"Just luck… that's all."
Gern's voice was calm, but his gaze never left Zephyr's face, watching every subtle shift in expression.
Even now, he didn't dare gamble—not even against Zephyr.
Hearing Gern's words, Zephyr didn't answer right away. Instead, he slowly set his meal tray down on the table. After a brief silence, he walked straight toward the black blade, Eight Desolations, reached out, and gripped the hilt. His expression grew unusually serious as he examined the edge with meticulous focus.
"Rocks' sword," Zephyr said flatly, though a trace of complexity flickered beneath his tone. "How could I not recognize it?"
Hearing that, Gern's fingers tightened slightly—but his expression remained calm.
Zephyr casually swung the blade once. The edge sliced through the air, releasing a faint, sharp hum.
Then he chuckled softly.
"Rocks is dead. And this weapon—you picked it up at God Valley, didn't you?Back then, after Roger and Garp gravely wounded him, the Holy Knights escorted the Celestial Dragons away. The World Government left Rocks behind to face the Buster Call alone… to die."
He paused, then added calmly,"Relax. You never even saw Rocks during all that. What does it have to do with you?"
It has everything to do with me!Gern's heart jolted.
I personally dug his grave and sent him off! He handed me this blade himself—how could I not be nervous?!
But outwardly, Gern merely said calmly,"Teacher… is it really okay?"
Zephyr sighed, his gaze returning to the blade.
"Rocks' sword isn't something just anyone can use."
Before the words fully left his mouth, he suddenly coated the blade in Armament Haki.
But the instant his Haki touched the blade—
Buzz!
The sword trembled violently. Dark crimson patterns flared to life, and a violent repulsive force burst outward. Zephyr's Armament Haki was forcibly repelled, and his grip broke as though struck by lightning.
Clang!
Eight Desolations fell to the floor, its tip embedding into the ground and trembling faintly.
"This…" Gern's pupils shrank slightly at the sight.
Even he hadn't known the sword could do this—he'd never let anyone else touch it before.
"Among the Supreme Grade Blades—there are twelve in total," Zephyr said slowly, a trace of release in his voice."Each one is extraordinary, each forged with a name of its own."
"But this one… doesn't have one."
Gern listened in silence, then stepped forward and pulled Eight Desolations from the floor. The moment the hilt met his palm, that familiar resonance surged through him again.
"Teacher," Gern asked quietly, "aren't you going to ask why I hid it?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Zephyr shook his head, sat back down, and took a bite of bread from his plate."If I picked up Rocks' sword—and it happened to be a Supreme Grade—I'd hide it too."
Gern: "Teacher… when you answer like that, it really makes me look stupid."
"But—" Zephyr paused, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Gern."What I really care about is why this blade chose you."
"You can pick up a sword, sure—but being able to wield it is another matter entirely.Especially when this blade was forged by Rocks himself, using his own Conqueror's Haki."
"It's the only black blade in the world forged through Conqueror's Haki."
"Forged… by Conqueror's Haki?"Gern looked down at Eight Desolations in shock. The patterns on the blade slowly calmed.
"No wonder you were able to guide my Conqueror's Haki so perfectly…"
His thoughts drifted back to God Valley—to that moment, to that deal he had made with Rocks.
"Maybe…" Gern murmured as he slowly raised his gaze,"it's because of the wisdom of the working class."
"…."
No, seriously—he did earn that sword through labor. Funeral services count as work, right? Even if the job itself was… surprisingly easy.
The answer was absurd, yet Zephyr couldn't sense a shred of deception in him. It was as if his student genuinely believed it.
"…Forget it."Zephyr walked over to the window, staring out at the rolling waves beyond.
"No matter what, that strike of yours made the world remember your name."
"But remember this—fame is a double-edged sword."
Gern tightened his grip on the hilt."I understand, Teacher."
"Good." Zephyr suddenly turned back, his eyes sharp."Now tell me about your Conqueror's Haki. How were you able to use advanced coating so easily? And that strike—Divine Fall—what exactly was that?"
"Advanced…?" Gern froze.
To be honest, even now he didn't fully understand what had happened. At the time, the motion had simply surged through his mind, and his body had moved on its own.
"When you awakened your Conqueror's Haki," Zephyr said gravely, "you didn't look like a beginner at all."
The image resurfaced in his mind—Gern standing tall, Conqueror's Haki surging like a raging tide, even suppressing Shiki the Golden Lion.
That overwhelming presence… even Sengoku or Garp might not have reached that level.
Even recalling it now made Zephyr uneasy.
"I… don't really know," Gern admitted, shaking his head. Then he glanced at Eight Desolations. "How about… we try again?"
"Try," Zephyr nodded without hesitation.
Gern forced himself to calm down, gripping the blade tightly—
And then…
Nothing.
Complete, suffocating silence.
"Huh? Conqueror's coating! Divine Fall! Conqueror's coating!"Gern swung the blade wildly, the air slicing with sharp whooshes—
But the purple-black lightning from before was nowhere to be seen.
Only silence remained.
"…Try basic Conqueror's pressure first," Zephyr suggested, frowning.
"Okay."Gern nodded, then stared intensely at Zephyr for a full three minutes.
"Mm." Zephyr took a deep breath, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly."Yep. That confirms it."
"I really thought you'd awakened max-level Conqueror's Haki."
"But now it's clear—you're just like every other beginner."
Gern, who had tasted godlike power only moments ago, now felt like a toddler learning to walk again.
The emotional whiplash hit him hard.
"Teacher…" His voice unconsciously carried a hint of grievance.
"Don't look at me with those pitiful eyes!" Zephyr waved him off."I don't even have Conqueror's Haki! Go ask Garp yourself!"
"…Okay~"
"And another thing," Zephyr added, stopping at the doorway and turning back, his expression suddenly serious."The reason you managed to wound the Golden Lion was because the residual Haki inside that blade resonated with yours and suppressed him."
"And because fear disrupted his focus."
"And because you were in a temporary, fully awakened state."
"All of those factors combined—that's what created that strike."
"So don't get it into your head that you can casually fight monsters of that level."
Zephyr was genuinely worried Gern might start thinking he could roam the seas challenging Whitebeard or Roger next.
"I understand, Teacher."Gern nodded solemnly.
"One more thing—Shiki won't let this go."
"Stay at headquarters for now. I'll apply for leave on your behalf."
"Leave?!"
"That's right. Take this time to properly familiarize yourself with Conqueror's Haki. And since that blade was forged with it… maybe, if it's acknowledged you, you can slowly reshape it into your own form."
"Teacher… please don't say things that sound this misleading with such a serious face."
...