Two weeks later.New World — Hockum Island. Night. The shoreline.
Gern Reginald Sigmar stood on the beach, gazing at the pirate ship flying the Spade emblem on the dark sea not far away. He subconsciously rubbed his chin, his tone carrying a hint of amusement and nostalgia.
"Heh… really didn't expect this. I truly didn't.To think there'd come a day when I, Gern, would get blocked in the New World."He laughed softly. "Honestly… this feels kind of refreshing."
Clearly, the other side had recognized his vessel—a private ship with no Marine flag, yet a highly distinctive design—and had deliberately chased him down.
"Hmph. Just a stray mutt from the roadside," Enel sneered dismissively as he stepped forward to stand beside Gern.
Looking at the pirate ship on the sea—something he deemed utterly insignificant—he casually tapped the golden staff in his hand against the thunder drums on his back.
"Vmmmm—ZZT!"
A blinding flash of lightning erupted as a massive thunder beast, formed entirely of violent electricity, materialized in an instant, crackling and roaring with ferocious power!
After years of accumulation, relentless tempering at G-10, and no small amount of being beaten into shape—
Enel's strength was no longer what it once had been. At full power, he now stood firmly at a quasi-admiral level.
So in his eyes, this so-called "Supernova" pirate crew before them truly was no different from a roadside dog.
One thunder beast—problem solved.
However—
Just as the thunder beast was about to pounce, Gern suddenly raised his hand and pointed toward the bow of the Spade Pirates' ship.
There stood a black-haired young man wearing an orange cowboy hat, his entire body already beginning to ignite with flames.
"Enel," Gern said calmly,"do you know who that kid is?"
"And who else could he be?" Enel paused mid-motion. His golden staff froze in midair, and the thunder beast stalled as well. He curled his lips in disdain."Didn't I just say it? A roadside mutt."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."A playful smile tugged at the corner of Gern's mouth as he lightly dropped a few words:
"His grandfather's name is Monkey D. Garp."
The instant those words fell—
"Pshh—ZZT…!"
The thunder beast in Enel's hand, which had been raging with violent brilliance just moments ago, suddenly looked like it had lost all pressure.
Its energy structure destabilized violently, flickered erratically, emitted a chaotic burst of crackling electricity—
And then… vanished into thin air.
The Enel who had just been wearing a "I'm the strongest under heaven, I'll erase you with a flick of my hand" expression—
Instantly shifted from arrogance to shock.
He coughed twice, cleared his throat, and forcefully recomposed himself.
"Oh! So it's that guy!"He suddenly raised his voice, putting on a completely different tone."One of the brightest stars of the New World in recent years!The strongest rising star of the next generation—'Fire Fist' Ace?!"
The speed of that expression change, and the sheer stiffness of the tonal shift, made even Gern roll his eyes.
Enel himself, however, felt no embarrassment whatsoever. His thoughts were crystal clear:
Garp's grandson? Are you kidding me?! You think I can just strike him down like that?!
He had seen that old bastard's iron fists plenty of times at G-10.
He had zero desire to experience them personally.
Beat the kid, and the grandpa shows up—that storyline was way too familiar!
And most importantly—
My grandfather's name sure as hell isn't Monkey D. Garp.
At the bow of the ship, Ace watched the strange scene unfold on the shore—especially the long-eared man who had suddenly gone from murderous hostility to unexpected "kindness."
He frowned deeply.
…This felt weird.
Meanwhile, Enel awkwardly retracted his golden staff and glanced sideways at Gern.
"So… what now?We're not just going to let him swagger around like this, are we?"
"Relax," Gern replied, still wearing that calm, composed smile as he turned his gaze back to the sea."He's here for me."
As if to confirm Gern's words, the Spade Pirates' ship did not approach the shore.
Instead—
Ace took a deep breath at the bow, bent his legs, and leapt high into the air!
In midair, his lower body erupted with a boom, transforming into violently spinning flames like a blazing thruster.
With a smooth, powerful backflip, Ace streaked across the night sky—
"Bang!"
—and landed firmly on the sand directly in front of Gern.
"Long time no see!"
Ace casually pressed down the brim of his orange cowboy hat with one hand.Beneath the shadow of the brim, his freckled face slowly lifted as he looked straight at Gern, a grin curling at his lips.
"Weird—old—man—!"
The final three words were deliberately drawn out, filled with unmistakable provocation.
Gern looked at the young man before him—so utterly transformed from the skinny boy he remembered from Foosha Village.
Tall. Straight-backed. Radiating confidence.
A trace of emotion flashed through Gern's eyes, quickly hidden. He raised his hand and gestured between their heights, smiling.
"Been a few years, huh? You've grown into a real man."
"You haven't changed much yourself, Gern," Ace replied with a light chuckle.
"So then…"Gern's smile faded slightly, his tone remaining even."Are you here to catch up with old times, Ace?"
"What do you think?" Ace shot back, refusing to yield even an inch.
But the moment his words landed—
Gern's expression changed.
The faint warmth vanished instantly, replaced by a pressure so dense it felt almost tangible.
"If this isn't a reunion…"Gern's voice dropped, low and heavy.
"Then a pirate standing before a Marine Admiral—do you know…"
"…what that means?"
A brief pause.
Then—
"BOOM!"
Dark-purple Conqueror's Haki erupted violently!
Centered on Gern, it surged outward like a colossal tidal wave, engulfing the entire beach and the nearby sea!
On the water, the Spade Pirates' crew—who had been standing on full alert—didn't even have time to cry out.
Under the sudden spiritual onslaught, their eyes rolled back—
And they collapsed in unison.
Even Deuce and the few slightly stronger officers had no chance to resist.
Even Enel and Kuma behind Gern stiffened instinctively under the pressure, each forced to step back half a pace before steadying themselves.
"Hey! Don't just unleash Conqueror's Haki like that!" Enel gritted his teeth and complained."At least control the range a little!"
At the very center of the storm—
Ace bore the full brunt of it.
His body swayed violently as if an invisible mountain had crashed down on his soul. His breathing became ragged, veins bulging at his temples.
But he clenched his teeth and refused to fall.
Pure will held him upright.
Those eyes—stubborn, blazing—
Remained locked on Gern's cold, impassive face.