Rhett didn't speak. He just looked down at him slightly, blood mist curling around his fingertips. A glint of amusement flickered in his crimson eyes.
Judge's breath stopped for a moment.
He suddenly understood.
His knees hit the deck with a dull thud. Judge pressed his forehead against the blood-stained deck. His voice was hoarse and trembling.
"Vinsmoke Judge and the entire Vinsmoke family... pledge their loyalty to you."
The words seemed to drain every last bit of strength from him. But they also felt like removing a burden he had carried his entire life. His fingers dug into the cracks in the deck, his knuckles white. Not to resist. But to suppress the twisted excitement surging inside him.
Rhett finally smiled.
He slowly raised his hand. The blood mist wrapped around Judge's neck and finally formed a crimson symbol, branded into Judge's collarbone.
"A wise choice."
The symbol glowed with a dark red light. Judge shuddered. He felt an unprecedented surge of power rushing into his body. His old injuries were gone. His body was full of vitality again.
"This is..." Judge looked at his palm in shock.
"A small gift." Rhett turned and walked toward his throne. The blood mist formed a red carpet beneath his feet. "Compared to the power in the illusion, this is nothing. But if you prove your worth..." He turned his head, the corner of his mouth curling up. "I will let you reach out and touch those 'dreams' with your own hands."
Judge's pupils contracted. Images from the illusion flashed through his mind again. The North Blue kneeling before him. Vegapunk's shock. The World Government bowing and scraping. Even the happy family life.
The corners of his mouth uncontrollably turned up, eventually forming a smile that was almost maniacal.
"Yes, Lord Rhett. No, my king."
Rhett: You're welcome. That life force came from the clone soldiers. Also, if I only gave you benefits, I wouldn't be Rhett.
On the deck, Reiju and the others, who had been unconscious, were released by the shadows. They struggled to their feet and saw their father kneeling on the ground. Disbelief was written all over their faces.
"Father...?" Reiju's voice trembled.
Judge slowly stood up and turned to face his "children." His eyes had changed. No more cruelty. No more obsession. Only a cold, almost mechanical fervor remained. It was the determination of a man willing to do whatever it took. I can endure the darkness if I have never tasted the light.
"From today onward, Germa 66 will serve Lord Rhett, the Mist Lord." His voice left no room for argument. "That is an order."
Rhett leaned back on his throne, watching the scene with satisfaction.
The sea breeze carried the scent of gunpowder across the deck. Rhett's gaze suddenly stopped on something in the distance. A small, crude boat was desperately fleeing the battlefield.
Rhett: Oh. Little Sanji.
Rhett glanced at Reiju, then at Judge.
When Sanji felt Rhett's gaze on him, his entire body trembled. There was a mix of fear and relief in his eyes.
But when he was sure that Rhett had locked onto him, his eyes showed mostly fear.
"Th-That monster is looking this way..." Sanji's voice shook. His hands rowed faster. The small boat bounced on the waves, as if it might capsize at any moment. But he couldn't stop. He had watched that man destroy everything Germa had. He had watched his father kneel in submission.
He had seen Rhett descend like a demon god. He had seen him instantly dismantle the military nation that his father always boasted about. The brothers who had bullied him were nothing. If it weren't for Reiju, he would still be in the dungeon. Powerful. Brutal. Unbeatable. That was the most direct impression little Sanji had.
"Damn it..." Sanji gritted his teeth. Row faster. The small boat shot away like a frightened seabird.
Judge followed Rhett's gaze. His pupils contracted sharply. The son he had always considered a "failure" was now fleeing this nightmare without looking back. He should have been angry. Running away was shameful. But then the image of the warm family dinner from the illusion flashed through his mind. His most useless son, cooking for his mother. Both of them smiling so happily.
"Lord Rhett!"
Judge suddenly bowed deeply, slamming his forehead against the deck.
"Please allow that failure to leave!" His voice was hoarse beyond recognition. "He... has no value anymore. He stopped being a member of the Vinsmoke family long ago. Killing him would only dirty your hands."
Reiju and the others looked at their father in shock. This was the first time they had heard Judge "plead" for Sanji. Even if his words were still cruel.
Rhett didn't answer immediately. He watched the boat getting smaller and smaller in the distance. Then he let out a soft laugh.
Evil Rhett: Heheh. I wasn't going to chase him anyway. But since you brought it up... heheh.
He waved his hand casually. Blood mist swirled around his fingertips. "I normally hate cowards who run away. But since you asked..." His crimson eyes glanced sideways at Judge. "Remember this 'mercy.' And it's only for this one time. I am your king. You are not even a true subject yet. Show me your worth. Anyone can be king. I think you understand~"
Judge's back stiffened. His throat bobbed. "...Yes."
In the distance, Sanji's boat finally became a tiny dot on the horizon. The boy looked back once. Germa's fleet was shrouded in blood mist, like the silhouette of a nightmare.
"Vinsmoke... no." He tore the collar with the family crest from his shirt and let it fall into the sea. "From today on, I am just Sanji."
The sea breeze dried the wetness from his eyes. It also carried away the last of his attachment to his family. But the image of the figure sitting on the blood mist throne remained burned into his memory.
Fear.
And...
Some kind of indescribable, twisted gratitude.
---
Back on the deck of the Bruma Jackson, Rhett withdrew his gaze and turned to walk back to his throne.
Judge slowly straightened up. The fervor in his eyes had not faded. He turned to Rhett, his voice low but eager, like a child showing off a new toy.
"Lord Rhett, please allow me to present Germa's current strongest assets."
He raised his hand. A few clone soldiers immediately carried over a metal chest. As the lid opened, several combat suits of various designs gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
"These are the combat suits custom-made for my children." Judge's fingertips traced one of the dark blue suits. "Niji's 'Blue Lightning.' It has a built-in high-voltage electrical system. Combined with his speed, it can puncture a warship's armor in an instant."
He pointed to a bright red suit. "Ichiji's 'Red Sparks.' The power of its flame thrower can melt steel. The propulsion system in its boots gives him aerial maneuverability far beyond Moonwalk."
Reiju's pink combat suit was carefully brought out. Judge's voice, for once, carried a hint of warmth. "Reiju's 'Poison Pink.' It can neutralize any toxin and also concentrate and spray absorbed venom. Of course, to someone of your level, it is likely worthless."
Finally, his finger stopped on Yonji's dark green suit.
"The 'Winch Green' has mechanical arms that can generate fifty tons of gripping force. Combined with its extension mechanism, it can easily tear through Seastone nets." Judge's mouth twitched slightly. "As for the failure's equipment... it has been destroyed."