North Blue. The sun dipped toward the west, painting the sky with a faint blush of red. Above the vast, endless sea, an island formed from dozens of giant snail ships pieced together. At the center of this island, atop a black-topped castle, a black flag was planted. A blue stripe and the white number "66" emblazoned its surface. This was the base of the "Army of Evil," the "War Experts," Germa 66, which once struck fear into the hearts of countries throughout the North Blue... the Germa Kingdom!
At the island's port, two lines of Germa soldiers stood at attention, weapons in hand. They wore black bodysuits and white hoods. A hundred-meter-long red carpet stretched between them.
Upon the carpet stood five figures, male and female, members of the Vinsmoke Family, who stood at the pinnacle of power in the Germa Kingdom.
A Germa soldier, holding binoculars and peering into the distance, reported to Judge. Judge stood nearby, his long golden hair flowing, dressed in a light gray combat suit. "Report! A ship is rapidly approaching on the sea..."
Behind Judge, four figures in combat suits stood as well: three males and one female. These three males, though only fifteen or sixteen years old, showed no sign of youthful vigor. Their faces were expressionless, their eyes cold, as if they were emotionless machines. Their hair was red, blue, and green, respectively. Their hairstyles differed, but their facial contours were almost identical, making it clear at a glance that they were blood brothers.
On the other side stood a young girl in a pink combat suit. Medium-length pink hair covered her right eye. A blue scarf was wrapped around her neck, and she wore earmuffs. She was much softer in comparison, both in her facial expression and in her eyes. The four of them were Judge's children. They were all superhumans, modified with Lineage Factors. In addition to their superhuman physical abilities, they possessed different superpowers...
Soon, Judge, standing by the dock, saw a speedboat carrying two people. The boat created a towering white wake behind it as it sped across the sea at two hundred kilometers per hour, racing towards them. In about a minute, the speedboat covered several kilometers and arrived at the port. This ridiculously fast speed made Judge click his tongue in amazement. He estimated the ship's speed to be over one hundred, maybe even two hundred kilometers per hour! Amateurs watch the spectacle, while experts see the technique.
For this speedboat, which wasn't driven by sails, had a metallic appearance and smooth lines. To reach this speed, the amount of top-tier technology it contained was simply unimaginable! If the two people on the speedboat weren't high-ranking members of the Umbrella Corporation, Judge would have immediately wanted someone to go and hijack the speedboat, dragging it directly to the laboratory for disassembly and research! However, as for hijacking... Judge could only think about it.
Not to mention Sephiroth's personal combat ability, even if he gathered the entire army of the Germa Kingdom, whether they could win was a question. Just considering the terrifying hidden military strength of the Umbrella Corporation behind Sephiroth completely overwhelmed the Germa Kingdom! All along, the Germa Kingdom had been famous throughout the world for its powerful military strength. The things its army relied on, besides those fearless clone soldiers, were various high-tech weapons far surpassing the era. But...
Some time ago, after Judge's proposal to join the Umbrella Corporation and become a high-ranking member of the Company was rejected, the Umbrella Corporation sent people to showcase the Company's various weapons. For example, thermobaric bombs specifically designed to strike fortresses and enclosed spaces, rocket launchers with a range of seventy kilometers, amphibious tanks, and combat submarines. The variety of advanced weapons simply left Judge numb!
As a result, Judge thought long and hard. He realized that the only things the Germa Kingdom could present before the Umbrella Corporation were its clone soldiers and Lineage Factor Technology! By the port dock, Sephiroth, dressed in a black suit, and Baccarat, dressed in a long black evening gown, slowly stepped off the speedboat. Judge quickly brought his children to greet them. "Nice to meet you. My name is Sephiroth. I am the security consultant for the Umbrella Corporation. This time, I will represent the Company to negotiate with you..."
As Sephiroth spoke, he extended his right hand towards Judge, and they shook hands. Next, Baccarat also shook hands with Judge and introduced herself as the secretary-general of the Umbrella Corporation. After several years of work experience, Baccarat fully demonstrated her talent and capability, helping the Umbrella Corporation complete many important projects. Thus, she was promoted from Sephiroth's personal secretary to the secretary-general of the Umbrella Corporation, a senior manager of the Company.
Out of polite courtesy, Judge formally introduced himself and the children standing behind him. "I am Vinsmoke Judge, the King of Germa. These are my sons and daughter: Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, and Reiju..."
Upon hearing this, Sephiroth's gaze lingered for less than a second on the three expressionless, curly-browed young men (red, blue, and green). Then, he looked at the graceful and slender young girl standing next to them. He smiled and nodded at her. She politely returned the nod and smile.
This action immediately caused Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji to show a hint of displeasure on their faces. Seeing this scene, Sephiroth couldn't help but chuckle softly, murmuring to himself:
"These three guys... they clearly have no emotions, yet they can feel joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness? Hmm!?"
"Having no emotions doesn't mean there are no emotional changes... Warriors without hearts are indeed the most terrifying tools of war."
Judge saw Sephiroth's actions and his children's reactions, but he didn't care at all. In his eyes, his children were merely tools for him to achieve his dream of ruling the North Blue! After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, both parties walked towards the distant castle. Judge walked side-by-side with Sephiroth on the red carpet. He spoke in a slightly dissatisfied tone:
"Mr. Sephiroth, I think the conditions your Company proposed earlier are too harsh! The Germa Kingdom is not as bad as you imagine..."
"Oh! Is that so?" Hearing this, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow noncommittally and glanced at Judge.
Listening to the meaning behind the other party's words, it was clear that he wanted to continue negotiating with the Umbrella Corporation... "How about the two of you come and observe our Germa soldiers' training?" Judge suggested. "Alright then! Today, let me see just how powerful the army of the Germa Kingdom, the legendary War Experts, is..." As he spoke, a slightly playful smile appeared on Sephiroth's face.