Although in terms of height and age, four-year-old Reiju looked completely like a little sister beside six-year-old Yamato, after spending just a short time together, Reiju discovered that this older sister, who was two years older than her, was unbelievably innocent. Under Reiju's guidance, Yamato showed incredible curiosity and... well, ignorance toward everything Reiju introduced.
Whether it was the Vinsmoke Family's snail warships that could cross the Red Line, the soldiers on the island, or all kinds of strange and unusual things.
And she quickly understood what Yemu had meant when he said, "You two should get along well and have plenty to talk about."
When it came to some of Reiju's questions, Yamato, as the older sister, told her everything she could. She told Reiju about being born and living on Onigashima, about being deprived of freedom by her father, about finally regaining that freedom five days ago, and about everything she had experienced over the past few days after following Yemu-sama away from Onigashima.
Of course, in Yamato's own words, what she could tell Reiju was only what could be written in her diary and had received Yemu-sama's approval.
Even so, it still gave Reiju, a little girl who had grown up under the cold and harsh rule of the Vinsmoke Family, a sense of closeness she had never felt before. She also understood that this older sister, who was only two years older than her, had gone through the same kind of experience.
Neither of them had ever truly felt what a father was supposed to be. Since childhood, they had both been treated as tools. If not for Yemu-sama's appearance, they would never have seen any hope of freedom.
Because of that, deep in her heart, Reiju naturally felt endless closeness toward Yamato as well.
They had clearly only just met, yet it felt as if they had known each other for a very long time. In no time at all, they found countless shared topics and began calling each other older sister and younger sister.
After more than two hours passed and Yemu-sama and her father still had not appeared, Reiju knew that there probably would not be any conflict between them, so she felt much more at ease.
Then, as if casually, she said to Yamato, "Big Sister Yamato, I'll take you to see my little brothers."
Yamato, whose eyes were full of curiosity as she looked at everything in the Vinsmoke Family, immediately became interested. She nodded enthusiastically and agreed.
"Okay!"
Before long, Reiju brought Yamato to the door of the room where her mother was resting and said softly, "Mama, I brought an older sister to see you..."
As her voice fell, Sora's gentle voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Filled with curiosity, Yamato followed Reiju into the room.
As soon as they entered, they saw a bright room lit by sunlight. Sitting on the bed was a woman looking at them with a gentle smile.
"So... so beautiful..."
In that instant, Yamato's heart was deeply shaken.
Ever since she could remember, Yamato had never seen her mother, and her father had never told her anything about her. To Yamato, the word mother was unfamiliar. Back in Wano Country, she had been imprisoned on Onigashima by her father, surrounded only by pirates, and had never known what a mother was supposed to be like. Her need for motherly love had always been a blank space.
But at this moment, looking at the gentle woman before her, she suddenly felt deeply envious of this younger sister she had only just met.
Although Reiju had an unworthy father just like her, at least she still had such a gentle mother.
As Reiju took Yamato's hand and brought her in front of Sora, she introduced them excitedly.
"Mama, this is Big Sister Yamato. She's Yemu-sama's companion! Big Sister Yamato, this is my mama!"
For some reason, Yamato suddenly became flustered and even forgot to greet her.
It was Sora who looked at the adorable little girl before her and spoke gently.
"What a pretty little girl, and such a lovely name too. Yamato, right?"
"Mm."
Yamato nodded with an obedience she had never shown before.
Both her heart and her movements carried a shyness and gentleness she had never felt before.
Seeing this, Sora seemed to understand something. She reached out and gently stroked Yamato's little head.
It was completely different from Yemu-sama's gentleness, a feeling Yamato could not quite describe.
At that moment, as if experiencing motherly love for the first time, Yamato looked at Sora, who lay on the sickbed with a pale face, and asked, "Um, um..."
As if she understood what Yamato was thinking, Sora said gently, "Just call me Aunt Sora. I'm lying in bed because I'm sick."
Yamato instantly breathed a sigh of relief, then seemed to think of something and said, "It's okay. I heard Yemu-sama say that there are amazing doctors in his country. They can cure any illness..."
Reiju's eyes lit up at once.
...
Meanwhile, while Yamato and Reiju were keeping Sora company,
in the hall of the Vinsmoke Family palace, after thinking it over again and again, Judge finally made up his mind and chose to stand on Yemu's side against the World Government.
This was not a choice that could be made easily.
Because with this answer, he was betting the decades of effort and dreams he had built, along with the future of the entire Vinsmoke Kingdom.
But although it was called a choice, this deal did not truly leave him any room to choose.
From his position, it was impossible for him to stand with the Marines and the World Government. As for Yemu's side, if he chose to refuse, he did not doubt for a second that Yemu would use every possible method to control him, then make his own daughter take over the entire Vinsmoke Kingdom.
Between two harms, choosing the lesser one meant joining Fire Dragon Yemu's side had become the only option.
Aside from that, there was one more reason Judge had considered for a long time before finally making up his mind. He felt this gamble was worth taking.
As mentioned before, Judge knew that with only himself and the Vinsmoke Kingdom under his command, fulfilling his dream of ruling the North Blue from under the hands of the Marines and the World Government was simply impossible.
But if, in this war, Yemu's Sky Pirates emerged victorious,
then the entire structure of the world would undergo a violent change.
At that time, perhaps his opportunity would come.
Even in the worst case, it would be as Yemu had said: the Vinsmoke Family would become a family in the North Blue with a certain transcendent status. In that sense, perhaps it would also count as fulfilling his dream.
As for Yemu's credibility, Judge was not worried at all.
Whether it was what he had experienced on Whole Cake Island, or the fact that Yemu could unite those three monsters, Whitebeard, BIGMOM, and Kaidou, the breadth of mind and spirit he possessed made it impossible for him to do something that betrayed trust.
Could Yemu truly win this war?
Judge did not know. But judging from Yemu's carefully laid plans so far, at the very least, Yemu was not some pirate foolish to the extreme. On the contrary, beneath his monster-like, unbelievable power, he was a deep politician and strategist.
"I agree, Captain Yemu. From today onward, the Vinsmoke Family is an ally of Captain Yemu's Sky Pirates and Rainbow Country..."
"Good."
After waiting this long, Yemu had finally received a satisfactory answer, and his confidence in the coming war grew even stronger.
"Don't worry. I have always kept my word. Now I need to understand the situation in the Vinsmoke Kingdom. How many troops can you provide for this war?"
"Eighty thousand..."
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