The sudden stalemate left Ace staring blankly at the tense confrontation below.
Bartholomew Kuma had several officers of the Red Hair Pirates firmly in his sights, forcing them to hold back rather than risk a reckless move.
On the other side, Enel stood with his Golden Staff in hand, arrogant and overbearing. All by himself, he had stopped Benn Beckman-the vice-captain and Yonko Commander whose strength was second only to Shanks-from advancing another inch.
Is this... G-10's strength? Just two men have practically pinned down all the core officers of the Red Hair Pirates?
Shock surged through Ace.
After all, the Red Hair Pirates were renowned as the most evenly balanced and structurally stable crew among the current Emperors' forces. Every officer was famous in his own right, and they took pride in their exceptionally high average bounty.
Yet now...
Just as Ace struggled to understand, a large hand suddenly settled on his head and gently ruffled his hair, interrupting his thoughts.
"Can't figure it out? You think Kuma and Enel alone are enough to keep these guys in line?"
Gern's voice was teasing. He leaned down slightly, bringing his mouth close to Ace's ear, and continued, "Too bad. You guessed wrong."
"Kuma and Enel were never the only ones they were wary of..."
"The person they're afraid of..." Gern paused briefly. Then his tone abruptly changed, his laughter carrying an absolute confidence that chilled them to the marrow.
Word by word, he declared the brutal truth.
"Is me!!"
"Because..." The corners of Gern's mouth rose as his gaze swept over every member of the Red Hair Pirates below, all braced as though facing a deadly enemy.
"If I wanted to... at least half of them would stay on this island forever."
The instant those words fell, a pressure far