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

He deliberately drew out his words, and then, under everyone's breathless gaze...

He uttered the name, word by word, clearly and distinctly, a name that made everyone's hearts stop.

"Red hair..."

"!!"

"Redhead?!" "Shanks?!"

"Wasn't he captured by Tianzhen?!"

"How could it be here?!"

Instantly, all sorts of horrifying thoughts exploded in the minds of the cadres!

As Blackbeard's voice trailed off and his arrogant laughter faded, a figure stepped steadily into the room from the shadows beside Van Augur at the doorway.

The light outlined his silhouette, highlighting his tall and upright figure.

A striking head of red hair, a handsome face, and a well-tailored dark suit that exuded the aristocratic air of a bygone era…

When his face was fully exposed to the flickering torchlight of the hall

"hiss!"

A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the group of officials!

Even the usually calm Shiryu unconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of the "Thunderstorm" sword!

Die Mei covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock!

Samuel's eyes narrowed suddenly behind the mask!

Burgess opened his mouth wide enough to fit a fist!

Red-haired Shanks?!

No...that's not right!

Look closely, although their faces are extremely similar, almost like they were made from the same mold, their temperaments are completely different!

Shanks possesses a free-spirited and unrestrained nature coupled with a kingly aura, while the person before him...

His gaze was colder and more arrogant, carrying an innate, condescending indifference, as if he were looking at a group of ants.

His posture was also more rigid, each step seemed measured, exuding an uncomfortable sense of order and alienation.

Figarando Shamrock Saint!

Surprised?

Blackbeard was quite pleased with the ghost-like expressions on his officers' faces; a wicked smile crept across his lips.

"When I first saw this guy, my expression was exactly the same as yours!"

I thought that bastard Shanks had escaped from prison, or maybe he had some kind of clone ability! Hahaha!

However, Shamrock's reaction to Blackbeard's deliberately warm and welcoming manner was extremely cold.

They even ignored the notorious pirate officers around them, who were now filled with shock.

Then, he strode forward, his steps steady yet carrying an undeniable sense of authority.

Step by step, they crossed the hall and walked directly to Blackbeard's throne, just a few steps away.

He tilted his head slightly, and in an extremely calm yet chilling tone, looked down at the black-bearded man, and said clearly.

"What a... despicable fellow."

"Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach."

This statement is completely unadorned and so blunt as to be almost insulting.

In an instant, Blackbeard's feigned enthusiasm and air of control were shattered!

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly plummeted to freezing point!

Shiryu's hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword, Chomei's eyes turned cold, and the other executives also showed anger.

How dare they speak to their captain like that?!

Blackbeard's face instantly darkened, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

But instead of reacting immediately, he twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a forced smile, and retorted sarcastically.

"Oh? Despicable? Tsk tsk..." Blackbeard leaned forward slightly, his massive shadow looming over Shamrock, his tone laced with provocation.

"When you faced 'Skyquake' Gern... did you also speak with this condescending expression and tone?"

He deliberately mentioned Gern, the man who had just dragged Shamrock's brother away like a dead dog.

This is a veiled comparison and mockery.

Shamrock's face remained expressionless.

Faced with Blackbeard's sharp sarcasm, he merely let out a very slight, short, cold laugh from his nose.

"Oh."

Then, nothing more was said.

He neither admitted it, nor refuted it, nor showed any anger, nor even glanced at Blackbeard because of his provocation.

That utter indifference revealed his arrogance and disdain for Blackbeard more than any angry words.

It was as if Blackbeard, along with his problems, were nothing more than insignificant dust.

"Tsk." Blackbeard clicked his tongue after being rebuffed.

He was accustomed to manipulating and trading with power, fear, and self-interest, but this kind of manipulation came from a higher level.

The pure arrogance and disregard stemming from bloodline and identity left him feeling powerless and aroused his deeper resentment.

At the same time, he didn't want to lose his initiative, especially within his own base of operations.

So Blackbeard looked at Shamrock's face, which was strikingly similar to Shanks'.

His gaze lingered particularly on his perfectly intact left eye, and he suddenly grinned, his tone carrying a malicious mockery.

"Seriously, you two look alike... Could you be twins?"

"However, it's just a pity..."

Blackbeard raised his hand and tapped Shamrock's left eye from a distance.

"You're missing that...scar!"

He was referring to the three iconic claw marks around Shanks' left eye.

Shamrock's expression finally changed slightly because of those words.

It wasn't anger, but a cold disgust at being offended by something lowly that violated one's noble lineage.

He looked directly at Blackbeard for the first time, his gaze sharp.

“You lowly wretch.” The voice grew even colder. “You… are not ‘Skyquake’.”

