Several days later, on a bustling island town in the North Blue—
Gern sat comfortably at a café entrance, soaking in the atmosphere, before casually pulling out a small Den Den Mushi.
The snail connected almost immediately, its face morphing into one wearing glasses and seething with anger.
"Moshi moshi~ This is the diligent and highly capable G-10 Base Commander and Marine Headquarters Admiral, Gern Reginald Sigmar, reporting flawless mission completion. May I ask if this is dear Fleet Admiral Sengoku speaking?"Gern spoke into the Den Den Mushi with outrageously exaggerated enthusiasm.
The moment his words ended, Sengoku's barely restrained roar exploded from the other end—so loud that even Mihawk beside him furrowed his brow slightly.
"GERN!!! YOU BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU'VE CAUSED THIS TIME?!Reports from the North Blue say there was a massive destruction incident on Dias Island—and witnesses saw you there!Didn't you say you were just going to 'help out a little'?!THIS is your idea of 'a little'? What the hell did you do?!"
Gern calmly held the Den Den Mushi a bit farther from his ear, dug a finger into his ear, and replied nonchalantly,"Hey now, Admiral, no need to get so worked up. At your age, high blood pressure's a real concern.Didn't I complete the mission perfectly?"
"Perfect my ass!" Sengoku nearly smashed the Den Den Mushi."I told you to covertly protect Rosinante, not tear down someone's entire headquarters!The entire North Blue underworld is in an uproar now!Doflamingo's probably scared out of his mind—this kind of commotion spooks the snake and jeopardizes the follow-up plan! Do you understand that?!"
"Relax, relax~" Gern waved his hand as if Sengoku could see him."Not only was the plan unaffected, it went surprisingly smoothly.I followed your instructions perfectly—just 'slightly' demonstrated an admiral's authority and, while I was at it, helped your precious foster son rack up a massive amount of goodwill and trust.
"At this point, Doflamingo's probably treating his little brother like a lifesaving saint. The results are outstanding."
"You—!" Sengoku choked on the sheer flippancy of the response and fell silent for a moment.After taking several deep breaths, he forcibly suppressed his rage and ground out,"You didn't seriously harm Doflamingo, did you? He's—"
"I know, I know~" Gern cut him off lightly."'Former Celestial Dragon,' 'future Seven Warlords candidate,' right?Don't worry—he's alive and kicking. Just suffered a tiny scare. Might need to change his pants, that's all. I was very restrained."
"Restrained my foot!" Sengoku snapped. "And another thing! Why does the report say Crocodile was there too? And that you clashed with him?! What is that about?!"
"Oh, that sand crocodile?" Gern shrugged."Ran into him doing business with Flamingo. I didn't like his face, so I beat him up a bit.Too bad he's made of sand—slippery little bastard got away.What, is he another precious World Government asset I'm not allowed to hit?"
On the other end, Sengoku's breathing became audibly ragged, a series of furious huffs crackling through the Den Den Mushi.
"Gern! You—take this seriously!You are to return to G-10 immediately! Right now!Stay in the New World and do not leave the base without my explicit orders! Do you hear me?!"
"Yessir~ Got it~" Gern replied while picking at his ear, utterly perfunctory."Signal's bad, Admiral. I'm hanging up now. Bye-bye~"
Without giving Sengoku any chance to roar again, he snapped the call shut with a crisp click.
Gern casually stuffed the Den Den Mushi back into his pocket and shrugged at Mihawk, who looked utterly done with this entire situation.
"All settled. See? Told you the old man's all bark and no bite. He yells a bit and it's over."
Mihawk stared at him."So… we're going back?"
"Why would we?" Gern replied lazily."Took a lot of effort to come all this way—and the North Blue's so close to the East Blue.I'm thinking of stopping by Orange Town to see an old friend. She should've retired from the Marines by now… probably raising a kid."
...
At the same time—New World, at the outer edge of the territory influenced by G-10 Base—
Yakuro Kingdom.
This non–World Government–affiliated nation had enjoyed a rare period of peace and growth amid the chaos of the New World, simply because it flew the banner of 'Heavenquake' Gern.
But at this moment, a suffocating tension hung over the royal port.
