After several long minutes, the Vinsmoke family's emotions finally began to settle down. Sora's eyes were still slightly red from crying, but her smile seemed determined to stay on her face. Sanji and Reiju remained close to her, while their three brothers struggled to make sense of the feelings that had just turned their entire existence upside down.
Taking advantage of the return to calm, Sora suggested that we head to the royal mansion located on Germa 66's main ship. Fortunately, it had been spared by my gigantic whirlpool and the various battles. The surrounding buildings had suffered some damage, but the royal residence had remained practically intact.
"I think we'll be much more comfortable inside," Sora said with a warm smile. "And after everything you've done for my family, I'd at least like to offer you a proper meal."
"A FEAST?!" Luffy immediately exclaimed.
I turned toward our captain, whose eyes were already sparkling with excitement.
"Luffy, she said a meal, not necessarily a feast."
"Same thing!"
Sora burst into a soft laugh.
"In that case, we'll organize a feast."
"YOOOOH!"
I sighed as I watched Luffy throw his arms into the air. He had probably already formed an excellent opinion of Germa's new queen.
Before heading to the mansion, however, we still had one last problem to deal with: the thousands of clone soldiers who were beginning to regain consciousness throughout the floating kingdom.
I expected to have to intervene to prevent another battle, but Sora had a pleasant surprise in store for us.
When creating his army, Judge had kept his wife's old command authorizations intact. Despite her death several years earlier, he had never bothered to remove her authority from Germa's systems. Perhaps out of negligence, or simply because he believed that a dead person could never return to challenge his power.
Needless to say, that decision had just backfired spectacularly.
When Sora addressed the first clone officers, they immediately recognized her identity and knelt before her.
"Queen Sora! We await your orders!"
The young woman seemed slightly surprised to discover that her authority was still recognized, but she quickly regained her confidence.
"Immediately cease all hostilities toward the Straw Hat Pirates. Treat the wounded, recover the soldiers who fell into the sea, and begin repairing the damaged ships."
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
The soldiers immediately dispersed to relay her instructions.
I looked at Sora with an amused smile.
"Well, that certainly makes things considerably easier."
She responded with a small laugh.
"For once, Judge's obsession with control has actually served a useful purpose."
"That's for sure. I'd much rather see these soldiers repairing their ships than trying to kill us."
We were finally able to reach the royal mansion without encountering the slightest resistance. The servants, initially astonished to see their queen alive again, quickly got to work after receiving her instructions. Several of them even seemed particularly happy to see her return, which led me to believe that Sora had left behind fond memories during her first reign.
A few hours later, we were all seated around an enormous table in the banquet hall.
Germa's kitchens had clearly been ordered not to skimp on the portions. Platters piled high with roasted meats, fish, vegetables, pastries, and fruit covered almost the entire table. Several servants continued bringing out new dishes while Luffy was already devouring everything within his reach.
Sanji had naturally offered to help the cooks, but Sora had asked him to stay beside her.
"You'll have plenty of time to show me your cooking skills later, sweetheart. For now, I'd simply like to enjoy having you here."
The cook had blushed all the way to his ears before agreeing with an emotional smile.
Kazuki, seated beside him, gently held his hand beneath the table. From time to time, she exchanged a few words with Sora, who seemed particularly happy to get to know the young woman her son had fallen in love with.
For my part, I was watching the other three Vinsmoke brothers with great interest.
The change was honestly spectacular.
Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji had retained their knowledge, memories, and physical abilities, but emotionally, they were almost like children discovering the world for the first time.
Ichiji tried to maintain his usual serious demeanor, but his gaze regularly betrayed his confusion. He seemed to think much longer before speaking, as though he were suddenly discovering that his words could affect other people's feelings.
Niji, meanwhile, appeared particularly unsettled by certain reactions from his fellow diners. Whenever he made a tactless remark, he almost immediately looked toward his mother, clearly trying to determine whether he had done something wrong.
Yonji was probably the most expressive of the three. He could go from overflowing enthusiasm to almost childish embarrassment in a matter of seconds, without always understanding why his emotions were changing so quickly.
