If at the beginning Ronan's promise had merely been to help the Vinsmoke family return to the North Blue, then what Judge wanted now was far more than just the North Blue.
What he was after was a share of the power over Ronan's future territory.
As long as Ronan could withstand the World Government's retaliation, then in the future he would likely hold real influence over the entire first half of the Grand Line.
That was far more tempting than simply reclaiming the North Blue.
Just from the way the other side had laid out the Golden City, it was obvious that Ronan's ambitions extended far beyond the first half of the Grand Line.
For Judge, this was a pledge of loyalty that gambled everything.
He was staking all of Germa's future on whether Ronan could endure the World Government's coming blow.
If Ronan failed, then Germa would merely lose those clone soldiers.
But if Ronan succeeded, Germa would gain an opportunity like never before.
Ronan truly hadn't expected Judge to name such terms.
This was far better than the straightforward, equal-value transaction he had originally envisioned.
He fell silent for a moment, not agreeing immediately, and instead asked in return:
"King Judge, you should understand what it means to stand against the World Government. If you tie Germa's fate to my war chariot and I fail, the consequences will be unimaginable. Have you really thought this through?"
Judge nodded heavily.
"I have thought it through very clearly, Your Highness Ronan! This world is survival of the fittest by nature! The World Government has ruled for eight hundred years, and it's already rotten and ossified! I can see that you are different from them!
"And Germa is tired—tired of wandering, tired of rejection. We long for a powerful leader, a king who can lead us to reclaim our glory! Rather than barely dragging out this miserable existence, it's better to bet everything on one throw and stake our fate on the tide of a new era!"
"Good."
Hearing this, Ronan nodded heavily.
"King Judge, I accept your allegiance."
"Next, Judge, we should talk about your clone soldiers. I need them deployed to Lulusia as soon as possible," Ronan continued.
At that, Judge spoke up immediately:
"Please rest assured, Your Highness! Right now there are two thousand fully matured clone soldiers within the kingdom. I will dispatch them in batches to the Lulusia Kingdom under the banner of mercenaries, and they will act under your command! Their combat power absolutely far surpasses that of ordinary kingdom armies!"
Hearing this, Ronan nodded in satisfaction.
With this force, and with Beth, Alicia, Teresa, the newly summoned Neferpitou, and the powers of Enel and Tesoro, the strength in his hands was already no weaker than that of a Four Emperor in the original story.
Even the World Government struggled to deal with the Four Emperors; let alone the current Lulusia Kingdom.
At this point, Ronan was even starting to look forward to the World Government making a move against him.
As for Imu using the Mother Flame in the future to annihilate the Lulusia Kingdom, Ronan wasn't worried about that at all.
At this point in time, Vegapunk hadn't even finished developing the Mother Flame.
While Ronan and Judge were meeting, over in Pangaea Castle, another conversation was taking place.
The Gorosei were gathered when a tall, middle-aged man wearing ornate Celestial Dragon attire walked into the council chamber.
Unlike the other Celestial Dragons, he did not wear a bubble headpiece.
A striking scar ran across his face.
He was the commander of the God Knights, Saint Garling.
"Gorosei-sama."
Garling inclined his head slightly.
"Regarding how to deal with the Lulusia Kingdom, I have a proposal."
Cradling the First Generation Kitetsu, Nusjuro lifted his eyes toward him.
"Garling, speak."
A cruel trace tugged at the corner of Garling's mouth.
"Merely stripping away their status and carrying out conventional military strikes is far too dull, and it's hard to make the other member nations truly feel the pain.
"My suggestion is—hold a 'Hunting Grand Festival' in the Lulusia Kingdom."
"A Hunting Grand Festival?" Topman's brows twitched.
"Exactly."
A dangerous light flickered in Garling's eyes.
"Turn the entire Lulusia Kingdom into a hunting ground. Invite the Celestial Dragons to come hunt.
"All those lowborn wretches who dare defy the World Government will make the finest prey!
"It will be an unparalleled spectacle of entertainment, and at the same time it will show every member nation what fate awaits their people once they leave the 'protection' of the World Government."
This proposal was vicious and cruel to the extreme, perfectly in line with the Celestial Dragons' usual style, and it would destroy Lulusia in the most thorough way possible.
Saint Marcus pondered aloud:
"The idea is not bad.
"But Lulusia does not lack the power to resist. That Teresa, along with Beth and Alicia, are all far from simple. If the Celestial Dragons were to suffer losses, the consequences would be unthinkable."
That was precisely what the Gorosei were concerned about.
Garling seemed to have come prepared. He let out a cold laugh.
"Precisely because of that, we need an even more 'grand' hunt. We must use absolute power to crush them, at the very moment of their deepest despair—and grind them and their ridiculous 'backing' into dust together."
"I suggest we dispatch a Marine Headquarters Admiral, along with five Vice Admirals, leading the corresponding fleets to provide full-time protection for the Celestial Dragons."
One Admiral, five Vice Admirals—
This was practically a top-tier deployment on par with launching a Buster Call.
With such a luxurious lineup, the Gorosei felt it should be more than enough to handle any unforeseen accidents and guarantee the Celestial Dragons' absolute safety.
Garling continued,
"And to ensure absolute security, I request that the God Knights take the field."
The God Knights.
At that name, even the Gorosei's expressions shifted slightly.
This was an elite battle force drawn from among the Celestial Dragons themselves, the strongest guard organization directly under the World Nobles.
Their strength was unfathomable, and they almost never showed themselves before the world.
Apart from the battle at God Valley decades ago, the God Knights had practically never left Mary Geoise.
And now, not only would an Admiral, five Vice Admirals, and a Buster Call–level fleet be dispatched, but the mysterious and terrifying God Knights would be added on top.
For any country, this would be an extinction-level calamity.
With this configuration, the Gorosei felt there would be no way for anything to go wrong.
The Gorosei exchanged glances, each seeing the stir of interest in the others' eyes.
"Approved."
In the end, Nusjuro nodded slowly and made the final decision.
"We'll proceed according to Garling's proposal. Issue an announcement: under the pretext of 'clearing illegal zones and maintaining order on the seas,' the Marine fleet will set sail immediately.
"At the same time, send invitations to the Celestial Dragons. The Hunting Grand Festival… will be held in the Lulusia Kingdom."
"As for the targets, keep the information sealed for now, to avoid them fleeing the kingdom before it begins," Marcus added.
"Other than those lowborn wretches, mark the King of Lulusia, Ronan, and all of his core guards as priority targets—life or death, it doesn't matter.
"Especially that Teresa. Garling, we'll leave her to your God Knights."
(End of Chapter)
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