North Blue, the former royal capital of the Prince Kingdom.
The Prince Kingdom's royal palace was composed of a continuous cluster of white, onion-domed buildings, separated by an inland sea and situated on the side of a mountain.
A year ago, after the last heir of the Prince Kingdom, Prince Gruff, announced his abdication of the throne, this palace, which had a history of several hundred years, welcomed its new owner.
On the towering arched dome, a black-and-white flag with the emblem of a castle and the number 66 was fluttering in the sea breeze.
On the long and narrow bridge, the only passage to the palace, two burly, muscular men stood every ten meters.
In the dead of winter, with temperatures close to minus a few degrees Celsius, these burly men were still wearing short sleeves.
One could tell from their red, frozen skin that they weren't immune to the cold.
Some of their hair, cuffs, and collars were even frozen solid.
But even so, these men, who were lined up in two rows, were all standing tall with their chests out, guarding the bridge in the biting sea breeze without batting an eye.
Across from the palace, in the inner city connected by the bridge, the original civilian houses, pubs, and amusement parks were nowhere to be seen. In their place were long, rectangular research facilities and tall, steel chimneys that reached into the sky.
One after another, burly men with different builds but almost identical appearances were busy like worker bees in a hive. Some were pushing heavy carts to transport various steel materials, while others were carrying elliptical glass containers.
These burly men were the capital that made the Germa army stand out in the North Blue: the clone soldiers of the Vinsmoke family.
Working in these steel factories were even more gaunt civilians.
These citizens of the former Prince Kingdom became Germa's exploited labor force after Germa took over the country.
In an open space in front of a factory spewing black smoke, Ichiji looked at the one hundred clone soldiers neatly lined up in front of him. A self-indulgent smile appeared on his face as he slowly unzipped and took off the combat suit he was wearing. He casually threw it to Yonji, who was standing beside him.
He squeezed his fists, and his bones let out a series of crackling sounds. He looked at the hundred soldiers in front of him, who were holding various weapons, and said in a cold voice, "Attack me with all your might, until you die."
"Yes!" The one hundred clone soldiers answered in unison. They then spread out with a clatter and formed a three-tiered circle formation, surrounding the shirtless Ichiji.
The inner-most row of clone soldiers were all muscular. They held hands and faced their rock-like chests toward Ichiji, forming a human wall.
The second row of clone soldiers had long spears on their backs and were holding various long-range weapons such as flintlock pistols, Gatling guns, and crossbows.
The third row of soldiers were the tallest. Almost every one of them was close to four meters tall, and they were all carrying rocket launchers that looked like cannons on their shoulders.
Except for the lack of protective gear, every clone soldier was armed to the teeth with a large number of weapons.
"Begin," Yonji said as he lazily reclined on a rattan chair outside the field, took a sip of hot coffee, and gave the order.
As soon as he finished speaking, the square was filled with the deafening roar of guns and cannons.
The various weapons held by the clone soldiers began to furiously spit fire, unleashing a torrential downpour of firepower toward Ichiji, who was standing in the center of the field.
In an instant, thousands of bullets, hundreds of cannonballs, various crossbow arrows, and even small missiles and torpedoes flew out from the hands of the clone soldiers, all at once, and slammed toward Ichiji.
In the face of such a terrifying saturation of firepower, Ichiji showed no signs of panic. Instead, the corners of his mouth turned up in a bloodthirsty smile.
He stomped his foot, and the solid rock floor beneath him shattered with a bang. His figure shot out like a phantom black line in the overwhelming gunfire. His Observation Haki unfolded, and he pinpointed the path with the weakest firepower with extreme precision. He charged forward in a straight line.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Large amounts of bullets shot toward him with a clatter. He simply raised his left arm to block in front of his face, letting the bullets, which were as dense as locusts, hit his body.
The muscles under his skin tightened and bulged, making his body as hard as steel.
Large amounts of bullets hit his body, creating a series of loud metallic clashes. The bullet heads then flattened after hitting his body and clattered to the ground without even breaking his skin.
And whenever a cannonball flew toward him, Ichiji would decisively throw a punch, blowing up the incoming cannonball in the air.
The surging fiery explosions could not harm his fist in the slightest.
Seeing him getting closer and closer, with no amount of cannonballs able to stop his advance, a four-meter-tall clone soldier used his thick arms to hug a large cannon barrel.
The cannon barrel was not loaded with a cannonball. Instead, it was a long spear as thick as an arm, with a forked blade at the tip.
This was not actually a weapon, but a fishing tool used to capture large Sea Kings.
In terms of pure power, it was indeed more than ten times that of an ordinary rocket launcher.
Even a Sea King with bony plates covering its body would not be able to withstand the shots from this kind of spear.
If it was hit, it would definitely be pierced through.
The giant man aimed at the face of Ichiji, who was rushing toward him, and pulled the trigger.
