When Katakuri informed Judge that Caesar wanted to see him, Judge's heart was filled with unease.
To be honest, Judge felt genuine fear towards Caesar in his heart.
In just over twenty days, this man who had appeared out of nowhere had shaken the seas with one earth-shattering event after another.
In Wano Country, he turned the tide, defeating the Straw Hats and others who had risen to the rank of Emperors.
He formed the Beast God Pirates, consolidating the full forces of two former Emperors and the moment he appeared in the New World, he crushed the Marines led by Garp, Sengoku, and Kizaru.
He forced the legendary Fleet Admiral Sengoku to fight to his death!
Judge had also heard that just a few days ago, Caesar had slain the former Warlord of the Sea, Edward Weevil and wiped an entire island off the map!
Not only that, he had wounded the Dark King Rayleigh and even recruited the former Marine Admiral Aokiji into his ranks, further bolstering the strength of the Beast God Pirates.
Now, with the addition of Doflamingo's family, even the newly crowned Emperor Buggy had abandoned his territory without even meeting Caesar, fleeing to who-knows-where.
Lost in his thoughts, Judge walked unsteadily towards Caesar's location with his four children in tow.
"Hey, relax, Judge. What's with that look? Like your wife cheated on you or something. It's just meeting Caesar-sama—no need to be so scared."
Queen waddled over with his massive frame, grinning as he teased Judge, who kept his eyes fixed on the ground.
Judge shot him a glance but couldn't be bothered to respond.
'If you're not scared, then why are you sweating buckets?' he thought to himself.
While mocking Judge, Queen was also mentally reviewing everything he had done recently, wondering if he had done anything to displease Caesar.
Each lost in their own thoughts, the group entered the hall where Caesar was waiting.
Looking up, they saw a massive throne at the center of the room, upon which Caesar sat imposingly, his towering and muscular frame alone enough to unsettle anyone who laid eyes on him, even without the slightest hint of his aura.
"Caesar-sama." 2x
Both Queen and Judge greeted him with nervous sweat on their brows.
Caesar grinned, showing no signs of anger—instead, he seemed quite amiable, even gesturing for them to take a seat.
"Bororororo! I heard from Katakuri that the two of you are renowned scientists, on par with that Vegapunk from the World Government. Come, sit down. I've got some questions for you."
Queen and Judge were taken aback for a moment before breaking into wide smiles.
Especially Queen, whose chubby face scrunched up as his small eyes narrowed into slits.
"Hehehe, you flatter me, Caesar-sama. That old man Vegapunk is just a tiny bit better than me, just a tiny bit! Hahaha! We used to work on experiments together back in the day."
Relieved that Caesar wasn't here to punish them, the two happily took their seats as instructed.
Reiju and the others stood obediently behind their father, but couldn't help stealing glances at Caesar.
Once they were seated, Caesar wasted no time and got straight to the point.
"Judge, I heard you have an army of clone soldiers. Why haven't I seen them around?"
Judge's face immediately twisted with anger upon hearing this.
"Damn the Marines for confiscating them! Not just the clone soldiers, but also my warship—those giant snails were centuries of accumulated wealth for the Germa Kingdom. Without them, traveling to the New World won't be as simple as scaling the Red Line anymore."
Caesar frowned. "Confiscated by the Marines? Wait... so that's what happened. Damn those Marines bastards! I thought they only brought you few here. I didn't expect them to seize Germa's forces too. Are those things important? I mean, if I need you to mass-produce clone soldiers in Totto Land, would we need those warships you mentioned?"
Without hesitation, Judge nodded urgently.
"Of course, Caesar-sama! The warships also house my laboratory. The confidential data and serums inside are invaluable. During voyages, we sometimes engage in battles, and clone soldiers get damaged. The lab in the war docks can repair them. If needed, we can also cultivate embryos in the incubation chambers to breed the next batch of warriors!"
"Is that so? Then they're crucial, huh? Hold on..."
A flash of fury crossed Caesar's face as he signaled Judge and the others to wait.
He pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket and dialed a pre-recorded number.
*****
At the G-1 Marine Base in the New World, Fleet Admiral Akainu—who had just attended Sengoku's funeral and hadn't even had time to take a sip of water—had barely stepped into his office when the Den Den Mushi on his desk began ringing incessantly.
Akainu scowled in annoyance and snatched it up.
"Who is this?"
"You damn Marine dogs! How dare you confiscate MY things, MY belongings?! Are you tired of living? Believe me, I'll march your base right now and smash every last one of you to pieces!"
In the hall, Caesar roared into the receiver, his booming voice making Akainu's ears ache.
Queen and Judge stared in shock, jaws slack, as they watched Caesar.
Because, judging by the appearance of the Den Den Mushi in Caesar's hand—the scarred, stern-faced man on the other end was unmistakably Fleet Admiral Akainu!
Gulp.
Judge swallowed hard.
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Akainu exploded with rage, his fury ignite.
The moment he recognized the Den Den Mushi's face, he realized it was that insufferable bastard Caesar.
Akainu thought to himself, This bastard still dares to act high and mighty with me?
Sengoku's remains have been returned, and I'm the Fleet Admiral of the Marines!
You think I'd fear a mere Emperor?
Talk to me like that again, and I'll lead the Marines to teach you a lesson!
Without hesitation, Akainu fired back.
"Caesar! Don't get cocky with me, you scum of the sea! Stop pinning blame on the Marines. Listen here! Sooner or later, we'll wipe out your pathetic Beast God Pirates. Enjoy what little time you have left!"
With that, Akainu hung up before Caesar could retort, not giving him a chance to speak.
The moment the call ended, a brilliant grin spread across Akainu's face—an unprecedented sense of satisfaction washing over him.
When you don't want to hear someone's nonsense, the ultimate joy comes from blasting them first and cutting them off before they can even start.
Right now, Akainu was riding that high like never before.
"You think you can act all high and mighty with me? Hanging up on me every time I call, who the hell do you think you are? Some kind of star? You really think you're some big shot? You're nothing but a damn pirate!"
Akainu was feeling utterly exhilarated.
Today was truly satisfying, filling him with boundless energy as he embarked on another glorious day as Fleet Admiral.
*****
Caesar's lips twitched in disbelief—he couldn't believe he'd just been hung up on.
He abruptly stood up, an overwhelming aura erupting from him, shaking the entire hall.
Queen, Judge, and the others paled instantly, sensing trouble.
"KATAKURI! Get me the locations of all the Marine bases in the New World! I'll make that damn dog regret ever hanging up on me!"
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