After a while, Gern had sent Lipo and Tyzolo off to clean up. As their footsteps faded into the distance, the gazebo was left silent, occupied only by him.
He paused for a moment, his gaze settling on the Black Blade Hachikō leaning against the stone table.
The blade was still wrapped in its gray-white bandages, but now the cloth was old, mottled, and worn, as if it had not been changed for centuries. The wrappings gave Hachikō the aura of having endured a thousand years of wind and frost.
Gern remained silent for a moment longer before letting out a soft sigh and reaching for the hilt.
"Vuuum—"
The blade shivered lightly. The bandages suddenly began to unravel!
From hilt to tip, the wrappings spiraled away as if alive, breaking apart into countless gray-white fragments that floated in the air.
Each shard of cloth sparkled with high-frequency electric arcs along the edges, as if invisible forces were tearing and reshaping them.
"I can release it… but why now…?" Gern muttered under his breath, thinking the word "Return."
The next moment, something strange happened.
The shattered bandage fragments began to move on their own, reversing as though time itself was rewinding.
The harsh sound of tearing cloth echoed through the gazebo as the gray-white strips snaked back around the blade, twisting and wrapping until it was once again fully covered.
Finally, Hachikō returned to its original, worn appearance. The faint light between the cracks vanished, and the blade fell silent.
Gern stared at the Black Blade in his hands, knuckles tightening.
"Self-sealing."
A warm summer breeze drifted through the gazebo as Gern continued to study Hachikō, frowning.
The bandages on the blade seemed almost alive, quivering slightly, their gray-white fragments catching the sunlight with an eerie glow.
"What on earth is happening…?" he whispered, running his fingertips over the etched patterns on the cloth.
Since his battle with Fegarlando Grün Gothic a month ago, Hachikō had begun exhibiting these unusual changes.
Previously, after using his Devil Fruit to release the blade, he would have to rewrap the bandages manually once the fight was over. But after that battle, when he went to wrap it as usual, something unexpected happened: the Black Blade could seal itself according to his will.
Moreover, through careful observation, he discovered that the fragments of the previously released bandages had attached themselves to the hilt. So the moment he thought "Return", they automatically recombined and wrapped around the blade again.
"Could it be… that Hachikō is evolving in sync with my habits?"
"Or… could it be because of that battle? I used the 'half-awakening,' and the blade, having absorbed the maximum energy, was affected, forming this new state?"
Gern recalled the energy that had erupted from Hachikō during his fight with Grün Gothic—a force that seemed to devour the very world.
At the time, he hadn't given it much thought. But now, it seemed entirely possible; after all, a Devil Fruit awakening could affect certain objects.
As Gern concentrated, pondering this anomaly, cheerful footsteps approached outside the gazebo.
"Gern! Let's go get ice cream!" Lipo's energetic voice called from a distance.
With a flick of his wrist, Hachikō snapped back to his waist. Gern turned, his face settling into his usual lazy smile.
"And Tyzolo? Why are you the only one here?"
"Hmph!" Lipo puffed out her cheeks, her rabbit ears twitching in annoyance. "Tyzolo sneaked off with Sister Stella, saying something about 'their own little world'…"
Gern couldn't help but chuckle, ruffling her hair.
"If he's not coming, then you can eat his share too."
"Really? Can I really do that?" Lipo's eyes sparkled, her pink irises gleaming with excitement.
"Can Lipo have two servings of ice cream? Both carrot flavor!"
"Sounds like you haven't stolen your fair share before!"
"Hehe!" Lipo shook her ears bashfully. "Gern, you really are clever…"
"All right, but this time, don't touch my portion."
Lipo stuck out her tongue, her rabbit ears standing straight up in excitement.
"No way! I want to try other flavors too!"
"Then don't order two carrot-flavored ones!"
"Nope, it's not about the flavor." Lipo bounced closer. "I just… I feel like the ice cream in your hand is going to taste better!"
The golden glow of the setting sun fell across them, stretching their shadows long across the ground.
A few days later, at Marine Headquarters in the Admiral's office:
"Admiral Sky," Gern said, lightly knocking on the door.
"Come in," came the low, commanding voice from inside.
Gern stepped in, eyes sweeping over the people in the office.
Admiral Sky sat behind his desk, diligently working through piles of documents—a price for holding his rank. Despite his immense power, he was confined here, buried in paperwork.
"Gern, you're here." Admiral Sky nodded slightly and gestured for him to sit.
Gern remained standing, raising an eyebrow. "Admiral Sky, is this something that needed my personal attention?"
"Too comfortable lately? You think I can't assign you tasks?"
"Haha, Admiral, you jest!" Gern laughed, effortlessly pulling a senbei from a drawer in front of the sofa—the ones Cap had stashed in the admiral's office—and began eating.
"So… is there a mission? I am fairly free at the moment."
Watching Gern eat while speaking, Admiral Sky didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slid a document across the desk.
"This is your promotion order."
Gern's gaze fell on the paper. Bold letters announced: "Gern Reginald Sigmar — Promoted to Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters."
"Oh?" Gern's lips curved into a sly smile. "Finally, Admiral, you've decided to give me a promotion and a raise? Though I am the youngest among Sakazuki's group, I can't stay at Vice Admiral forever…"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Admiral Sky's tone cut sharply. "Your strength and achievements already meet the criteria. You and Sakazuki's group could already qualify for full Admiral rank. But promotion in the Marines happens step by step. There's no shortcut."
"So…" Gern glanced at him.
"The aftermath of the 'Celestial Dragon incident' hasn't fully settled yet. You need a sufficiently significant achievement to silence the World Government," Admiral Sky said gravely.
"Without that, even I cannot push your promotion through. You acted independently before, enforcing punishment. The higher-ups could block your promotion entirely, and there's nothing we could do."
"So, I need merit points, huh?" Gern chuckled. "All right, what's the mission this time?"
Admiral Sky didn't answer verbally. He picked up another file from the desk and handed it to Gern.
"Simple. Bring this man back."
"Catch a pirate?" Gern took the file, flipping it open. His eyes narrowed slightly as he read the first page.