In an instant, the sharp spear, propelled by gunpowder, shot out from the cannon barrel, letting out a sharp whistling sound in the air as it flew toward Ichiji.
"Sparking Valkyrie!"
Ichiji's clenched right fist, which had a black Armament Haki on its surface, slammed into the air in front of him and hit the tip of the incoming spear.
Accompanied by a dull explosion, the shooting spear flew back, piercing through the giant man's chest with a 'pfft' sound, creating a bowl-sized hole in his chest.
The clone soldier continuously spewed blood from his chest and mouth. His massive body swayed for a moment before collapsing with a bang.
And Ichiji, who had punched the spear away, also rushed into the crowd of clone soldiers.
He was like a sharp knife, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, and instantly caused a rain of blood to erupt in the crowd.
"Bang!"
A black heavy punch slammed into a clone soldier's neck, causing his thick neck to cave in. His protruding Adam's apple was shattered by the punch, and his muscle-wrapped cervical spine cracked and his flesh and skin tore with a crunch. His head was sent flying high from his neck.
A clone soldier dropped the gun in his hand, pulled out the long spear on his back, and stabbed at Ichiji's face with a 'swish.'
Ichiji was expressionless. He kicked out, using the sole of his unshod foot to bend the incoming spear, sending it flying back at the clone soldier.
With a loud 'bang,' the clone soldier's entire chest exploded. The bones and internal organs inside all shattered. Ichiji's right foot went through his chest and came out of his back.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The bullets were still flying wildly but were unable to take down Ichiji.
He used both his hands and feet. Every punch and every kick could kill a strong and robust clone soldier.
Everywhere he went, he left behind a trail of blood and corpses.
His body was also stained red with the thick blood.
Ichiji didn't mind at all. Instead, a sickly smile appeared on his face.
"Weak! Weak! Too weak!"
"Double Sparking Valkyrie!"
Ichiji opened his mouth, letting the blood from the clone soldiers splash into it. He brought both of his fists out together and slammed them into the temples of a four-meter-tall clone soldier.
In an instant, the clone soldier's head exploded with a bang.
"There's no suspense. It's a one-sided massacre. Ichiji's lineage factor has developed to a point that it has surpassed yours and mine, Niji," Yonji said as he crossed his legs and enjoyed his drink.
"How does he compare to that Marine kid who defeated you?" Niji asked, playing with his golden pistol without looking up.
"He's definitely stronger than him. Do you even need to ask? Ichiji is the strongest among us in the Vinsmoke family, besides our father. With his lineage factor-developed invulnerable body, the awakening of two types of Haki, and the newest scientific combat suit, is there anyone in the entire North Blue who is a match for Ichiji?"
Just then, a tall figure in a golden robe, holding a golden spear, walked over from the direction of the palace.
Seeing the man, Yonji and Niji, who were sitting on the rattan chairs, quickly stood up and respectfully shouted in unison, "Father!"
"Hmm," Judge said with a satisfied smile. He nodded and looked at Ichiji in the field. "Stop. I have a mission for you. Where's Reiju? Tell her to come over."
Ichiji, who was in the middle of a massive slaughter, heard this. The crimson color in his eyes receded, and he took back the punch he had thrown.
But the clone soldier who was swinging his long sword at him did not stop. He raised his long sword high and brought it down in a vertical slash.
"Stop," Judge said coldly.
The clone soldier's motion of raising his long sword for a vertical slash stopped in midair.
His wrist bones let out a crisp sound because he had suddenly stopped.
The remaining dozen or so clone soldiers also stopped their attacks on Ichiji. They stood ramrod straight in their positions, like robots that followed orders perfectly.
Ichiji turned and walked over. He took Yonji's golden pistol from his hand and, without looking, fired a dozen shots at the back of the clone soldiers.
As the bullets shot out with a series of bangs, the dozen or so clone soldiers who were standing tall and straight in the blood watched as their chests and foreheads were hit and pierced by Ichiji's pistol. Then, they fell to the ground one by one, and blood flowed from their bodies.
"How is the quality of this batch of clone soldiers?" Judge asked, looking down.
"Not bad. They are an improvement from the previous batch, but the coordination between them is still too poor. Let's send them back for a remake. I think we can use the lineage factors of some people with powerful bodies. For example, that Marine kid who almost beat Yonji to death. His body is very good. It's very suitable to be a research material and a clone sample."
Ichiji shook the blood off his hands and threw the golden pistol back to Yonji, but Yonji slapped it away.
Hearing Ichiji's rude mockery, Yonji gnashed his teeth in anger, and his face turned red.
"Hmph, have you not been beaten by him? You're laughing at me. Don't forget, the three of us were all defeated by him last time."
Ichiji gave him a cold glance. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "You were defeated twice."
"You!" Yonji was so angry he couldn't speak.
