In a gloomy castle, three scientists in white lab coats—one old and two young—huddled together in terror.
The three horrified faces were lit up by the flickering electricity in Rorschach's hand, alternately bright and dark.
Rorschach pointed his finger, and the current spread out, instantly forming a massive, flashing web that illuminated the inside of the castle.
The interior was a large space, like a giant snail shell. The exterior castle eaves and spires were likely architectural decorations added by Vinsmoke Judge.
Inside this huge snail shell was a small mountain of stacked Beri. It was clear that these stacks of Beri had originally been wrapped in thick tarps and tied with ropes into large, neat squares. One of the squares, however, had a clean tear in its tarp.
Rorschach pursed his lips and glanced at the three Germa scientists in front of him. Seeing his gaze, the two young men immediately fell to the ground.
The older scientist, however, calmed down, knowing they couldn't possibly escape the man in front of them. He simply stood there brazenly, staring directly at Rorschach.
"Wow! So much money! My gosh, is Germa really that rich?"
Hibari, who had followed Rorschach in, was completely stunned by the mountain of Beri.
Rorschach, on the other hand, was very calm. Ever since he had seen the vault of the old ghoul Jonathan beneath the Hunter Association and the hundreds of thousands of tons of gold on Sky Island, this amount of Beri was a small-scale scene.
He was more interested in the origin of this money than the money itself.
He looked at the older scientist and asked, "Tell me, where were you taking this money? What has Judge been up to in the North Blue?"
"You… it's none of your business! I advise you to leave immediately, because we've already contacted His Majesty Judge. The most powerful Germa army in the North Blue will be here very soon."
A young man who had fallen to the ground shouted, his neck stiff.
The next moment, a tiny bolt of lightning shot from Rorschach's fingertip, piercing his forehead.
Boom!
With a muffled thud, the man's hair exploded. His eyes were turned into two murky fluids by the electricity, and he fell backward without a sound, immediately losing his life.
"Ah!" The man next to him shrieked in terror, scrambling backward on his hands and knees, hiding in a corner. He watched Rorschach with a pair of terrified eyes, trembling all over.
A yellow liquid flowed from his pants, pooling on the floor beneath him. He had been so frightened that he peed his pants.
This move by Rorschach not only terrified the scientists in front of him but also startled Hibari. No one had expected Rorschach to kill someone so suddenly.
Seeing Rorschach look at him again, the older man, who had been trying to stay calm, instantly broke down.
He trembled and knelt down, stuttering as he confessed everything about the Beri and the large-scale operation the Germa Kingdom was carrying out in the North Blue.
After hearing his story, both Rorschach and Hibari frowned.
"So things have gotten this serious? This means that as soon as this money is sent to Mariejois and accepted by the World Government, all of the Germa Kingdom's military activities in the North Blue will become completely legalized. Even if the Marines get wind of it, their superiors will order them not to interfere. Heh heh..."
"What a fitting move for the Celestial Dragons, and the World Government. They value money over people. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the Four North Blue Kingdoms are not worth as much as these 25 billion Beri."
Rorschach shook his head and laughed, unconcealed sarcasm in his eyes.
Hearing Rorschach's words, the old man's eyes widened. He couldn't believe Rorschach would dare to say such a thing. In his mind, no one dared to speak ill of the World Government.
Even the arrogant Judge, in private, would never say anything bad about the World Government or the Celestial Dragons. This was a disaster that could lead to an Admiral's capture. If the words leaked, he'd be dead.
Thinking this, the old man suddenly stared at Rorschach and said in a hoarse voice, "You... are you, could you be from the Revolutionary Army!"
"Huh?" Rorschach was stunned. Why bring up the Revolutionary Army?
"Don't pretend! Anyone who dares to openly attack our Germa Kingdom, raid the Warship, seize the Heavenly Tribute, and not put the World Government in their eyes—besides the Revolutionary Army that roams the seas, I can't think of anyone else." He let out a hoarse, miserable laugh and sat down on the ground dejectedly.
"No wonder those three poor, non-affiliated countries had the courage to challenge the Germa army. It turns out you in the Revolutionary Army were pulling the strings!"
"Huh?" Rorschach and Hibari's mouths dropped open.
"Hmph! Still pretending! Isn't this what you came for?"
The old man indignantly pulled a sealed letter from his pocket and threw it on the ground. He angrily said, "I knew our Den Den Mushi communication had been bugged by the Revolutionary Army for a long time. Even when His Majesty Judge tried to tell the World Government about the Revolutionary Army in the North Blue by sending a letter, it was intercepted by you. Hahaha..."
He laughed wretchedly, "I advised His Majesty not to get involved with the Revolutionary Army. Our Germa Kingdom is powerful, but we are nothing compared to the World Government. However, the Revolutionary Army has become a huge concern for the World Government. The Revolutionary Army's leader, Dragon, is incredibly strong.
How could we be his match? But His Majesty Judge thought that by sending a letter instead of using a Den Den Mushi, he could quietly contact the World Government and have them send people to destroy the Revolutionary Army.
