On Germa's snail ship.
A CP agent had been captured and tied up, but there was not the slightest fear on his face.
"My lord, the drug has been prepared."
As a researcher, Judge did not use torture to obtain intelligence. Compared to that, he had a much easier method.
The syringe injected the drug. In only one minute, the CP agent in front of him became dazed, and even his whole body trembled slightly.
"Identity."
"World Government CP9 intelligence agent, codename..."
"Purpose."
"Confirm the location of the king of the Germa Kingdom and report it."
"Why confirm the location?"
"Arrest former MADS member: Vinsmoke Judge."
MADS.
This word was both familiar and unfamiliar to Judge, but now there was no doubt. Because of MADS, the World Government had set its sights on him.
As someone who was already a member of the underworld, Judge did not question why he, as an allied nation, would still have old accounts settled against him.
Those people above, who had always stood high above others, had never been reasonable people.
However... Germa was not that weak.
He only needed time. He needed to wait for his children to grow up. Once those works into which he had poured all his effort grew up, Germa would become the true overlord of the underworld!
Sanji, who was already two years old, had only recently begun training. But the moment it started, he became the target of mockery.
Because among the four undergoing training, only he was no different from an ordinary person. He was the most ordinary existence.
Precisely because of this, those guys could bully him however they wanted. Punching, kicking, anything was allowed.
His mother had been bedridden all this time. He had told his father, but it was useless.
What he received was still only his father's cold expression, and the bullying of his older brothers.
No one told him what he should do. He had thought about working hard to do his best, to make his father look at him once, but in the end, reality proved that he was just an ordinary human and could not compare to the others at all.
In fact, if someone had not been watching the whole time, he might have already died during the first test.
And at this moment, on the boundless sea, the warships of the Marines and the World Government slowly appeared.
After the CP agent confirmed Germa's location, the World Government did not immediately take action. Instead, they kept following behind like a tail.
Only after the other side reached the designated area did CP and the Marines begin to act.
On Kuzan's warship, the two people at the front looked at the group of snails in the distance.
"I heard these giant snails can even cross the Red Line?"
Kuzan nodded. "The king of Germa was once a member of MADS. The first discovery of lineage factors was accomplished by the MADS research institute. And these giant snails can also be considered Germa's symbol."
Rowan seemed thoughtful.
Giant snails could cross the Red Line. Combined with Vegapunk's previous research results, these snails also possessed the ability to cross the Calm Belt.
Of course, to the World Government, the most important thing was still the lineage factor.
In his memories, during the later Egghead Island arc, the development of lineage factors had even reached the point where Devil Fruit abilities could be replicated onto Pacifistas.
There was no way those guys would give up on such reproducible combat power.
At this moment, Kuzan leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Does the family have enough researchers? This guy used to be Vegapunk's colleague. Should I find a chance to bring him back?"
Uh →_→
His thoughts interrupted, Rowan replied helplessly, "Do you think the family would want a scientific pervert who toys with individual lives? Look further ahead. Once some things are developed, whether good or bad, they will eventually lead to the worst possible outcome."
The worst possible outcome?
Although Kuzan had finished reading that thick book, he still did not understand what Rowan meant.
This was also the limitation of this era.
"If he's strictly supervised, as a former colleague, he should be able to help Vegapunk. Wouldn't it be better if the family obtained what the World Government wants?"
As Kuzan spoke, he looked at Rowan with a very sincere gaze.
Rowan met his eyes. "Our generation has experienced pain, so to a certain extent, we won't allow ourselves to become evil dragons. The system established at the beginning won't allow it either."
"But Vinsmoke's technology, if left unchecked, will become a huge temptation in the future, namely, the creation of emotionless soldiers whose lives can be disregarded."
"Can emotionless lives be called people? He even used his first batch of latest technology on his own children."
"A person like that controlling technology has no moral bottom line, and the destruction he brings will also be enormous."
As his words fell, Kuzan thought for a while.
Then he said, "Find a chance to kill him, then. Leaving him to the World Government will cause problems too."
Rowan shook his head slightly.
