"Hurry! Search every area thoroughly!"
Vinsmoke Judge stood atop the cat tank, issuing commands to clone soldiers in all directions.
The most cost-effective solution was undoubtedly to quickly locate the missing Marine.
"Why is Father so worked up? It's just a Marine missing in our territory. Why not just eliminate the Marine who came searching?" Niji lounged lazily on the cat tank's edge, fiddling with his blue hair while watching the busy clone soldiers.
"Niji, shut your mouth if you don't understand anything." Ichiji sat upright.
Though emotionless, his mind was more meticulous.
"Given Germa 66's current situation, we might dominate the North Blue, but against Marine Headquarters, it's best we keep our heads down for now."
"Ichiji, I don't understand a word you're saying," Yonji, the green-haired brother, stood up.
"But I'll just follow your lead."
"Speaking of which, where's Sanji?"
"Ah, that weakling? Don't bother with him. Probably went to that equally weak mother of his."
Vinsmoke Judge listened to his three sons' voices, feeling an inexplicable irritation.
They were his perfect creations, so why did this happen?
Especially when they mentioned Sanji and Sora...
"Enough chatter behind my back! Take some men and search elsewhere! That Marine must be brought back unharmed!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Absolute obedience, but without emotions, they couldn't comprehend his urgent order.
Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.
He was absolutely right!
Emotions were nothing but burdens, stumbling blocks for the strong.
****
"Having emotions isn't a bad thing," Michael raised a finger, addressing Reiju and Sanji.
"Emotions are what make us 'human.' Without them... you're just a powerful object that can never become truly strong."
Sanji nodded vaguely, while the older Reiju looked even more confused.
"Then... why? During training, I could only fight my younger brothers, who are two years younger than me to a draw?" Reiju frowned and said, "Father told me this is the drawback of having emotions—being unable to truly unleash one's full potential."
"Reiju, do you think your father is strong?"
"Very strong... I guess?"
Though Reiju gave an answer, it was clear she was very uncertain.
The reason was simple—aside from her father and the clone soldiers, Reiju had never seen any other "strong individuals."
"But in my eyes, your father is about like this." Michael extended his hand, forming a gesture with his thumb and forefinger that would absolutely never be allowed on air on tv.
"barely bigger than an insect."
"Wh-what?"
"That's right. Your father is far from strong in this vast ocean. Even in his most specialized field, there's someone named Vegapunk who completely outshines him." Michael shrugged and continued.
"So, a man who isn't even strong himself is telling you how to become truly strong? Don't you think that's laughable?"
Looking at Reiju's shocked expression, Michael took a satisfied sip of the coffee served by Ebony.
"This coffee has an exceptionally rich aroma... hand-ground?"
"No, instant."
"Cough, cough. The mighty Vinsmoke Family drinks instant coffee?"
"Because no one in the Vinsmoke Family drinks coffee. The instant coffee was from my personal stash."
Michael's lips twitched as he stared at the expressionless plump maid.
Nothing ruins a cool moment like someone calling your bluff!
After downing the remaining coffee in two gulps, Reiju asked hesitantly.
"...I still can't understand it."
"If you can't understand, it just means you're not strong yet" Michael said with his trademark kind smile.
"Physical imperfections won't stop you from growing stronger, but flaws of the heart are the true disabilities."
With that, he turned away from Reiju and walked to Sora bedside.
Half an hour had passed—it should be about time, right?
Even Rouge, who had been on death's door from physical exhaustion, had recovered after similar exposure to Holy Light's nurturing warmth.
And what he'd used on Sora was the Holy Healing Art, whose effects were magnitudes more powerful.
"Vinsmoke Sora, it's time to wake up."
As if responding to his command, Sora's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening...
Then she abruptly sat upright.
The speed of her movement bore no resemblance to the frail queen she'd been before.
She clenched her hands in disbelief, savoring the long-lost sensation of healthiness.
"You... truly healed me?"
"The fact that you can ask such a question suggests you never believed I could heal you in the first place," Michael teased, looking at Sora.
"Do you believe me now?"
Sora nodded blankly, and in the next moment, two small figures—one pink, one yellow—threw themselves into her arms.
"Waaah! Mother! You're really cured!?"
"Wow! Mom, are you better!? Did my cooking really help!?"
Reiju and Sanji buried themselves in Sora's embrace, their tears flowing like water from a broken dam.
This was precisely the kind of situation Michael could never comprehend.
"Uh, am I being too cold-hearted?" Michael whispered to Ebony. "Shouldn't this be a happy occasion? Why do people always cry?"
"You're asking why children cry?" Ebony sighed. "You might as well ask why the Grand Line has countless bizarre weather patterns—that question would be easier to answer than the first one."
Michael nodded.
What Ebony meant was...
Don't try to reason with a child's tear ducts.
"Uh, I think the three of them will need some more time for their tearful reunion... Got any more instant coffee?"
"...Must it be instant coffee?"
"At my age, wouldn't asking for fruit juice be a bit childish?"
By the time Ebony brought Michael his second cup of exotic fruit juice, the children's sobs had finally subsided.
And Sora finally rose from the large bed.
Michael narrowed his eyes slightly.
From their very first meeting, he'd sensed something familiar about this queen of Germa.
At first, he'd dismissed it as mere imagination.
But ever since Sora regained her health through the Holy Healing Art, the shadow of weakness dissipated from her face and this feeling grew even stronger.
"What's wrong, Michael? Do I look strange?"
"Not at all." Michael shook his head, immediately shifting into a composed demeanor as he smiled and said.
"Now then, we should discuss the matter concerning the Germa Kingdom, Queen Sora."
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