Krieg stood amidst the five groggy siblings, having juggled them like beanbags until they were collectively seeing stars.
"Hahaha! Listen well, young ones. The world isn't so soft that you can conquer it with raw physical ability alone."
"Shut up, old man..." Ichiji muttered, clutching his head.
"Ugh... but 'old man,' you only used physical ability to beat us..." Niji groaned, looking green. "He feels as strong as Father... ugh, I think I'm gonna barf..." Yonji wheezed.
"The world is spinning..." Sanji murmured.
"I'm still a bit dizzy," Reiju admitted, trying to find her footing.
Watching this scene, Judge stroked his chin, his expression unreadable. "Tell me, Krieg... our records indicated you were a non-ability user. Are you actually a Devil Fruit eater?"
Judge was shaken. He had designed these children to be "beyond human" using his Bloodline Factor theory, yet this Marine had handled his masterpieces like playthings.
"No, I haven't eaten a fruit," Krieg replied simply, pulling five pieces of candy from his belt pouch and offering them to the children with a puzzled look.
"I see... Rear Admiral, would you be willing to undergo a physical examination? I wish to see the source of this strength."
"Please, Your Majesty, just 'Krieg' is fine. I'm not used to the formal titles," Krieg laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Then Krieg it is. You may call me Judge. Now, about that examination..."
"Ah, actually, I was only planning on a quick greeting. My ship is waiting offshore..." Krieg started to say, even as he absentmindedly ruffled Sanji's blonde hair (much to the boy's annoyance).
"Then you shall stay the night," Judge declared. "I have technical specifications to explain for the equipment I'm gifting you, and your crew could use the rest.
We will provide food, berths, and full resupply for your vessel. It is the least I can do for a guest of your caliber."
"Well, that's an offer I can't refuse. I'll head back to the ship to give the orders and return shortly."
Krieg took to the sky using Geppo. Reiju watched him vanish into the clouds, her mouth slightly agape as her dizziness finally faded. "Father... is he wearing our specialized boots? How is he walking on air?"
"No," Judge replied, his eyes narrowing. "That is likely one of the legendary Marine martial arts I've heard rumors of."
Does a man like that even need my gear? Judge wondered privately.
"Father!" Sanji scrambled up, his eyes wide. "Can that gorilla-mister really do the same things you do with just his own body? Without being modified?"
Judge looked down at Sanji. Internally, he still felt contempt for the "failure" who showed no signs of the Bloodline Factor, but he answered curtly. "Yes. He has received no surgery, no modifications, and holds no fruit power.
He is a baseline human, just like you. Which means, theoretically, that level is attainable through effort alone. Now, recover yourselves.
Once you can stand, I want all five of you to discuss the tactical failures of this encounter."
Judge turned and walked away. He saw this as a golden opportunity—not just to test his kids, but to gather data on the leader of the infamous "Red Seagulls" and the modified Marine battleship that supported them.
"This is... preposterous," Judge whispered later that evening, staring at the results of Krieg's physical exam.
He had expected impressive numbers, but the data staring back at him was nonsensical.
The Durability: The first hurdle was the blood draw. The medical needles snapped against Krieg's skin. Even when Krieg gave permission to use a high-grade surgical blade, the steel failed to breach the dermis. They had to abandon the blood test entirely.
The Musculature: Judge had assumed Krieg was just heavily muscled, but the density was abnormal.
Krieg explained that through grueling training and the use of Life Return (Seimei Kikan), he had condensed his muscle fibers.
He had essentially "packed" multiple layers of muscle into the space where a normal human has one, creating a frame that was both incredibly slender for its power and as hard as diamond.
Judge was familiar with Bio-feedback theories, but he had never imagined someone using them to structurally re-engineer their own anatomy through sheer willpower and pain. An ordinary man would have died from the sheer agony of this process, Judge noted.
The Skeletal Frame: To support such muscles, Krieg's bones and vascular system had also hardened to levels far beyond the human norm.
His skin wasn't an "Exoskeleton" like the Vinsmoke children's—it was something else entirely. Judge tested it with pistols, rifles, knives, and eventually a small deck cannon.
Result: Zero damage.
The Power Output: In the strength trials, Krieg started lifting weights in stages. He eventually maxed out the facility's largest testing rig at 50 tons.
He didn't even look winded; they simply ran out of things heavy enough to pile on him. Krieg casually mentioned he usually swung a 10-ton war club just to keep his form "flexible."
The Trade-off: There was one drawback: fuel. With a muscle mass and density several times that of a normal human, Krieg's metabolic heat was immense.
He was essentially a high-performance engine with terrible fuel economy. He required staggering amounts of calories to maintain his stasis—not a true "weakness," but a logistical necessity.
"He claims this is 'training'..." Judge muttered. "But can a normal human truly reach this point?"
Judge had hoped to steal some of Krieg's "secrets" to improve his own research. His conclusion was grim: It was impossible to replicate.
Krieg's strength wasn't just biological; it was the result of a psychotic level of discipline that no clone or modified human could be forced to endure.
"Turning this man into an enemy would be a disaster," Judge conceded.
He had also hoped to secretly inspect Krieg's ship, the Charlotte Ange, but Krieg had politely declined a "maintenance check." Judge decided not to push it. If Krieg caught a spy on his ship, the diplomatic fallout—and the physical retaliation—would be catastrophic.
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