The subtext of this statement is: You don't have the strength or qualifications of Gern to criticize me.

Upon hearing this, Blackbeard didn't get angry but instead laughed, retorting sharply and deliberately letting his gaze sweep over Shamrock's entire body:

“You… are not ‘Skyquake’ either.”

The subtext is equally clear: You're not Gern, you have no right to put on airs in front of me.

Moreover, you're not even as good as your "brother" who got arrested.

Chapter 629 Koby is the smartest kid.

Naval Headquarters, New Marineford, Special Care Ward, Medical Department.

Sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, casting gleaming squares onto the gleaming floor.

The air was filled with the distinctive, mild smell of disinfectant.

Marshal Gern sat casually in a chair beside a hospital bed, his marshal's cloak draped to one side.

Wearing only a shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms, he had a somewhat helpless expression on his face.

Holding a document in his hand, he glanced sideways at his senior colleague on the hospital bed, who was leisurely skewering an apple with a fork.

“Borsalino-senpai,” Gern shook the documents in his hand, his tone a mix of amusement and headache.

"What do you mean by applying for six months of sick leave?"

On the hospital bed, Kizaru leaned against the rocking headboard, his body also wrapped in numerous bandages.

His face was slightly pale, but his signature smug expression remained unchanged.

Upon hearing Gern's words, he first slowly put the apple in his mouth, chewed it a few times, and then responded in his characteristic, drawn-out tone.

"Oh my, Marshal Gern!"

He deliberately pronounced the word "adult" in a soft and drawn-out way.

"As people get older, their bones become more brittle and recovery is slower."

"I fought a bit too hard against those energetic young men of the Red-Haired Pirates this time."

"My internal organs and my powerful energy circuits both need to rest and recuperate properly~"

Kizaru squinted, looking like he was saying, "I'm very weak and need to rest. My body is definitely not as resilient as yours young people!"

"Six months...maybe that won't even be enough~"

After saying that, he even rubbed his bandaged chest with a serious expression and let out a few affected sighs.

Gern watched his exaggerated acting, his lips twitched, and he was too lazy to expose him.

He knew, of course, that Kizaru had risked his life to intercept the Red-Haired Pirates and was seriously injured.

But given this guy's Devil Fruit ability and physique, plus top-notch medical care, it definitely won't take him more than half a year.

This is clearly an attempt to use the guise of "work injury" to openly slack off and take leave.

Avoid the busy official duties of the Navy's integration of the New World and dealing with reactions from all sides.

Just as Guern was preparing to "bargain" over the length of his sick leave, the noise coming from the next bed caught their attention.

In stark contrast to the "relaxed" atmosphere on Kizaru's side, the bed next to him was tightly surrounded by a group of solemn-looking officers dressed in "SWORD" uniforms.

The person lying on the hospital bed was wrapped in bandages even more exaggeratedly than Kizaru, almost like a mummy, with only his eyes and mouth showing.

It was Koby, who had just survived the horrific rescue operation on Beehive Island and had recently regained consciousness after emergency treatment.

Koby didn't look at his comrades surrounding him, nor did he care about his exaggerated injuries.

A pair of eyes were fixed intently on the video Den Den Mushi screen hanging on the wall of the ward, broadcasting the news.

On the screen, Luffy's brand-new bounty of 30 billion Berries was being played repeatedly, along with reports of his coronation as the "Fifth Emperor."

The Straw Hat Boy's bright smile contrasted sharply with the heavy crown of the "Sea Emperor".

After listening to the entire news, Koby slowly and forcefully gripped the white sheet covering him, his knuckles turning white.

His best friend Bellmare, along with the other members of the Blades unit around him, were on tenterhooks when they saw Koby's action.

They believed that after experiencing the life-or-death ordeal on Beehive Island and witnessing Lieutenant General Garp's "disappearance,"

Koby must be filled with grief and indignation at this moment, and he might swear to avenge Vice Admiral Garp, or make some kind of vehement statement.

Then, Koby spoke.

His voice was hoarse from the injuries and excitement, yet exceptionally clear, each word deliberate and filled with a certain... self-righteous sense of mission and determination.

"Mr. Luffy..."

He paused, gathering his strength, and then, in an almost declarative tone, uttered the second half of the sentence.

"I... must stop your dream!"

"Pfft—cough cough cough!!!"

In the next bed, Kizaru, who had just put his second piece of apple into his mouth, was choked by those words and coughed violently, spraying apple crumbs all over the blanket!

As he coughed, he suddenly reached out and yanked open the thin curtain between his hospital bed and Koby's bed, which was meant to be used for soundproofing!