At the center of the deserted island, crystalline frost refracted the sunlight, scattering blinding shards of cold brilliance across the air.
Borsalino's body had been completely frozen—suspended midair like a golden ice sculpture.
In the next instant, stunned silence aboard the observing warships shattered into explosive uproar.
"What—?! Colonel Borsalino… he's been frozen?!"
"How is that even possible?! Isn't Captain Gern's ability vibration-based?!"
"How can he use Colonel Kuzan's ice?!"
On the medical ship, Kuzan stood with both hands tucked into his pockets, bandages wrapped around his body. His usual lazy expression had completely vanished.
A flicker of disbelief crossed his eyes as he muttered quietly,
"Absolute zero… Gern, you bastard… how the hell did you pull that off?"
On the main battleship, Steel Bone Kong's pupils shrank violently. His fist clenched unconsciously as his gaze locked onto the island.
His voice dropped, heavy with shock.
"His Devil Fruit… can freeze as well?!"
Beside him, Sengoku's glasses reflected the icy glare. His expression had never been more solemn.
"No…"He inhaled slowly."Gern's ability is vibration—pure and simple. But what we're seeing now… I can't explain it either. All I know is this—he really did freeze Borsalino."
"Gern, you brat!!!" Garp roared with a grin, pumping his fist in encouragement, though a rare seriousness glinted in his eyes."You can even use Kuzan's power now?! Damn impressive!!Now finish him off—blast Borsalino into next week!!"
"This is probably advanced Devil Fruit development," Tsuru said with a soft smile."He'd already planned this the moment he repositioned himself above the battlefield."
"A fight requires brains too," Zephyr added, his sunglasses sliding slightly down his nose, revealing his eyes."Something I taught him myself."
Though even he was stunned by the situation, the corners of his lips still lifted faintly in pride.
"Still… I never imagined he'd refine the Quake-Quake Fruit to this level."
"But he won't be able to restrain Borsalino for long," Tsuru said calmly.
...
On the island, Gern's breathing had grown uneven. Fine beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
He knew better than anyone—this technique was terrifyingly costly.
And against someone like Kizaru… this kind of forced stasis could only last—
"One second," Zephyr said from the flagship, his gaze piercing as if he could see straight through the battlefield."For a true powerhouse… one second of hesitation is fatal."
As if responding to his words, Gern moved.
He twisted his body, pouring everything into a single strike. His right fist clenched as dark crimson Ryuo coiled around it like molten magma.
Vibrational particles collapsed inward, compressing into a single point—sharp as the tip of a needle.
"The speed of light can't be surpassed…"Gern's voice was low and cold."But so what?"
His fist shot forward. Space itself fractured before the punch.
"So long as there's even an instant of stillness—!"
The air screamed as vibrations tore through it, producing a piercing, high-frequency shriek.
"—even light…"
In that infinitesimal moment, before his body could fully recover, Kizaru could only watch.
A flash of red flickered in Gern's eyes—Conqueror's Haki—as a fist wrapped in dark purple lightning surged toward his chest.
"I'LL SHATTER IT ALL FOR YOU!!!"
"BLACK QUake — GOD-PIERCING NAIL!!!!!"
The moment his fist connected, frozen space exploded.
Kizaru's body was pierced straight through by the violent shockwave.
BOOM!!!!
Ice and flesh shattered together.
Space itself seemed to rip apart as a visible shock ring expanded outward.
Kizaru was hurled from the sky like a cannonball, carving a golden streak through the air—
And in less than a blink, he slammed down from hundreds of meters above.
The impact split the island in two.
The ground collapsed.A colossal wave erupted, soaring hundreds of meters into the sky.
When the water finally settled—
Silence.
Every Marine aboard every ship stood frozen, mouths agape, not a sound escaping.
Gion straightened unconsciously, pupils trembling, both hands covering her parted lips.
"That kid…" Steel Bone Kong swallowed hard. "He really… no—he actually did it…"
Sengoku's glasses slid down his nose, and for once, he forgot to push them back up.
"He… shattered him…"
Garp clenched his fist so hard it cracked, his eyes blazing with exhilaration.
"HAHAHAHA! That's my boy!"
Zephyr slowly removed his sunglasses, revealing eyes filled with pride. He rubbed his brow and sighed softly.
"Only now do I truly realize it…"
"Gern… you're no longer that second-class recruit from the West Blue."
"At this moment—you truly stand on your own."
At that instant, Steel Bone Kong's voice thundered across the battlefield through the broadcast system:
"Second match—winner: Gern Reginald Sigmar!"
The entire fleet erupted into deafening cheers.
...
At the center of the ruined island, seawater bubbled up through deep cracks in the earth.
Borsalino lay half-submerged in a shallow pool, his once-pristine custom-made suit shredded to tatters.
His curly hair was caked with sand and grime. One lens of his sunglasses was completely shattered, the remaining frame hanging crookedly from his face.
"Cough… cough…"He spat out a mouthful of blood and wiped his lips, only to notice the gold-thread embroidery on his sleeve had unraveled.
"Ara~… that was tailor-made, you know…"
Gern dragged his exhausted body forward, the black blade Bahuang carving a thin line in the ground behind him.
Stopping at the edge of the crater, he looked down at the battered admiral and flashed a victor's grin.
"Looks like your three-month vacation… is gone, senior."
Borsalino tilted his head back. Sunlight reflected off his broken lens, scattering comically.
In his mind flashed the image of Gern's eyes—burning red for just an instant during that final punch.
Conqueror's Haki.
Slowly, he raised a hand and made a surrender gesture.
"These youngsters nowadays… absolutely terrifying~"
Then, as if remembering something, he added lazily:
"Oh right—this counts as a work-related injury, yeah?Even if it's unpaid, the medical reimbursement should still apply, right?"
He glanced down at his ruined clothes with a pained sigh.
"And my suit… and my glasses…Those were custom orders, you know. Took three months to make…Think headquarters will reimburse that too?"
Gern's mouth twitched.
After a brief pause, he exhaled and reached out a hand.
"Do you need help getting up, senior?"
"What a thoughtful junior~ But you're still too young."
"Too young? Senior, shouldn't you be—"
"Shouldn't I what?! Lying down quietly? Exactly! This time I'm taking at least two full months of sick leave!"
Gern: "..."
"Heh…"Borsalino forced a crooked smile, sweat trickling down his temple.
Only he knew how terrifying that blow truly was.
Two months of medical leave… might not even be enough.
Seeing that Borsalino could still joke, Gern frowned slightly.
He assumed the old fox was just trying to sneak in a vacation and turned to leave.
But just as he took a step—
Borsalino tilted his head slightly.
"Hey, kid… using Ryuo was already more than enough, wasn't it?That Conqueror's Haki of yours… I'm not some monster like Golden Lion, you know."
"Huh?" Gern spun around, bewildered."Conqueror's Haki? What are you talking about, Senior?"
Looking at his utterly confused face—someone who looked even more convincing than a future award-winning actor—
Borsalino couldn't tell whether he was pretending or truly unaware.
With a quiet sigh, he raised a hand to shield his eyes, letting a trace of helplessness slip through his fingers.
...