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

"That's all for now, King Neptune is calling me, talk to you later." After saying that, Guern hung up the phone decisively.

"Hello?! Gern! Gern!" Sengoku called out twice to the Den Den Mushi, which was now just a busy signal, before finally hanging up in frustration.

Looking at the empty chair opposite him, he let out a long sigh.

"That bastard... he's got some nerve, he's got some nerve!" Despite saying that, a complex emotion flashed in Sengoku's eyes.

Gurn's seemingly unreliable yet meticulously calculated approach may be exactly what this chaotic era needs.

He shook his head, resignedly picked up his pen, and began to record Gern's request.

It seems that the matter of Shanks can only be kept under close watch by Kizaru, Enel, and Barrett, who are on patrol in the New World.

...........

10,000 meters deep in the ocean, Fishman Island, Dragon Palace.

Inside the magnificent banquet hall, soothing music played as mermaid dancers gracefully performed.

"Brother Gern! Everyone on Fishman Island is honored by your presence!"

At the head of the table, the enormous King Neptune raised his huge goblet, clinked it against Gern's, and let out a hearty laugh.

"Naval independence, good! It should have been done long ago!!"

Neptune, as always, expressed his unwavering support for Guern.

The friendship and power that Gern left behind on Fishman Island, and his subsequent protection of Fishman Island.

He had long regarded it as his most reliable ally, even more than an ally.

Beside Neptune, Queen Otohime sat quietly.

Unlike the past, when it was always portrayed as an idealistic force attempting to change the fate of Fishman Island through persuasion and peaceful petitions.

Princess Otohime is much quieter now.

She traveled to Mary Geoise with the utmost goodwill and courage, attempting to convey to the Celestial Dragons that Fish-Man Island longed for peaceful coexistence.

His desire to bask in the sunshine nearly led to an "accidental" assassination attempt on his way home.

That incident was like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing her last shred of unrealistic illusions about the world government.

"Marshal Gern," Otohime said gently, looking at Gern.

"The dream of Fishman Island to yearn for sunlight and to truly coexist equally with humans has never changed."

But we've come to realize that prayers won't earn respect; only strength and the right allies can secure our future.

Now that you have led the navy onto a completely new path, Fishman Island is willing to give you its full support.

We entrust the future of Fishman Island, the dream of restoring the Fishman and Mermaid races to the world, to the Navy you represent.

Gern, abandoning his earlier nonchalant demeanor during his call with Sengoku, nodded solemnly: "Queen Otohime, King Neptune."

Fishman Island is an important hub connecting the four seas and the New World.

Whether it's the G-10 of the past or the Navy now, we have no reason to give up!

Neptune and Otohime exchanged a glance and smiled slightly.

The atmosphere at the banquet became even more harmonious.

After a few rounds of drinks, Guern also revealed his purpose.

"Neptune, Fishman Island has a long history and has interacted with various forces."

So do you know anything about the king of Harald, the giant kingdom of Elbaf?

When "Elbaf" and "Harald" were mentioned, Neptune paused slightly, and the smile on his face faded a bit.

“Elbaf…the homeland of the giants, the ‘world’s strongest nation’,” Neptune said slowly.

"Although Fishman Island and Elbaf do not have much direct contact, they have had some exchanges."

Harald…this man was…a king shrouded in controversy and tragedy.”

Otohime added, "Harald, the 'wise ruler,' was a king whose strength and wisdom were rare in the history of Elbaf."

He attempted to lead Elbaf to unprecedented prosperity, even...

It had in-depth contact and cooperation with the world governments at the time.

"Cooperation?" Gern's gaze sharpened.

“Yes.” Otohime nodded, recalling those vague records, after all, it had been a long time since Harald came to Fishman Island.

"When Harald visited Gneptton on Fishman Island for exchanges, he told us..."

He believed that by allying with the world government and leveraging their power and 'order'...

This would allow Elbaf to develop more rapidly, and even become a member state under the World Government, thus giving the Giants a higher status and greater influence.

He himself said that the world government at the time attached great importance to him and Elbaf, giving them unprecedented "courtesy" and "promises."

"Therefore, Harald helped the World Government with many things, including getting some of the giants into the Navy."

"I myself often act on orders issued by the World Government," Neptune interjected, his tone becoming heavy.

"But later, the cooperation broke down."

The reason is unknown. I've inquired about it, and all I know is that King Harald committed a 'huge, unforgivable error'.

This not only led to a complete break between him and the World Government, but also caused enormous turmoil and division within Elbaf.

Harald himself was murdered by his own children in the palace...

As a result, Elbaf was severely weakened and became even more isolated, almost completely severing his deep connections with the outside world.

We have focused on internal recuperation and development until today.

“A huge mistake…” Gern stroked his wine glass, lost in thought.

This is similar to the regretful and hypothetical tone Im used when he descended upon Nassulang Saint.

"If Harald hadn't made that foolish mistake back then, he could have completely transformed Elbaf, the land of giants, into a military superpower of the World Government..."

It's exactly the same.

It seems that this King Harald may have come very close to "successfully" binding Elbaf to the World Government's chariot back then.

But what "mistake" did he ultimately make? Did he see through Im or the World Government's true nature and rebel against them?

