The next morning at G-3 Base, the sea breeze carried a damp, salty tang as it swept across the balcony.
Gern Reginald Sigmar stepped out of his room at an unhurried pace and stopped at the railing, his gaze drifting down toward the Marines drilling below.
Standing beside him, also wrapped in a Justice coat, was Sengoku. Faint bandages were visible beneath his uniform—clear proof that the battle against Whitebeard had been anything but easy.
"Since you're supposed to be recovering, you really shouldn't be out here—"Sengoku glanced sideways at Gern, but before he could finish, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
"Hm? That recovery speed of yours…"He let out a low whistle. "That's even more outrageous than Garp's."
Seeing Sengoku's astonished expression, Gern shrugged lightly, the corner of his mouth lifting."Good luck."
"Luck?" Sengoku snorted, clearly unconvinced."Someone who can put the 'Samurai' Kozuki Oden on the ground doesn't get there with luck."
As the Marine responsible for tracking the Whitebeard Pirates, Sengoku knew better than most just how terrifying Kozuki Oden was.
The fact that Gern had defeated him alone proved one thing beyond doubt—
His strength had now officially stepped into the Admiral tier.
After a brief pause, Gern changed the subject.
"Admiral Sengoku… why did you and Fleet Admiral Kong come to G-3 in person?"
At that, Sengoku looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"I came because I'm responsible for the Whitebeard Pirates. When they move, I move."
He paused, then added meaningfully,
"As for why Fleet Admiral Kong showed up…"His gaze sharpened. "Wasn't it because of you?"
"Me?" Gern put on an innocent face.
"Don't play dumb." Sengoku shot him a sidelong glance, his tone tinged with exasperation."You and Sakazuki cut off communications and acted on your own. The Fleet Admiral was so angry he nearly tore his office apart."
Sengoku stared at him, a hint of teasing in his voice."Frankly, I think you're even more extreme than Sakazuki."
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki has always had his own judgment," Gern replied evenly.
"Oh?" Sengoku narrowed his eyes."Then why did I hear that you were the one who encouraged him to 'handle things quietly'?"
Gern immediately waved his hands, launching into a righteous triple denial.
"Not me. I didn't. Don't make things up."
Then he spread his hands again, looking utterly blameless.
"I only offered a suggestion at most. The final decision was entirely the Vice Admiral's."
Sengoku stared at him for several seconds before letting out a long sigh.
"You're more dangerous than Sakazuki," he muttered.
"Did you know?"He folded his arms, speaking slowly."When the Fleet Admiral decided to let Whitebeard withdraw, Sakazuki was furious. He argued with Kong on the spot."
Gern raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Seeing the doubt on Gern's face, Sengoku—rarely one for theatrics—lowered his voice and mimicked Sakazuki's cold, tightly restrained fury from the meetings over the past few days.
"Fleet Admiral… your justice came too late."
Gern: "..."
"And then he said," Sengoku continued dryly,"'If Gern were here, he'd say—since Whitebeard dared to step into G-3's territorial waters, he shouldn't even think about leaving alive.'"
Gern's mouth twitched."Vice Admiral Sakazuki understands me pretty well."
"Understand?" Sengoku sneered."He practically treats you as the benchmark of 'Absolute Justice.'"
"He even said…" Sengoku's voice shifted again, quoting verbatim,"'Gern would definitely support me. Gern would only think I wasn't ruthless enough.If only Gern were here. Compared to Gern, none of you have any real sense of justice.'"
Gern fell silent.Gern chose not to speak.
Sengoku watched him, half-smiling."So? What do you think?"
Gern cleared his throat, trying to deflect."Vice Admiral Sakazuki… really trusts me."
"You two," Sengoku said flatly, "are both lunatics."
Gern smiled, offering no rebuttal.
"Because of this incident…" Sengoku followed Gern's line of sight and said calmly,"Fleet Admiral Kong originally planned to strip you of your position."
Gern's expression finally shifted slightly.
"But Zephyr and Sakazuki both opposed it," Sengoku continued."And even…" he paused, "Garp stuck his nose in."
"Vice Admiral Garp?" Gern sounded genuinely surprised.
"He said, 'Young people having fire in their blood isn't a bad thing.'"Sengoku shook his head. "Though I suspect he just wanted to watch the chaos."
Gern laughed. "So what was the final decision?"