"If Vinsmoke isn't obtained by them, then they'll keep staring at Vegapunk's whereabouts without letting go. He can't compare to Vegapunk. There will be a chance in the future."
At this moment, Kuzan's adjutant walked over and reported the World Government's orders.
The target had entered the planned area. They could begin the operation.
The first to act was Kuzan, whom the World Government had specifically dispatched this time.
After leaping into the air, he used Moonwalk and headed toward Germa's giant snail fleet.
Very quickly, rounds of cannon fire covered his direction, but all the cannonballs heading straight for Kuzan were frozen and fell into the sea.
Ice blocks rose from below. After Kuzan landed on them, he activated his Devil Fruit ability.
Ice Age!
In an instant, the sea surface froze into ice. In just a few breaths, the entire area along the sea was frozen solid.
For a moment, all the snails were immobilized.
But in the next instant, the snails actually began moving again, wriggling as they prepared to crawl across the ice.
Kuzan activated his ability again. The ice on the surface spread upward, directly freezing each snail into an ice sculpture.
Afterward, the warships docked one after another, and the World Government's people quickly surrounded one of the giant snails.
"Vinsmoke Judge, you are now under arrest for illegal research! Come down from the ship!"
However, CP's shout received no response. Since the charge itself was just an old account being dug up, Spandine, who commanded CP9, waved his hand, and a group of agents began preparing to board the ship and search for him.
Rowan and Kuzan stood to the side.
To be honest, mobilizing this level of combat power for Germa alone was far too wasteful, unless the goal was to capture him alive.
Boom!
The next moment, a figure flew directly out from the back of the giant snail.
A spear had already pierced through his abdomen. Clearly, he would not survive.
Thump, thump, thump.
Stepping on the air, shoes powered by technology directly achieved a Moonwalk-like effect.
Vinsmoke Judge held a large blade and stared down at the agents and Marines from atop the giant snail.
"The matter of MADS ended long ago. Back then, we even reached an agreement with your World Government. Germa is also one of the World Government's allied nations. You have no right..."
"Vinsmoke Judge!"
Before he could finish, Spandine interrupted him. "Because of the crime of illegal research, Germa is no longer an allied nation. Your only choice is to obey the World Government's arrangements."
For a moment, Vinsmoke Judge stood atop the giant snail with his brows tightly furrowed, still wavering inwardly.
Below, Rowan watched the scene. "He's hesitating. Or rather, faced with the deterrence of the World Government's overwhelming power, he's hesitating."
Kuzan said, "So there won't be a fight? If that's the case, there isn't much meaning in us coming here."
Rowan shook his head slightly. "He's hesitating because of deterrence, but he also doesn't want to admit defeat directly. Germa is his life's work. So..."
Before he could finish, on more than a dozen frozen giant snails, massive cannons turned their barrels and aimed at CP and the Marines.
"You won't even honor an agreement already made, and you cancel an allied nation's status with some inexplicable charge. Do you think Germa will submit?"
Vinsmoke Judge swung down the blade in his hand, and immediately, the cannons began firing with deafening roars.
Boom, boom, boom!
Compared to warships, Germa's cannons seemed even more powerful.
Even the ice layer frozen by Kuzan was blasted into pit after pit.
"Looks like you called it."
Kuzan raised his hand, and a cannonball flying toward the Marines was directly frozen and dropped to the ground.
Rowan leaped up, his scabbard wrapped in Armament Haki, knocking the cannonballs away one after another before they exploded.
But soon, after the agents approached the giant snails, the cannons continued attacking the distance, while many identical middle-aged men appeared on top.
"Kill, kill, kill!"
In their perfectly uniform voices, there was more madness than anything else, but not the slightest trace of fear.
One of them even charged straight toward Kuzan, only to be slapped and frozen solid, falling to the ground.
"No fear. Even after being frozen by me, there's only excitement and killing intent in his eyes. So this is the hidden danger you were talking about?"
Kuzan frowned as he looked at the soldier inside the ice block. He indeed seemed to have no humanity.
