Tesoro understood completely now.
Gern wasn't merely adjusting defensive positions—he was assembling a razor-sharp strike force capable of overturning any battlefield.
The safety of Marine Headquarters was entrusted to Sakazuki and Barrett. The New World's routine deterrence fell to Kuma, Lipo, Toritoma, and the rest of the natural disaster elites under his direct command.
And the most elite power of all…
He held it firmly in his own hands.
The target, without question, was the place where the storm was currently converging—
Egghead Island.
This series of earth-shaking personnel deployments left even someone as seasoned as Tesoro momentarily stunned. The words slipped out before he could stop himself:
"Fleet Admiral Gern… such a large-scale mobilization—especially recalling Admiral Sakazuki and gathering people like Mihawk…"
He hesitated for a fraction of a second.
"What about Chief Inspector Sengoku…?"
By convention, a military deployment of this magnitude—especially one involving shifts in all top-tier combat power—should, at the very least, be discussed with Sengoku, the highly respected Inspector General of the entire Marine force.
And more often than not, Gern's usual approach was to have Sengoku temporarily sit in the Fleet Admiral's seat to oversee the Marines.
But Gern's answer made him freeze again.
"Him? Sengoku…" Gern's lips curled faintly. "He won't be at Headquarters."
"Huh?" Tesoro was completely baffled.
Sengoku wouldn't be at Headquarters?
At a moment like this, when the tides of the world were shifting and the Fleet Admiral was about to make a major move—where could he possibly be?
Gern offered no explanation. He simply raised his hand and gave a light wave, signaling that Tesoro could go carry out the orders.
Suppressing the storm of questions in his mind, Tesoro took a deep breath, snapped to attention, and saluted.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Gern! I'll relay your orders immediately!"
…
Not long after Tesoro left—
Creak.
The office door was pushed open again, neither too lightly nor too forcefully.
Speak of the devil.
Sengoku's towering figure appeared in the doorway. He was still dressed in that retirement-flavored floral shirt, his Marine Inspector's coat draped perfectly over his shoulders. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his expression carried that familiar look Gern knew all too well—
What the hell are you scheming now, brat?
"Gern." Sengoku strode in without waiting for an invitation, speaking first.
"I ran into Tesoro in the corridor. He was clutching documents and rushing around. Just how many Fleet Admiral orders have you signed this time? Planning to flip New Marineford upside down?"
His voice was as booming as ever.
Seeing him, Gern showed no tension whatsoever. Instead, he grinned lazily, leaning back into his chair with a relaxed, almost roguish posture.
"What's wrong, my former Fleet Admiral? Feeling a little unbalanced seeing me exercise my authority?"
He tilted his head, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Want me to issue you a few 'orders' too? Let you enjoy the thrill of commanding again?"
"Cut the crap!" Sengoku waved him off irritably and stepped forward, planting both hands on the desk as he leaned in slightly. Even his graying beard seemed to bristle with annoyance.
"I'm not here to discuss that."
"I'm here to inform you…" he said, voice firm.
"I'm taking leave."
"Leave?" Gern spread his hands dramatically, his face a picture of disbelief. "My dear former Fleet Admiral Sengoku, do you realize what time this is?"
"The seas are changing by the minute, the Marines are still rebuilding from the ground up—and you're choosing now to take a vacation? Who would believe that?"
He paused, then a knowing smile flickered in his eyes.
"Oh—I get it."
"You've seen the intel about the Blackbeard Pirates' core officers moving, possibly heading toward Egghead Island… haven't you?"
With his thoughts exposed so cleanly, the anger on Sengoku's face stiffened for a moment. Then he snorted, dropping the act entirely.
Straightening up, he crossed his arms and turned his gaze toward the heavy night beyond the window. His voice lowered.
"So what if I have?"
"Gern, I know you have your plans. The Marines are under your command now."
"But that old bastard Karp…" Sengoku's tone turned heated with frustration.
