The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

Shanks stood alone at the bow of the ship, gazing at the turbulent sea, his smile fading, replaced by a solemn expression.

“Kuzan…” he muttered to himself, “Even this guy has chosen to walk into that shadow…”

"Looks like we need to make a move too."

Oni Island, Palace of a Hundred Beasts.

"Orororo!!!" Kaido gulped down a mouthful of sake and smashed the sake jug to pieces. "Aokiji?!"

The Frozen Brat actually went and became a henchman for that hyena bastard Teach?!

Interesting! Absolutely fascinating!!

Totto Land, Whole Cake Island.

"Mama~Mama~" The older woman ate her dessert, cream smeared all over her mouth.

"How could that greedy hyena Blackbeard get such a powerful boost? What is that brat Gern good for?"

"Katakuri, what do you think?"

"Mom, the threat posed by the Blackbeard Pirates is not what it used to be." Katakuri stood with his arms crossed beside the long bread, his expression serious beneath his scarf.

“We need to reassess our relationship with them.”

For a time, the entire ocean was filled with unease because of this sudden "fall of a star general" (in the eyes of the former naval officers).

Or, as pirates and various forces see it, it shakes up and reshapes the landscape.

However, at the very heart of this storm, in the Marshal's office in New Marineford, an unusual "calm" prevailed.

Of course, this calm is only on the surface.

"boom!"

The heavy office door was pushed open with a forceful thud, the door slamming against the wall with a loud crash.

A tall, robust, white-haired old man, wearing a naval vice admiral's coat but with his shirt open, strode in with a powerful stride.

Clutching a crumpled newspaper tightly in his hand, his face no longer held its usual bold smile, but instead reflected a deep disappointment.

“Gern!”

Karp's voice boomed like muffled thunder in the spacious office.

Instead of using the honorific title of Marshal, he called him by his name directly.

Behind his desk, Gern was reviewing a document when he heard the sound and looked up.

He didn't show much surprise on his face, as if he had expected Garp to come.

“Lieutenant General Karp,” Gern put down his pen and leaned back slightly, “please sit down.”

"Sit down my ass!" Karp strode to the desk and slammed the newspaper onto the smooth surface.

The force was so great that the heavy solid wood tabletop trembled.

The front page of the newspaper featured a striking headline that showed a silhouette of Aokiji Kuzan alongside the Blackbeard Pirates' logo.

"Look at that brat Kuzan! What is he thinking?!" Garp's chest heaved violently. "Joining Blackbeard?!"

That bastard who murdered his comrades, betrayed his father, plotted to steal his abilities, and was so ambitious?!

Has he forgotten who trained him?! Has he forgotten the justice of the navy?!

Gern listened quietly to Karp's roar without interrupting.

He could understand Garp's anger.

Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, Tsuru... they are the pillars of the Navy who watched him, Aokiji, Akainu, Kizaru and other admirals grow up.

Kuzan's departure already left Garp with a lingering resentment, and now Kuzan has not only failed to return to the Navy, which seemed to better align with his ideals after independence, but...

Instead, they turned to one of the Navy's greatest enemies. This "betrayal" was a particularly heavy blow to Garp, who valued loyalty and regarded the Navy as his home.

"His leg was broken by Sakazuki." Gern waited until Garp's anger subsided before calmly stating a fact.

"He brought it on himself!" Garp roared, but his voice lacked confidence and was filled with a hint of irritation. "The fight for Marshal is a matter of merit!"

A loss is a loss! Leaving the Navy was one thing, but what is this?! Self-degradation!

“Everyone has their own ambitions, Lieutenant General Garp.” Gern’s voice remained steady. “Kuzan has his own judgment and choices.”

Perhaps in his view, the current navy is still not the 'justice' he wants.

Or perhaps, there's a purpose between him and Blackbeard that we don't know about.

"What a load of bull! What a load of bull!" Garp slammed his fist on the table. "I don't care what his reasons are! He's gone down the wrong path! A dead end!"

"Gern, I didn't come here today to discuss what that kid Kuzan is thinking!"

"I'm here to tell you..." Garp took a deep breath, enunciating each word clearly and decisively.

"I need to take leave! I need to leave New Marine Vando for a while!"

Gern's eyes flickered slightly: "Where to?"

"Where to?" Garp grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, but his smile held no warmth, only a chilling determination.

"Of course, I'm going to 'pay a visit' to the new top officer of the Blackbeard Pirates!"

"Kuzan, that lost idiot... needs someone to give him a good punch! Wake him up!"

Let him see clearly just how abyss he's standing on!

"Some mistakes you can't make! Some people you can't associate with!"

"This is my 'justice'! And it's also my responsibility as his master!"

Garp's tone left no room for doubt, filled with a resolute determination to go all out.

He wanted to personally confront his former naval pride, who was now on the opposite side.

"Vice Admiral Garp, at your age, still playing solo? Isn't that a bit...?"

Sending Garp to confront the entire Black Organization is undoubtedly extremely risky and could easily escalate into an irreparable conflict.

