Marineford

Marineford, the center of justice in the world, the seat of Marine Headquarters, and a symbol of world peace.

But today, the harbor at this center of justice was unusually lively...

The morning sunlight glinted off the enormous, iconic characters for "Justice" and the Marine emblem on the headquarters building.

This was the safest place in the world, so everything felt peaceful and welcoming, even the sea shimmering in the light.

Yet the Marines on harbor duty had no mind to admire the scenery.

Their eyes kept drifting toward the two towering figures standing at the very front.

"Black Arm" Zephyr and "Iron Fist" Garp.

"Hey, what's the occasion?" a Marine Headquarters Ensign preparing to depart on a mission asked in a low voice, his eyes constantly flicking toward the two Vice Admirals.

"I have no idea either!" The lieutenant beside him looked just as puzzled.

"But someone who could get both 'Black Arm' and 'Iron Fist' to come welcome them at the harbor... maybe Vice Admiral Sengoku or Commodore Tsuru?"

"Could Vice Admiral Sengoku be back from the New World?"

"Impossible. Vice Admiral Sengoku's warship only left for the G-1 branch yesterday, and he took Commodore Tsuru with him to deal with Golden Lion!"

Whispers spread throughout the harbor, everyone curious about the person who was about to arrive.

At the front of Marineford's military harbor, Zephyr stood straight as a pine, his arms folded across his chest.

His distinctive short purple hair remained unmoving in the sea breeze. His eyes were fixed on the distant horizon, and his expression was so stern that the nearby Marines dared not approach.

"Hey, Zephyr, don't look so serious!" Garp suddenly slung an arm around Zephyr's shoulders, breaking the silence.

"That kid pulled off something incredible!"

Seeing Garp's flippant manner, Zephyr frowned slightly, but rather than push his arm away, he said in a deep voice,

"Garp, mind your image. This is the harbor, not your office."

"Hahaha!" Garp laughed even louder, drawing glances from the Marines around them.

"What does it matter? That fellow you asked Fleet Admiral Kong for last time is something else!

"He's even stronger than those three monsters who graduated from the Naval Academy!

"I sneaked a look at the documents on Sengoku's desk a few days ago. Who would've thought he'd dare attack Whitebeard-and actually clash with him!

"And... he even made Whitebeard use Conqueror's Coating. Youngsters sure have guts!"

Garp's booming voice carried across almost the entire harbor, and the whispers around them instantly turned into cries of astonishment.

"Whitebeard?!"

"Conqueror's Coating?!"

"Could it be Second Lieutenant Gern from the West Blue?

"The most famous of the recent transfers to headquarters is Gern Reginald Sigma from the West Blue."

Watching the Marines whisper among themselves, Zephyr's frown deepened. He lowered his voice. "Garp, you're too loud."

"Oh, what does it matter?" Garp waved a hand dismissively.

"Everyone's going to find out in a moment anyway.

"That brat survived Whitebeard! Haha!

"That puts him way ahead of Sakazuki and the others! They were still in school at sixteen!"

"Haah." Zephyr finally let out a sigh and turned to Garp, his expression stern.

"Sakazuki and the other two may have graduated, but after gaining their fruit abilities, they've become a little too dependent on them!

"Gern is no different. I know his Devil Fruit abilities very well. This time, he relied entirely on his fruit!"

"Hey, hey, don't be so harsh." Garp's smile faded a little, but the admiration in his eyes remained undiminished.

"Standing before Whitebeard without backing down isn't something fruit abilities alone can accomplish. That takes courage!"

"Courage?" Zephyr snorted. "That's recklessness."

"He was lucky this time that he ran into Whitebeard. If he'd encountered Golden Lion Shiki, he might already have died at sea!"

"You and I both know it! The New World isn't a place where fruit abilities alone let you run rampant.

"Haki is the true path to strength."

"All right, all right! You're right!" Garp suddenly burst out laughing again and slapped Zephyr hard on the back.

"So isn't that exactly your duty as a Vice Admiral?

"Why else would you have gone out of your way to argue with the Fleet Admiral about keeping him at your side?!

"Train that brat Gern properly and make him truly strong!"

Garp's slap was so powerful that Zephyr stumbled a step forward.

He instinctively glanced back at him, his voice tinged with helplessness. "Garp, you..."

Just then, the sentry in the lookout tower shouted, "Warship entering the harbor! It's the West Blue warship sent to rendezvous with the G-14 branch!"

"They're here." Everyone immediately turned toward the sea.

In the distance, a battered warship slowly approached, the conspicuous cracks in its hull silently bearing witness to the fierce battle it had endured.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Garp whistled. "Looks like the fight was even fiercer than the report said!"

Zephyr did not reply. His gaze was locked on the warship's deck.

"Gern..." Zephyr murmured the name, his tone conflicted.

Garp glanced at Zephyr, then suddenly grinned. "What? Regretting asking Fleet Admiral Kong for him? I think that fellow's better than my son!"

"No." Zephyr shook his head, his voice firm. "That's precisely why his thinking needs correcting.

"Fruit abilities are merely an aid. True strength comes from within."

"You never change!" Garp laughed and shook his head. "Still, that brat must really be something to get you this invested!

"Zephyr, you often lecture at the Naval Academy and have plenty of students, but you don't have a single true disciple!"

"Ah, that's true..." Zephyr sighed without continuing.

For a moment, his thoughts returned to when he had read the battle report three days earlier.

When the report describing Gern's head-on clash with Whitebeard landed on his desk, he could hardly believe his eyes.

A young man who had only recently joined the Marines had actually dared to challenge the man who possessed "the power to destroy the world."

After the shock came deep concern.

Zephyr knew the might of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit all too well, and he knew just as well the consequences of relying too heavily on fruit abilities.

And now, there was a Tremor-Tremor Fruit even more powerful than the Tremor-Tremor Fruit...

That power had happened to fall into the hands of a Marine newcomer. It could all too easily make someone arrogant and conceited.

"Zephyr, he's here." Garp's voice interrupted his thoughts.

The warship had docked, and the gangway was slowly lowered.

The Marines in the harbor unconsciously held their breath, waiting for the legendary newcomer to appear.

The first to disembark were ordinary soldiers and junior officers, their faces still bearing traces of lingering shock.

Next came the Marine Headquarters Ensign who had commanded the warship's mission. The moment he stepped ashore, he noticed the two Vice Admirals standing at the front and immediately saluted.

Finally, a slender figure with short black hair and bandages wrapped around his body appeared at the top of the gangway.

Gern Reginald Sigma!

Gern's wounds had yet to heal, making the bandages on his body particularly conspicuous in the sunlight, but his steps were remarkably steady.

The Black Blade: Eight Desolations was wrapped in white cloth and carried on his back. The blade seemed to tremble faintly, giving off an almost inaudible hum.

When Gern's eyes met those of the two Vice Admirals, the harbor instantly fell so silent that only the waves lapping against the shore could be heard.

"Marine Headquarters, I, Gern, have arrived."