The next morning, at G-3 Base, the sea breeze, laden with a salty, damp scent, swept across the terrace.
Gern strolled out of his room and stood on the terrace, his gaze sweeping over the Marine soldiers drilling below.
At this moment, Sengoku, also draped in a coat of Justice, stood beside him, his bandages faintly visible, clearly indicating that his battle with Whitebeard was not easy.
“If you’re recuperating, you shouldn’t be out…” Sengoku looked sideways at Gern, his words unfinished as a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
“Hm? Your recovery… is even more outrageous than Garp’s!”
Gern shrugged and his lips curled into a slight smile, looking at Sengoku’s astonished expression: “Good luck.”
“Luck?” Sengoku snorted, clearly unconvinced: “The person who can make ‘Samurai’ Kozuki Oden lie down doesn’t rely on luck.”
Sengoku, who was responsible for the Whitebeard Pirates, knew very well how strong Kozuki Oden was.
Gern being able to take him down alone proved one thing: his strength had now officially entered the Admiral level!
A moment later, Gern changed the subject and asked: “Admiral Sengoku, why are you and Fleet Admiral Kong at G-3?”
Hearing Gern’s words, Sengoku looked at him and suddenly smiled: “I’m here because I’m responsible for the Whitebeard Pirates; if they make a move, I naturally have to depart.”
He paused, then added meaningfully, “As for why Fleet Admiral Kong is here… isn’t it because of you?”
“Me?” Gern looked innocent.
“Don’t play dumb.” Sengoku glanced at him, his tone tinged with helplessness, “You and Sakazuki cut off communication and acted without authorization. Fleet Admiral Kong was so angry he almost tore down his office.”
After speaking, Sengoku stared at Gern, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, “I think you’re even more extreme than Sakazuki.”
“Vice Admiral Sakazuki always makes his own judgments.”
“Is that so?” Sengoku narrowed his eyes, “But how did I hear that you incited him to ‘handle it discreetly’?”
Gern immediately shook his head and waved his hands, denying it three times with righteous indignation: “It wasn’t me, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense.”
Then he spread his hands, looking innocent: “At most, I just offered a suggestion; the decision was in the Vice Admiral’s hands.”
Sengoku stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly sighed: “You’re even more dangerous than Sakazuki.”
“Do you know?” He folded his arms and said slowly, “When Fleet Admiral Kong decided to let Whitebeard leave, Sakazuki was furious to death and directly argued with him.”
Gern raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”
Seeing Gern’s disbelief, Sengoku, for once, imitated Sakazuki’s tone, then lowered his voice, mimicking the cold, suppressed anger in Sakazuki’s voice during meetings these past few days:
“Fleet Admiral Kong, your Justice is late!”
Gern: “…”
“If Gern were here, he would directly say—‘Since Whitebeard dared to step into G-3’s territorial waters, he shouldn’t expect to leave alive!’”
Gern’s mouth twitched: “Vice Admiral Sakazuki understands me quite well.”
Sengoku sneered: “Understand? He practically regards you as the benchmark of ‘Absolute Justice’.”
“He even said… Gern will definitely support me, Gern will only complain that I didn’t strike hard enough! If Gern were still here, it would be great. Compared to Gern, you have no awareness of Justice!”
Gern was silent, Gern said nothing.
Sengoku stared at him, a half-smile on his face: “So, what do you think?”
Gern cleared his throat, trying to change the subject: “Vice Admiral Sakazuki… trusts me quite a lot.”
“You two, one is crazier than the other.”
Gern smiled and didn’t refute further.
“Because of this matter…” Sengoku followed his gaze and said lightly: “Fleet Admiral Kong originally intended to directly dismiss you.
But Zephyr and Sakazuki simultaneously objected, and even…” He paused, “Even Garp got involved.”
“Vice Admiral Garp?” Gern was a little surprised.
“He said, ‘It’s good for young people to have spirit’.” Sengoku shook his head, “Though I think he just wanted to watch the show.”
Gern smiled: “So what did Fleet Admiral Kong finally decide?”
“To not move against you for now.” Sengoku turned sideways, his tone serious, “But don’t think this matter is over.
Although this incident has been suppressed by the Headquarters.
But your ‘cooperation’ with Sakazuki must be reined in a bit.”
“I promise to be quiet!” Gern nodded, looking completely untrustworthy.
