At this very moment, Nami had absolutely no mood to appreciate the cloudless blue sky overhead.
Instead, her eyes were locked on Gern's tall, broad back, her mind replaying the words he had just spoken—
"I'm a Marine."
The moment those words connected with what the Straw Hat crew had just done at Enies Lobby—declaring war on the World Government itself—her heart clenched violently.
Only then did she truly realize something terrifying.
Gern's appearance here was absolutely not just to watch the fun… nor was it simply to capture Perona.
There was a very real possibility that—
He had come for Luffy.
"No… absolutely not. I can't let him take Luffy!"
In that instant, a flash of resolve ignited in Nami's eyes.
She had no choice. She had already seen the terror of a Marine Admiral firsthand.
The last one had frozen the sea itself.
And this man—this one—felt far beyond anything she could even begin to comprehend.
With her decision made, Nami decisively raised her Clima-Tact. Apology flickered across her face, but her movements carried not a single hint of hesitation as she shouted,
"I'm sorry, Uncle Gern!"
Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, the small orb at the tip of the Clima-Tact rapidly condensed into a pitch-black thundercloud.
"Thunder Tempo!"
"BOOOOM—!!!"
Dark clouds materialized instantly, and a thick, blinding bolt of lightning crashed straight down, striking Gern squarely on the head as he stood there, completely unguarded.
Dazzling lightning swallowed his entire body. Electric arcs danced wildly around him, exploding with continuous crackling thunder.
Nami didn't even dare look back to see the result.
The moment her attack landed, she flipped lightly off the shattered wall and sprinted at full speed toward where the main force of the Straw Hat crew was gathered, never once turning her head.
...
On Gern's side, the lightning strike continued for nearly three full minutes before the electric glow finally began to fade.
And yet—
He was still standing there.
His posture hadn't changed in the slightest.
He casually lifted a hand and brushed nonexistent dust from his shoulder, then adjusted a few strands of hair that had curled slightly from the electricity.
Only then did he let out a helpless sigh, his voice tinged with genuine disappointment.
"Haah… just a moment ago, she was calling me 'Uncle Gern' so sweetly."
"But the instant she thought I might lay a hand on the Straw Hat kid, she switched straight to 'old man'… and even struck me with lightning."
"…That really hurts, you know."
His tone made him sound exactly like a lonely old man rejected by a younger generation.
At that moment, Mihawk walked over at an unhurried pace. Floating behind him, Perona followed cautiously, like a stray kitten that had just been picked up.
But the instant she saw Gern's "crestfallen" expression—and recalled how he'd just been roasted by lightning until he was charred inside and out—
All her fear and anxiety evaporated.
She burst into her signature mocking laughter.
"Heh-roh-roh-roh~! Serves you right! That's what you get for messing with a girl whenever you feel like it!"
"Got struck by lightning, didn't you? Not cute at all—heh-roh-roh-roh~!"
Perona laughed so hard she nearly doubled over, showing not the slightest awareness that she was technically a "prisoner."
Gern glanced sideways at the gleeful Perona, then at Mihawk, whose face clearly said this has nothing to do with me, and let out yet another heavy sigh.
"Haah… people these days. The world's really gone downhill."
"Not a single one of you is cute anymore."
Perona snapped back immediately, "Hey, jerk! That's my line!"
Gern ignored her sulky expression. After finishing that exaggerated sigh, the "sadness" on his face vanished in an instant.
In its place appeared a faint smile.
His gaze drifted toward the direction Nami had fled, and he clicked his tongue lightly.
"Tsk. Well then…"
He deliberately dragged out his words, speaking leisurely.
"Disrespecting one's elders does require a little punishment."
"And that punishment…" he said, stepping forward, "…will be having my very thoughtful niece personally guide us the rest of the way."
Behind them, Perona floated along and muttered under her breath,
"You obviously just want to go see the Straw Hat kid yourself, yet you make it sound so noble. What a rotten old man."
...
Meanwhile, at the main battlefield inside Gecko Moria's castle—
The battle had already ended.
Gecko Moria's massive body lay collapsed amid the ruins, completely unconscious.
The thousands upon thousands of shadows he had stolen surged free like birds returning to their nests, transforming into streaks of black light that shattered the castle's confines and flew in all directions, returning to their rightful owners.
But the cost of victory was enormous.
Having overused his Nightmare Luffy form and endured overwhelming damage, Monkey D. Luffy lay on the ground drenched in blood, locked in a deep, unresponsive coma.
Chopper had reverted to his small reindeer form, his tiny hooves trembling as he desperately performed emergency treatment.
Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Franky, Robin—and Brook, whom they had only met aboard the Thriller Bark—
Every one of them was wounded, panting heavily as they surrounded Luffy. Their faces carried a mix of exhaustion from defeating a powerful enemy and relief at seeing their shadows return.
Nearby, members of the Lola Pirates—who had also benefited from their shadows being restored—
As well as Lola herself, whose identity was special, a daughter of the Big Mom Pirates who had fled an arranged marriage proposal from Loki—
All of them were quietly rejoicing at having survived the ordeal.
The scene was devastated and broken, yet an unmistakable sense of relief had settled over the battlefield.
But then—
"Huff… huff… minna—everyone!!! This is bad!!"
Nami came sprinting down the castle corridor at full speed, like she was running a hundred-meter dash. Her face was pale with panic, her breathing completely uneven.
"Nami-swaaaan~!"
Sanji's eyes instantly transformed into hearts. Acting purely on instinct, he flung his arms open and twisted his body as he rushed toward her.
"You're safe—what a relief! What could possibly have frightened you so badly that I—"
"RUN!!!"
Nami didn't spare even half a second for Sanji's antics. Her voice cracked, nearly shrieking as she cut him off.
"There's… there's someone insanely strong coming! Really, really terrifying!!"
"What?!"
Her words instantly snapped the previously relaxed atmosphere back into a state of extreme tension.
Everyone froze, disbelief written across their faces.
Moria had already been defeated. The shadows had returned.
Who else could possibly be here?
Moria's other subordinates?
But what kind of subordinate could scare Nami to this extent?
Zoro immediately tightened his grip on his swords. His body was exhausted, yet his eyes scanned the surroundings sharply.
Sanji dropped his lovestruck expression, his brow furrowing.
"Insanely… strong?" Usopp stammered, his teeth chattering. "Stronger than Moria?!"
Chopper shouted through tears as he continued treating Luffy, "Luffy's already like this… he can't fight anymore!"
Even the well-traveled Brook felt a chill—despite only having bones.
"Yohohoho… for Nami-san to be this terrified, it seems a true 'big shot' has arrived."
Lola and her crew exchanged uneasy looks, their nerves snapping taut once again.
Just as everyone stood in confusion, still unable to grasp who this "insanely strong" individual might be—
A calm, unhurried voice drifted down from above and behind them.
"Oh? Looks like my dear niece came to warn you ahead of time."
The group spun around and looked up.
There, seated casually above them, was a man draped in a Marine's coat of justice, a faintly amused smile playing on his face.
His gaze swept across the Straw Hat crew, who were braced for combat, before finally settling on Luffy's unconscious form.
"Well then…"
The corners of Gern Reginald Sigmar's mouth curled into a playful grin.
"Let's take a look."
"What kind of state is the Straw Hat kid who 'ran off' with our little Nami in, hmm?"