World Economic News Journal — Front Page
[Shocking Clash! Navy's "Heaven-Shaker" Gern Faces Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, the "Samurai" Kozuki Oden, in a Solo Duel!][Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong, Admiral Sengoku, and Vice Admiral Sakazuki Join Forces to Heavily Injure the "World's Strongest Man"!]
—— New World Frontline Special Report ——
Sensational!Yesterday, a peak battle destined to be etched into history erupted on Oss Island in the New World!
According to eyewitnesses (a certain news bird who insisted on remaining anonymous), Navy Headquarters' "Heaven-Shaker" Brigadier General Gern Reginald Sigmar single-handedly confronted the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander—the "Samurai" Kozuki Oden, whose bounty stood at a staggering 1.87 billion Berries—and defeated him head-on!!
Battlefield Reversal! The Navy's Highest Combat Power Assembles!
Just as the entire Whitebeard Pirates force landed on the island, intending to rescue Oden,Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong, Headquarters Admiral "Buddha" Sengoku, and Vice Admiral Sakazuki personally arrived on the battlefield!
The three joined forces and severely wounded the "World's Strongest Man"!The Whitebeard Pirates were forced to retreat!
This battle marks the rise of the Navy's new generation of commanders!And for the first time, Whitebeard's "myth of invincibility" was shattered by joint Navy action!
Across the G-3 Sea Region, countless islands raised the Marine flag, hailing this battle as a "Milestone of Justice."
Rumor Mill:The G-3 Sea Region has been rated the safest sea area, with island city property prices already beginning a sustained rise!
(Attachments: photos of the island's collapse / sketch of Oden pinned to the ground by twin swords / shocking images of the Navy facing off against Whitebeard)
...
New World — Navy G-3 Base — Medical Ward
The brightly lit room was quiet, filled only with the steady beeping of medical equipment and the faint murmur of waves outside the window.
Gern slowly opened his eyes, his vision gradually focusing on the ceiling.
"Thirsty…"He tried moving his right hand. A faint stab of pain followed—but it was far better than the agony he had expected.
Then he realized something even stranger.
He could actually sit up.
That was absurd.He had taken "Togen Shirataki" head-on. His chest and right shoulder had been nearly pierced and rendered useless—yet now…
"Gern!!!"
A white blur suddenly lunged at him. Soft, furry drooping ears brushed against his chin as someone threw themselves into his arms.
Lipo clung to him tightly, tears pattering down without stopping.
"You're finally awake! Idiot! Idiot!!!"
"Lipo…" Gern froze for a moment, then raised his hand and gently patted her head, the corner of his mouth lifting."I'm fine, see?"
Lipo looked up at him, eyes red-rimmed, tears still clinging to the tip of her nose.
"You were unconscious for three whole days!Uncle Sakazuki's been arguing with that mohawk guy every single day!"
"Mohawk…"Thinking of Steel Bone Kong's hairstyle, Gern let out a soft chuckle.
He was about to say something else when he suddenly noticed—
his right shoulder.
He lowered his gaze, lifting it freely.
"…Why does it feel like I was never injured?"
Frowning, Gern reached up and ripped away the bandages.
As the wrappings fell loose, the wound—where Togen Shirataki had pierced straight through his right shoulder and chest—was completely gone.
Not even a scar remained.
Staring at his unblemished body, realization struck him. His pupils contracted sharply as he snapped his head up toward Lipo.
"Lipo! Did you use 'Complete Restoration' on me?That shortens your lifespan! You—"
Before he could finish, Lipo blinked, her ears twitching lightly.
"Nope."
"…N-No?" Gern froze. "Then this injury—don't lie to me. You definitely—"
"I really didn't!"Lipo reached into her pocket and proudly pulled out a bright red carrot, shaking it triumphantly.
"I just used a Healing Carrot on you!"
"…A Healing Carrot with this kind of effect?"Gern stared at the carrot, his expression growing serious.
The power of the Heal-Heal Fruit allowed Lipo to extract others' life force and condense it into Healing Carrots.The stronger the effect, the greater the damage to the donor.
And yet his secondary body was now almost perfectly restored—he only felt slight fatigue, none of the aftermath one would expect after such a battle…
"…You didn't," Gern blinked, "you didn't drain Kozuki Oden, did you?"
"Mhm! Mhm!"Lipo nodded enthusiastically, her drooping ears swaying.
"When Whitebeard and Uncle Sakazuki and the others were fighting like crazy,I saw that samurai lying there all alone, unable to move, so I just…"
She made a tiny gesture with her fingers.
