Two years

In the blink of an eye, two years had passed since Gern's promotion to Headquarters.

It was the year 1488 of the Sea Circle Calendar, and Gern was eighteen. Four years had already passed since he obtained the Tremor-Tremor Fruit at God Valley...

After two years of grueling training under Zephyr and Garp, Gern's Armament Haki had begun to take shape, but it was still far from its true peak.

After all, there was no shortcut to the pinnacle of Armament Haki. That power required years of unwavering resolve and accumulated training. It simply could not be rushed.

His Observation Haki, however, was another story. It was almost unnaturally sharp.

Perhaps it was a gift from the merging of his souls from two lifetimes, combined with the ability to perceive minute vibrations granted by his Devil Fruit, "Heavenquake."

Whether it was the movement of air, an enemy's breathing, or the instantaneous vibrations of a blade or anything else cutting through the air, he could pick up every detail.

His near-top-tier talent for Observation Haki had even earned praise from Zephyr and Garp.

That talent also gave his Logia abilities an enormous boost, allowing him to turn into his element almost the instant before an attack struck and evade it perfectly.

As for Conqueror's Haki, Gern intended to leave it to fate. After all, he had no system handing it out for free through quests or daily check-ins...

Armament Haki and Observation Haki alone had taken him two years, even with daily grueling training under two of the Marines' strongest men.

Meanwhile, Marine Headquarters had undergone personnel changes over those two years.

In the first year, Zephyr and Sengoku had both been promoted to Admiral at Marine Headquarters, while Garp had refused promotion and continued operating freely as a Vice Admiral.

Not long afterward, Zephyr married his fiancée, Lina. Nearly every Marine officer attended.

At the wedding, the famously stern "Black Arm" had shown a rare, gentle smile.

After that, Gern began accompanying Zephyr on missions as his adjutant, rising through the ranks from Second Lieutenant to Headquarters Captain.

Yet it had not all been smooth sailing.

Over those two years, Zephyr had soon begun to notice something amiss...

He discovered that the personal disciple he had thought possessed such a strong sense of duty displayed an entirely different approach on the battlefield.

Especially when they went on missions together, Gern's blade never hesitated, whether the pirates surrendered or not. He would even deliver a finishing blow after the battle, sometimes cutting off their heads.

Zephyr had reprimanded him many times, but whenever he reached the pirate ship,

Gern was already sitting somewhere, wrapping bandages around his Black Blade: Eight Desolations, with the pirates' heads resting silently beside him.

That was also the first time Zephyr had sensed something in his personal disciple that stood in opposition to his own "non-killing justice"-the air of so-called "cruel justice."

Marine Headquarters, Sengoku's office.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, scattering patches of light and shadow across the desk.

Zephyr sat on the sofa, lightly tapping his knuckles against the armrest, his brow furrowed.

Sengoku sat opposite him with a cup of hot tea in his hand, wisps of steam fogging his lenses.

"Sengoku..." After a moment of silence, Zephyr finally spoke.

"That brat Gern has been reminding me more and more of someone lately."

Sengoku blew across his tea and asked calmly, "Sakazuki?"

Zephyr's fist tightened slightly, then slowly relaxed.

He did not deny it.

"Just as stubborn, just as... uncompromising," Zephyr said quietly. "But at least Sakazuki still follows 'absolute justice'-he obeys orders.

"But Gern... sometimes, I can't even see conviction in his eyes. Only pure killing intent."

He recalled every mission Gern had undertaken with him, whether the pirates were their targets or people they happened to encounter.

As long as they were pirates, and Zephyr decided not to kill them... Gern would invariably treat them to a complimentary head-separation blessing package.

At Zephyr's words, Sengoku set down his cup. "About Gern..."

Zephyr did not turn around. He merely nodded slightly. "I know what you're going to say."

Sengoku sighed and closed the file. "Over these past two years, Gern's performance has indeed been outstanding. His strength and his mission results have both been beyond reproach.

"But his methods... run completely counter to the 'non-killing justice' you uphold."

Zephyr's back stiffened slightly. After a moment of silence, he turned around, a complicated look in his eyes. "I thought he could understand my ideals."

"Zephyr, everyone understands justice differently." Sengoku looked him straight in the eye.

"Take Sakazuki. His 'absolute justice' may be extreme, but there's no denying that it works in certain situations."

At the mention of Sakazuki, Zephyr's brow furrowed even more deeply.

"That's precisely why I don't want Gern becoming another Sakazuki," Zephyr said gravely.

"The potential he's shown over these past two years... he could go further than I ever will."

"Then, Zephyr, have you ever considered that perhaps he can't find his own 'justice' precisely because you've kept him tied to your side?"

Zephyr was momentarily taken aback by Sengoku's words, then frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Over these two years, Gern has earned plenty of merit under your command, but he's always been your adjutant. He's never had a real chance to take charge on his own.

"Zephyr, I know you think highly of Gern, but... you can't choose his path for him."

Zephyr fell silent.

Seeing this, Sengoku continued slowly, "Gern is eighteen now. He has the right to choose his own justice.

"Besides, Kuzan and Sakazuki were already handling things on their own at his age.

"Yet you've kept Gern by your side all this time, without giving him a chance to command independently."

Zephyr walked up to the desk and planted both hands on it, a trace of reluctance in his voice.

"I just want him to understand that the purpose of strength is to protect, not to slaughter."

"I understand your intentions," Sengoku said, his voice softening. "But some things he has to experience and understand for himself."

Zephyr straightened and took a deep breath. "So, what are you suggesting?"

"Kuzan, Borsalino, even Sakazuki-

"They had already begun commanding missions independently by this point, finding their own paths through actual combat.

"But Gern? He still hasn't had a single mission where he could make his own decisions."

"So... let him carry out missions independently," Sengoku said decisively.

"Give him a chance. See how he chooses to define his own justice."

"...Perhaps you're right." After a long pause, Zephyr finally spoke, his voice low. "It's time to let him walk on his own."

Sengoku smiled faintly and picked up his tea. "Then it's settled.

"I'll speak to Fleet Admiral Kong and arrange for him to take charge of the next independent mission."

"Wait, how did you get all that arranged so smoothly?" Suddenly catching on, Zephyr turned his gaze back to Sengoku.

"Ha ha." Sengoku chuckled. "Because I already have someone here who needs dealing with!"

With that, Sengoku pulled an intelligence report from his files.

"A troublesome pirate crew has recently turned up on the Grand Line!"

Zephyr took the file and began reading:

[Pirate crew name: Rupture Pirates

Captain's epithet: "Island-Splitter" Doger (Doger the Island-Splitter)

Paramecia-type Split-Split Fruit user. Upon touching nonliving objects (such as weapons, buildings, or the ground), he can instantly split them into multiple fragments or smaller units.

Bounty: 300,060,000 Beli (earned notoriety by destroying three Marine Branches in the South Blue and three warships during fierce battles on the Grand Line)

Age: 33

Origin: Son of a fisherman from an unnamed town in the South Blue.]