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

Either their expression changes slightly, and they quicken their pace to leave in a hurry.

They would either take a detour or walk a few extra steps rather than get within ten meters of him.

The group that was talking would suddenly stop talking as soon as he got a little closer.

The atmosphere quickly cooled down, and after a polite but distant nod, everyone dispersed.

Even some who were completely loyal to Gern...

Like Neptune, the king of Fishman Island, and Pedro, the representative of the Mink Tribe!

The sarcasm on Blackbeard's face was obvious.

He was like a plague sign standing in a bustling city; wherever he went, the crowds automatically dispersed.

Forget about trade negotiations, they didn't even get a decent greeting.

"Captain Teach..."

Laffitte, who had been silently following behind, watched Blackbeard's attempts to curry favor repeatedly end in cold shoulders.

The increasingly awkward situation, where his face grew darker and darker, finally forced him to speak frankly and helplessly.

"Although it's harsh to say, no one would want to work with someone who suddenly appears and whose background is unknown."

Moreover, it is widely known that they are conducting open exchanges with a 'nation' established by ruthless pirates.

He paused, then added the most crucial sentence, his gaze sweeping over the naval soldiers and officers who were subtly visible around him, silently maintaining order.

"Besides... this is still naval territory."

Just as the Admiral delivered an inspiring speech, establishing the Navy as the protector of the entire race and the core of the new order...

Which country's representative would dare to defy the world and act right under the navy's nose?

He openly talks with the Yonko pirate leader, who had just clashed with the Navy and whose hero had gone missing, to discuss cooperation.

That would be a slap in the face to the navy and bring trouble upon their own country.

Blackbeard's face was so dark it seemed to drip water, and his jaw was clenched; he clearly understood this as well.

But more than anything, he felt humiliated, having come here specifically to annoy Gern.

And what was the result? They came all this way only to become a laughingstock and a background figure for others.

In the midst of this awkward silence and the subtle, pervasive scrutiny from those around them, a steady and familiar footstep approached from afar, neither hurried nor slow.

Gern walked over alone.

He changed out of his formal marshal's uniform from the meeting, wearing only a simple white shirt and dark trousers.

He casually draped his signature marshal's cloak over his shoulders, his hands in his pockets.

They looked relaxed, as if they were just taking an after-dinner stroll and had simply happened to wander here.

And he stood in front of Blackbeard at a distance that was neither too far nor too close, just enough to have a clear conversation without appearing too intimate.

Blackbeard saw Gern and was taken aback for a moment, then grinned, revealing his signature toothless smile.

However, there was a hint of feigned composure and unwillingness to back down in that smile, despite his anger and embarrassment.

"Hahaha!! Heavenquake!" Blackbeard laughed loudly, trying to cover his embarrassment with his voice. "This game... was played quite well!"

They've fooled the whole world and still stand on the moral high ground!

I almost applauded you!

"Really?" Gern shrugged, his expression indifferent. "Thank you for the compliment."

"However... your 'country' is even more surprising."

Gern looked at Blackbeard with a meaningful gaze.

"The World Government... actually came to you."

This statement exposes the less-than-honorable deal behind Blackbeard's "nation" identity.

"What?" Blackbeard wasn't offended at all; instead, he puffed out his chest, looking like he was saying, "I'm the one who's capable."

He made no attempt to conceal his connections with the World Government, even speaking with a hint of boasting and probing, before taking the initiative to say...

"If you are also willing to recognize my country and grant me legitimate trading status and diplomatic recognition..."

"Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll tell you everything those high and mighty old fogies promised me!"

As he spoke, he exaggeratedly opened his arms, making a "welcome to the deal" gesture, his eyes gleaming with cunning and calculation.

He was trying to turn the tables, using the World Government's secrets as leverage to gain the Navy's recognition of his "nation," thereby breaking the current isolation.

Gern observed Blackbeard's "waiting for the best price" demeanor, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Blackbeard's bare chest.

The huge, grotesque "X"-shaped scar that ran diagonally from both shoulders to the sides of the abdomen.

Suddenly, he chuckled softly, a laugh filled with undisguised mockery and pity.

“A fence-sitter…” Gern shook his head. “There’s no trust in him, Teach.”

His gaze returned to Blackbeard's face, he tilted his head slightly, tapped the scar with his chin, and his tone became even more mocking.

"Tsk, look at this scar... You were incredibly lucky that the Golden Lion didn't kill you with one blow back then."

"How does it feel to live like a target full of flaws, someone everyone wants to poke?"

"Hey!!! You bastard!!!"

Blackbeard's smile vanished instantly, replaced by rage!

Gern's words struck a nerve, hitting the most sensitive spot in his heart.

His fear of the wound that nearly killed him, and his inability to truly earn "respect" despite his immense power.

Instead, they are constrained everywhere, like a "target" or a "hyena" being used and guarded against by all parties, which is frustrating and despised!

