"Ahem… sorry about that. It's just—your stare was a little… intense."
Gern cleared his throat and smoothly steered the conversation back on track.
"I didn't expect Vice Admiral Garp to tell you about that too."
"It wasn't just him."Dragon let out a quiet sigh, his voice low and heavy."The entire headquarters is talking about you now. After all, you were bold enough to confront Whitebeard head-on… and even forced him to use advanced Haki."
Gern let out a soft chuckle."Being bold doesn't mean being strong. If I actually had that kind of strength, I wouldn't be sitting here—I'd be at the bottom of the sea by now."
Dragon didn't respond right away. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked:
"Do you really believe… that justice can arrive late?"
Gern narrowed his eyes.
That question carried weight.
At this point, Dragon had already begun doubting the World Government.Especially after witnessing the horrors of God Valley with his own eyes—the Celestial Dragons' cruelty had surely shaken his belief in so-called justice to its core.
"I asked my father about you," Dragon continued quietly."You were there at God Valley too. That so-called 'game' of slaughter carried out by the World Nobles…"
"I don't know whether justice comes late or not," Gern cut in calmly."But I do know this—if even those who enforce justice begin doubting themselves, then justice becomes nothing more than an empty word."
Dragon's pupils contracted slightly.
He stared at Gern, his voice calm but edged with tension.
"The Marines exist to maintain order. But if that order itself is twisted… then what value does justice even have?"
The air seemed to freeze.
Dragon's gaze deepened, fixed on Gern, as if trying to peer through him—trying to uncover the meaning behind his words.
But Gern wasn't foolish.Even without Observation Haki, his Logia sensitivity allowed him to perceive subtle vibrations—
Like the faint presence standing beneath the left-side window.
Listening.
Zephyr.
Gern pretended to think deeply before speaking again.
"Then what is your justice?"
"You say the system is twisted, but from where I stand, the Marine's purpose doesn't lie in abstract ideals of order—it lies in who it serves and how it acts.Binding justice entirely to order ignores the complexity of our role."
He continued calmly:
"If you want to criticize something, it shouldn't be justice itself—it should be the power structure that abuses it."
He looked straight at Dragon.
"Your father is Vice Admiral Garp, the 'Hero of the Marines.'Justice isn't a fixed destination—it's a process. You can't discard its value just because the system is flawed."
Dragon didn't respond.
He simply stared at Gern for a long moment, then turned and walked toward the door.
Just before leaving, he spoke in a voice only Gern could hear:
"I have no justice."
The door closed, and silence returned to the office.
Moments later, the window on the left suddenly slid open.
Zephyr vaulted inside with practiced ease, landing smoothly on the floor. His short purple hair didn't stir at all in the sea breeze, and behind his sunglasses, his gaze was sharp and focused.
"Eavesdropping isn't a good habit, Vice Admiral," Gern said without looking up, lightly tapping his fingers against the desk.
"Hah!" Zephyr chuckled as he strode forward."Testing a subordinate's convictions is a superior's privilege."
He removed his sunglasses, fixing Gern with a piercing stare.
"Your answer… was satisfactory."
Gern shrugged casually."I was just telling the truth."
"And that's exactly why it's rare."Zephyr tossed a file onto Gern's desk—the very matter he'd stepped out to handle.
Inside were reports on several troublesome pirates—early versions of what would later be called the Supernovae, though the term didn't exist yet. For now, they were simply labeled 'notorious upstarts.'
"Most people, when faced with someone like Dragon, either blindly agree or argue emotionally," Zephyr said."But you saw the essence of the issue. That's good."
"The Fleet Admiral said you were born in the West Blue—that your understanding of justice was shallow, that you needed schooling."
He snorted.
"In my eyes? You're as pure as they come."
"Origin doesn't matter. I've got an eye for people, and I rarely misjudge."
He pointed directly at Gern.
"You, Gern Reginald Sigmar—your sense of justice is exceptionally strong."
Gern ignored Zephyr's self-satisfied tone and flipped through the file instead. After a moment, he looked up.
"So… Captain Dragon?"
"A lost lamb," Zephyr interrupted, a rare trace of regret slipping into his voice."Sigh… Garp spent all his time chasing Roger and forgot to raise his own son properly."
Then he walked over and placed a heavy hand on Gern's shoulder.
"But you're different."
The famed "Black Arm" Zephyr looked nothing like his usual stern self in that moment.
"Training ground one. This afternoon."He stepped back and put his sunglasses on again.
"It's time you learned what real power looks like."
Gern closed the file, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Haki training?"
"This isn't training," Zephyr said, his voice deep and resolute."This is to make you understand something."
"Devil Fruits are nothing more than tools.True strength…" He tapped his chest. "Comes from here."
"So… I'm getting beaten up?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?! I'm teaching you, not beating you! That lunatic Garp—that's what he calls training!"
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting shifting shadows across Zephyr's cloak.
As Gern watched the future Marine Admiral, he suddenly realized—
He was standing at a pivotal turning point in his life.
Damn it… getting beaten is still getting beaten.
"I'll be there on time," Gern said, standing and snapping a crisp salute.
Zephyr nodded and turned toward the door.
Just before leaving, he paused.
"Oh, and Gern."
"Hm? More instructions on how badly I'm about to get beaten?"
"Your sword…" Zephyr's voice dropped."Eight Desolations, was it? Don't bring it this afternoon."
The door closed, leaving Gern alone in the office.
He reached back and touched the black blade strapped behind him.The sword trembled faintly in response, as if alive.
"…Great. Even my one cheat item is banned."