Inside the practice room.
The girls froze at the voice from outside.
Big snails sailing through the sea? What the hell is that?
"Come on, let's go outside and take a look." Hana's curiosity lit up her face.
Perona floated into the air, laughing. "Giant snails that can navigate the sea? That must be interesting, horohorohoro…"
This time Drake stopped practicing on his own, without Baccarat needing to say a word.
"Come." His tone was calm, but his eyes sharpened. If I'm right, we've run into the Vinsmoke family.
Betty exhaled smoke, her voice steady. "Looks like Drake knows exactly what these so‑called giant snails are."
Baccarat smiled sweetly. "Of course. Whoever they are, they must have a powerful background."
The group followed Drake to the terrace, whispering among themselves.
"The captain is here. Seems our luck has come again, Wiiiihahahaha…" Burgess roared with excitement at the sight of the massive snail.
Doc Q's twisted grin spread. "Hopefully it's a newcomer. I want someone strong to test."
Lafitte adjusted his top hat. "This is the first time I've seen snails used as ships."
Law's cold voice cut through. "Slower than a vessel, but useful in certain weather conditions."
"Boss, let's switch ships!" Pato hopped with enthusiasm. "These giant snails are amazing. Let's use one!"
Hana rolled her eyes. "All you do is play. Go fish instead."
Perona's eyes sparkled. "They're so big… how fascinating!"
Drake's voice silenced them. "Stay on course. Do not deviate. I will meet their leader."
In an instant, he vanished from the deck.
Burgess shrugged. "The captain has other plans. He won't let us join."
Doc Q chuckled darkly. "Why not steer closer to the shells and see who they are?"
Lafitte tapped his cane politely. "If you do, you'll be the first to die when the captain returns."
Law's tone was ice. "Approach the snails and you'll anger him. Your death will be certain."
Perona pouted. "This princess really wants to see the big snails, but that bad boy won't let me. Hmpf~~"
Betty remained calm. "Drake has his reasons. Let's move on."
Germa 66 military planning room.
"Hahahahaha… That battle was too easy. If wars are like this, we'll earn money effortlessly!" Yonji leaned back, legs crossed, laughing loudly.
Niji's cruel smile widened. "Too bad the enemy surrendered so quickly. I wanted to kill more."
"I crave blood. That feeling is so good, hahaha…"
Ichiji folded his arms, his voice cold. "I haven't killed enough. Next time, I'll slaughter more."
Reiju sighed inwardly. She despised this family. To her, they were bloodthirsty monsters, devoid of affection. Being part of them filled her with sorrow.
Judge's voice thundered. "Enough. Killing isn't the goal. Missions are what matter. As mercenaries, we must complete contracts and earn wealth. Only by fulfilling missions and amassing riches can we prepare to dominate the North Blue once again."
His fist clenched tightly, his eyes blazing. "Germa 66 will fight for the North Blue and restore our former glory!"
At that moment, a calm voice interrupted.
"Excuse me… Vinsmoke Judge."
With a whoosh, Drake appeared in the hall, hands folded, his gaze steady. "I already have a plan. If we cooperate, in less than five years the Germa Kingdom will reign again over the North Blue. Are you interested in this cooperation?"
The five froze, stunned. No one had heard him enter.
They turned quickly toward the intruder.
A young man stood before them, dressed entirely in black. His red hair was wild, his mismatched eyes—one green, one purple—glowed with calm intensity. Handsome, fearless, his aura was predatory, ferocious. One glance was enough to know he was no ordinary man.
"Who are you?" Ichiji and Niji demanded in unison, shock etched on their faces.
…
Drake ignored their surprise. His voice was calm, unwavering. "I am Drake Fathom, captain of the Black Sun Pirates. You may also think of me as a Shichibukai—because soon, I will be one."
The five members of the Vinsmoke family exchanged questioning glances.
Drake?
None of them had ever heard that name.
Yonji sneered, his tone dripping with scorn. "Do you think you can become a Shichibukai? Stop dreaming! Do you even know what the Shichibukai are? They are great pirates recognized by the World Government. And you—want to be one? Don't make me laugh!!"
Niji's expression turned icy, his voice cruel. "You dare to be arrogant in front of us? Don't worry, I won't kill you… not before I torture you, hehe…"
Ichiji, the most decisive, rose to his feet, ready to strike.
"Stop, Ichiji!!"
Judge, more experienced, raised his hand. His cold gaze fixed on Drake, but his smile was serious. "Young man, you said you wanted to talk about cooperation. Then tell me your plan."