"…drained him in one go."
"Just one?" she continued cheerfully."I didn't expect it to work this well! I was so worried about you, so I took a super top-grade one…Ah, if I'd known, I would've taken five or six more."
"…Five or six."Gern fell silent for a moment, then sighed and reached out to pinch her cheeks.
"Idiot. Do you know what a Healing Carrot at that level actually means?That guy's constitution is monster-tier. The life force you took would be enough to kill a normal person on the spot."
With her cheeks squished, Lipo mumbled, "Well… he's a pirate anyway…"
Gern stared at her for a few seconds—then suddenly laughed.
"…Fair point."
He rolled his shoulder experimentally. There wasn't the slightest stiffness—if anything, it felt better than before.
Oden's overwhelming life force hadn't just repaired his injuries.It seemed to have strengthened his body as well.
"The better the effect on me…"Gern narrowed his eyes.
"…the worse someone else is probably feeling right now."
...
New World — Moby Dick — Medical Bay
The dim cabin was thick with the smell of medicine mixed with blood.
Kozuki Oden lay on the bed. His once powerful physique was now drained of color, an eerie pallor spreading across his body. His breathing was so faint it was nearly imperceptible.
"This makes no sense," Marco muttered, blue flames coating his hands as he treated him, his brow tightly furrowed."Oden's recovery ability shouldn't be this bad!"
This was ridiculous!A monster on the same level as Pops himself—how could his recovery be this poor?
Whitebeard had already recovered enough to freely drink and throw banquets!
While Marco struggled to understand, Toki Amatsuki knelt by the bedside, her slender fingers gripping Oden's hand tightly as silent tears soaked into the sheets.
In the corner, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi stood without a word.
"Hey, you two." Jozu turned toward them. "You've been silent this whole time. Oden's your lord, isn't he?"
Inuarashi's ears twitched—but he didn't answer.
His gaze remained fixed on the surging waves beyond the porthole, Lipo's disappointed pink eyes resurfacing vividly in his mind.
"Rather than seeing you alive as pirates…you'd have been better off dying the day you left Zou."
Her words had echoed in their hearts ever since, stabbing like knives.
Nekomamushi's claws scraped the floor unconsciously, wood shavings fluttering down.
He remembered when he'd had a fever as a child—how Lipo had carried him all night to the town.The first time he'd been injured, she'd scolded them as idiots while carefully bandaging him.
Back then, Sister Lipo always smiled and said:
"Become warriors worthy of the name Zou."
And now…(Minks feel emotions deeply.)
"Inuarashi! Nekomamushi!" Vista frowned. "What's going on with you two—"
"We heard you!" Inuarashi suddenly growled, his fangs bared. "You don't need to remind us!"
The cabin fell dead silent.
Nekomamushi abruptly stood, his tail bristling.
"We're going to the deck to get some air!"
The door slammed shut behind them.
Marco and Jozu exchanged confused glances.
Only Toki seemed to sense something, gazing toward the direction they'd left and letting out a soft sigh.
Deck — Late Night
Waves crashed against the hull as moonlight stretched Inuarashi's shadow long across the deck.
His hands clenched the railing so tightly that veins bulged, the wood warping under his grip.
"Hey, Inuarashi."Nekomamushi crouched atop the mast, tail swishing irritably. "Do you think… Sister Lipo really sees us as—"
"Shut up!"Inuarashi slammed his fist into the railing, splinters flying.
"We're members of the Whitebeard Pirates now!Retainers of Lord Oden! Our identity as Minks was already—"
His voice choked halfway through.
The sea breeze carried distant memories.
Young Pedro spinning in circles with a carrot cake Lipo had made, laughing joyfully.Little Wanda hiding behind Lipo's tail, peeking timidly as they trained…
If even Sister Lipo looked at them like that now,what kind of eyes would the others on Zou look at them with?
Nekomamushi suddenly leapt down from the mast and grabbed Inuarashi by the collar.
"Then why couldn't you look her in the eyes back there?! On the island, you clearly—"
"Because I was scared!"Inuarashi roared, his voice trembling.
"Scared of seeing ourselves reflected in her eyes…that we'd already become real pirates…"
After a year aboard the Whitebeard Pirates, the two of them understood all too well what the word pirate meant on this sea.
Even if the Whitebeard Pirates were different—a pirate was still a pirate.
Under the moonlight, the cat and the dog both hunched their backs, shoulders heavy.
In the unseen shadows behind them, Marco let out a silent sigh—and turned away.