Koby's face flushed a deep red beneath the layers of bandages as Gern Reginald Sigmar's words struck him.
At first, he panicked—his eyes darting around the room, searching the faces of the SWORD members gathered at his bedside, hoping—desperately—for support, for agreement.
But what he found instead—
were complicated expressions.
Avoidance.
Even faint embarrassment.
Helmeppo opened his mouth as if to speak… then hesitated, lowering his head.
Realizing there was no one to stand with him—
Koby abruptly turned his head back, forcing himself forward.
"N-No… that's not it!"
He tried to defend himself—grasping for something, anything that sounded reasonable.
"I… I was only following Vice Admiral Garp's teachings!"
"Vice Admiral Garp… he's always taught us to have faith in the new era! To challenge outdated rules and authority of the older generation!"
"And even… even to 'abandon' them if necessary, isn't that right?!"
His voice rose, as if convincing himself.
"I'm trying to stop Luffy's dream because if it comes true, it could bring even greater chaos to the world!"
"Isn't that… a responsibility toward the future?!"
He forcefully tied his actions to Garp's rough, free-spirited philosophy—trying to cloak his choices in righteousness.
But as Gern listened—
the faint smile on his lips grew colder.
Sharper.
Until it became naked mockery.
"You're that obedient, are you, Colonel Koby?"
His voice wasn't loud—
but it pierced like an ice spike.
"Garp taught you to question authority. To value the new era."
"But he never taught you to abandon your post… to act on your own… to gamble with your subordinates' lives and the Marine's overall interests for your pathetic brand of 'personal heroism.'"
Suddenly—
his tone hardened.
Gern stepped forward, his gaze turning razor-sharp as it locked onto Koby's trembling eyes.
"Don't forget—"
"You… are the one who lit the fuse for this entire tragedy."
"—!!"
Koby's body shook violently.
Gern didn't give him a moment to breathe.
His words came faster now—each one precise, heavy, striking the suffocating silence of the ward like hammer blows.
"If I recall correctly, Colonel Koby—"
He emphasized the rank deliberately.
"Your initial orders were clear: under Vice Admiral Doll's command, you were to lead a warship to G-14 Base for a routine reassignment."
"But everything that followed—"
"Encountering the Blackbeard Pirates' 'Champion,' Jesus Burgess."
"Engaging in battle."
"Suffering total defeat."
"Being captured—"
"—all of it stemmed from your unauthorized decision to alter orders."
He raised his fingers, counting them off one by one. His voice echoed coldly through the room:
"First—upon encountering an overwhelming enemy, you failed to follow Marine combat protocol. You did not issue an emergency call to any nearby G-series bases to request Vice Admiral-level reinforcements."
"Second—you made no attempt at tactical withdrawal. No effort to disengage."
"Third—as a mere colonel and acting commander of a warship, you exercised authority far beyond your station—"
"—and directly ordered a frontal engagement against a Yonko crew officer vastly superior to your forces."
He paused.
Koby's face had gone deathly pale.
Gern's tone turned almost scornful.
"On the surface, it looks admirable."
"As if you 'stood alone.'"
"As if you 'sacrificed yourself' to exchange your life for a thousand ordinary Marines."
"How noble."
"How glorious."
"'Hero Koby,' isn't it?"
Then—
his voice rose sharply, anger breaking through.
"But what was the result?!"
"The result is this—"
"Three hundred and forty-four Marine soldiers—including Headquarters officers—dead!!"
"Three hundred and forty-four lives—lost forever to the sea because of your foolish command and reckless actions!!"
"And the result doesn't end there!"
"To save you—this so-called 'hero'—"
"the Marines have now lost Vice Admiral Garp as well!"
"His fate—unknown!!"
"…Heh."
Gern leaned forward, his presence pressing down like a storm, nearly against the railing of Koby's bed.
"What is it?"
"You took the fame. You wore the crown of 'hero.'"
"And now that you've torn open a disaster of this scale—caused irreversible losses—"
"you think you can just say, 'I'll stop Luffy's dream'…"
"…and expect the rest of us—the so-called 'top forces'—to clean up your mess?"
"!!!"
Koby felt as if the world had gone cold.
