Meanwhile, over on Gern's side...
The usual languor on Kizaru's face had vanished, leaving a rare look of utter seriousness.
He first gave Gern a long, searching look, then stepped closer.
"Gern, as your senior..." Kizaru kept his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear.
At the same time, his gaze drifted almost imperceptibly toward Golden Lion, who was floating nearby, talking to Luo.
"Golden Lion Shiki will never submit to anyone."
"He isn't Bullet. All Bullet needs is a companion who won't betray him and a goal worth pursuing forever."
"But Shiki..."
"He's different." Kizaru's tone carried a deep understanding of that formidable figure from a bygone era.
"He was once a 'king.' He truly stood at the pinnacle of his era and looked down upon the entire sea.
That pride etched into his bones... belongs to an era, not to any person."
Kizaru said this because he worried that Gern's youthful arrogance, or the notion of having a legend submit to him, might cloud his judgment.
So he added another warning, pointing almost imperceptibly toward Enel, who was glaring unhappily at Golden Lion.
"The fact that Enel's Mantra can hear people's thoughts is currently known only within Calamity, and to me, his rather irresponsible, half-baked mentor.
So, that fellow Enel..." His gaze flicked toward Golden Lion again.
"He's probably already 'heard' something he shouldn't have, or at least figured it out."
Hearing Kizaru's heartfelt warning, which cut straight to the heart of the matter, Gern pressed his lips together, a flicker of complicated emotion crossing his eyes.
Didn't I know that already... Gern sighed inwardly.
In truth, he understood this better than anyone.
It would be like asking him to submit right now to Straw Hat Boy Luffy, that immature kid who had just