In the New World, on an unnamed island.
The Broken Pirates’ crew members were gathered around a bonfire, tearing into roasted meat and with overturned wine barrels scattered on the ground.
“Captain Doge, are we really going to seek refuge with that guy?” a lanky pirate whispered, his eyes flickering.
“Island Splitter” Doge tore off a large piece of meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and a cold sneer appeared at the corner of his greasy lips.
“What else? Do you think we can gain a foothold in the New World with our current strength?”
He took a swig of wine and continued, “We’ve only been in the New World for a month, and we were almost wiped out by other pirate crews.
Now we’re even being targeted by the Marine… If we don’t find a backer, we’ll be finished sooner or later.”
Hearing this, the pirates under him exchanged glances, and another pirate couldn’t help but ask, “But we don’t even know who we’re going to seek refuge with…”
Hearing the genuine concern of his subordinates, Doge burst into laughter, casually tossed aside a bone, and stood up.
He was burly and muscular, with several hideous scars wrapped around his right arm.
That was the origin of his name “Island Splitter”—he once destroyed a Marine branch base with a single punch.
“That’s the man known as the ‘Flying Lion’!” A trace of fanaticism flashed in Doge’s eyes.
“Golden Lion Shiki! As long as we join his Flying Sky Pirates,
let alone the Marine, even if Whitebeard or Roger’s people come, they’d have to think twice!”
“Golden Lion?!!!” The pirates exclaimed, their faces showing excitement.
The name of Golden Lion was thunderous in the New World; his influence spanned the Grand Line, and he had countless strong individuals under his command.
If they could cling to this big tree, they would indeed have nothing to worry about.
“But, Captain Doge, can we really join the Flying Sky Pirates?”
“Why not?” Doge snorted coldly, stood up, and kicked over the wine barrel in front of him.
“I am ‘Island Splitter’ Doge! A great pirate with a bounty of three hundred and sixty million Berries!”
As he spoke, he slammed a fist onto the ground, and in an instant, the ground within tens of meters around him cracked like a spiderweb, sending gravel flying.
The pirates were shocked by this scene and cheered.
“But…” another pirate hesitated, “We haven’t even met Golden Lion, so rushing to join like this, won’t it…”
“Don’t worry! I’ve already contacted an executive under the Flying Sky Pirates!”
Looking at their Captain’s confidence, as if he had everything under control, the pirate crew couldn’t help but smile.
However, just then…
“Boom!!” A deafening roar suddenly erupted, and the entire island trembled violently; the bonfire instantly scattered, and sparks flew.
The pirates stumbled, looking in horror at the source of the sound.
“What’s happening?! An earthquake?!”
“No!” Doge forcibly stabilized himself, his face grim: “This is not an earthquake.”
Doge’s gaze was fixed on the direction of the coast, and only then did he notice a Marine warship quietly anchored on the distant sea.
And at the bow of the warship, a slender figure flew into the air.
“The Marine, like a plaster…
This time, a formidable guy has arrived.”
…
Time rewound to ten minutes ago, on the Marine warship.
Lieutenant Gern lay lazily in a chair, a newspaper covering his face, seemingly indifferent to the impending battle.
On the deck, Marine soldiers ran back and forth nervously, constantly reporting reconnaissance information.
“Report! Lieutenant Gern. Target location confirmed, the entire Broken Pirates crew is resting on the west side of the island!”
“Report! No other pirate crews detected in the surrounding waters!”
Hearing the reports, Gern slowly raised his hand, peeled back a corner of the newspaper, revealing a indifferent eye.
“Oh… Finally found them.” He stretched lazily, slowly stood up, and donned his cloak of justice, “Chased them for a week, they’re quite good at running.”
Watching Gern stroll forward, a Marine Sergeant beside him couldn’t help but ask, “Lieutenant Gern, when do we act?”
Gern glanced at him, a slight smile on his lips: “Act? No, you all stay here.”
“Huh?!” The soldier was stunned.
