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"Click, click..."
A teeth-grinding sound of a door opening echoed.
The huge and heavy alloy door slowly opened, revealing the scene within.
"Beep, beep..."
"Experiment data normal!"
"Continue monitoring..."
In this spacious, massive experimental base, scientists belonging to the Germa Kingdom were busy at work, not stopping their tasks due to the arrival of Vinsmoke Judge and Ichiji.
"Your Majesty, Lord Ichiji..."
An older, somewhat short and stout man, wearing goggles and holding a logbook, came forward to greet them.
"Is everything going smoothly?"
Ichiji nodded and asked.
Over the years, he hadn't been idle.
A few years ago, during an expedition to the first half of the Grand Line, it took quite a bit of effort to successfully capture Wapol, the Munch-Munch Fruit user and King of the Drum Kingdom.
He not only hijacked a pirate ship and pretended to be a pirate to attack the Drum Kingdom, but also greeted Spandam, asking him to help erase some "traces" and pin the blame on a certain pirate crew wandering in the Drum Kingdom area.
Pirates attacking a World Government member nation and kidnapping its king was no small matter. It caused a considerable sensation and widespread panic at the time.
Many member nations' kings even expressed close concern about the matter, successively putting considerable pressure on the World Government.
After all, no king wanted to one day suffer the same fate as the unlucky King Wapol of Drum Kingdom, being directly kidnapped by those reckless pirates.
Under pressure, the World Government ordered a thorough investigation and had CP cooperate with the Marines to pursue the culprits. The fate of that unlucky pirate crew was easily imaginable.
And the root cause was Wapol's Munch-Munch Fruit ability, which allowed him to synthesize special alloys with unique value by eating different ores and metals!
In the past three years, Germa 66 had accumulated a considerable amount of very valuable special alloys. If all of them were sold, without exaggeration, it would be an astonishingly huge sum of money.
However, as an ambitious military organization, Germa clearly had no intention of selling these precious metals.
After all, if anything went wrong, once the World Government, that behemoth, set its eyes on them, it would definitely not be a good thing for Germa!
"With this 'Shape Memory Alloy,' the development of the Shape Memory Armor has proceeded very smoothly over the past three years. We expect to develop the first 'sample' in a few more days..." Vinsmoke Judge led Ichiji to the experimental bench, pointing to a strangely shaped metal, a proud smile on his face.
Germa had been a nation of science for generations, and he was also an excellent scientist. Many years ago, he even collaborated with Dr. Vegapunk on research into creating life in an illegal offshore research facility. Later, their research team was bought out by the World Government, and everyone except Vinsmoke Judge, who escaped, joined the World Government.
Over the years, despite being the King of Germa, he still participated in the Germa science team's research and development work.
The development of the Shape Memory Armor was one of the projects he personally participated in.
As the name suggested, it involved "storing" a specific form of armor equipment in a "carrier," and when it was time to equip it, one simply had to activate the device on the "carrier."
"A few days? That's truly exciting..."
Ichiji smiled. It seemed he had returned at just the right time.
If this project truly succeeded perfectly, it would undoubtedly have epoch-making significance.
It would be nothing short of "future equipment," exactly like a superhero's transformation.
It had to be admitted that Vinsmoke Judge, this stubborn and arrogant man, was truly exceptionally skilled in this regard.
The old man said with a beaming smile, "This is all thanks to Your Highness. If you hadn't brought back that Munch-Munch Fruit user three years ago, the Shape Memory Alloy wouldn't have been developed so smoothly!"
"Keep a close eye on that guy. His ability is very valuable, don't let anything go wrong!"
Vinsmoke Judge nodded. If it weren't for his unconventional eldest son bringing back Wapol, the Munch-Munch Fruit user, the research on Shape Memory Alloy wouldn't have made such a breakthrough easily, let alone further applying Shape Memory Alloy to develop world-leading Shape Memory Armor.
That "useless king" Wapol, for Germa, was currently a "treasure mountain."
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, Wapol is not only imprisoned in a Sea Prism Stone cage, but his limbs are also bound by Sea Prism Stone handcuffs, and Artificial Soldiers are specifically assigned to watch him 24/7..."
The entire Germa science team now knew the value of Wapol's Munch-Munch Fruit. While it was impossible to worship him, they would not excessively abuse him either.
But as for escaping, he could only hope that Germa would be destroyed one day.