"For now, no action," Sengoku said seriously, turning to face him."But don't think this is over. Headquarters has suppressed the incident this time…but your 'cooperation' with Sakazuki needs to be toned down."
"I promise to lie low," Gern nodded solemnly—looking completely untrustworthy.
After a brief silence, Sengoku suddenly changed the subject.
"What do you think of Kozuki Oden?"
"A monster in terms of strength," Gern replied, tapping his temple."Shame he's missing a screw up here."
Sengoku laughed despite himself."You really dare to say that."
He paused, then added thoughtfully,
"But there aren't many people who could defeat him so completely."
His smile faded. Sengoku's eyes sharpened as they fixed on Eight Desolations at Gern's waist.
"That sword of yours is dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Gern raised an eyebrow.
"My memory's a bit hazy," Sengoku said slowly,"but back when I was at the Naval Academy, I couldn't sleep for an entire night after hearing about it."
His fingers tapped the railing unconsciously, the rhythm growing faster.
"Rocks D. Xebec became famous—and was immediately put on the wanted list—because he used that very sword…"
Sengoku's voice dropped.
"…to slay a Marine Admiral on the steps of Mary Geoise."
"He killed a Marine Admiral?"Gern's pupils contracted, the revelation clearly shaking him.
"That's right. First bounty ever, for killing an Admiral."Sengoku exhaled. "What a terrifying man."
"But this time," he added quietly,"that blade's wielder is wearing a Justice coat."
...
The revelation—that Rocks' first bounty had been issued for killing a Marine Admiral—left Gern stunned for quite some time.
But he didn't dwell on it.
Rocks was already dead.No matter how brilliant his past, it had scattered into dust.
The tides of the new era would continue to crash forward regardless.
"If you'd been conscious and present back then," Sengoku asked suddenly,"and Whitebeard had insisted on fighting, what would you have done?"
Gern's eyes turned cold.
"Then I would've fought."
Sengoku's pupils shrank slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He patted Gern's shoulder, his tone complicated.
"Honestly, I'm very curious… what exactly is your justice?"
"My justice?" Gern froze for a moment.
"That's right," Sengoku said firmly."Your justice."
At this moment, Sengoku was one hundred percent certain—Gern already possessed a justice uniquely his own.
"My justice…"Gern fell silent, lowering his gaze to his palm. Pale vibration particles flowed across his fingertips.
Then he suddenly let out a soft laugh.
"If I had to give it a name…""It'd be natural disaster."
"The justice of a natural disaster."
Sengoku frowned slightly."Natural disaster?"
"Yeah."Gern clenched his fist. The vibration particles erupted for an instant—then vanished.
"Like earthquakes. Tsunamis. Heavenly quakes.Pure. Unstoppable."
He looked out toward the training grounds, his voice frighteningly calm.
"Justice shouldn't have so many rules and restrictions.When evil appears, it should be annihilated like a natural disaster—completely, without even leaving a chance for regret."
Sengoku stared at Gern's profile.
"So that's why you and Sakazuki…"
"Sakazuki's justice is 'absolute,'" Gern interrupted."Mine is 'inevitable.'"
"Evil must be destroyed—just as an earthquake inevitably destroys everything in its path."
...
Gern's figure gradually receded into the distance, leaving Sengoku alone on the balcony.
"Natural disaster justice…"Sengoku murmured softly, light flickering behind his lenses.
As the Navy's foremost strategist, he keenly sensed the deeper implications of Gern's words.
After all, a man who possessed Conqueror's Haki could never have a simple worldview.
"Natural disaster justice," at its core, was a fusion of absolute rationalism and extreme utilitarianism.
A "natural disaster" symbolized:
Irresistible force (something humanity cannot stop)
Indiscriminate equality (no chosen targets)
Restructuring (change born from devastation)
In other words, Gern's justice carried four core traits:
No consideration for individual lives
Willingness to sacrifice everything for his ultimate goal
Absolute equality—everyone is equal before disaster
This worldview formed a subtle mirror to Sakazuki's "Absolute Justice."
Both accepted the necessity of sacrifice—but their essence was fundamentally different.
Sakazuki targeted the vessel of evil—pirates.Gern sought to destroy the entire old order itself.
As waves rolled across the distant sea, Sengoku stared in the direction Gern had gone and suddenly realized a chilling truth.
This young man was practicing a form of justice even Sakazuki had never envisioned—a far more radical one.
This was not simple extremism.
It was a complete, self-consistent system—a living, walking natural disaster.