On the other hand, this is also a knot in Garp's heart, and a knot in the hearts of many veterans within the Navy.

Forcibly stopping them is not the best approach.

"What is it?" Karp frowned, turning to stare at Gern.

"Want me to go out and practice with you? I think you've been sleeping on the seabed for too long!"

Back in the day, whenever I saw Garp on the high seas, I'd yell, "Garp's coming! Run!"

Do you doubt that I can beat Kuzan?

I'm telling you..."

Garp simply sat down, opened a senbei cracker, and began reminiscing about the old days.

Chapter 588 The Blade Turns Back

Listening to Karp's endless reminiscences of the past, Gern rubbed his temples at the same time.

His gaze swept over another document on the table, recently delivered by Tezzolo, marked "Top Secret".

The word "SWORD" was visible in one corner of the document.

“A sharp blade…” Gern sneered inwardly.

The "SWORD" is a secret force established during the Sengoku period, nominally directly under the World Government (but actually controlled by a portion of the Navy's high-ranking officials).

A secret force used to carry out particularly dangerous missions, whose members are mostly well-connected second-generation naval officers (or their associates).

Due to its independence and unique nature, the question of its affiliation and loyalty became a thorny issue after the navy became independent.

According to the latest intelligence and the report in Gern's possession, this "sharp blade" does not seem to intend to be easily incorporated into the new navy's unified command system.

Especially the two most troublesome ones:

X Drake, former captain of the Navy's secret special forces unit "SWORD," is actually a Navy undercover agent who is currently infiltrating Kaido's forces.

After the Navy became independent, he did not obey orders to return to his unit. Instead, he continued to operate as a "pirate" in the New World, his whereabouts were mysterious, and his answers were ambiguous.

Intelligence indicates that he is currently secretly contacting remnants of the former World Government's CP system under Kaido's command.

What chilled Gern's eyes even more was another name—'the disgrace of the Navy', Koby.

He rose to fame after the Marineford War for "stepping forward" to persuade Shanks and for the Rocky Harbor incident.

The young captain, regarded by some as the "hope of the new generation of the navy," showed inexplicable activity after the navy became independent.

Not only did they publicly question the "legitimacy" and "justice" of naval independence, but they also promoted it in numerous internal meetings and private settings.

"The navy should not completely break away from the framework of world government," and "Independence means division and greater chaos."

Statements such as "Grand Admiral Gern's radical policies will drag the Navy into an endless war"

Furthermore, in recent liaison meetings of the "Sharp Blade Force," he has implicitly identified himself as an "ideological leader."

They sought to win over some young officers who were skeptical or opposed to independence.

The report indicates that Coby even privately contacted members of royal families in former World Government member states who opposed naval independence.

It also implies that the "Sharp Blade Force" could serve as "a bridge to maintain the last remaining connection and rationality between the navy and the king."

His words and actions have far exceeded the scope of an ordinary colonel, or even a member of the "Sharp Blade" unit.

He is more like a politician trying to establish a flag within the navy and unite "nostalgic" or "moderate" forces.

Kuzan's resignation, in particular, left the moderate faction of generals at a loss for what to do.

Some individuals, such as "Smoker" and "T-Bone," chose to return to the ranks of Sengoku and Tsuru.

Another small group was brought to Koby's side by leveraging his relationship with Garp.

One of Coby's classic statements was: "Naval independence was driven by Field Admiral Gern's personal will and ambition, not by the consensus of the entire navy."

We young people are not subject to the mandatory jurisdiction of the former Navy Headquarters, nor are we subject to the new Navy Headquarters.

We have a responsibility to maintain independent judgment and operational capabilities for the Navy's 'true future'.

In short—"You, Gern, have no right to tell me what to do."

Guern's fingers tapped lightly on the table.

It's a minor internal problem...

Koby wasn't in a hurry at first, but given the current situation with the Navy, they can't let this guy keep playing around.

Seeing that Gern was silent, Garp assumed he was weighing the risks of sending him to find Kuzan, and thus raised his voice.

"Gern! As for Kuzan, I am the most suitable person to do it!"

You have to approve it, or else...

“I approve your leave, Lieutenant General Garp,” Gren suddenly said, interrupting Garp.

Karp was taken aback.

Gern stood up, walked around the desk, and went to Karp.

"Alright, Lieutenant General Garp, don't try to play your little tricks on me."

Are you going to fight Kuzan? I don't even want to talk to you anymore!

"They are all my disciples!" Garp, exposed, simply stuck his neck out.

“Fine, fine.” Gern nodded. “But I need you to promise me two things.”

"First, going there in a 'personal capacity' does not represent a formal declaration of war or action by the Navy."

"This is your 'private matter,'" Gurn emphasized, "at least publicly."

The newly independent navy needs time to integrate; it's not advisable to engage in a full-scale war.

Garp frowned, but nodded nonetheless: "Okay!"

“Second,” Gern clicked his tongue, “come back alive.”

Garp looked at Gern's eyes and snorted, "Don't worry, I'm Garp!"

Gern patted Karp on the broad shoulder and said nothing more.