"That guy is such a coward; suicide would never happen to him!"
Chapter 19: Germa's Future
"Tell me, what are your plans and ideas for Germa's future..."
After showing Ichiji around one large laboratory after another, Vinsmoke Judge asked in a deep voice.
He had always known that this eldest son possessed a vision superior to his own and a more fervent ambition, making it impossible for him to have no plans for the future.
The three-hundred-year revival of Germa had already consumed Vinsmoke Judge's entire life, and in recent years, it had left him somewhat breathless. He was unsure if he would live to see Germa once again dominate North Blue.
Therefore, he wanted to hear his eldest son's opinion, as Germa would eventually be handed over to him.
"Lack of its own territory, resources, taxes... these all limit Germa's development. It can be said to have reached a bottleneck, which I think you deeply understand..."
Ichiji did not decline. Germa's future development and transformation required Vinsmoke Judge, the wielder of power, to approve. He spoke directly: "The generous rewards earned from war mercenary work might be enough for ordinary small countries, but for Germa 66, which wants to rapidly grow and rise in a short time, it's merely a drop in the bucket, as war mercenary work isn't always available..."
"...You are not wrong!"
After a moment of silence, Vinsmoke Judge sighed heavily, completely agreeing with Ichiji's view.
Germa 66 was different from other kingdoms; it had been a "nation of science" for generations, possessing a world-class research team. The World Government would never sit idly by and watch a dangerous kingdom like Germa acquire its own territory and gradually grow stronger.
Moreover, the North Blue nations, who held a great grudge against Germa, were always highly wary and vigilant of ambitious "evil organizations." Once Germa grew to a point where it threatened their safety, they would undoubtedly unite to suppress it without hesitation.
"Currently, seeking further development under the World Government's watchful eye is indeed impossible, but it's not entirely without a solution..."
Ichiji said with a smile.
Isn't Sky Island the most suitable place?
Even if resources are scarce, it can directly avoid the World Government's surveillance.
But there's no hurry for now.
Ultimately, this world still depends on hard power.
Unless there's a secret weapon like a nuclear weapon, technology, no matter how advanced, can only be an auxiliary.
How far Germa can go in the future ultimately depends on what heights Vinsmoke Ichiji can reach.
Why are the Four Emperors so arrogant?
And why does even the Marine Headquarters, the undisputed overlord of the sea, fear them?
It's because they all possess terrifying strength!
Even the pirate crews under the Four Emperors can easily crush the vast majority of pirates, shattering the dreams of countless individuals who yearned to become the Pirate King every year.
As long as his own strength is sufficient, and he plans well, with Germa's first-class technological foundation, developing will not be a difficult task.
However, dominating North Blue is far from as simple as it appears.
...
It was deep into the night.
Ichiji returned to his room after discussing with Judge for half the night.
Of course, he had other plans, but the time was not yet ripe, and speaking of them would be useless.
Two identical, curvaceous girls were there, whispering something, their legs occasionally swinging.
"Your Highness, you're back..."
The dignified and elegant Isabel came forward to greet him.
Her gem-like, sparkling emerald eyes were filled with tenderness and adoration.
Five years ago, when she, a princess of a fallen kingdom, was rescued by this prince from the abyss of despair, saving her from the fate of being violated by villains, Isabel's life, heart, and indeed everything, had already been wholeheartedly dedicated to this master.
"Your Highness..."
Winnie and Delia, the twin sisters, quickly rose to greet him.
"Isabel, you've worked hard... did you miss me these past few days?"
This beautiful maid was not his only woman, but she was arguably the first woman he kept.
For a considerable time, she had even accompanied Ichiji to battle, and she was not as fragile as she appeared on the surface.
In his heart, her position was irreplaceable.
"Of course..."
Chapter 20: News, Departure
Early morning.
The sky was clear and bright, and a sea breeze gently blew.
White clouds drifted across the azure sky.
Waking up early, Ichiji, feeling refreshed after a "morning exercise" with Isabel and the twin maid sisters, arrived in the main hall.
Vinsmoke Judge's "Four Nations Massacre" photo immediately caught his eye, a sight he had long grown accustomed to.
On the dining table in the hall, several visually appealing breakfast items were laid out, tempting one's appetite.
"Good morning!"
Reiju, wearing a white tight-fitting mini-skirt, sat quietly, engrossed in a thick book, exuding an air of elegance and grace.
