The North Blue, in the cold and restless waters near Flevance. Under a heavy, gray sky, the waves had taken on an oppressive, leaden black hue that seemed to swallow the light.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The relentless thunder of continuous cannon fire tore through the salty sea breeze, shaking the very atmosphere. Looking out across the horizon, the once empty and desolate sea was now crowded with giant, biological monstrosities. Hundreds of giant Den Den Mushi warships, each carrying entire stone castles and fortified turrets on their shells, were linked end to end. They formed a massive, mobile nation drifting on the waves, with the infamous "66" logo fluttering defiantly on their black flags. This was the Germa Kingdom, the floating war fortress of the Vinsmoke family.
Currently, they were engaged in a brutal, one-sided massacre. The small island nation under siege was simply unable to offer any real resistance. They were being overrun by waves of Clone Soldiers—men wearing high-tech Raid Suits who moved with mechanical precision and knew neither the sting of pain nor the hesitation of fear.
Inside the opulent command room of the Germa flagship, the air was still and cold.
"Is this the wailing of the weak? Truly, it is a sound that is quite pleasant to the ears."
Vinsmoke Judge stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window, his golden cloak billowing slightly behind him as he leaned on his spear. Through the narrow slits of his metal mask, he watched the burning town below with complete indifference. To him, the destruction was merely a necessary step in reclaiming his family's lost glory.
"Commander-in-Chief." A Clone Soldier commander dressed in a sharp black uniform walked up quickly, his movements stiff. He reported in a flat, mechanical voice, "A lone warship has been spotted approaching our position. It is currently three nautical miles away."
"Is it just some small-fry Marines from the North Blue branches?" Judge frowned slightly, his lips curling into a contemptuous sneer. "It is probably just some reckless branch colonel looking to interfere so he can beg for a piece of the pie."
"Ignore them for now." Judge waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a persistent fly. "Fire a few warning shots in their direction. If they don't know their place and refuse to turn back, sink them directly. After all, in remote waters like these, tragic shipwrecks are quite common, aren't they?"
"Understood, Commander-in-Chief. Proceeding with warning shots."
...Three nautical miles away.
A medium-sized warship, notably lacking any official Marine numbering or identification, was cutting through the dark waves with surprising speed.
"Wow... so this is the legendary Germa 66? It's even more impressive than the drawings in the books."
On the deck, Warrant Officer Kane held a pair of binoculars to his eyes, staring at the dense fleet of snail ships in the distance. His mouth was almost watering with greed. In his line of sight, those massive snail ships didn't look like dangerous warships at all; they looked like giant, floating mountains made of solid gold.
"Look at those hull structures. If those are made of the special alloys I've read about, they could probably be scrapped for hundreds of millions of Berries... and those Raid Suits on the soldiers! If we were to strip those off their bodies and sell them on the black market, the profit margins would be astronomical..."
Warrant Officer Kane muttered to himself, his fingers flying as he actually pulled a small calculator from his pocket and began frantically pressing buttons to estimate the total loot value.
"Ara ara... Kane, you really should wipe the drool off your chin. If a stray reporter catches you looking like that, the image of the Marines will be completely ruined forever."
Kuzan reached up to scratch his messy, curly black hair, looking out at the fleet that seemed to blot out the entire sky. "The Vinsmoke family... I've heard their technological power is so advanced that even the science teams at Marineford are envious of their patents. With that many ships, they must have at least tens of thousands of troops ready to fight, right? There are only four of us here. Don't you think that's a bit much for us to handle?"
"Troops? Is that what you call them?"
Sakazuki stood at the very edge of the bow, his crimson shirt pulled taut against his muscular frame by the fierce wind. He lowered the brim of his hat, and a faint trail of black smoke began to rise from his right arm, revealing his rising irritation. "They are just a bunch of small fry who rely on external toys because they are weak. Numbers are absolutely meaningless when they are faced with the weight of absolute power."
"Yee~ Sakazuki, you really are as scary as ever~" Borsalino held a cup of steaming hot tea, his lips puckered in his usual expression. "But we have a small problem. The other side is technically a government-affiliated nation. If we strike first without a very good reason, writing the after-action report back at headquarters will be very troublesome indeed~"
"Strike first? How could you say such a thing, Borsalino?"
Warrant Officer Kane suddenly stopped his calculations and tucked his calculator away. He straightened his tie, smoothed out his coat, and a perfectly practiced, standard Marine smile appeared on his face.
"We are Marines, the true partners of justice. How could we ever resort to violence so casually? We have to follow the procedure."
As he spoke, he reached into his coat and pulled out a special megaphone Den Den Mushi. He tapped the shell and cleared his throat.
"Hello? Mic check, mic check. One, two. Boom-chick-a-boom, boom-chick-a-boom... Hmm, the sound quality is excellent. Very clear."
The next second, his voice was amplified several times over, booming across the entire sea and completely drowning out the continuous thunder of the Germa cannon fire.