At one point, he grabbed a dish that one of the servants had just placed in front of him.
"Hey! Why didn't you bring this one out sooner?!"
The servant immediately stiffened.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness..."
"Yonji."
There was nothing aggressive about Sora's voice, but it was enough to interrupt her son.
He immediately turned toward her.
"Yes, Mom?"
"This servant has just spent several hours preparing and carrying our meal. Do you think he deserves to be spoken to like that?"
Yonji looked at the servant, then at the dish he was holding.
"I... I don't know."
Sora gave him a patient smile.
"Then think about it. What did he do wrong?"
Yonji remained silent for a few seconds.
"Nothing, I guess..."
"And why did you shout at him?"
"Because..."
He frowned.
"Because I wanted this dish earlier."
"Is that a good enough reason to mistreat someone?"
Yonji lowered his head slightly.
"No..."
He finally turned toward the servant.
"Uh... Sorry. And thanks for the meal."
The man stood there with his mouth hanging open.
I had to admit that seeing a prince of Germa spontaneously apologize to a servant was quite an unexpected sight.
Sora seemed particularly pleased with this first small victory.
"Very good, Yonji."
The young man immediately straightened up, visibly happy to have earned her approval.
I leaned slightly toward Nami.
"I feel like I'm watching three six-foot-tall children go through a crash course in manners."
She stifled a laugh behind her hand.
"That's exactly what it is."
Sora had clearly realized that her sons would need much more than a few explanations to learn how to live with their new emotions. She therefore set down her cutlery and waited until all three brothers were paying attention to her.
"Ichiji, Niji, Yonji. I'd like to teach you three principles that I want you to try to follow from now on."
The three young men immediately turned toward her.
"Orders?" Ichiji asked.
Sora gently shook her head.
"No, sweetheart. Principles. I don't want you to simply obey me without thinking. I want you to learn to understand why certain things are right or wrong."
This distinction seemed to confuse Ichiji.
"But if you tell us what we should do, why would we need to think about it any further?"
"Because one day, I might not be there to advise you. And when that day comes, I want you to be capable of making your own decisions."
The three brothers exchanged glances.
Sora raised one finger.
"First, never look down on someone simply because you can."
She paused for a few seconds to make sure they were listening carefully.
"Being stronger, smarter, or wealthier than someone else doesn't give you the right to humiliate them. You can disagree with someone, criticize them for making a mistake, or even get angry, but that doesn't mean you should deliberately hurt them for no reason."
Niji frowned slightly.
"And what if that person really is weaker than us?"
"That changes nothing," Sora replied. "Their weakness doesn't make them any less valuable."
Sanji, who had been listening silently from the beginning, gave a faint smile.
"That's something old man Zeff taught me in his own way."
Sora gave him an affectionate look before continuing.
"Second, never take a life unless you truly have no other choice."
This time, the three brothers seemed much more attentive.
"You're soldiers, and I know perfectly well that you've been trained to fight. I'm not asking you to let yourselves be killed if someone attacks you. But there's a difference between neutralizing an opponent and killing them when it isn't necessary."
Ichiji crossed his arms.
"However, eliminating an enemy prevents them from coming back to attack us."
"That's sometimes true," Sora acknowledged. "But is that a reason to systematically kill everyone who opposes you?"
Ichiji opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
He seemed to seriously consider the question.
"I... I'd never thought about it that way."
"And that's precisely why I'm asking you to think before you act."
I nodded slightly. Sora wasn't trying to impose a rigid moral code on them. She wanted to give them the tools to understand their own decisions, which seemed far more useful to me for three young men who had only just discovered their emotions.
Finally, she raised a third finger.
"And third, never abuse your royal status to mistreat the people who work for you."
Yonji instinctively glanced at the servant he had just apologized to.
Sora continued gently.
"You are the princes of Germa, but that doesn't mean the servants should have to put up with your whims or humiliation. They work for our kingdom and deserve to be treated with respect."
She paused briefly.
