Two months later, on the shore of a certain island.
"Elite Training Camp?" Kuzan, who had just completed a mission, glanced at the document delivered by the messenger and frowned.
"Isn't it just asking me to go back and perform in exhibition matches for the new recruits? I'm very busy..."
He hadn't finished speaking, but when Kuzan saw the name "Gern" on the document, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Oh, it seems it's not a boring performance after all!"
Inside a high-end restaurant on Sabaody Archipelago, Borsalino, wearing a hat, leisurely cut his steak, a playful smile on his lips.
"Oh~ how scary~" He looked at the summons on the table, his tone flippant.
"They wouldn't be asking me to fight someone who can even cut down Golden Lion, would they? Zephyr-sensei is truly cruel!"
In the New World, the ruins of G-3 Base had not yet been fully repaired. Sakazuki stood on a high vantage point, gazing at the distant sea.
"Boring stuff, just a waste of time."
Meanwhile, at Marineford, the abandoned shipyard.
Under the scorching sun, black blade eight desolations transformed into a black lightning bolt in Gern's hand, its sharp blade light cutting through the air with a piercing whistle.
Sweat dripped down his taut muscles, leaving dark marks on the ground.
"Training Camp?" Gern sheathed his blade, took the handed document, and his brows gradually furrowed into a knot.
The list clearly read: Kuzan, Borsalino, Sakazuki... and himself.
"They want us to play exhibition matches for the Elite Training Camp?" Gern's knuckles lightly tapped the document, a playful smile gracing his lips.
He wasn't foolish; the deeper intention revealed by the document was very clear.
It was to use this opportunity to promote the four of them to Admiral-level officers in one fell swoop.
After all, since Sengoku and Zephyr were promoted to Admiral, there had indeed been a power vacuum at the Marine Vice Admiral level.
They couldn't possibly let an Admiral handle a Vice Admiral's duties, could they?!
As for Garp, although he held the rank of Vice Admiral, he was doing all the work of an Admiral and couldn't be counted.
Thinking of this, Gern's gaze continued to scan downwards. When he reached the battle arrangements, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"If Aokiji is against Akainu..." Gern's finger heavily tapped the document.
"Then I'll have to... fight Kizaru, that slacker?"
Gern stared at the battle arrangements on the document, his lips twitching slightly.
"Fight Kizaru?" Gern subconsciously rubbed his temples, a look of utter despair on his face.
"That guy's Glint-Glint Fruit... is a bit troublesome."
He had even imitated Kizaru to develop his own Devil Fruit abilities.
So Gern was very clear about what he might face.
Just imagining Borsalino's slow, drawling tone—
"How scary~"—coupled with the afterimages of his light-speed kicks, Gern felt a headache coming on.
"Forget it, it's just an exhibition match anyway. Kizaru is also a guy who puts in minimal effort.
I'll just slack off too..." Thinking of this, Gern was about to continue trying to explore the cultivation of Haoshoku.
However, his Observation Haki suddenly gave an instant warning, and Gern instinctively snapped his head up.
Sure enough, a booming voice exploded from afar.
"Hey, Gern kid!!!"
Immediately after, a black shadow descended from the sky, a massive fist wrapped in terrifying wind smashing down directly!
"Vice Admiral Garp?!" Gern's pupils contracted, his body instinctively reacting, his left foot stepping back half a pace.
"Buzz!" His entire body instantly elementalized, his figure transforming into countless flickering white light points the second before the fist landed, scattering like ripples.
"Boom!!!" Garp's iron fist slammed into the ground, the entire abandoned shipyard trembled violently, and spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread for dozens of meters, smoke and dust soaring into the sky.
"Eh?" Garp withdrew his fist, raised an eyebrow, and an expression of surprise appeared on his face. "He dodged?"
As the dust cleared, Gern's figure re-materialized not far away. He patted the dust off his shoulders and said helplessly, "Vice Admiral Garp, are you trying to kill me?"
"Hahaha!" Garp put his hands on his hips and laughed heartily. "Not bad, kid! Your Observation Haki has improved quickly; you can even dodge my fist now!"
"If I hadn't dodged..." Gern rolled his eyes, "I'd probably be laid up for half a month after that punch!"
"Don't mind those details!" Garp waved his hand dismissively and strode over.
He threw an arm around Gern's shoulder: "I heard you awakened Haoshoku? Come on, let me see!"
Gern's lips twitched: "I can't use it right now..."
"Huh? It's been so long!" Garp's eyes widened. "Haoshoku can still be on-again, off-again? Have you been slacking off?"
"I just awakened it; I can't control it well." Gern spread his hands. "Zephyr-sensei told me to learn from you.
But because of the Flying Sky Pirates, weren't you patrolling the New World?"
"I forgot." Garp rubbed his chin, then suddenly grinned. "Never mind! It's perfect; I'm on vacation and planning to go back to East Blue for a bit.
Want to hitch a ride? I'll teach you a few tricks on the way!"
"East Blue?" Gern was startled.
"What, you dislike East Blue for being a backwater?" Garp raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the document in Gern's hand, tore it up, and threw it away.
"You don't need to worry about this. The other three guys aren't at Marineford. By my reckoning, it's two or three months away anyway, so it's still early!"
"It's not because of that..." Gern shook his head.
However, on second thought, the Golden Lion's retaliatory actions had been completely suppressed in just two months thanks to the combined efforts of Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr.
The Flying Sky Pirates suffered heavy losses, and Golden Lion himself had temporarily disappeared.
Plus, Marineford currently had no major missions, so it was indeed a good opportunity to relax.
And he also had an idea: to visit Sorbet Kingdom in the South Sea.
Counting the time, Kuma and Ginny, who escaped from God Valley, were there.
"Alright, I'll go with you." Gern nodded, then as if remembering something, he asked, "Oh, by the way, where's Dragoon? I haven't seen him in a while."
When his son was mentioned, Garp's expression instantly fell, veins bulging on his forehead. "That good-for-nothing brat! He applied to be transferred back to the East Blue branch a long time ago!"
After speaking, Garp angrily waved his fists as if Dragoon were right in front of him: "Saying nonsense like 'determining his own justice' and 'East Blue needs reform'!"
"A dignified Marineford elite, insisting on running back to that kind of backwater place!"
"He just told me not to dislike East Blue for being a backwater..."
Despite his internal complaints, Gern outwardly nodded cooperatively: "It is a bit of a shame; Senior Dragoon's strength could also shine brightly at Marineford."
"Hmph!" Garp snorted heavily. "Never mind him! Anyway, when I go back this time, I'm definitely going to 'educate' that brat properly!"
As he spoke, Garp squeezed his fists, his knuckles making a grating crunch.
Gern silently mourned for Dragoon for a second, then smiled: "Okay, I'll go to East Blue with you.
It'll be a good experience, and I can pass through the South Sea on the way."
"Hahaha, good! That's more like it!" Garp's anger finally turned to joy, and he vigorously patted Gern's back.
"Although East Blue isn't as lively as Grand Line, the scenery is nice, and the people are simple!"
Saying that, Garp bumped Gern's shoulder again, "Especially my hometown, Windmill Village, there's a very nice girl there, I can introduce her to you!"
"A girl? Isn't Makino not born yet?" Realizing something was off, Gern subconsciously blurted out, "What's her name?"
"Dadan! She's an enthusiastic little mushroom-picking girl who likes to live in the mountains!"
Gern: "Vice Admiral Garp, in the future, if the King of Deserters leaves you on a pirate island, I absolutely will not come to save you..."
【Lazy Fish's message: Thank you all for the gifts and encouragement! Whip this Lazy Fish hard.】