Sky Island, Birka.
When Gern and his companions set foot on the island, it was eerily quiet, with only the faint whimper of the wind breaking the silence.
"Something's wrong here." Tesoro looked around, his brows tightly furrowed.
"According to Gan Fall, Birka is where the priests of the Land of God are trained.
It should be bustling, with the atmosphere of a sanctuary of learning like Ohara."
"Indeed." Snake Princess brushed the hilt at her waist and nodded in agreement. "Instead, this place feels lifeless, as though it's been..."
"Ruled by a dictator," Gern cut in, turning his gaze toward the towering white palace at the center of the island.
At those words, Tesoro abruptly turned to Gern.
"Vice Admiral Gern, is the ruler here the 'god' you're looking for?"
"That's right." The corners of Gern's mouth lifted slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "And he should already know we're here."
"He knows we're here?" Snake Princess's pupils contracted, and she instinctively looked toward the distant palace.
"At this distance, even Observation Haki couldn't possibly..."
"It is Observation Haki," Gern said calmly.
"What?!" All three exclaimed at once, and Lipo's rabbit ears stood straight up.
"Is..." Tesoro's voice trembled slightly, as though his entire understanding of the world had been overturned. "Is this really within the range of Observation Haki?"
Gern didn't answer. Instead, he casually found a piece of cloudstone to sit on and beckoned Lipo over. "No need to go looking for him. He'll come to us.
We've been traveling for a while anyway. Let's take a break."
Tesoro didn't dwell on Gern's words. He had merely been startled by the "Observation Haki" Gern had mentioned.
As for Gern's so-called "god," judging by what he had learned from Gan Fall, Tesoro felt he was