers, faint tremors rippling between his fingers.
"Ensign?" the communications officer spoke carefully. "Branch Chief Asahi said the information you requested… has arrived."
Gern's eyes sharpened.
"So it's ready," he said quietly. "Then my transfer to headquarters won't be far off."
"W-What? You're really going to—?"
"The pirates of the West Blue aren't enough anymore."He lifted his gaze toward the distant horizon."To ride the tides of this era… I need to head straight into the storm."
The surrounding Marines swallowed hard.
Marine Headquarters—just the name alone carried weight. Even an officer demoted by three ranks there would still outrank any branch officer in the Four Blues.
Seeing their reactions, Gern said nothing more. He simply turned and walked toward the ship's interior, Eight Desolations resting across his back.
The setting sun bathed the harbor of West Blue's 133rd Marine Branch in crimson light.
Gern's warship slowly docked, the hull creaking as it pressed against the pier.
Fresh recruits stood in neat rows, faces tense with excitement.
Their "Pirate Hunter" had returned victorious once more.
At the very front stood a slightly overweight man with a face permanently creased into a smile—Branch Chief Asahi.
Just a year ago, he had secretly hoped Gern would die in the line of duty so he could pocket the compensation.
Now, he bowed so deeply his back nearly folded in half.
"Ensign Gern! You've worked hard!" His voice was overly enthusiastic, bordering on shrill.
He jogged forward, his plump frame wobbling with each step.
"I've already had hot water and meals prepared! Please, rest—leave the rest to us!"
Gern stepped off the ship, the bandage-wrapped black blade slung over his back.
"You're still a branch chief, you know," he said mildly, glancing at Asahi.
Ever since Gern had revealed his Tremor Fruit ability a year ago, this man's entire demeanor had flipped overnight.
"Oh, come now!" Asahi laughed nervously. "These recruits all joined just to see you! I have to indulge them a little, don't I?"
"No need for such theatrics," Gern replied evenly. "I only did my duty."
"Oh, you're too humble!" Asahi rubbed his hands together eagerly."Do you know? The pirates of the West Blue soil themselves just hearing your name! Our 133rd Branch owes its reputation entirely to you!"
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the deck.
Several Marines were carrying down a corpse—the gold-capped teeth still glinting faintly in the sunset.
"T-That's… 'Gold Tooth' Hawk?!" Asahi's eyes bulged. "A pirate with a twenty-three million bounty?! You broke another record!"
The surrounding soldiers burst into whispers.
"That's sixteen crews this year…"
"I heard he wiped out the Blood Axe Pirates alone last month…"
"He's a Logia user—how many monsters like that even exist in the West Blue?"
Gern ignored the noise.
He walked toward the branch building, Asahi scurrying after him like a yapping lapdog.
"Ensign, about that information you requested…" Asahi lowered his voice, his face bunching into an ingratiating grin.
Inside the office, he wasted no time."I've got it right here."
He slammed a wanted poster onto the desk.
"This is the one you've been waiting for," he said with a smile."Not an easy catch. Came back from the Grand Line—dangerous, very dangerous."
Gern's eyes moved to the poster, lips curving faintly.
[Blood Spear Pirates]Captain: 'Blood Spear' LogottBounty: 69,000,000 Berries