"Zeffa, Tsuru, and I have already discussed it. Along with two Admiral candidates…"
"We old-timers are heading to Hachinosu."
"To drag that bastard who's playing dead back out!"
His voice rose with intensity.
"I want to ask him just how long he plans to 'stay dead'! He's Monkey D. Karp—not some fragile Devil Fruit user!"
"I refuse to believe Blackbeard's ragtag crew, or some Seastone prison, could keep him locked away forever!"
"Even if he's old, his bones should be harder than the rocks of Hachinosu itself!"
Sengoku suddenly turned back, his eyes blazing as he locked onto Gern.
"But he's just hiding there and not coming out—what the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"We're going to get answers! Even if we have to slap some sense into him!"
Watching Sengoku in this resolute, almost explosive state—ready to storm Hachinosu at any moment—Gern's smile deepened.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.
This former Fleet Admiral, the current Inspector General—though seemingly retired—still carried unwavering loyalty to his old comrades, along with a decisiveness that had never dulled.
And this so-called "leave" of his…
Fit perfectly into another missing piece of Gern's grand chessboard.
As long as he personally led forces into the murky waters of Egghead Island—
Then Mary Geoise would be tied down by Dragon's Revolutionary Army, drawing fire and creating chaos.
Hachinosu, Blackbeard's stronghold, would be "visited" by Sengoku, Zeffa, and Tsuru—three living Marine legends—along with two Admiral candidates.
In that case…
Both the World Government and the Blackbeard Pirates would find their "rear lines" and "nests" being quietly—or not so quietly—dug out by forces aligned with the Marines.
No matter how the battle for Egghead Island ended—
The Marines would emerge as the greatest hidden beneficiary.
Moreover…
Marshall D. Teach—Blackbeard—had never once been, in Gern's eyes, a proper opponent for a fair duel.
That man was cunning, patient, and adept at exploiting both rules and chaos.
The best way to deal with someone like him wasn't through a head-on clash—
But through a more refined strategy.
To checkmate him from outside the board.
And this was the perfect opportunity to completely disrupt the seemingly solid—yet fundamentally fragile—"cooperation" between the World Government and Blackbeard.
If the Blackbeard Pirates' core strength were damaged at Egghead…
Or if their stronghold at Hachinosu were thrown into complete turmoil by Sengoku and the others…
Then the fragile bond between them and the World Government would inevitably crack.
Perhaps even—
A cold glint flashed through Gern's eyes.
At that point, he could see for himself…
When the Blackbeard Pirates—the World Government's chosen piece—stood on the brink of collapse…
What exactly the World Government—
Or rather, Im—
truly wanted, when they so eagerly sought to contact him and offered such tempting rewards.
"I see." Gern's smile faded as his thoughts settled. He nodded, his tone turning more serious.
"Senior Sengoku intends to 'rescue' Vice Admiral Karp. Whether for public duty or personal reasons, I have no grounds to stop you."
"After all, Vice Admiral Karp is one of the Marines' greatest assets."
He stood up and walked over.
"Go. I'll handle things at Headquarters. Sakazuki and Barrett will return soon to hold the line—nothing will go wrong."
"You all… be careful. Hachinosu is still the stronghold of an Emperor. Even if Blackbeard himself isn't there, the remaining forces won't be easy to deal with."
Sengoku stared deeply at Gern, as if trying to read something more from those calm eyes. In the end, he simply let out a heavy grunt.
"Just don't overdo it on your side…" he said, glancing meaningfully at the traces of orders that might still linger on the desk.
"The Marines… can't withstand too much upheaval right now."
"Don't worry." Gern smiled faintly. "I know what I'm doing."
Sengoku said nothing more. He turned and strode out of the office.
Gern walked back to the window, then picked up his Fleet Admiral's coat.
"The board is set. The pieces are in place."
A faint murmur escaped his lips.
"Don't disappoint me."