He thought this would increase the Germa Kingdom's standing in the eyes of the World Government. Heh heh heh, I knew at the time that the news would leak. And now, it seems it has. You intercepted it!"
"The three non-affiliated countries have the Revolutionary Army secretly supporting them? Damn it, I thought I was just here to deal with Judge in the North Blue, but now it's getting mixed up with Dragon. This is a headache... I hope this doesn't turn into a huge mess. I'm not an Admiral. If Dragon forces me to join the Revolutionary Army, that would be truly difficult."
Rorschach suddenly had a headache. Just moments ago, he was thinking he had hit the jackpot. Unexpectedly, things took a turn, and now he had an even bigger problem.
He looked at the letter passed to him by Hibari and read Judge's handwritten message to the Five Elders. He couldn't help but feel relieved.
'Thank goodness.'
He was fortunate to have stumbled upon this. Not only had he seized the Heavenly Tribute, but he had also intercepted this secret letter.
"Hmm? So, since the World Government didn't receive this money, doesn't that mean Judge's actions in the North Blue are illegal?" A smile returned to Rorschach's face.
This meant he could still intervene in the North Blue mess. Although Rorschach would have acted even if the World Government had received the money, now there was one less obstacle, so he could be a bit more brazen.
'Judge, Judge, you should check your calendar before you leave home next time.'
His mood improved, and Rorschach looked at the dejected old man again, curious. "By the way, how did your ship fall from the sky? Did the Den Den Mushi lose its footing?"
"Didn't you attack us? Since things have come to this, why do you continue to humiliate us? Since we've fallen into your hands, you can kill us or cut us up however you like!" The old man spoke in a formal tone again.
"We didn't attack you! We just came from the Reverse Mountain and saw money falling from the sky, and then your ship crashed down," Hibari said.
"You didn't attack us?" The old man was surprised. With Rorschach's power, which could instantly eliminate all the clone soldiers on the ship, there was no need for him to lie.
But if Rorschach didn't attack them, then why did they fall from the sky for no reason while climbing up the Red Line?
Even though they were carrying several hundred tons of cargo, it was far from the limit of the large Den Den Mushi's transportation capacity. The Germa had traveled this path at least eighty times before without any incident. How could something go wrong for no reason now?
Seeing the old man lost in thought, Rorschach asked again, "You were transporting so much money; why did Judge feel so confident not to send anyone to escort it?"
"Someone was escorting it in the beginning. Prince Ichiji, Prince Niji, Prince Yonji, and Princess Reiju were all personally escorting it. But they turned back after the Warship started climbing the Red Line. It takes a few days for the large Den Den Mushi carrying a heavy load to climb up the 10,000-meter-high Red Line. They are busy trying to unify the North Blue and don't have time to waste here."
The old man answered Rorschach's question truthfully, hiding nothing.
"I see." Rorschach suddenly understood. It seemed the Den Den Mushi had already been climbing the Red Line for some time.
"One last question," Rorschach said, looking at the dejected old man. "As a Germa scientist, what kind of work were you normally responsible for?"
"Hmm?" The old man's dead eyes suddenly moved.
He looked up at Rorschach. He wondered if Rorschach valued his scientific ability and wanted to recruit him into the Revolutionary Army. It made sense. Ever since its establishment, the Revolutionary Army had become a thorn in the World Government's side.
To grow stronger and fight against the World Government, they needed to not only incite non-affiliated countries but also recruit talent in various fields. Scientists, especially those in research, were a valuable asset to any faction.
Regardless of what kind of human modification experiments or poisonous gas experiments these scientists had done in the past, as long as they were willing to work for a group, they would be treated like honored guests.
Thinking this, the old man's desire to survive was sparked by Rorschach's question. He immediately said loudly, "In the Germa Kingdom, I was responsible for researching the cultivation of clone soldiers and shortening their growth cycle.
Thanks to my efforts over the years, we've successfully shortened the time it takes to cultivate elite soldiers from five or ten years to three years. Just think, in just three years, with a large investment of money,
I can continuously produce countless clone soldiers for your Revolutionary Army who are not afraid of death and completely obey orders! I am willing to join the Revolutionary Army. Just give me some manpower, and I can immediately set up a clone soldier production line for you..."
Rorschach raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to be a technical expert."
"What 'expert'?" The old man didn't understand.
"It means you're a very powerful scientist," Rorschach said with a smile.
When the old man heard this, a brilliant smile appeared on his face. The fear in his heart disappeared. He stood up from the ground, extended his hand to Rorschach, and said with a smile, "Hello, let me introduce myself. I am..."
Crack!
A flashing electric arc shot from Rorschach's finger, piercing his forehead.
The old man's smile froze. He stood stiff for a few seconds, still smiling, and then fell to the ground with a thud.
Seeing this, the young man huddled in the corner was about to scream. The next second, a bolt of electricity also pierced his forehead, turning his brain into charcoal.
"Big Brother Rorschach, why did you..." Hibari looked at him, confused.
Rorschach said softly, "News of this place cannot be leaked. No one on this ship can stay alive."
