Atop the shattered ruins, Gern's figure stood tall beneath the first light of dawn, strikingly upright against the morning glow.
He was merely standing there—casual, unhurried, not even deliberately releasing any pressure—yet it felt as though an invisible mountain had descended upon everyone's hearts.
The Straw Hat Pirates froze in place.
Even Zoro and Sanji, both battered and bloodied from the brutal battle they had just survived, stiffened at that very moment.
A primal instinct—one etched deep into the blood of all living creatures when facing an apex predator—
Sent their muscles tensing, their pupils constricting. For a brief stretch of time, no one dared to make a move. All they could do was stare, unblinking, at that solitary figure.
At the same time, unlike most of the Straw Hats—who could still claim ignorance as an excuse—
Lola, who hailed from the New World, and Nico Robin, whose vast knowledge and years of survival in the underworld had sharpened her instincts—
The instant they clearly saw Gern's face, their pupils shrank violently.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Cold sweat poured down their backs.
"Ugh..." A strangled whimper escaped Lola's throat. Her face turned deathly pale as she staggered backward.
Her legs gave out entirely, and she collapsed onto the ground.
She was Charlotte Linlin's daughter—Big Mom's child!
The former Chocolate Minister of Cacao Island, one of the islands within Totto Land!
She was someone who had survived in the brutal, law-of-the-jungle seas of the New World!
How could she not know the weight of the man standing before her?
"It's him… it really is him! The man even Mama— even my mama, the one I'm most, most, most afraid of—warned me over and over never to provoke lightly!!"
"Why… why is he here?!"
Usopp and Franky watched Lola's extreme reaction, then glanced at Robin beside her, whose expression was just as grave.
A deep, creeping sense of unease rose in their chests.
Usopp was the first to speak, his voice trembling as he whispered,
"H-Hey… hey… who… who is he? He looks… really bad news..."
"Yeah," Franky swallowed hard, completely unable to strike one of his usual flamboyant poses. "I've got this… super… awful feeling..."
"He… he's..." Lola sat limply on the ground, raising a shaking finger to point at Gern. Her teeth clattered uncontrollably, the name stuck in her throat, unable to come out. "A-Ad… Ad—"
As Lola dissolved into incoherence under the weight of her terror, Robin took a deep breath and solemnly continued for her,
"The Marine Headquarters' strongest force. A Marine Admiral—'White Qilin'..."
She paused briefly, then spoke the full name that could silence pirates across the New World with nothing more than its mention.
"Gern Reginald Sigmar."
And finally, she delivered the title that carried the most devastating impact—one that explained all of this fear.
"...The man who personally… brought an end to the previous Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
"—!!!"
"P-Pirate King… Roger?!" Usopp's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. His legs went weak, turning to jelly beneath him.
"He… ended the Pirate King?!" Franky's mouth fell open, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.
Zoro and Sanji's expressions darkened instantly. Chopper let out a squeak and scrambled behind Zoro's leg, trembling violently.
If before they had merely felt how dangerous and powerful this man was, then now—
Those words, ended the Pirate King—
Made them fully understand the level of terror standing before them.
This was a living legend.
A man standing at the very apex of the sea.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Brook, for one, didn't feel fear. Instead, he tilted his skull slightly, as though recalling something, lost in thought—as if he'd heard the name Gern somewhere before.
"This is insane…!" Zoro growled, forcing his body to remain upright despite the pain and exhaustion tearing through him. "Someone like that… why would he be here?!"
"In the first half of the Grand Line?!"
The truth was simple—this opponent existed on a level that completely surpassed anything they had just fought.
"Huff…" Sanji lit a cigarette, trying to use the nicotine to calm his nerves. But the slight tremble in his fingers betrayed him.
"Yeah… looks like we're in deep trouble."
"I don't understand it either," Robin said quietly, her brow furrowed with confusion as she explained to the others. "Logically speaking, this man—
"Marine Admiral 'White Qilin' Gern… his duty is to remain stationed in the New World. With G-10 as his base, he serves as a sword of Damocles hanging over the four Emperors of the Sea."
"So for him to appear here—on the Grand Line—was already abnormal from the start..."
At that moment, Gern, standing atop the ruins, seemed to have overheard their discussion.
His gaze passed over the group and landed precisely on the unconscious Luffy. A knowing, inscrutable smile curved his lips.
Then he spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly into every ear—like a judge calmly reading out a verdict.
"Straw Hat," he said evenly. "Monkey D. Luffy. Bounty: three hundred million Beli."
His gaze slowly shifted, sweeping across the group with tangible weight.
"Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro. Bounty: one hundred and twenty million Beli."
"Navigator, Nami. Bounty: sixteen million Beli."
"'GOD' Usopp. Bounty: thirty million Beli."
"Black Leg, Sanji. Bounty: seventy-seven million Beli."
"A pet who really loves cotton candy—Tony Tony Chopper. Bounty: fifty Beli."
"Devil Child, Nico Robin. Bounty: eighty million Beli."
"Cyborg, Franky. Bounty: forty-four million Beli."
With every name and bounty he recited, the hearts of the Straw Hat crew sank a little deeper.
After finishing the list, Gern lightly leapt down from the several-meter-high ruins.
He landed without a sound.
Standing firmly before the Straw Hats, no more than ten steps away.
He brushed off dust that wasn't there, the same unreadable smile still on his face, and spoke in a relaxed, almost conversational tone as he concluded,
"The Straw Hat Pirates."
"Total combined bounty… six hundred sixty-seven million, five hundred thousand and fifty Beli."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Did I get that right?"
..…
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