"I would have liked to talk to you about our people, but Germa is an unusual kingdom. We don't have a permanent civilian population like other nations. Our maritime kingdom is mainly made up of clone soldiers, servants, and personnel responsible for keeping everything running."
That was when I spoke up.
"Which changes absolutely nothing. A clone is still a living being capable of suffering, and a servant isn't an object."
Sora nodded.
"Exactly."
Niji thoughtfully observed the soldiers standing guard near the doors.
"Yet they were created to obey."
"Maybe," I replied. "But being designed to perform a task doesn't mean you deserve to be mistreated. You can give them orders without treating them like trash."
I pointed toward Luffy, who had just thanked a servant after receiving another mountain of meat.
"Look at our captain. He commands an entire crew, but he doesn't consider anyone beneath him."
Luffy immediately raised his head.
"Huh? Are you talking about me?"
"Yes, Luffy. Keep eating."
"Okay!"
He immediately buried his face in his plate again, prompting several bursts of laughter around the table.
Even Ichiji cracked a smile.
A genuine smile, this time.
Sora immediately noticed his expression, and her eyes glistened with emotion. She still seemed to be struggling to believe that she could finally see her sons displaying something other than the arrogance and indifference Judge had forced upon them.
"You don't have to understand everything today," she explained. "You'll make mistakes, and you'll probably hurt someone without meaning to at times. What matters is learning from those mistakes and trying to become better people."
Yonji timidly raised his hand.
"Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"If we follow those three principles... Will you be proud of us?"
Sora remained silent for a fraction of a second.
Then she stood up and approached him, gently placing a hand against his cheek.
"I'm already happy to have you back, Yonji. And I'll be proud of you every time you make an effort to become better people."
The young man lowered his eyes, visibly unable to understand why such a simple answer made him want to cry.
Ichiji and Niji watched the scene without saying a word.
But I noticed that they both seemed to be waiting for their turn.
Sora realized it as well.
She opened her arms.
"Come here, all three of you."
The three brothers barely hesitated before getting up to join their mother. Sora hugged them as best she could despite their size, while Reiju watched them with an affectionate smile.
Sanji, meanwhile, seemed torn between amusement and emotion.
"They really do look like three little kids..."
Kazuki gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow.
"And you haven't spent the last ten minutes asking your mother for hugs, have you?"
"KAZUKI-CHWAAAN! THAT WAS DIFFERENT!"
"Of course, my love."
I burst out laughing when I saw Sanji blush all the way to his ears.
In the end, this day had taken a turn that nobody could have predicted just a few hours earlier. We had come to defend Sanji against a family that wanted to forcibly bring him back to Germa, and now we found ourselves invited to a banquet organized by his resurrected mother.
Judge was gone, his children were discovering their emotions, and the floating kingdom now had a ruler who seemed far more interested in the well-being of its inhabitants than in conquering the seas.
I calmly took a sip of my drink as I watched the reunited family.
It'll probably take them months, perhaps even years, to learn how to live normally.
But seeing Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji awkwardly wrapping their arms around their mother, I couldn't help smiling.
At least they now have someone to show them the way.
"So this is where you've been!" a familiar voice called out, accompanied by a long sigh.
I turned toward the entrance of the banquet hall and spotted Dextremih and Xurok coming through the large doors. Both seemed to have spent quite some time looking for us, and Dextremih's slightly annoyed expression confirmed that they probably hadn't appreciated discovering our disappearance.
I stood up to welcome them, while several servants hurried to bring over two additional chairs. Dextremih quickly surveyed the people present, lingering for a few seconds on Sora and her children before turning her attention back to me.
"Do you have any idea how enormous this kingdom is? We had to cross several buildings before a soldier finally agreed to tell us where you were."
"Sorry, we've been a little busy," I replied with a smile. "Between resurrecting Sora, transforming Judge, and the family reunion, I didn't really think to let you know."
Xurok simply shrugged.
"At least everything seems to have turned out well."
"Better than well," Dextremih replied, examining the room. "But actually, since we're here, I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss an interesting possibility."