On the Germa flagship, Judge's head snapped up in confusion. All across the fleet, the Clone Soldiers who were busy reloading their cannons froze in place. Even the terrified civilians on the island stopped their running, looking up at the sky in total bewilderment. Who was this? Who was doing a mic check in the middle of a literal battlefield?
The voice continued, sounding incredibly official and authoritative.
"Ahem! Attention, 'Germa 66' illegal armed group ahead! Hello! This is the Marineford 'Special Operations Enforcement Squad' speaking to you!"
"I am the Commander-in-Chief of this specific enforcement operation, Warrant Officer Kane."
Kane didn't give the Vinsmokes a single second to react before he continued his loud, public announcement:
"We have received multiple reports from concerned citizens that you are currently suspected of engaging in a serious illegal gathering!"
"First! You have assembled a fleet of more than three hundred warships in one location, which constitutes an extra-large, unauthorized illegal armed gathering! According to the latest Marineford safety regulations, any armed gathering of more than three people must submit a formal written application to Marineford at least thirty days in advance for approval! Did you apply for a permit? No, you did not!"
"Second! You are firing your cannons in a reckless and noisy manner, causing this entire sea area to be filled with unnecessary smoke. This is seriously damaging the air quality of the North Blue and causing extreme ocean noise pollution! Have you even once considered the feelings of the poor fish trying to sleep in the sea? Your behavior is simply devoid of all morality!"
"Third! And this is the most serious point of all! We have probable cause to check if you are carrying any contraband items! Specifically, we are looking for weapons of mass destruction!"
"Now, on behalf of the authority of Marineford, I will be conducting a surprise inspection of your entire fleet!"
There was a sudden, deathly silence across the water. Not only were the Germa soldiers completely dumbfounded by the sheer gall of the statement, but even the regular Marine sailors on Kane's own warship were stunned. What the hell did he mean, illegal gathering? What was that about the sleep quality of fish?
Everyone on the ship had the same thought: Sir, you just want to rob them in broad daylight, don't you?!
Warrant Officer Kane's smile only grew wider as he sensed the confusion. He took a deep breath and threw out his final, prepared bombshell:
"Given the extreme severity of your actions, you are hereby ordered to stop all hostile activities immediately! Everyone is to disembark and line up for a full body search! Furthermore, as a penalty for your various violations, you must pay a fine of five hundred million Berries on the spot!"
"If you choose not to cooperate with these lawful orders..."
Kane paused, his tone shifting from professional to dangerously cold.
"We will have no choice but to officially deem you as violently resisting enforcement. At that point, we will take all necessary mandatory measures—including, but not limited to, stewing you and your giant snails into a very large bowl of soup together!"
In the command room of the flagship, a loud crack echoed.
The crystal goblet in Judge's hand was crushed into powder, and expensive red wine spilled everywhere, staining his golden cloak.
"Five hundred million Berries? Why doesn't he just go and rob the Heavenly Gold transport ships instead?!"
The veins on Judge's forehead throbbed with such intensity they looked like they might burst. The sheer absurdity of being insulted and extorted by a mere "ant" made him laugh with a manic, murderous anger.
"Stew us into soup?! Good! Very, very good! A mere Warrant Officer from Marineford actually dares to speak so arrogantly to the face of the Germa Kingdom!"
Who did this boy think he was? Judge was a world-class scientist who had once worked alongside the legendary Vegapunk! He was the undisputed overlord who had once ruled the entire North Blue!
"Fire!!"
Judge swung his heavy spear toward the window, his roar echoing through the halls of the castle. "Blast that scrap ship to pieces! Capture that arrogant bastard alive; I want to turn him into a permanent biological specimen and hang him from the very top of my castle for all to see!!"
Following the Commander-in-Chief's furious order, the Germa fleet showed off its impressive, machine-like military discipline.
Clang, clang, clang—!
Hundreds of snail warships shifted their weight and turned their massive muzzles almost simultaneously. The dense forest of black barrels all locked onto the single, lone warship sitting three miles away.
"Boom boom boom boom—!!"
The next instant, the sky disappeared. Cannon fire poured down like a black, metallic rainstorm, the muzzle flashes turning half the horizon a fiery red. That kind of terrifying fire density was more than enough to wipe a medium-sized island off the map in a matter of seconds.
[Ding! System has detected that the host is currently extorting a government-affiliated nation!]
[Judgment: This act is considered extremely serious and corrupt!]
[Disciplinary Points +5,000!]
Facing the sky full of incoming shells, Warrant Officer Kane simply sighed. He reached into his pocket, took out a handful of melon seeds, and casually took a step back toward the center of the deck.
"Oh my, they're getting anxious already? They didn't even want to negotiate the fine."
"Did everyone here see that? I have witnesses. The other side is now officially and violently resisting the law. They have shown a clear intent to murder a high-ranking Marine officer. The evidence of their guilt is now conclusive."
He turned his head and looked at the three men standing behind him. Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino were already shifting their stances, unable to hold back their power any longer. Kane smiled slightly and spat out a melon seed shell into the wind.
"In that case, Sakazuki, Kuzan, Borsalino... it's up to you now."
"Go ahead and give this North Blue overlord a little taste of a Logia shock."
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