Blackbeard suddenly took a step forward, his aura suddenly becoming dangerous, with the dark gravity of the Dark-Dark Fruit and the pale fluctuations of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit faintly emerging!

"I... no matter what... am still the strongest of the Four Emperors!!!"

Chapter 638 Who is this pathetic and incompetent look for?

Hearing Blackbeard's roar, filled with rage and resentment, Gern's expression remained unchanged.

He didn't even raise his eyebrows, he merely tilted his head slightly.

He repeated those two words in a flat, almost soliloquy tone.

"The Four Emperors?"

The moment the words fell

"Boom!!!"

A force, condensed to its extreme, heavy as an abyss of dark purple, erupted silently yet violently from the center of Gern!

It wasn't a widespread impact, but a highly concentrated one. Precise targeting!

Gern's left hand naturally rested on the hilt of the black sword, Hachiro, which hung at his right waist, his five fingers clenched tightly.

The movement was small; the knife wasn't even drawn from its sheath, just a light grip.

But the moment his fingers touched the hilt of the sword, dark purple Conqueror's Haki roared out from the Eight Desolations Sword!

It did not spread out in a spherical shape as usual, did not try to shock the audience, and did not cause any celestial anomalies!

The domineering aura instantly condensed and compressed in the air, transforming into a bolt of lightning only as thick as an arm, yet as solid as a purple crystal!

Ignoring the air and distance, it wrapped itself around Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach with perfect precision!

"Zzzzz!!!"

It's not a physical electric shock, but an extreme crushing and interference with the rules at the level of soul and will!

Blackbeard trembled violently!

He felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on him!

It wasn't just his heavy body; what was even more terrifying was the power of the two Devil Fruits within him that allowed him to roam the seas.

The gravitational pull of the Dark-Dark Fruit and the vibrational ripples of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit

Under the suppression of this pure and domineering top-tier Conqueror's Haki, it was instantly rendered ineffective!

He tried to activate them, but found that the connection between himself and the fruit's abilities had become unusually sluggish and blurry, and he even had the illusion that it was being forcibly detached!

"Ugh... Ugh...!"

Blackbeard's forehead veins bulged, and large beads of cold sweat rolled down his face and neck like a waterfall!

He let out a painful, suppressed groan, his legs went weak uncontrollably, and he staggered until he finally knelt on the cold, hard dock floor!

He could only barely keep from collapsing completely by using his hands to support himself on the ground.

Even more chilling was the fact that "Devil Sheriff" Lafayette, who was only slightly affected by the aftershocks of that domineering lightning bolt while standing next to Blackbeard.

This pirate officer, with a bounty exceeding 100 million and a resolute will, couldn't even utter a single scream.

His pupils suddenly dilated, and a look of extreme horror and blankness flashed in his eyes.

Then he fell straight backward and crashed to the ground with a thud, completely losing consciousness!

Mere proximity, or even just the aftershocks, were enough to make an official of this rank faint instantly!

This scene caught the attention of some representatives from various countries and naval soldiers who had not yet completely left and were secretly observing the situation.

He gasped, gaining a more direct and chilling understanding of the naval admiral's terrifying strength.

"What...what the hell is this Conqueror's Haki?!"

Blackbeard knelt on one knee, struggling to raise his head, his eyes filled with an undisguised, deep-seated fear.

He stared intently at the man in front of him who was merely gripping the hilt of a knife and hadn't even drawn it yet.

That's why...that's why he hates these old monsters who came from the old era so much!

Each of them has an unreasonable level of Conqueror's Haki!

So strong it's despair-inducing!

Whitebeard is, red hair is, and now, Gern... is even more so!

Gern slowly released his grip on the knife, and the breathtaking dark purple lightning vanished as if it had never existed.

But the lingering invisible pressure in the air and the fact that Blackbeard's clothes were instantly soaked proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

He lowered his head slightly, his gaze looking down at Blackbeard, who was kneeling on the ground, looking utterly disheveled. His voice was calm, but every word struck Blackbeard's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Blackbeard".

"The Four Emperors..."

“Kaido, I acknowledge his strength and the title of ‘Strongest Creature’.”

"Whitebeard, I acknowledge his magnanimity and the world's strongest spirit."

"Redhead, I acknowledge his skill."

"Even with Big Mom, I acknowledge the terrifying power and dominance she displayed in her twisted dream of establishing a kingdom and pursuing 'all races'."

"Because they all need me to take them 'seriously'!"

Gern paused, his contempt and coldness reaching their peak.

“But you… Marshall D. Teach?”

"The Emperor?"

Gern scoffed, his laughter filled with undisguised contempt and disdain.

"Oh."

“You’re in front of me…” Gern shook his head slightly.

"Far from enough..."

"qualifications!!!"

"!!!"