........
The two fell silent for a moment, then Sengoku suddenly changed the subject: “What do you think of Kozuki Oden?”
“His strength is monstrous, but unfortunately…” Gern pointed to his temple, “He’s missing a screw here.”
Sengoku chuckled: “You dare to say that.” He paused, then said meaningfully, “However, there aren’t many people who can make him lose so completely.”
Sengoku suddenly reined in his smile, his gaze like a torch as he stared at the Hachiou on Gern’s waist, “That sword of yours is very dangerous!”
“Dangerous?” Gern raised an eyebrow.
“Although I don’t remember very clearly, I couldn’t sleep all night after hearing about it at the Navy School.”
Sengoku’s fingers unconsciously tapped the railing, the rhythm gradually quickening.
“Rocks became famous overnight and was wanted because he used this sword to… kill an Admiral on the steps of Mary Geoise!!”
“Killed an Admiral?” Gern’s pupils constricted, clearly shocked.
“That’s right, his first bounty was for killing an Admiral, what a terrifying and powerful man!”
“But this time, its owner wears the cloak of Justice.”
........
The news that Rocks’ first bounty was for killing an Admiral indeed left Gern stunned for a long time.
But he didn’t think too much about it; after all, Rocks was dead, no matter how glorious he once was.
Now he had dissipated, and the tide of the new era would only continue to crash…
“If you had been conscious and present then, and Whitebeard insisted on fighting, what would you have done?”
Gern’s eyes turned cold: “Then we fight.”
Sengoku’s pupils contracted slightly, but quickly returned to normal. He patted Gern’s shoulder, his tone complex, “Actually, I’m really curious, what exactly is your Justice?”
“My Justice?” Gern was stunned.
“That’s right, your Justice.” Sengoku’s tone was very decisive.
At this moment, he was 100% certain that Gern already had his own unique Justice.
“My Justice, huh…” Faced with Sengoku’s words, Gern was silent for a moment, looking down at his palm, pale white vibrating particles flowing at his fingertips.
Then, he suddenly chuckled softly: “If I absolutely had to have one… it would be Calamity.”
“The Justice of Calamity.”
Sengoku frowned slightly: “Calamity?”
“Yes.” Gern clenched his fist, the vibrating particles instantly erupting and then dissipating, “Pure and unstoppable, like an earthquake, a tsunami, a Heaven Quake.”
As he spoke, Gern looked at the soldiers drilling on the training ground, his voice terrifyingly calm, “Justice shouldn’t have so many rules and restrictions.
When evil appears, it should be completely destroyed like a Calamity, not even leaving a chance for regret.”
Sengoku gazed at Gern’s profile, “So that’s why you and Sakazuki…”
“Vice Admiral Sakazuki’s Justice is ‘Absolute’.” Gern interrupted, “And my Justice is ‘Inevitable’.
Evil must be destroyed, just as an earthquake must destroy everything in its path.”
......
Gern’s figure gradually receded, leaving Sengoku standing alone on the terrace.
“Calamity Justice, huh…” Sengoku murmured softly, his eyes behind his glasses glinting with thought.
As the Marine’s Strategist, he keenly perceived the deeper meaning behind Gern’s words.
After all, a person with Conqueror's Haki could not possibly have a simple view of Justice as it appeared on the surface.
“Calamity Justice” was essentially a hybrid of absolute rationalism and extreme utilitarianism.
“Calamity” symbolized an irresistible force (which humans cannot stop), indiscriminate nature (not targeting specific objectives), and transformative power (change after disaster).
In other words: the four core characteristics of Gern’s view of Justice:
Does not consider the value of individual lives.
Willing to sacrifice everything for “his ultimate goal”.
And absolute equality, just as everyone is equal before a Calamity…
This view of Justice formed a subtle mirror image relationship with Sakazuki’s “Absolute Justice”.
Both agreed on the necessity of sacrifice, but their essence was fundamentally different.
Sakazuki targeted the vehicle of “evil” (pirates), while Gern sought to destroy the entire old order itself.
The distant sea surface rippled with waves, and Sengoku, looking in the direction Gern had left, suddenly realized a terrifying fact:
This young man was practicing a form of Justice even more radical than Sakazuki had ever conceived.
This was not simple extremism, but a complete, self-consistent Calamity.