In the distance, Reiju, who had a pair of pink butterfly wings on her back, flew over like a graceful and beautiful butterfly. She landed lightly in front of them and glanced at the bloody mess in the open space nearby. A hint of unbearable sadness flashed in the depths of her eyes.
She also respectfully said to Judge, "Father."
Judge looked at his four most prized research subjects. His mouth curved into a smile, and he said, "Ichiji, Reiju, Niji, Yonji, next, I need you to go to the Lawrence Kingdom, the Rubneru Kingdom, the Flevance Kingdom, and the Abaro Kingdom, respectively."
Ichiji's eyes lit up, and he said happily, "Father, have you finally decided to start the war?"
"Yes. But before the official start of the war, I plan to give the four of them a chance, a chance to pledge their loyalty to the greatest Vinsmoke family in the North Blue without any bloodshed."
Judge said with a nod.
"Hmph, if there's no bloodshed, will they be truly loyal? I think you're still too merciful, Father. In my opinion, we should first use absolute military force to clean out those who dare to resist. We'll kill the brave ones, and the remaining timid ones won't be able to cause any trouble," Ichiji said coldly, crossing his arms.
At this moment, Reiju, who was standing to the side, spoke.
She looked at her father and said softly, "This is Father showing his benevolence. It is also a final ultimatum to the four countries. We have been as kind as we can be. If they still choose to stubbornly resist, then there's nothing more to be said. Furthermore, if we can subdue the four countries without starting a war, we can save a large amount of weapons and manpower and also have a large labor force. Father said that war is just a means to acquire profits. We need the labor force of the four countries to help us earn money, open various factories, expand Germa's business, and make the Vinsmoke family even stronger."
Judge was very satisfied with Reiju's words. He laughed twice and clapped his hands. "That's right. Reiju understands my mind perfectly. Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, you also need to remember that the Vinsmokes are starting a war only to achieve the great revival of the Germa Kingdom, to unify the North Blue, and to recreate the glory of the past, not for senseless killing and destruction."
However, the three of them were indifferent. They were only thinking about what kind of methods they could use to scare the kings of the four countries into submission and complete the mission their father gave them.
Yonji moved his wrist and said excitedly, "Father, do we go alone or with our army?"
"To demonstrate the overwhelming military might of Germa 66, which is enough to rule the North Blue, we must show them what the Germa war dock is. Each of you will take five thousand men and a war dock with you."
"What if they are stubborn and don't want to submit?" Niji asked again.
A cold smile appeared on Judge's face. He raised his hand and made a downward slicing motion. "If necessary, we'll start the war directly and take out the uncooperative royal families first!"
Hearing this, the three of them all laughed. They looked at each other, turned around, and marched away, beginning to gather their forces.
"I'll go to the Lawrence Kingdom," Yonji said.
"Then I'll go to the Abaro Kingdom," Niji said.
Ichiji's mouth turned up in a smile. He put on his combat suit. "Then I'll go to the Rubneru Kingdom. As for the remaining Flevance Kingdom, I'll leave it to you, Reiju. I heard there's a residue of Amber Lead Syndrome there. It's perfect for you since you're not afraid of poison."
Watching the three of them walk away, Reiju hesitated for a moment and then looked at Judge and asked, "Father, if we start a war so openly, won't it cause dissatisfaction from the World Government and the Navy?"
"Hmph, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. Even if they want to get involved, they have to be able to," Judge sneered. He then said softly, "Don't worry. I have already bribed the World Government. All they want is money. The Lawrence, Abaro, and Flevance kingdoms are all non-member countries. They are not within the protection of the World Government in the first place. These non-member countries not only fail to provide them with heavenly tribute, but they also often create unstable factors. For example, the emergence of forces like the Revolutionary Army. Now, we are not only helping to eliminate these unstable factors but are also paying the heavenly tribute for three kingdoms. Do you think the World Government will oppose us annexing them?"
"What about the Rubneru Kingdom? It seems to be a member country of the World Government," Reiju asked.
"So, I added more money. Two hundred fifty billion Berries in heavenly tribute for the four kingdoms," Judge said with a grin.
"Two hundred fifty billion Berries..." Reiju took a deep breath and said worriedly, "That's a bit too much. With the heavenly tribute from the Prince Kingdom, it means our Germa Kingdom will have to pay three hundred billion Berries in heavenly tribute every year. Father, that's a huge sum of money. We don't have that much."
"We will. Although these four countries may seem poor on the surface, their royal families and nobles are very rich. Besides, when the entire North Blue is under our Germa's control, how much heavenly tribute we pay will be up to us."
Seeing that Reiju still wanted to say something, Judge waved his hand. "That's enough. You can go now. I'm going to the Thousand Rocks Island to see if those foolish Marines, whose communications have been blocked, are causing any trouble."
End of Chapter)
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