“I’ll go alone.” Gern walked towards the bow, his gaze fixed on the distant island.
“You just need to be ready to capture them… Although, there might not be many to capture.”
“Wait, Lieutenant Gern, that’s a pirate crew with a bounty of three hundred million Berries!! Are you going alone…?”
“You all know it’s a pirate crew with a bounty almost exceeding three hundred million, so if we land on the island and a fight breaks out…” Gern raised his hand and pressed down on the Marine’s hat.
“I would be very distressed by the sacrifice of each and every one of you.”
“Lieutenant Gern, you…” As soon as Gern said this, all the soldiers on the warship burst into tears, covering their faces.
“You… How can you be so gentle?!!!”
They all knew about Gern’s deeds of beheading pirates, but they never expected Gern to be so gentle to his own people.
This contrast directly struck the hearts of all the soldiers present!
“Alright! You all prepare well too, don’t let any stragglers escape.”
The soldiers looked at each other, still not reacting, when Gern had already leaped, directly jumping from the warship to the sea!
“Wait! Lieutenant! Our mission objective this time is to capture them alive…”
Before he finished speaking, a circle of white airwaves suddenly exploded under Gern’s feet; the air, controlled by his ability, instantly compressed into a solid, and space trembled slightly.
“Island Splitter Doge…” Gern, flying into the sky, muttered softly.
“Bounty three hundred and sixty million, uses Armament Haki, a Paramecia Retsu Retsu Fruit user…
Hmm, no big problem.” With that, his figure streaked across the sunlight as a sharp stream of white particle light, heading straight for the island.
…
On the island, the Broken Pirates were already on high alert.
Doge stood at the forefront, arms crossed, coldly watching the approaching Gern.
His first mate quietly asked, “Captain, the warship isn’t moving, it seems there’s only one person… Should we just take him out directly?”
Doge narrowed his eyes: “No… This guy is not simple.”
There wasn’t a single fool among the pirates who could navigate the New World; he could feel the pressure Gern brought.
It was as if the air itself was trembling with the man’s approach.
Finally, when Gern, cloaked in justice, landed lightly on the beach, the moment his shoe soles touched the sand, an invisible shockwave spread out.
“Yo, everyone.” Gern looked up, revealing a lazy smile, “I heard you want to seek refuge with Golden Lion?”
The moment Doge heard Gern’s first words, his pupils constricted: “How do you know?!”
“No choice.” Gern shrugged: “The Marine’s intelligence network is more interesting than you think.”
With that, Gern slowly drew the black blade eight desolations from his waist; the bandages peeled away layer by layer, revealing the pitch-black blade.
“However… Sorry! Your plans will have to change.”
“Heh heh.” Doge sneered: “Just you, a… Marine Lieutenant? To capture me, at least a Rear Admiral should be dispatched, right?”
“Heh, that’s right! Just me.” A hint of coldness flashed in Gern’s eyes, and the moment his words fell,
“Tremor Flash: Glide!” A circle of white airwaves suddenly exploded at Gern’s landing point; high-density vibrating particles condensed into a solid track under his feet.
The air was extremely compressed, then propelled by a reverse shockwave.
“Whoosh!” Almost at the same instant, Gern had flashed to Doge’s side, his left leg raised high, wrapped in violent vibrating particles; the air was distorted and shattered by the high-frequency vibrations.
“Begin ‘Tremor’ Justice!” With that, his left leg swept out horizontally!
Doge’s pupils constricted; he instinctively raised his Armament Haki-covered arms to block.
“Boom!!!” The tremor blast exploded!
Centered on the two of them, the ground within tens of meters instantly collapsed; spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly, and gravel floated into the air, only to be pulverized in the next second!
Doge’s feet were deeply embedded in the ground, sliding all the way; he seemed to have blocked it, but a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and the horror in his eyes
unmistakably proved his fear!!!
“This guy… Is he really just a Marine Lieutenant?!”