Reiju wasn't as completely dumbfounded as the ordinary Germa soldiers, but the shock still struck her deeply.
She took several steady breaths before barely managing to suppress the turmoil in her heart.
First, she pinched her astonishingly long leg.
It hurt.
So this wasn't a dream.
Hundreds of members from the Beast Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates had truly passed through a strange door and arrived in the Germa Kingdom.
"This is unbelievable… Could that door have eaten a Space-type Devil Fruit?"
After all, even inanimate objects could consume Devil Fruits—like Spandam's sword or Black Maria's dog-shaped weapon.
Reiju's first instinct was that the door itself possessed some sort of spatial power.
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
A Space Fruit—like the Time-Time Fruit—would be an absurdly broken ability. Who would waste something like that on a door?
Her gaze shifted back to the hundreds of figures on the plaza, and the more she looked, the more alarmed she became.
From the Beast Pirates were Queen the Plague and Jack the Drought, figures rumored to be capable of standing toe-to-toe with Marine Admirals like Akainu.
From the Big Mom Pirates were Katakuri, the strongest of the Sweet Commanders, along with Smoothie, Cracker, and Snack.
Every single person present was a famous monster in their own right.
Aside from Kaido and Big Mom themselves, this was practically the combined core of two Yonko crews.
"Wait… then who are the man and woman standing at the very front?"
Reiju's eyes locked onto the leading pair.
The man was tall and striking, his presence calm yet overwhelming. The woman beside him was breathtakingly beautiful.
But what truly shocked her was their position.
They stood ahead of Katakuri, Queen, and Jack.
Especially the man—he seemed to be the unquestioned center of both pirate groups.
Yet Reiju had no memory of such a terrifying figure.
He hadn't appeared in any newspaper photos she'd seen either.
"Who… is he?"
Then it hit her.
A sudden flash of insight.
Among all pirates, aside from Kaido and Big Mom themselves, there was only one person whose status could surpass Katakuri, Queen, and Jack alike.
The mysterious Beast Pirates' Son-in-Law, the man with a 3-billion-berri bounty, the inventor more brilliant than Vegapunk—
The so-called Fifth Emperor.
Luo Xing.
Reiju's beautiful eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.
"That must be him… the legendary Fifth Emperor, Luo Xing. I didn't expect him to look like this."
"And the woman beside him—she must be Kaido's daughter."
Her gaze flicked briefly to the door again.
"Then that strange door wasn't a Devil Fruit ability at all… it must be Luo Xing's new invention."
Reiju had to admit—she was sharp.
In such a short time, after shock, confusion, and reasoning, she'd arrived at the truth.
Yet that truth unsettled her even more.
Why would the Beast Pirates and Big Mom Pirates come to Germa through that door?
Even if they intended to invade, sending two Yonko crews was excessive to the point of absurdity.
Germa might call itself the strongest nation in the North Blue, but compared to a Yonko crew, it was laughably insignificant.
One Katakuri—or one Jack—would be enough to wipe them out.
If she couldn't understand it, she decided not to dwell on it.
Reiju had little emotional attachment to this cold, mechanical nation anyway.
She dressed quickly and headed for her father's palace.
Inside were Judge, along with Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji.
"You're all here. Good." Reiju spoke calmly.
"Something serious has happened. The Beast Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates have invaded Germa—together."
Silence.
Judge and his three sons stared at her, eyes wide, no one responding.
Her words were simply too terrifying.
Both Yonko crews at once?
Impossible.
Yonji suddenly burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
"Reiju, did you sleep too much? Big Mom Pirates? Beast Pirates? Why would they come to Germa?"
"And besides," he continued mockingly,
"The New World is ridiculously far from the North Blue. We have lookout towers everywhere. If a fleet had approached, we'd have known long ago."
Germa was a fully militarized nation.
Their patrols covered dozens of miles of surrounding sea.
If enemy ships had arrived, Judge would've received a report at least half an hour earlier.
Yet no report had come.
Reiju glanced at Yonji coolly.
"They didn't bring a fleet. They brought a door."
"And teleported here. They're already in the training plaza."
"Pff—HAHAHAHA!"
Yonji laughed until tears formed.
Ichiji and Niji joined in, openly mocking her.
"A teleporting door? Reiju, are you telling a fairy tale?"
Judge snapped sharply:
"Enough nonsense, Reiju!"
Reiju's lips curved slightly, a hint of mockery in her smile.
In this family, even basic trust was absent.
She didn't bother explaining further.
If Germa was destroyed, so be it.
Judge frowned.
Reiju didn't look like she was lying.
And the modified children he'd created were, in theory, incapable of deceiving him.
Could it be… true?
Just as Judge hesitated whether to go outside himself, a clone soldier suddenly rushed in, stumbling.
"Lord Judge! Lord Judge! We have intruders!"
Judge's heart skipped.
"Who are they? How many?"
The clone soldier, emotionless yet hurried, answered clearly:
"The intruders are from the Beast Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates. Several hundred of them."
…?!
The laughter on Yonji, Ichiji, and Niji's faces froze instantly.
Judge's vision darkened. He nearly collapsed.
Unfortunately, none of his children moved to help him.
He steadied himself, voice trembling.
"Y-you're certain… both Yonko crews?"
"Yes, Lord Judge."
That single sentence crushed Judge's last hope.
His face turned deathly pale.
Against one Yonko crew, escape might still be possible.
Against two?
There was only one outcome.
Death.
No force in the world besides the Marines could withstand two Yonko crews at once.
Reiju, still possessing emotions, couldn't bear her father's despair.
She spoke softly:
"From what I saw, they may not be here to attack us. There could be another reason."
Judge latched onto those words like a drowning man.
"Yes—yes! That's right! Big Mom wanted a marriage alliance before. Maybe the Beast Pirates are involved because of that!"
He had no choice but to believe it.
Otherwise, resisting two Yonko crews would be pointless.
Judge quickly gathered his four children, forced a smile onto his face, and went out to greet them.
Outside—
Yamato looked around curiously.
"A country made of warships? That's strange. And all the soldiers look exactly the same!"
Luo Xing smiled at her.
"They're clones. Basically copies."
Yamato's eyes widened.
She'd already seen a land made of food in Totto Land.
Now she was seeing a nation of clones.
The world was truly vast.
At that moment, the clone soldiers in the plaza suddenly formed ranks, standing perfectly still.
Several figures emerged from between them.
At the front was a middle-aged man wearing a golden crown.
He walked with authority, but his tone was respectful—almost ingratiating.
"Honored guests, forgive our lack of welcome. I am Judge—"
Before he could finish, Luo Xing interrupted him without ceremony.
"King Judge of Germa," Luo Xing said calmly,
"I plan to modify your clone soldiers and make them stronger."
"What do you think?"
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ZoroTL442