At this moment, Germa's soldiers seemed endless. Any CP agent who approached would be focused down by these people.
Even so, Vinsmoke Judge still frowned, and finally his gaze fixed on Spandine.
This person clearly had a different status.
Thump, thump, thump.
The air was stepped on, and Vinsmoke Judge suddenly appeared beside Spandine.
"If I kill you, that should solve the problem."
"Ah!"
Bang!
The great blade fell, but it was blocked by a scabbard.
Rowan helped Spandine up with one hand. "At a time like this, shouldn't you know better than anyone? Hide."
Spandine scrambled away, rolling and crawling. Before leaving, he did not forget to thank his good brother.
However, Vinsmoke Judge was even less willing to let him go. He turned back and prepared to capture him.
But while his speed was fast, Rowan was not slow either.
Bang!
Haki erupted.
Rowan drew his long blade. The scabbard blocking the great blade was knocked flying, and in an instant, he slashed down.
Pfft!
Under Armament Haki, the steel-like outer suit was cut open, but at the same time, the other party kicked over. A sharp gleam flashed from the tip of his shoe.
Bang!
Rowan pressed his long blade downward and blocked it.
Rowan looked at Vinsmoke Judge. "Germa will become a thing of the past starting today. You should know that very well. If you only wanted to show your value, this is already enough."
However, the other party did not reply. The airflow beneath his feet burst out, and he directly retreated, charging into the World Government agents.
Kuzan strolled leisurely around the battlefield. If he ran into someone, he would make a move. If he did not, he simply ignored them.
As for the adjutant and Marines on the warship, he had already strictly forbidden them from disembarking.
Clearly, Kuzan, whose sense of justice had shifted from the Marines to the Revolutionary Army, did not truly want to exert himself.
At this moment, on the central giant snail, a very, very small child was climbing down.
Curled eyebrows and golden hair. Although there was still a bandage wrapped around his forehead, Rowan still recognized him.
Aside from the children of Vinsmoke Judge, the king, Germa had no children.
Also... among the active figures on the battlefield, there were even a few little ones, but their strength was greater than adults.
Among the five children, only Sanji was like an ordinary child, lowering himself step by step from the snail with a rope.
But he was different from the others. He even crouched down in panic, hugging his head and trembling.
The others, however, were fiercer than the last on the chaotic battlefield. They had no fear at all. Even when their not-yet-fully-transformed bodies were cut, they still did not retreat in the slightest.
"These... are his research results? Using his own children..."
Kuzan was somewhat incredulous. After all, these brats were far too young.
So young that if they were ordinary children, they should only have just learned to run and jump at this age.
Rowan sighed. "He can use his own sons and daughter as test subjects and directly strip away their emotions. Do you think individuals like that can truly become strong?"
These words made Kuzan understand.
What had shocked him just now was only the age of these children. But if they had no emotions, then they were destined not to reach the peak.
Because without emotions, they would not have firm spiritual will. And without that, they would not have the Haki capable of reaching the top.
"Mm? That one... is also a Vinsmoke child?"
Kuzan looked at Sanji. "Cowardice and fear. This is..."
Rowan nodded. "A failure. But in my eyes, he is the truly successful example. Sometimes, the greatness of a mother in this world is unimaginable."
At this moment, a stray shot flew toward Sanji.
A red figure knocked him away. Reiju protected Sanji and kept retreating, unlike the others, who fought recklessly without caring about anything.
Rowan still did not move. Even after Reiju pulled Sanji away and hid, he had no intention of going over.
The protagonist group had never been any kind of protagonists to him.
Whether it was Robin or Nami, their fates had already been changed. Who could say what the future would be?
And Sanji at this age should have only just begun training.
Without experiencing suffering, he did not yet possess the kind of potential he would have in the future.
Boom!!
Crack!
With a roar, the frozen sea surface gradually cracked, and the giant snails also struggled with all their strength to break free from the ice.
Kuzan smiled, crouched down, and placed one hand on the ground.
Ice Age!
The cold air once again froze the seawater below, and a giant snail that had just broken free was frozen again in the blink of an eye.
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