Three days later.
Gern Reginald Sigmar lay at the center of the shattered island, his chest rising faintly. Suddenly, he sucked in a sharp breath and jolted upright.
His first instinct was to clench his fist.
The response that came back through his fingers was sluggish—dull, like his body didn't quite belong to him.
"So this is… the aftereffect of being 'erased'…"
Grinding his teeth, Gern used the black blade Bahuang to brace himself, pushing unsteadily to his feet. He lowered his gaze to his hands.
There were no visible wounds.
But the moment he tried to gather Haki, he saw it clearly—
Within the dark-purple lightning of his Conqueror's Haki, faint, fleeting sparks flickered like dying embers.
"…As expected."
He murmured under his breath, fragments of memory—words and images long etched into his very soul—flashing through his mind.
Then he shook his head sharply, forcing those thoughts down.
Right now, he needed clarity. He didn't even know how long he had been unconscious.
Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a small Den Den Mushi. Its shell bore several fine cracks—clearly caught in the aftermath of the battle.
"Buru buru… buru buru…"
Click.
The line connected.
"Fleet Admiral Gern! You finally called!" Tesoro's voice came through, urgent at first, then quickly stabilizing. "What's your situation? It's been three days with no contact. If we hadn't heard anything soon, we were about to come looking for you."
"On my end…" Gern paused briefly, deliberately omitting the details of Imu's descent. "I encountered one of the Five Elders—Saint Nasujuro. He's been dealt with. The threat to the Mother Flame is temporarily neutralized. What about the base?"
"Lucci and Kaku escaped with severe injuries. Maha is confirmed dead. Torritoma nearly took that owl's head off with a single strike."
Even through the Den Den Mushi, Gern could hear the relief beneath Tesoro's controlled tone.
"Additionally, the escort team—Bullet, Kuma, and Lipo—ran into an ambush. Two members of the God's Knights: Figarland Shamrock and Shepherd Somerz… along with Admiral Ryokugyu, Aramaki."
"As expected… the God's Knights." Gern exhaled quietly. "Outcome?"
"They were repelled." Tesoro's report was concise, as always. "The Mother Flame had already been safely delivered to the designated waters. Dracule Mihawk took over escort from there."
"After that, Bullet suppressed Shamrock head-on. Kuma's spatial abilities completely disrupted their tempo, and Lipo coordinated to critically injure Ryokugyu. Once Shamrock and Somerz realized they couldn't secure a quick victory—and sensed 'Hawk-Eyes' approaching—they chose to withdraw."
"Good." Gern let out a breath, tension easing slightly—only for his brows to knit again. "What about Enel? He should've returned before me."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"Enel…" Tesoro's voice lowered. "On his way back, he was ambushed in the outer waters of G-10… by 'Blackbeard' Marshall D. Teach and his entire crew."
Gern's grip on the Den Den Mushi tightened abruptly, the shell creaking faintly.
"Blackbeard… a true scavenger," Gern said coldly. "He smelled it, didn't he. The situation?"
"Brutal." Tesoro didn't waste words. "Blackbeard used both the Gura Gura no Mi and the Yami Yami no Mi simultaneously. Combined with Shiryu's ambush, Burgess's brute strength, Van Augur's sniping, and the rest of the crew… they pushed Enel to the brink."
"The central battlefield—four small islands were completely destroyed. The seabed fractured."
Gern's heart sank slightly.
Enel was powerful—but Blackbeard's dual Devil Fruits, combined with his ruthless cunning and a full crew assault, could threaten anyone.
"…And then?"
"At the critical moment, after completing the Mother Flame handoff, Mihawk arrived. So did Admiral Kizaru—Borsalino—who came as reinforcements."
Tesoro's tone noticeably relaxed. "Mihawk forced Blackbeard back when he tried to seize Enel's power. With Kizaru joining the field, Blackbeard judged the situation unwinnable. He used the Yami Yami no Mi to absorb part of the incoming attacks, then retreated with his crew using Van Augur's teleportation."
Gern slowly exhaled.
Dangerous… but manageable.
The Mother Flame was safe. Their core forces were intact. Both the World Government and Blackbeard had been driven off.
This struggle over Vegapunk's ultimate energy source had, for now… ended in their favor.
"How are Enel's injuries?" Gern asked, his tone sharpening.
"Severe, but not life-threatening," Tesoro replied. "He's still at peak Vice Admiral level. Once he realized the Yami Yami no Mi's countering nature, he relied on mobility and range to stall. But for now, he won't be able to participate in high-intensity combat."
"Tell him to rest."
Gern paused, then added:
"And in my name, formally report this incident to Sengoku. One of the Five Elders—Saint Izanbaron V. Nasujuro—attempted to attack the Marine Commander of the New World… and was repelled."
He deliberately chose the word repelled.
Not defeated.
Not killed.
On the other end, Tesoro clearly hesitated for a moment—then understood immediately.
"Understood. Should we include any… ambiguous details?"
"No." Gern's gaze turned ice-cold. "Report it exactly as it happened."
This wasn't just a report.
It was a declaration.
After this battle, the already fragile illusion between the Marines and the World Government had been completely torn apart.
Gern needed Sengoku. The Marines. The entire world.
To see clearly—
A new era demanded new rules.
And the authority to define those rules… would no longer belong solely to Mary Geoise.
From this moment on, the Marines under Gern—and the World Government—
Would stand divided.
"I'll handle it immediately," Tesoro said, his voice now carrying a note of solemn resolve. "Also, Fleet Admiral… when will you return? Your condition—"
"I'm fine." Gern cut him off. "I need some time… to deal with a few 'leftover issues.' Until I return, you, Mihawk, and Bullet have full authority."
"…Understood!"
The call ended.
Gern tucked the Den Den Mushi away and lifted his gaze once more over the devastated battlefield.
At last, his eyes settled on a blade embedded diagonally in the scorched earth—
The cursed sword, Shodai Kitetsu.
Even now, it radiated a sinister aura.
Gern walked over, bent down, and gripped its hilt.
"—Screeeech!!!"
The blade trembled violently, releasing a piercing, almost mournful shriek.
A few seconds later… it fell silent.
Gern casually slid Shodai Kitetsu into place at his waist, beside Bahuang.
Two Supreme Grade blades.
Resting quietly at his side.
Only then did Gern finally turn inward.
He closed his eyes… and sank into the depths of his consciousness.
There—
The remnants of that ignited Starfire flickered.
Warm. Steady. Unyielding.
Not blazing… yet impossibly stubborn.
Anchoring something fundamental within him—
The will to resist oppression.
The belief in liberation.
The conviction that people were meant to stand upright.
"…Starfire…"
Gern opened his eyes and raised his palm.
A faint, golden-red spark flickered into existence—then vanished.
This wasn't a Devil Fruit ability.
Not Haki.
Not any known power in this world.
And yet—
It was his greatest weapon against Imu.
After a long silence, Gern slowly clenched his fist, letting the last trace of that spark fade between his fingers.
He exhaled, pushing the thoughts aside.
Right now… he needed to recover.
Imu had retreated—but would never give up.
The World Government's counterattack.
Blackbeard's lurking ambitions.
The shifting tides of the New World.
And the declaration that would sever the Marines from the World Government…
All of it awaited him.
"…Time to head back."