She turned toward Sora and bowed slightly, immediately adopting a much more diplomatic attitude.
"Your Majesty, I have a question concerning Germa's scientific facilities. Would it be possible for Xurok and me to gain access to your cloning equipment?"
The request immediately caught my attention. I stopped smiling and watched Dextremih curiously, while several members of the crew interrupted their conversations.
Sora, for her part, seemed slightly surprised.
"You wish to be cloned?"
"Exactly. We both work in a field where having several competent agents would represent a considerable advantage. However, before requesting official authorization, I'd like to know the limitations of your technology."
Sora thoughtfully raised a hand to her chin.
"Naturally, I'm familiar with the principles of cloning and genetic manipulation. I worked in scientific research myself once, but Judge's experiments took a very different direction from my own work. So I'd rather not give you inaccurate information."
She turned toward her daughter.
"Reiju, could you explain exactly what our current facilities are capable of?"
Reiju nodded before setting down her glass.
"Of course, Mom. In fact, our laboratories' capabilities are quite impressive. Theoretically, we can clone any individual from a sufficiently viable biological sample."
She briefly gestured toward the soldiers standing guard near the doors.
"The resulting clones aren't merely physical copies. They also inherit the knowledge and skills of the original individual. An experienced fighter will therefore produce a clone that already possesses their combat expertise, while a scientist will pass their knowledge on to their copy."
I raised my eyebrows slightly.
"Wait a second. You mean a clone of Xurok would immediately know how to move stealthily, infiltrate a building, and carry out the same missions as him, without having to start his training from scratch?"
"Exactly," Reiju confirmed. "He might naturally need some time to adjust to his own existence, but his skills would already be there."
Xurok crossed his arms, visibly interested.
"That could save us several years of training."
"There are certain limitations, however," Reiju continued. "Devil Fruits cannot be reproduced this way. A clone of a Devil Fruit user therefore won't automatically possess the powers of the original. The same applies to certain traits associated with special racial bloodlines, which our technology cannot faithfully reproduce."
She paused briefly before concluding.
"Apart from these exceptions, the copies are normally identical to their originals, both physically and in terms of knowledge and skills."
I slowly sat back down, considering the possibilities this technology had just opened up.
Dextremih already possessed excellent mastery of espionage, infiltration, and intelligence gathering. As for Xurok, his ability to move silently and his experience in covert operations made him a particularly valuable agent.
Being able to multiply individuals who already possessed their skills represented an opportunity that was difficult to ignore.
Sora seemed to reach a similar conclusion, as she smiled at the two of them.
"I see no reason to deny you access to our facilities. After all, your crew has just saved my family and brought me back to life. However, I'd like to propose a small arrangement."
Dextremih inclined her head slightly.
"We're listening, Your Majesty."
"As you may have noticed, I unfortunately don't possess my children's physical abilities. I can defend myself to a certain extent, but I'm far from being a fighter capable of facing Germa's most dangerous enemies."
She cast an affectionate glance at Sanji, then at her other sons.
"And even though I know they'll protect me, I don't want to force them to remain constantly by my side. They should be free to live their own lives."
Sanji immediately gave her a smile.
"Mom, if anyone tries to hurt you, I'll come kick their ass, no matter where I am!"
"I don't doubt that for a second, sweetheart," she replied tenderly. "But I'd still like to have a competent personal guard."
She turned her attention back to Dextremih and Xurok.
"In exchange for using our laboratories, I'd simply like to keep a few clones of each of you to serve as my personal bodyguards."
Dextremih seemed to consider the proposal, while Xurok was already turning toward me.
"Jordan?"
I raised a hand to indicate that I understood.
"Personally, I have no objections. But I'd like to add two conditions."
Sora gestured for me to continue.
"First, we'll wait until Dextremih and Xurok have completed their training before proceeding with the cloning."
Dextremih frowned slightly.
"Why wait? We could already start building our network."
"Because the clones possess the skills of their originals at the moment they're created, right?"
Reiju nodded.
"That's correct."
"In that case, we might as well wait until you're both at your best. Your training should be finished in about two months. If we clone you now, your copies won't benefit from the progress you make during that time."