She put down her book, stood up with a smile, her fair legs appearing long and slender.
Her beautiful eyes, twinkling with amusement, looked at Ichiji as he approached and playfully teased, "You're two or three hours later than usual today, are you still going to train?"
Her room was relatively close to Ichiji's, so when she passed by early in the morning, she naturally knew what her mischievous younger brother had been doing in his room.
"Of course!"
Ichiji sat down directly, ignoring his sister's teasing, and quickly finished his portion of breakfast.
"Such an unlovable brother!"
Reiju smiled helplessly, finding it a bit dull.
Cupping her cheeks, she watched Ichiji eating with a smile, observing her younger brother who, since childhood, hadn't been very fond of interacting with people, but had actually, intentionally or unintentionally, protected her more than once.
Though not wolfing down his food, he wasn't overly concerned with table manners either.
"What, do I have flowers on my face?" Ichiji asked with a smile, picking up a glass of milk.
Unlike his younger brothers Niji and Yonji, Reiju, who was three years older, had not been deprived of normal emotions, despite being unable to defy Judge's orders.
Although she was adept at protecting herself, she was generally a very gentle sister, and he didn't dislike her.
"Heh~~Â heh~~ I just feel that the quiet, reserved younger brother who only knew how to train has grown up..." Reiju's beautiful eyes blinked lightly, a hint of reminiscence in her gaze, as she smiled, propping her chin on her hand.
"Grown up, have I?"
Ichiji couldn't help but chuckle, noncommittal, and continued to devour his food.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you yesterday..." Reiju remembered something and immediately said to Ichiji, who had finished breakfast in a few bites and was about to go train, "I have news about Trafalgar D. Water Law, whom you asked me to find last time."
Germa, as a "local overlord" entrenched in North Blue, naturally had its own intelligence network. However, having declined for three hundred years and only showing some resurgence in the last decade, it still had a considerable gap compared to "new" major powers like the Revolutionary Army and the Four Emperors.
Not to mention the ubiquitous Cipher Pol series of intelligence agencies directly under the World Government.
"Where is he?"
Ichiji raised an eyebrow and asked directly.
He had asked Reiju to search for Trafalgar D. Water Law a long time ago, but the Op-Op Fruit's ability was too sensitive. To avoid the World Government noticing the individual too early, he hadn't dared to ask Spandam for help.
But Trafalgar D. Water Law had been living incognito for years to avoid the Donquixote Family, his whereabouts elusive and constantly moving around the world. With Germa's current intelligence capabilities, finding someone who was deliberately hiding their tracks in the vast North Blue was not easy.
"He's in Blanca Town in the Bastille Sea. He should still be lingering in that area for the next few days."
Despite not being the first time she had asked, Reiju, who never received a specific answer, still asked with some confusion: "Speaking of which, is that kid really so important? That you value him so much..."
"Of course, he's important. If Germa wants to rise in the shortest possible time, his ability, if used well, can greatly shorten the process of 'accumulation'..."
Ichiji walked out directly, saying without looking back, "I have to go out personally. Tell the old man later!"
Having an understanding of Trafalgar D. Water Law, he was confident he could subdue him!
Or rather, even if he couldn't immediately gain his sincere allegiance, he could at least make him useful.
He had originally wanted to stay at headquarters these few days, waiting for the first Shape Memory Armor, an epoch-making black technology product, to be unveiled, but it seemed he would miss it.
"Not cute at all..."
Ichiji's whirlwind departure left Reiju somewhat helpless, but also deeply puzzled.
She truly didn't understand what kind of ability that kid, Trafalgar D. Water Law, possessed that made Ichiji value him so much.
In less than ten minutes.
Ichiji's exclusive War House had already sailed away from the "homeland."
This left many Germa personnel scratching their heads; no one knew what Lord Ichiji, who had just returned, was suddenly leaving headquarters for, as it didn't look like an expedition.
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
Ichiji continuously kicked out slashes, four or five meters wide, towards the turbulent sea.
"What's that guy up to?" Niji, panting slightly, frowned as he watched the War House gradually disappear into the distance.
"Phew... who knows! Shigan!!"
Yonji, drenched in sweat and constantly striking a wooden stake with Shigan, said with a mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred: "From childhood, that guy always did whatever he wanted, and not even Father King could control him!"
The giant wooden stake was riddled with countless finger holes, a shocking sight.
Not being as good as Ichiji didn't mean they were completely useless.