For Judge, fighting for the North Blue was everything. As long as there was even a sliver of hope, he would not waste it. Whatever happened, he would listen to this young man's thoughts.
Hearing their father's command, Ichiji and his brothers reluctantly backed down, silenced.
Reiju leaned against the sofa, legs crossed, her delicate chin resting on her hand. Her eyes studied Drake with quiet interest. With a woman's intuition, she sensed the truth—this man was powerful. In her heart, she knew: even if all five of them fought together, they would not be his match.
Drake ignored her gaze and spoke lightly, his tone calm and unwavering. "I will enter the Grand Line soon. I will defeat Crocodile and become a Shichibukai. Next, I will go to the New World, attack a country not allied to the Government, and claim it as my base."
He paused, then added: "I forgot to mention—I have already contacted other Shichibukai to form an organization: the Shichibukai Alliance. Currently, Doflamingo, King of Dressrosa, and Boa Hancock, Queen of Amazon Lily, are members."
Drake's mismatched eyes swept across the five of them. "In the future, the Shichibukai Alliance will exchange resources and commodities across all fronts. If you need weapons, we can provide them, strengthening your combat power and securing your position in the North Blue. As for the long‑term plan, we will negotiate later. But I promise you this: within five years, the Germa flag will fly across the entire North Blue."
His words struck like thunder. The five Vinsmokes were shocked, their hearts shaken. Against their instincts, they found themselves believing him.
After all, those who wield Conqueror's Haki carry the aura of monarchs—naturally convincing, naturally commanding. And with Baccarat's Riki Riki no Mi, Drake's success rate in any endeavor multiplied exponentially.
Yet, though shaken, the five quickly regained their composure.
"In five years, will we truly have this strength?"
Yonji, impulsive and reckless, shouted without hesitation: "You talk too much nonsense! If you've got the guts, fight me and prove it with facts!"
Niji sneered, his tone dripping with malice. "He's not taking us seriously. I'll kill him later."
Ichiji's eyes gleamed with murderous intent, his voice cold as steel. "I'll fight him first. None of you dare interfere—or I'll kill you myself."
Reiju remained silent, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Drake. Curiosity filled her heart. Who is this young man? Why does he speak with such confidence? Does he truly have that much strength?
At that moment, Reiju found herself drawn to Drake, eager to uncover the mystery of the man before her.
"Good… very good!" Judge slapped his hands against the sofa, laughing loudly. "What you said makes sense. It fills me with hope that we'll succeed in the future. But…" His eyes turned cold, his voice vicious. "You're just a brat. Do you really have that much strength? Can the Vinsmoke family casually cooperate with you?"
Drake shrugged, his tone calm and unshaken. "Looks like I'll have to fight again. In that case, let's find a spacious place and settle this properly."
Three minutes later.
Germa Castle – Training Field.
"This is a special training ground for soldiers. The floor is reinforced, perfect for testing strength," Judge explained, his tone measured.
Judge's impression of Drake was shifting. The young man was intriguing. Whatever happened, he decided to treat him with a degree of respect—not too cold, not too dismissive.
"Enough talk. If you want to fight, then let's begin."
Drake barely glanced at the training ground. He wasn't interested in its design or purpose. His focus was entirely on the battle ahead.
Yonji, unable to contain himself any longer, prepared to leap forward. But before he could act, Ichiji moved faster.
"As the eldest brother, I'll be the first."
He strode toward Drake, holding a red container marked with the number 1. Pressing the button, his voice rang out coldly:
"Sparking Red!"
In an instant, the container transformed, its mechanisms unfolding and locking into place. Armor surged across Ichiji's body, encasing him in a crimson battle suit that radiated lethal energy.
Ichiji's battle suit gleamed as it finished forming— a long red and white shirt emblazoned with a yellow "66", red pants striped in white, a flowing white cape marked with a bold red "1", red boots trimmed in white, and a crimson scarf whipping in the heated air.
Red sparks crackled in his hands, small explosions bursting outward and sending waves across the training field. The air temperature rose sharply, faint white smoke curling around him.
"Sparking Figure!"
On impulse, Ichiji lunged forward, his fist wrapped in blazing red energy. He struck at Drake with ferocious speed, the impact reverberating like thunder.
"Look at that!" Niji's eyes gleamed, his hands tucked casually in his pockets, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Ichiji hit him so hard right from the start. He must be furious with that guy!"
Yonji snorted, his tone dripping with disdain. "This Drake is so arrogant. If Ichiji hadn't gone first, I'd have fought him myself—tortured him until he begged for death, hahaha…"
The training ground shook under the force of Ichiji's opening strike, the brothers watching eagerly, waiting to see if Drake would falter