A World Government official vessel slowly docked. Its hull was noticeably more ornate and reinforced than ordinary warships.
The elderly king of Yakuro stood waiting on the pier with his ministers, all wearing respectful yet anxious expressions. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
Escorted by numerous CP agents clad in black suits and devoid of expression, a figure emerged from the ship's cabin.
The man was abnormally tall and imposing, draped in a tailored black cloak reminiscent of a religious tribunal.His face was completely concealed behind a bizarre white mask shaped like a horned skull, leaving only a pair of icy, emotionless eyes visible.
Pinned to his chest was a badge symbolizing supreme authority and violence—
The emblem of the Holy Knights.
The moment this Holy Knight stood still, the invisible pressure alone nearly crushed the king and his ministers, leaving them barely able to breathe.
At that point, a leading CP agent stepped forward and spoke to the bowing king in a perfectly flat voice:
"King of Yakuro, we have received information that your kingdom possesses a princess renowned for her beauty.A distinguished World Noble has taken an interest in her. This is an honor for your nation.Bring her out immediately and accompany us to the Holy Land, Mary Geoise."
The king's body trembled. Fear and hesitation twisted across his face.
He cautiously raised his head, forcing a servile smile, and pointed toward the city walls where a banner painted with vibrating wave patterns fluttered proudly in the wind—the 'Heavenquake' flag.
"M-my lords… we are deeply grateful for the favor of the World Nobles… b-but—Yakuro Kingdom is currently under the protection of Admiral Gern of the Marines.You see this flag… this matter is of great importance.Perhaps… perhaps allow me to consult G-10 first, to avoid any misunder—"
Bang!
Before the king could finish, a gunshot rang out.
The CP agent, without the slightest warning, had drawn his pistol and fired—blowing clean through the king's thigh.
"AAAGH!"The king screamed and collapsed, blood instantly soaking his robes.
The surrounding ministers cried out in terror and dropped to their knees, yet not a single one dared to step forward to help him.
The CP agent casually blew the smoke from his barrel, his tone dripping with disdain.
"The Marines? What are they? Nothing but watchdogs on the World Government's leash."
He pointed the gun first at the World Government flag fluttering on the ship, then at the writhing king.
"See this clearly. We represent the World Government.Yakuro isn't even a member state. Your very existence is meaningless.
"Offering a princess to serve the Creators is the greatest honor your nation could ever receive.Speak another word of nonsense, and the next bullet won't be aimed at your leg."
The instant his words fell—
"BOOOOM—!!!"
A blazing pillar of deep blue lightning descended from the heavens without warning!
It struck the World Government flag squarely atop the official vessel.
The banner ignited instantly, transforming into a roaring fireball. Within seconds, it was reduced to ash—even the flagpole shattered and snapped under the explosive force.
"Who's there?!"The CP agents drew their weapons in shock, scanning their surroundings.
The Holy Knight's gaze sharpened beneath the mask as he looked up toward the royal city walls.
Atop the tallest tower, beneath the massive Heavenquake banner, a figure had appeared.
Long earlobes. Bare chest.A set of mysterious drum-like tomoe mounted on his back.Loose white trousers billowing in the wind.
He lounged casually at the base of the flagpole—one hand resting on his knee, the other propping up his chin—looking down upon the pier with eyes devoid of reverence, as though gazing upon ants.
It was "God" Enel, left behind at G-10 and tasked with patrolling the surrounding regions.
Enel yawned, dug a finger into his ear, and spoke with open irritation, as if his peace had been ruined by noise.
"So damn loud… a bunch of Blue Sea insects."
His gaze swept over the Holy Knight in the horned mask without the slightest ripple of emotion—as if he were merely examining a strange object.
"Sorry about that~" Enel drawled lazily in the distinctive cadence of Skypiea, his tone light—yet the meaning behind his words utterly tyrannical.
"But the people down there?They've willingly chosen to believe in God—that'd be me—and they're under the protection of that troublesome guy."
He casually hooked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the Heavenquake banner snapping behind him.
"So…"Enel's eyes sharpened, dangerous blue-white arcs of lightning crackling around his body with a vicious hiss.
"They only answer to God's commands."