Seeing this, everyone from the Straw Hat Crew nodded.
Things are always so much easier when there are shared bonds and a common past.
If anyone else had come here to ask for this, they would probably have received nothing but violence in return.
Thus, under Inuarashi's leadership, everyone entered the interior of the massive whale tree.
After passing through a hidden door, a Road Poneglyph appeared before them.
"This is it," Inuarashi said openly.
Robin took a few steps forward, staring at the ancient script without blinking.
After that, Usopp took out his tools and made a copy of the Road Poneglyph.
"That crest…" Robin suddenly pointed at the emblem engraved on the wall above the red stone. "What is it?"
"That is the crest of the Kozuki family," Inuarashi replied.
Robin carefully observed the Kozuki crest.
It was divided into four sections.
A bird at the center, a sun emblem on the bird's abdomen, an orange wheel on the outer circle, and four whale tails at the upper left, lower left, upper right, and lower right corners.
As a family emblem, it contained a great deal of information.
But Robin couldn't decipher it at the moment.
She couldn't help but glance at Luffy.
Hearing this, Luffy rolled his eyes.
"I don't know either." He shook his head and asked Inuarashi, "Who is punishing Zunesha? Who ordered him to wander the seas to atone for his sins?"
Inuarashi shook his head expressionlessly.
The history of the Mink Tribe had been interrupted once, and they knew almost nothing about what happened eight hundred years ago.
Not getting an answer, Luffy didn't bother asking further.
After copying the contents of the Road Poneglyph, everyone left.
They returned to the original iron gate.
Luffy thanked Inuarashi. "Thank you. As for Zunesha, I might need his help in the future. I'll order him to follow me back to the Sun Sea. Don't worry, it won't affect your country."
Inuarashi offered no resistance.
There was no point in resisting.
The other party could give orders directly to Zunesha. What could he possibly do?
After bidding farewell to the Mink Tribe, Luffy boarded the Straw Hats' floating platform.
"Luffy, what are you going to do about the Duke?" Robin asked curiously.
"I just wanted to give him advance notice. It doesn't necessarily mean anything will happen."
As they spoke, they arrived at the floating platform, where Vinsmoke Reiju was already waiting.
When Sanji saw his sister, his expression turned slightly melancholic.
Franky snorted. "Didn't you just tell her to leave? Why is she here?"
Reiju smiled faintly and, instead of speaking to Sanji, looked at Luffy.
"Mr. Luffy, on behalf of the Germa Kingdom, I invite you to be our guest."
"If you're inviting me for a drink, I might accept. But I'm not interested in an invitation from your father," Luffy laughed.
Sanji's eyebrow twitched violently. He had just told Luffy not to do anything, and now Luffy was saying this… Did he really want to become his brother-in-law?!
"Luffy, it won't help even if that man invites you," he sighed. "He only wants something from you. Don't worry about me—I've been with them for a long time."
Reiju looked at Sanji, said nothing, and simply waited for Luffy's answer.
Deep down, she hoped the Straw Hat would refuse. Since she had already left that house, there was no need for Sanji to get involved.
Luffy looked at Sanji. Your father came here to use you.
"It's pointless if you don't go to the banquet, Sanji. You're coming with me."
As for why Judge was looking for him, Luffy could probably guess part of it.
That man's dream was to restore the glory of the former Germa Empire.
That was why he didn't care if his wife died.
That was why he didn't hesitate to turn his children into genetically enhanced warriors.
No matter the cost, Judge would never hesitate over cruelty.
Aside from the harsh methods he used to achieve his goals, Judge had extremely firm ambitions and ideals.
There was nothing inherently wrong with that.
"Which of you wants to come with us?"
Let's ask number 687 for now.
In the end, only Usopp, Chopper, and Franky chose to go along.
"Luffy, I'll head back first. Brook, Zoro, make sure the copies are delivered safely."
After leaving those words behind, Robin's avatar turned into petals and disappeared.
---xXx---
Germa Kingdom Castle
Led by Reiju, Luffy brought Sanji and the others into the magnificent banquet hall.
The maids had already served food and wine early on.
After everyone was seated, Judge led the three princes and warmly entertained the guests.
After eating with a bit more restraint, Luffy stood up and said:
"I'm going to take a walk."
"Lord Luffy, allow me to show you around the country!" Judge said with apparent understanding. "Reiju, take good care of our distinguished guests."
From beginning to end, he didn't say a single word to Sanji.
He didn't even make eye contact.
In his eyes, Sanji was practically invisible.
The two left the banquet hall one after the other, and Luffy wandered up to the upper platform of the castle.
A flag was raised there—the national banner of the Germa Kingdom.
In this world, very few countries still flew national flags.
No—more precisely, this was the flag of the Germa Empire.
Hundreds of years ago, Germa had conquered the entire vast empire of the North Blue.
But that empire, under a strike from the World Government, collapsed after only sixty-six days—hence the origin of the name Germa 66.
After that, the Vinsmoke family was driven from their homeland and became a government-in-exile, drifting across the seas.
Only with the generation of Vinsmoke Judge did things begin to change.
Standing beneath the imperial flag, Luffy crossed his arms, facing the sea breeze, and spoke slowly:
"Get straight to the point, Judge. I don't know what you want to ask of me, but I do know that one of Germa's battle suits belongs to Sanji. Hand it over to him."
Hearing this, Judge not only didn't get angry—he felt relieved.
Where there is a demand, there is room for cooperation.
He didn't want much. If paying with a set of combat gear could achieve his goal, that was simply an enormous profit.
"Straw Hat Luffy, my son is under your care. His battle suit will be delivered later."
"Have your daughter give it to him," Luffy added calmly.
If Judge delivered it himself, or sent someone else to Sanji, Sanji would never accept it.
But Reiju was different. Sanji still acknowledged his sister.
"Understood!" Judge agreed decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
After receiving the answer, Luffy turned around and said calmly:
"Alright then—what is your request?"
(End of the chapter)