Is it a backlash from internal conservative forces? Or is there another reason?

"We don't know anything about Harald's specific 'mistakes' or the details of his cooperation with the World Government," Otohime said apologetically.

"It's alright, you've already told me a lot!"

“Gern,” Neptune said, “if you want to know the specifics, go and see for yourself in Elbaf!”

Chapter 596 I'm going to be the king of bargain hunting too.

Gern left Fishman Island in a small boat, dressed casually.

On the ship, Gern unfurled an extremely detailed military nautical chart and pointed north along the route that started from Fishman Island.

The flight path eventually pointed to a region deep within the new world, deliberately enlarged and marked with a bold red circle.

Elbaf, the kingdom of giants.

However, even choosing the shortest route from Fishman Island to Elbaf almost inevitably involves passing through several unmissable landmarks.

First is Beehive Island, the headquarters of the Blackbeard Pirates.

Immediately afterwards, the flight path will approach Wano Country, which is surrounded by a huge waterfall, has been closed off year-round, and is now being ravaged by Kaido of the Beasts.

Thinking of Wano Country, a playful smile involuntarily appeared on Guern's lips.

Based on fragmented intelligence from various sources, Straw Hat Luffy, Trafalgar Law, and that hot-tempered Kid...

These three most restless forces of the new era seem to have stirred up a storm in Wano Country.

Counting the timeline, from the end of the Whole Cake Island incident to their infiltration of Wano Country, contacting resistance forces, and gathering strength...

Now, it seems we're on the eve of the decisive battle, or perhaps the battle is already raging.

"The Beasts Pirates vs. the Worst Generation Alliance..." Gurn muttered to himself, pointing his finger at the location of Wano Country.

“Oh dear.” Gern suddenly chuckled and shook his head. “Even if we rush and rush, starting from Fishman Island, even using the full speed of this specially made speedboat…”

By the time I arrive in Wano Country, I'm afraid I won't even be able to enjoy a victory celebration...

Although his words were somewhat sarcastic, Guern knew in his heart that the outcome of the Wano Country battle would have a profound impact on the new world order.

"I never thought I, Gern, would actually become the 'King of Bargains' one day?" Gern chuckled self-deprecatingly.

He originally planned to personally intervene in Wano Country and completely bring this strategic location under his control.

But the complex political situation following the Navy's independence, the World Government's silent pressure, Shanks' sudden provocation, and the resurfacing of clues about Elbaf...

A series of unexpected events disrupted his plans.

However, looking at it from another angle, it seems... not bad?

Although the act of "reaping the rewards" is somewhat unethical, politics and war never consider the process, only the result.

and……

Guern's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled something else.

“Fifth gear… Nika…” he murmured the two words, his fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the chart.

Although Luffy's growth trajectory has deviated due to his "butterfly effect," some things deeply rooted in his blood and destiny will probably not change easily.

That legendary "liberated warrior," the sun god Nika... Luffy will definitely awaken there.

After all, judging from Luffy's current strength, he can't beat anyone without using power-ups or a series of attacks.

“This is…exciting,” Gern murmured.

Anticipation stems from wanting to witness the moment when the legend comes true.

His thoughts returned to their original focus, and his gaze refocused on the final destination on the nautical chart—Elbaf.

He would observe the excitement of Wano Country for the time being; the secret of Elbaf was the core objective of his personal trip.

Harald's past, the true potential of the giants, and that military value that even Im regrets—a value sufficient to replace the navy...

All of this requires him to explore and strive for it himself.

"Bypassing Beehive Island, snatch up Wano Country, and head straight for Elbaf..." Gern quickly planned the route. "Time is of the essence; we can't afford to linger on the road for too long."

He stood up and went onto the deck.

“Since we’ve decided to ‘find the bargains,’ we also need to hurry to dig for treasure…” Gern grinned, a wild glint in his eyes, “Then let’s use a ‘shortcut’!”

He then took a deep breath, pulled his right arm back, and clenched his fist.

There was no earth-shattering buildup of power, but the surrounding air began to distort and vibrate abnormally, emitting a faint hum.

"When you're on the road, the faster the better!"

Before he finished speaking, Gern twisted his waist and turned around, channeling all his strength into his right fist, and delivered a fierce blow to the open sea behind the stern of the ship!

"Airquake!"

"BOOM!!!!"

It didn't hit the seawater directly, but rather the air!

The space in front of the fist was like tempered glass that had been hit hard, instantly covered with dense spider web-like cracks!

The cracks spread wildly, compressing the air to the extreme and then releasing it violently, forming a terrifying reverse shockwave that shot backward!

"Whoosh!!!!!"

The speedboat let out a groan of despair, its hull almost breaking apart in an instant!

But thanks to the reinforcements provided by the naval technology forces and Gern's special protection, it withstood the violent thrust.

The next moment, the small boat suddenly broke through the sea surface at a terrifying speed far exceeding the speed of sound, churning up the white foam in the crevices, and shot off into the distance!

The speed was so fast that the ship was almost parallel to the sea surface, and the sides of the ship stirred up arc-shaped water curtains tens of meters high!

Gern stood at the bow of the violently rocking ship, his waist bent at the waist, his hair flying backward.