Dragon

Marineford's grandeur far exceeded Gern's imagination.

The fortress of Marine Headquarters towered majestically above him. Not only was its front imposing, even the Marines' residential district behind it was astonishingly prosperous.

Shops lined the streets, and the facilities were comprehensive. Its scale rivaled the capital of any kingdom in the pirate world.

"What a pleasant surprise..." Gern gazed at the private courtyard house before him, gently brushing his fingers over the doorframe.

By rights, his rank of second lieutenant should never have entitled him to such treatment.

"Looks like the name of my teacher Zephyr, who's about to become the first to be promoted to admiral, carries even more weight than I thought."

After briefly settling his luggage, Gern flopped onto the soft bed.

"Marine Headquarters..." He stared at the white ceiling, replaying every detail of his conversation with Zephyr.

Especially when those words-"I'll personally train you to become a Marine admiral"-rang in his ears again.

Gern suddenly sprang upright, his legs kicking gleefully over the edge of the bed before he could stop them.

"I did it!" Gern instinctively clenched his fists, so excited that he momentarily let go of his burdens.

After all, wasn't this the very moment he had spent countless days and nights carefully planning for, advancing one calculated step at a time?

Much later, once his excitement had ebbed like the tide, Gern's gaze settled on the Black Blade: Eight Desolations leaning beside his bed.

Moonlight filtered through the window lattice. The Black Blade: Eight Desolations rested against the bedside table, its white cloth wrapping hiding anything unusual about the blade.

"It's too early to let my guard down." Gern snatched up his beloved blade and strode toward the small clearing in the backyard.

With a clear metallic ring, the Black Blade: Eight Desolations was unsheathed, its ink-black blade tracing a cold gleam through the night.

As Gern's fingertips brushed over its patterns, he could almost feel a tremor coming from the blade.

"Rocks's blade, one of the twelve supreme grade blades..." Gern murmured.

If he followed the traditional path of a master swordsman, this weapon would save him twenty years of struggle.

But... he knew his limitations better than anyone.

Even someone like Zoro had to endure hellish training. What chance did a latecomer like him have?

But so what?

Gern suddenly grinned. With a turn of his wrist, the blade wove a silver net amid the moonlight and vibrating particles.

Who said wielding a sword meant he had to become a master swordsman? By perfectly combining top-tier martial arts, Devil Fruit abilities, and his own sword techniques, couldn't a killing move like Heavenquake: Sky Rend be just as badass?

"Top-tier Haki, a top-tier weapon, a powerful Devil Fruit..." Gern assumed his opening stance, the tip of his blade pointing straight at the heavens.

"With all three combined, even if I'm no master swordsman..." A sudden night breeze swept up the fallen leaves.

The next instant, blade light cascaded like a waterfall, cleaving the air and the entire expanse of moonlight with it.

"I can still cut through anything on these seas!"

Early the next morning, Marineford's sunlight streamed through the blinds into Zephyr's office.

When Gern pushed the door open and entered, he found the room empty.

He looked around, and his attention was soon drawn to a newly added small desk in one corner of the office.

It had clearly been prepared for him.

"..." Gern raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Although he knew he had been reassigned as Zephyr's adjutant,

he hadn't expected his workspace to be placed right inside Zephyr's own office.

Normally, an adjutant had a separate workspace, next door at most, rather than sharing a room with his superior.

"Looks like Vice Admiral Zephyr really intends to keep an eye on me personally." The corners of Gern's mouth lifted. He didn't mind.

He wasn't the sort of person stubborn enough to insist on climbing the ranks entirely on his own. If there was a shortcut available, he certainly wouldn't refuse it.

Besides, direct access to the Marine leadership could only benefit his future plans.

Gern didn't care, but the Marine who had shown him the way stood at the door, his eyes full of envy.

"Second Lieutenant Gern, all your paperwork has been transferred. If you need anything, you can contact Logistics directly."

"Right. Thanks for your help." Gern nodded in acknowledgment.

The Marine hesitated, then couldn't resist lowering his voice. "Vice Admiral Zephyr... thinks very highly of you.

You're the first person at Headquarters to be given a workspace in his office."

Gern smiled without replying.

The Marine tactfully saluted and left, leaving Gern alone in Zephyr's office.

He walked over to his desk, sat down, and casually leafed through the documents already prepared for him.

There were recruit assessment reports, along with several intelligence reports on recent pirate movements in the Grand Line.

But most of the paperwork consisted of preliminary plans for the Elite Training Camp, apparently intended to bring together the monsters who had graduated from the Naval Academy once again.

Gern spotted plenty of familiar names on the tentative roster. Even the future Three Admirals were among them.

"Looks like I'll have plenty of work ahead." Gern stretched and glanced over at Zephyr's desk.

Its surface was tidy, with neatly sorted documents. In the center lay an open advanced Six Powers training manual prepared for the new Marine recruits at Headquarters, with a cup of completely cold tea beside it.

"Zephyr really is a workaholic. He hasn't even been promoted to admiral yet, and he's already preparing to train the next generation."

After spending a little while idling, Gern looked away and began organizing his belongings.

Before he had even settled in, however, someone suddenly knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a tall young Marine walked inside.

He had medium-length black hair, a stern face, and sharp, blade-like eyes beneath a brow without eyebrows. Dressed in a Marine captain's uniform, he carried an air of calm restraint.

Monkey D. Dragon. (He was called Duolage now; he would only be called Dragon after founding the Revolutionary Army.)

I never thought I'd run into him, too! Gern's gaze sharpened slightly.

Although they had never formally met, the identity of the man before him wasn't hard to guess.

Garp's son and the future leader of the Revolutionary Army, though for now, he was merely a Marine Headquarters captain serving under his father.

Dragon first surveyed the office. After confirming that Zephyr wasn't there, his gaze finally settled on Gern.

"Vice Admiral Zephyr isn't here?"

"No, he's stepped out for now." Gern nodded. "Need something?"

Dragon was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm here to submit the G-5 Branch inspection report."

He walked over to Zephyr's desk and set down a document, then turned his attention back to Gern.

"You're Gern Reginald Sigma?"

"Just call me Gern!" Gern leaned against the back of his chair, a faint smile lifting his lips. "My name's gotten around pretty fast, huh?"

Dragon didn't smile. He simply said, "My father mentioned you."

"Vice Admiral Garp?" Gern feigned sudden understanding. "Well, that's quite an honor."

Without eyebrows, Dragon looked fierce, especially now that his gaze held a hint of scrutiny as he stared at Gern.

Gern was starting to feel unnerved by the stare, too, so the instant Dragon opened his mouth, he blurted out, "I'm not into men."

"What you said back in the West Blue-'Justice that arrives late doesn't deserve to be called justice at all.'"

They spoke almost simultaneously, but Gern's words were clearly far more shocking!

Dragon: "..."

"You're not into men, and you think I am????"