Each accusation crashed over him like a tidal wave.
He wanted to argue.
To say the situation had been urgent.
To say he had acted on instinct—to protect his men.
But in the face of those cold, undeniable facts—
and that staggering death toll—
every excuse felt hollow.
Powerless.
Gern straightened.
He looked at Koby one last time.
The anger in his eyes was gone.
All that remained—
was a chilling, absolute indifference.
"I should have…"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"…called Sakazuki back from the first half of the Grand Line."
He tilted his head slightly, as if picturing it.
"Let him… give you a proper lesson."
"So you can experience firsthand…"
"…what 'Absolute Justice' truly means."
"And pay—"
"the proper price…"
"…for your 'heroism.'"
When his words fell—
Koby collapsed back against the bed.
The ward sank into a terrifying silence.
Even Kizaru, on the other side, quietly pulled his curtain closed again—
sealing off the suffocating pressure in the air.
And then—
"Buru buru… buru buru…"
A sharp Den Den Mushi ringtone broke the silence.
Gern frowned slightly, pulling the uniquely styled snail from his coat.
The moment he answered, the Den Den Mushi's face shifted—mimicking Tesoro's expression and voice.
"Fleet Admiral Gern, Chief Inspector Sengoku is waiting in your office. There's an urgent matter that requires a face-to-face discussion."
Gern glanced once at Koby—
then at the silent, rigid SWORD members around him.
The coldness in his gaze remained.
But clearly—
there were more important matters to attend to.
"Understood. I'll be there immediately."
He ended the call without hesitation.
Then he looked at Koby one last time.
There was no pity.
No expectation.
Only the detached neutrality of a man handling routine business—as if that brutal reprimand had been nothing more than correcting a minor procedural error.
Then—
he turned and walked out.
His heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor—
until they faded completely.
Only after Gern's presence vanished did Koby finally feel like he could breathe again.
He let out a long, shaky exhale.
His tense body loosened slightly.
Instinctively, he looked around—
seeking comfort.
Reassurance.
Support.
But what he saw—
made his heart sink all over again.
The SWORD members who had been gathered tightly around his bed—
those same comrades—
had quietly distanced themselves.
Some stood by the window.
Some drifted toward the doorway.
Others busied themselves with medical equipment.
Their eyes avoided his.
A silent distance—
a quiet judgment—
hung in the air.
Gern's words had acted like a mirror—
reflecting truths they had never fully considered…
or perhaps had chosen not to.
The recklessness hidden beneath Koby's "hero" title—
and the cost of it—
now stood exposed.
In the large hospital room—
only one person remained by his side.
Helmeppo.
Gripping his hand tightly, his face filled with helpless confusion.
Then—
from behind the curtain of the neighboring bed—
a slow, languid voice drifted out.
"Ahh, my my~"
It was Kizaru.
Like a spectator commenting on a play that had just ended.
"I don't really understand… why Vice Admiral Garp thought so highly of you back then… even going so far as to take you under his wing personally."
He paused, as if searching for the right word.
"But looking at things now…"
"…you're clearly someone who doesn't quite measure up."
There was no cruelty in his tone.
Just blunt, unsettling honesty.
"From what you just said… and from your earlier actions…"
"It seems you're trying to follow a path similar to Gern's, aren't you?"
His voice carried a faint hint of amusement.
"Showing 'exceptional qualities' at a young age. Challenging authority. Trying to carve out your own version of 'justice.' Even clashing with the old system if necessary…"
Then—
his tone shifted.
Colder.
More serious.
"But, Koby…"
"You don't have what Gern had back in the West Blue—"
"…that ability to stand alone. That judgment."
"Nor do you have his confidence—the kind that lets him handle any mess he creates… no matter how big, no matter how powerful the enemy…"
"…without ever relying on others to clean it up for him."
Kizaru let out a long yawn.
"Not enough strength. Too much ambition. And no clear understanding of your own limits…"
He clicked his tongue softly.
"People like that…"
"…tend to get a lot of others killed."
"Including themselves."
A brief pause.
"Take care of yourself, kid~"
And then—
silence returned.
Behind the curtain, only the steady rhythm of breathing remained.
Kizaru had already drifted back into his "recovery."
...
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