He saw the look on Hibari's face, as if she wanted to speak, and reached out to pat her head. He said gently, "These scientists are not good people. It's no great loss for them to die. As for the clone soldiers outside, heh, they have no will of their own. After they are made, they either go to the battlefield or are destroyed and melted down to be remade. Are such people really human? I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that the Marine Science Unit also makes clone soldiers, like the Bartholomew Kuma clones and the Pacifista war machines they are currently researching."
Hibari nodded.
"Fundamentally, the nature of the two is the same: to create powerful warriors for the battlefield. I won't defend our Marines on this point."
Rorschach sighed and said somberly, "But first, this is an unstoppable trend, one that our little bit of power can't stop. Secondly, this turbulent sea needs powerful weapons that can change the course of large-scale wars. We can't change this chaotic era with just a few people. If needed, I can contribute my own lineage factor and let Lilith and the others create tens of thousands of Rorschachs. That is, if it can truly change the world."
Hibari nodded again. "I understand, Big Brother Rorschach."
"Good. Let's go. We need to handle this ship."
Immediately, the two flew out of the Warship. Rorschach once again unleashed a powerful plasma torrent, killing all the clone soldiers on the ship and throwing their bodies into the sea.
The high-intensity lightning melted a large amount of steel on the Warship, stretching it into a huge box in the air. Rorschach manipulated this large box, water-cooled it with seawater, and then put all the Beri from the Warship inside, levitating it beside him with magnetism.
After doing all this, he looked at the huge snail ship suspended in front of him. He opened the fingers of his right hand, and electricity flickered from his fingertips, as a terrifying energy wave began to rise.
Just as Rorschach was about to unleash a final attack to completely destroy the Warship, the head of the large Den Den Mushi suddenly emerged from the shell.
It looked like a super-sized Den Den Mushi. At this moment, the super-sized Den Den Mushi blinked its large eyes in a very human-like way, looking at Rorschach in fear. Tears flowed from its eyes, making it look very pitiful.
Hibari pulled on Rorschach's hand and asked in surprise, "Big Brother Rorschach, is it begging for mercy? Does it have intelligence?"
"I don't think so. I think it's probably out of biological instinct." Rorschach shook his head.
As he spoke, the electricity in his hand appeared again.
Seeing a terrifying ball of lightning about to shoot from Rorschach's hand, the face of the super-sized Den Den Mushi actually morphed into Hibari's face. Tears flowed from its eyes, too, and it looked at Rorschach with a pitiful expression.
"Uh..."
Rorschach's hand stopped in mid-air.
This Den Den Mushi seemed to have some intelligence after all. It knew how to beg him for mercy in this way.
"Big Brother Rorschach, can you let it go? I feel so sorry for it." Hibari looked at the pitiful super-sized Den Den Mushi and felt a pang of pity.
Rorschach stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
"Heh, I'll listen to you."
The electricity in his hand flashed, and the accumulated lightning still shot out. To the Den Den Mushi's terrified gaze, it struck the heavy fortress, the deck, and the outer wheel on its back.
With a series of loud cracking sounds, a large number of rocks, planks, and steel materials were precisely broken apart by the power of the lightning and detached from the Den Den Mushi's body. Rorschach controlled the power of the lightning perfectly, not harming the Den Den Mushi in the slightest.
A moment later, the super-sized Den Den Mushi, which was more than fifty meters long, got rid of its heavy and bloated form and returned to being a magnified Den Den Mushi.
After being freed, the Den Den Mushi was confused for a long time. Then, the face that had morphed into Hibari's face showed a happy, cheerful smile.
Tears once again surged from its eyes. To the astonishment of Rorschach and Hibari, it lowered its large, soft head and lay suspended in mid-air.
Rorschach scratched his head. "What does it mean by that?"
Hibari let out a small laugh. "It's showing its submission to you, Big Brother Rorschach. You might have just gotten a super-sized Den Den Mushi little brother. Hee hee, how interesting."
Rorschach smiled wryly, waved his hand to create a current of air, and placed the large Den Den Mushi on the surface of the sea. It could swim very well, so there was no need to worry about it drowning.
Hibari looked down and saw the Den Den Mushi floating on the sea, still looking up at them. She couldn't help but find it amusing.
"Go on! You're free now! See you again sometime!" Hibari waved to it.
Rorschach smiled and led Hibari back to the warship, controlling the Beri inside the large iron box as they flew toward the Red Line above them.
Hibari was stunned. "Big Brother Rorschach, where are we going?"
"To hide the money and, by the way, to see what the inside of this massive Red Line is like."
"The inside of the Red Line?" Hibari didn't understand. But a moment later, she knew what Rorschach meant.
On the cliff face of the Red Line, seven or eight kilometers above sea level, Rorschach accurately found a spot where a rock had once broken off and hit it with a wave of his hand.
The cliff face in front of them exploded with a bang, revealing a large hole more than ten meters in diameter.
The hole was bottomless, winding and twisting like a giant labyrinth. There was no telling where the other end led.
Rorschach threw the large iron box containing the Beri into the hole. He swept his Observation Haki around, looked at the dazed Hibari, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"A long dike can be destroyed by an ant hole. Who would have thought that a space this huge had already been carved out inside the Red Line?"
(End of Chapter)
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