Meanwhile, in the Fleet Admiral's Office.
The door opened silently, and Gern strode in, his Fleet Admiral's cloak casually rolled around his forearm.
The office was brightly lit. Outside the window lay the bustling, orderly naval harbor of New Marineford.
Tesoro stood before the broad desk, speaking quietly with Sengoku, who occupied Gern's seat behind it.
He held a thick stack of documents, apparently handing over duties or reporting on his work.
At the sound of the door opening, both men looked up.
Tesoro reacted instantly, snapping to attention and straightening his back.
He gave Gern a regulation Marine salute, his movements crisp and decisive.
"Fleet Admiral Gern!"
"Mm." Gern waved casually, signaling that there was no need for formalities.
Nor did he intend to head straight for the seat behind the Fleet Admiral's desk. Instead, he walked over to the broad, soft leather sofa.
He sat down wearily, then all but collapsed against the backrest, letting out a long breath and sprawling like a boneless lump.
Watching Gern's utter disregard for decorum from behind the desk, Sengoku raised his graying eyebrows.
Rather than getting straight to business, he set down his documents, took a sip of tea, and bluntly laid into him.
"Gern, you little bastard."
"Don't tell me... you knew from the start that old bastard Garp would end up stuck on Hachinosu?"
The question was direct.
"You shouldn't throw accusations like that around, my dear former Fleet Admiral."
Gern curled his lip and spread his hands in a show of innocence. "I didn't expect it either!"
"With Vice Admiral Garp's monstrous strength, even if he couldn't win, he should've been able to escape, right?
Who could've imagined they'd force him to stay? Blackbeard wasn't even there."
"Aside from Kuzan, does Hachinosu have some peerless powerhouse capable of