Gern Reginald Sigmar departed Fish-Man Island aboard a modestly sized vessel, traveling in plain clothes.
On deck, he spread open an extraordinarily detailed military sea chart. His finger traced a route northward from Fish-Man Island, sliding along the marked course until it finally stopped at a region deep within the New World—deliberately enlarged and encircled in bold red ink.
Elbaf. The Kingdom of Giants.
And yet, even along the shortest possible route from Fish-Man Island to Elbaf, there were several unavoidable "landmarks"—places no one sailing these waters could afford to ignore.
First came Hachinosu, the Pirate Island—the stronghold of the Blackbeard Pirates.
Then, the route would skim dangerously close to a land encircled by towering waterfalls, sealed off from the world for generations… and now being ravaged under the iron rule of Kaido of the Beasts.
At the thought of Wano Country, the corner of Gern's mouth curled into a faint, knowing smile.
Piecing together fragments of intelligence from all sides, it seemed that Straw Hat Luffy, Trafalgar Law, and that hot-headed brute Kid—three of the most unruly forces of the new era—had already stirred up a storm within Wano.
Counting the timeline—from the aftermath of Whole Cake Island, to their infiltration of Wano, their contact with the resistance, and their buildup of strength…
By now, the decisive battle was likely imminent.
Or perhaps… already raging.
"The Beasts Pirates versus the Worst Generation alliance…" Gern murmured under his breath, tapping lightly on the chart where Wano was marked.
"Ah… what a shame."
A chuckle slipped from his lips as he shook his head.
"No matter how fast I push from Fish-Man Island—even at full speed with this custom craft—by the time I reach Wano, I'll probably miss everything… might not even make it in time for the victory banquet."
His tone was teasing, almost flippant—but deep down, Gern understood clearly:
The outcome of Wano's war would reshape the balance of the New World.
"…Didn't think I'd ever become someone who swoops in to pick up the scraps," he muttered with a self-deprecating grin.
Originally, he had planned to intervene personally in Wano—secure it outright as a strategic stronghold.
But after the Navy's declaration of independence, the avalanche of administrative chaos, the silent pressure from the World Government, Shanks' sudden provocation, and now the emergence of Elbaf's secrets…
Everything had thrown his plans off course.
Still…
Looking at it another way… perhaps this wasn't so bad.
"Snatching the fruit after others have done the work might not be honorable," he admitted to himself, "but politics and war don't care about the process—only the result."
And besides…
Gern's gaze flickered, something deeper surfacing in his thoughts.
"Gear Fifth… Nika…" he murmured, his fingers unconsciously tapping against the edge of the chart.
Though his own actions had already created a "butterfly effect," altering Luffy's path, some things—things etched into blood and fate—were not so easily changed.
That legendary figure…
The "Warrior of Liberation."
The Sun God Nika.
Luffy would awaken there. He was certain of it.
After all, given Kaido's current level of power, without a miracle… without something beyond reason… Luffy wouldn't stand a chance, even with endless reinforcements.
"…Now that is something worth seeing," Gern whispered.
That anticipation wasn't just curiosity—it was the desire to witness a legend become reality with his own eyes.
He exhaled slowly, letting the thought fade, and refocused on the true destination before him.
Elbaf.
Wano's chaos could wait.
The secrets of Elbaf… could not.
Harald's past. The true potential of the giant race. And that military power—even Imu had once regarded it with regret, as something that could have rivaled or even replaced the Navy itself.
All of it…
Had to be seen firsthand.
Understood firsthand.
And if possible…
Seized.
"Skirt around Hachinosu… pass by Wano… and drive straight into Elbaf…" Gern muttered, rapidly refining the route in his mind. "Time's tight. No room to waste."
He stood, folding the chart, and stepped out onto the deck.
The sea wind roared against him.
"Since I've decided to 'pick up the leftovers'… and I'm racing to dig up something even bigger…" Gern grinned, a wild gleam flashing in his eyes.
"…then I might as well take a shortcut."
He drew in a deep breath.
His right arm pulled back, fist clenched.
There was no grand, dramatic charge-up—but the air around him began to distort unnaturally, trembling, humming with suppressed force.
"When you're in a hurry…"
His voice dropped, steady and certain.
"…you go fast."
Before the words had fully faded—
He twisted his waist, driving every ounce of power through his body into his right fist—
And unleashed it toward the empty air behind the ship.
"Air Quake."
"BOOOOM—!!!"
He didn't strike the sea.
He struck the air itself.
The space before his fist shattered like tempered glass under a catastrophic blow—cracks spiderwebbing outward in all directions.
The fractured air compressed to its absolute limit—
Then detonated outward in a violent release—
Forming a colossal reverse shockwave that blasted backward with overwhelming force!
"WHOOOOOOOSH—!!!"
The boat screamed in protest, its structure groaning as though it might tear itself apart at any moment—
Yet thanks to reinforcement by the Navy's scientific division—and Gern's own deliberate protection—it held.
The next instant—
The vessel shot forward.
At a speed far beyond sound.
It tore across the ocean's surface like a projectile, carving a long white scar of foam in its wake, racing toward the horizon.
The hull nearly skimmed parallel to the sea, while towering arcs of water—dozens of meters high—erupted on either side.
At the bow, Gern stood firm despite the violent turbulence.
His coat whipped wildly behind him.
His hand rested casually on the hilt of Bahuang at his waist.
And his laughter rang out, bold and unrestrained.
"HAHAHAHA!! Now this—this is more like it!!"
His eyes burned with ambition as he stared into the distance.
"Elbaf… Kingdom of Giants…"
"I—Gern Reginald Sigmar, the 'Heavenquake'—"
"—am coming."