Xurok slowly nodded.
"That makes sense. Waiting two months to obtain dozens of better-trained agents is an investment that's more than worth it."
"Not to mention that Sora will benefit from it as well," I added. "Her bodyguards will be much more capable."
The queen immediately smiled.
"In that case, I have no reason to object. I'd rather wait two months and receive better protection."
I then raised a second finger.
"My second condition concerns another clone. I'd like you to create one of me. Just one, and I insist that no other copies of my body be produced."
This time, several people around the table turned toward me.
Nami looked at me curiously.
"You want a clone of yourself? What for?"
I gave her a mysterious smile.
"Let's just say I could find a use for him."
"Jordan..."
"What?"
"Whenever you get that look on your face, it usually means you're planning something completely ridiculous."
I placed a hand over my chest, pretending to be offended.
"You wound me, sweetheart. I'm a perfectly reasonable man."
"Of course you are," she replied with a teasing smile.
Reiju, however, seemed much more interested in the scientific aspect of my request.
"We can certainly create a copy of your body, but I should warn you that we don't know how your unusual power will react to cloning. And as I just explained, your Devil Fruit won't be reproduced."
"No problem. I'm not trying to get a second giant crocodile. A body identical to mine will be enough."
Sora exchanged a glance with her daughter before nodding.
"In that case, I accept that condition as well. We'll produce only one clone of you, and no additional copies will be authorized."
"Perfect!"
Dextremih seemed satisfied with our agreement and finally took a seat at the table, while Xurok settled down beside her.
As for me, I was already beginning to grasp the implications of this discovery.
Germa's cloning technology could completely transform our intelligence network.
Until now, training a new agent had required an enormous amount of time. You had to teach them how to move silently, observe without being noticed, gather intelligence, and above all, keep their cool in dangerous situations. And that was only based on my own training experience.
Even with the best training methods, it would take months, perhaps even years, to produce a truly competent spy. Just look at the original CP9 agents. They were the elite, yet there were so few of them.
But with this technology, everything changed.
If I could produce several copies of Dextremih and Xurok, I would immediately have experienced agents capable of carrying out complex missions without having to start from scratch.
And that wasn't even the most interesting part.
I already possessed a method of altering someone's physical appearance using my shadows.
I had notably used it on Luffy during our visit to Lamini, when I gave him the appearance of his grandfather, Garp.
A single shadow had been enough to completely transform his outward appearance.
So, if I applied that technique to the clones...
A smile slowly spread across my face.
I could send agents possessing Xurok's or Dextremih's skills into the field under completely different appearances. Men, women, elderly people, or even individuals resembling people who were already known.
The possibilities for infiltration were becoming practically limitless.
One clone could pose as an ordinary merchant in a port, another as a servant in a palace, and a third as an ordinary traveler boarding a merchant ship.
And unlike actual recruits, they would already possess the knowledge necessary to carry out their missions properly.
Naturally, we would need to organize their chain of command, loyalty, and means of communication, but those problems seemed much easier to solve than training dozens of spies from childhood. Especially if the clones retained the connection I shared with these two Nobodies. I just hoped that wouldn't be considered a special bloodline.
Two months... In just two months, our intelligence network could take an enormous leap forward.
I let out a small, satisfied chuckle.
Nami, who had clearly noticed my expression, gave me a gentle nudge with her elbow.
"What are you plotting now?"
I turned toward her with an innocent smile.
"Nothing in particular. I'm simply thinking about the future of our organization."
She narrowed her eyes.
"That's exactly what worries me."
I chuckled softly before picking up my glass again.
(Author's Note:
And that's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it.
I still have three islands left to visit in the North Blue. After that, I'm hesitating between heading straight for the Grand Line or finishing the other two Blues first, since the first part of my story is literally called Four Blue. ^^
I won't be setting up a poll because I've already written quite a few plotlines and other ideas.
And as I explained at the beginning, things will work a bit like a video game or the original One Piece: as long as the crew isn't there, the major events won't take place.)