"I want permission to hoist your pirate flag!"
Judge immediately revealed his purpose.
"You want to raise my flag in this country?"
After thinking for a moment, Luffy couldn't help but laugh. "Are you sure? Do you know the consequences of doing that?"
Judge spoke in a deep voice: "You should know something about the Germa Kingdom, Luffy."
As long as the Straw Hat pirate flag was flying, few countries in the North Blue would dare challenge them.
Based on that, they would eventually unify the North Blue, for the glory of the Germa Xixia Empire.
The pirate flag of a Yonko has an enormous deterrent effect!
Luffy was very clear about what he wanted to do.
"You don't seem to understand that my flag is different from the others." Luffy shook his head.
"What do you mean?" Judge frowned.
In his opinion, the Straw Hat pirate flag was far superior to the flags of people like Big Mom.
He was the man who dared to massacre the Celestial Dragons.
Such actions were equivalent to declaring war on the World Government, and yet he was still alive and well—this showed that the World Government would not do anything to him.
The Straw Hat crew was still smaller than the other three Yonko crews!
This was also the reason he chose to use his relationship with Sanji to come all the way to the New World.
"In any case, my flag cannot be used by you," Luffy refused.
Just as the World Government would not allow the rise of the Germa Empire, he would not allow a single force to unify the North Blue.
If the Germa Kingdom raised the Straw Hat flag, it could be considered as having joined the Straw Hat Grand Fleet and becoming a force under his command.
But that was not what he wanted to see—he did not want a war in the North Blue.
Judge's expression darkened.
He had not expected to be rejected after taking the initiative to ask.
He had never thought this could happen.
For a moment, he couldn't think of any new demands…
Luffy smiled and said, "Your Germa Kingdom has outstanding technology, surpassing 99% of the countries in the world. Among them, two things stand out."
"First, the clone army.
Second, genetic technology."
"Mr. Luffy, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Judge used honorifics, but the meaning was not respect—it was a warning.
"Don't be nervous. I'm not interested in your technology, and I don't want to force you to hand anything over." Luffy shook his head.
If he wanted technological power, instead of looking for Judge, it would be better to go directly to Vegapunk.
"As far as I know, in your clone army, the progenitor of all the clones is the same man."
"That's right."
"How about I send you a copy of Kaido's genes?"
Judge was completely stunned, showing an expression of disbelief.
If Kaido's genes could be used for cloning, what kind of combat power would be created?
"You still don't know, do you? The World Government has a project called Seraphim, which cloned the Shichibukai and should be completed soon."
Luffy thought for a moment and added, "By the way, if you need Lunarian genes, I can give you those too."
Hearing this, Judge was dumbfounded.
He had just handed a combat suit to his son. Even if that son might not acknowledge him, he still acknowledged that son.
Could such a sacrifice really be exchanged for such a tremendous return?
Judge had to maliciously guess Luffy's purpose.
Was he eyeing Germa's technology?
Even if that were the case, there was no need to go to such lengths; it was completely unnecessary to dangle such bait.
Unable to understand, he asked directly:
"What do you want from me?"
"I didn't say I'd give them to you right now, and I don't even have them on hand at the moment."
Judge's mouth twitched upon hearing those words.
"Hahahaha, there's no need to make such an ugly expression. Whatever I say will happen naturally."
"I can give you both Kaido's genes and a Lunarian's genes. The condition is—"
"Please, say it!"
"Supreme Command!"
---xXx---
The banquet in the castle continued.
Usopp, Chopper, and Franky ate and drank without hesitation.
"I'm going out for a bit."
Sanji didn't want to see the faces of his older and younger brothers, so he stood up and left the banquet hall without saying goodbye.
Although more than a decade had passed since he left this place, very little had changed.
He wandered aimlessly through the castle and eventually arrived at a room.
Back then, his mother had died there.
Upon entering the infirmary, everything was clean and tidy, as if it were cleaned regularly.
Sanji walked over to the bedside table and picked up a photo frame.
The woman in the frame was very young, with a warm smile eternally frozen on her face.
Vinsmoke Sora.
Her appearance was 70% similar to Reiju's, but her hair was blonde and her eyebrows were not curled.
Sanji sat by the window, staring at the photo frame in a daze.
This lasted for more than half an hour.
Suddenly, the door to the wing was pushed open, and a maid entered.
"Your Highness Sanji…!"
The maid was startled and quickly lowered her head in greeting.
"All this time, you've been coming to clean this place?"
"Yes! It's an order from His Majesty, Judge," the maid nodded.
Sanji wore an expression of disbelief. Would that man really have someone do such a thing?
Impossible. That was absolutely impossible!
To create the five siblings, his mother—still pregnant at the time—was subjected to surgery. His already frail mother became even weaker because of it and eventually died.
It was all that man's fault!
As for what happened when he was a child, being bullied by his other brothers, he no longer cared about that.
That was already in the past, and his three brothers—Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji—who became perfect genetic warriors, had completely lost their human emotions.
Reiju was a semi-finished product because she was the first daughter; the original technology was not yet mature, so she became an incomplete result.
And he was a failure—without the power of his siblings, yet retaining his human emotions.
What truly prevented him from moving on was his mother's death.
"It's true…" the maid whispered.
Sanji didn't want to hear any of it.
Suddenly, Judge's voice came from outside the door.
"Sanji, my son, so you really are here."
The door opened, and Judge's tall figure appeared at the entrance.
He looked at the maid and said, "Come back later to clean."
"Yes!"
The maid hurried away.
Sanji clicked his tongue.
"I'm not your son. You're not my father. Even if such a father exists, that person is not you…!"
"Your captain and your companions have already left."
Judge said expressionlessly. He took a pitch-black cylinder from his chest, tossed it to Sanji, and said, "If you want to leave, defeat me first. Otherwise, you'll stay here!"
(End of the chapter)