After releasing Bullet, Gern knew full well that this man had never liked wearing a Marine uniform in the first place.
So, instead of forcing it on him, Gern completely covered the old [No. 9] scar Bullet had once borne as "Soldier Number Nine" in the War Nation—and, using the branding irons within Impel Down, burned two characters into his flesh:
"Evil Oni."
"Evil oni, huh?" Bullet glanced at the newly branded words on his left shoulder and let out a cold chuckle. "I thought you'd give me the name Devil."
"Because I need you to carry out justice like an evil oni," Gern replied flatly as he set the branding iron aside.
"An evil oni's justice?" Bullet's interest was clearly piqued, while the corner of Gern's mouth curved up slightly.
Bullet's 'Justice of the Evil Oni' was an extreme creed—an ultimate order measured purely by strength, where the strong devoured the weak.
He joined the Marines not to protect, but to conquer.Not for justice, but to prove that he was the strongest.
The justice Gern granted him was stripped entirely of morality, sympathy, and procedure.
In Gern's eyes, the world had only one truth: the law of the jungle.
So Bullet would not arrest.He would not judge.
His mission had only one endpoint—
Total annihilation.
And in Bullet's view, the Marines' so-called "justice" existed only because it—because Gern—possessed the strongest power.
"You're far more interesting than Roger, Gern."
...
On the deck of the warship departing Impel Down, Gern looked at Bullet standing beside him like an iron tower, still radiating a vicious, keep-your-distance aura.
"Bullet, there's something I need you to do first."
Bullet turned his head, eyes flicking toward Gern with a trace of irritation at being disturbed—and the innate provocation that came with his nature.
"You just dragged me out, and you're already itching to put me to work?"
Gern didn't care about his tone and issued his orders directly.
"Because of my formal promotion ceremony to Admiral, I'll be tied up at Headquarters for a few days.But the New World front line can't afford to be without top-tier combat power for long.
"At the moment, Toritoma—Snake Princess—is responsible for holding back the Whitebeard Pirates."
At this point, Gern paused, his gaze sharpening as it fixed on Bullet.
"She's strong, but facing the 'World's Strongest Man' and his commanders alone puts enormous pressure on her.Before I left, I deliberately provoked Whitebeard and fought him again.
"But Marco, his first-division commander, has extremely powerful healing abilities.Whitebeard's wounds should be mostly recovered by now—there's no guarantee he won't make a move."
At the mention of Whitebeard, the lazy ferocity in Bullet's eyes instantly ignited, like a shark scenting blood.
Edward Newgate.
After Roger, that name itself was an era—a target capable of stirring limitless battle lust within him.
"So," Gern continued, "I want you to depart immediately and head for the New World at top speed—specifically the Marine G-10 base front line.
"And your task isn't to initiate full-scale war."
"It's to garrison."
"Garrison?" Bullet bared his teeth in a savage grin."So that means if they don't come at me, I'm not allowed to go at them?"
"That's right," Gern said firmly. "Your existence alone is the strongest deterrent.
"Whitebeard knows your strength.As long as you don't lose your head and start using that fusion fruit recklessly, just your Haki and physical combat ability are enough.
"Without absolute certainty, the Whitebeard Pirates will never lightly charge a defensive line guarded by you."
"Wait." Bullet seized on a single point. "Are you saying my Devil Fruit development really sucks that bad?"
"…Well," Gern pressed his lips together briefly. "What do you think?"
Bullet: "..."
"In short, the Whitebeard Pirates want stable territory right now—not a death match with the 'Devil's Heir.'"
Gern's words precisely grasped both sides' psychology.
Bullet's reputation and strength were unquestionable—enough to force any opponent into caution.
And Whitebeard, at this stage, valued his family's safety and the stability of his territory far more than a reckless gamble.
"Hmph. Boring." Bullet snorted, clearly displeased with such a passive assignment—but he understood it was the safest strategy.
After all, he was facing Whitebeard, the strongest man after Roger—not some white radish.
Besides, being sent to the front line where the strongest man stood meant battles could erupt at any moment.
That alone was far more interesting than rotting at Marineford.
"I'll arrange the fastest warship to take you there," Gern said at last."Remember—stabilizing the situation comes first.
"Before I return, don't cause any mess I can't clean up."
"Tch." Bullet spat disdainfully, but didn't argue.
Gern's earlier, absolute Haki suppression had filled him with unwillingness—but it had also forced him, for now, to acknowledge that this man possessed the right to give orders.
At least until he found a chance to defeat Gern himself.
"Oh, and one more thing," Gern added, as if suddenly remembering. "When you get there, follow Toritoma's overall command for the time being. She's the highest-ranking commander on site."
"A woman?" Bullet's brow furrowed sharply, his aura turning more violent.
Being told to obey a woman's orders annoyed him even more than being told to garrison.
Gern simply looked at him calmly, saying nothing—but the meaning in his gaze was unmistakable.
This was an order.
Bullet locked eyes with Gern for a few seconds, then irritably turned away, tacitly accepting it.
"If you run into any pirates who don't know their place on the way," Gern added casually,"deal with them however you like. Consider it a long-overdue warm-up."
"Only pirates?" Bullet suddenly turned back, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his crimson eyes.
Hearing this, Gern's lips slowly curved into a cold smile.
"World Government ships… and 'pirates'—what's the difference?"
Bullet split his lips into a vicious, understanding grin and asked no further questions.
Soon, a high-speed warship detached from the formation, carrying the impatient 'Devil's Heir' Douglas Bullet.
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, it shot ahead toward the storm-tossed New World.
Watching Bullet depart, Gern stood on the main ship's deck, eyes deep as he gazed at the receding silhouette.
Throwing out that double-edged sword first was enough to intimidate the restless monsters of the New World—and to greatly ease the pressure on Snake Princess.
As for whether Bullet would obey completely…
Gern wasn't worried.
As long as he himself possessed absolute strength, that savage beast would never escape his grasp.
Now, he needed to return to Marineford, accept that "expensive" Admiral position—
and then head to the New World to assume full command of his Catastrophe authority.
..
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