NOVEL NEXT Chapter 256: 257: Judge
Borsalino, who knew Judge fairly well, was a little surprised. After a moment's thought, he agreed. If nothing else, he could consider it on account of his "future father-in-law." Though years ago he never had the chance to lay a hand on Reiju, he still felt some guilt whenever she came up.
Of course, if Judge ever dared use that as leverage to demand compensation, Borsalino would immediately toss the blame on Reiju — after all, she hadn't recognized him as an admiral back then.
"Which woman?"
Nami entered the office just then, carrying a stack of papers. Upon overhearing the conversation, her brows furrowed sharply.
For Judge — a king of a World Government-affiliated nation — to go so far just to secure an audience with Borsalino was telling. That he had to scheme to even make contact was largely due to Nami's interference.
Ever since meeting Reiju, Nami had been wary. She suspected the woman might try to cause trouble before Borsalino and Gion's wedding. Though Reiju never acted, Nami still cut off every chance for her to meet Borsalino.
What Nami never expected was that the real one seeking him wasn't Reiju — but Judge himself!
"Jealous?"
Borsalino chuckled, pulling Nami into his arms. He soothed her until the little cat-thief stopped pressing the issue.
But it wasn't long before Judge and his entourage, escorted by the same restrained Marine officer, arrived at Borsalino's office.
"You all wait outside. I doubt Mr. Vinsmoke wants anyone overhearing our talk."
Seeing Judge's grave demeanor, Borsalino scratched his head. There went his precious afternoon tea time. He'd have to file for some "emotional compensation pay" later for having to work during his break.
"You two, wait outside."
When Borsalino addressed him as "Mr. Vinsmoke" rather than "King," Judge's expression soured briefly. Still, since he was the one requesting help, he swallowed his displeasure, ordered Reiju and Yonji out, and sat down opposite the admiral with a dark look.
"Speak your piece. I've no patience for circling words. State your purpose before I lose interest."
Leaning back in his chair, Borsalino regarded Judge with faint condescension. Meeting him at all was already a favor for Reiju's sake. That didn't mean he had to treat a warmongering would-be monarch kindly.
"I want your support in restoring Germa Kingdom. In return, I'll give you Reiju as your wife, and I'll grant you the title of Duke of Germa!"
Judge declared firmly.
Borsalino, mid-yawn, paused and idly cleaned his ear — wondering if he'd heard right. Support Germa's restoration?
If memory served, all he'd done was toy with Judge's daughter. He hadn't even "sealed the deal" yet. What gave Judge the confidence to think a Marine Admiral — no, the Fleet Admiral — would back his ambitions?
"This is a dukedom we're talking about! Once Germa is rebuilt, you and your descendants will be great nobles for generations!"
Judge pressed on, emphasizing the weight of his offer. To him, it was the perfect bargain — handing over Reiju, his most valuable piece, and even promising noble status for her children.
If Kizaru were willing to support Germa Kingdom in acquiring more territory, Judge could even consider granting Kizaru lands befitting the title of a duke.
Of course, such fiefs could only be inherited by Reiju's descendants, and if her line were ever to die out, the inheritance rights to the land must return to the Vinsmokes.
"…That's all you wanted to say?"
Kizaru couldn't help but wonder if Judge had water in his brain, or if his obsession with restoring his kingdom had grown so heavy that it finally drove him mad.
Anyone with an IQ above zero should be able to understand just how vast the gap was between a Marine Admiral and the so-called dukedom of Germa Kingdom.
And offering Reiju's hand in marriage to Kizaru was another absurd, self-important condition. Leaving aside the fact that Kizaru's engagement to Gion was no secret, Judge's proposal to grant him a dukedom and Reiju's hand only after Germa was restored was laughable.
Either Judge had turned into a fool, or he thought Kizaru was one.
Judge's expression darkened as he silently cursed Kizaru for not knowing a good deal when he heard one.
But with the current situation forcing his hand, and since he needed Kizaru's help, no matter how much anger he felt, he could only raise the stakes further.
"…If you're still not satisfied, then in the future Germa Kingdom can be inherited by the children you have with Reiju! But they must take the Vinsmoke name!"
Gritting his teeth, Judge put forward what he believed was the most tempting condition for Kizaru. However, there was another hidden condition he didn't say out loud—that he wanted Kizaru's lineage factor.
In Judge's mind, this was only natural. If he was willing to leave the second-generation throne to Kizaru's offspring, then Kizaru ought to contribute accordingly.
"…Germa Kingdom can restore itself, but not right now. And the place you restore it in will be decided by me…"
Unable to comprehend Judge's logic any further, Kizaru didn't bother wasting more time. This so-called "king" whose entire head was filled with thoughts of restoration would never understand—
What he valued in Germa Kingdom meant nothing in the eyes of others. Fallen nobles were countless across the seas; even princes and princesses weren't all that rare.
Kizaru wasn't some fool brainwashed by bloodline theories. He didn't even hold the Celestial Dragons in high regard, let alone so-called kings and nobles.
In a world where true power resided only in oneself, only strength was real. If Judge had offered his technology in cybernetic modification instead, Kizaru might have looked at him with a bit more respect.
"The place of restoration should be in the North Blue! And it can't be some uninhabited island!"
Finally hearing an affirmative reply from Kizaru, Judge rushed to lock down the conditions.
Compared with other fallen kings and nobles, Judge's situation was actually quite good. He could still maintain the dignity of a monarch, and commanded a military force strong enough not to be dismissed even by the Navy.
Unfortunately, having been indoctrinated since childhood with the ideals of restoration left behind by his forebears, Judge—who should have been a brilliant scientist—ended up nearly walking the road of total ruin.
"…Fine. But I don't need any dukedom or fiefs, and I have no interest in letting my children become some worthless king…"
Kizaru didn't actually care where Germa Kingdom would be restored. The reason he was "pressing down the price" was to lower Judge's expectations and keep him from asking for more outrageous conditions.
Aside from becoming utterly obsessed whenever the topic of restoration came up, Judge—being a genius scientist—wasn't so easy to fool once he calmed down.
"Reiju truly didn't misjudge you! I'll arrange your engagement banquet as soon as possible, and when the Germa Kingdom is restored, I'll personally hold the grandest wedding for you two!"
Judge spoke excitedly. If he had known earlier that just finding a powerful son-in-law would be enough to restore his kingdom, why would he have bothered exhausting himself with modifying his own children?
And what made him happiest, apart from the hope of restoration being right before his eyes, was that he didn't need to pay any real price for it.
All it took was giving away Reiju—whom he considered little more than an accessory—and he could gain the support of the Navy's Fleet Admiral. The deal couldn't be more profitable!
"My words aren't finished yet. Germa 66 must hand over the cloning and lineage factor technology. And once the kingdom is restored, you must disband your army and reduce yourselves to the level a normal kingdom should have."
Kizaru tapped the desk impatiently. He wasn't some great benevolent soul offering charity to Judge. If Reiju wanted to be queen, Kizaru wouldn't mind lending a hand.
But if it was Vinsmoke Judge himself who wanted help, then he had to trade technology Kizaru actually valued.
Though it couldn't compare to Vegapunk's work, Judge's research still ranked among the top scientists of the seas, and his technology was indeed valuable to the Navy.
Just a moment earlier, Judge had been smiling for once, but after hearing Kizaru's conditions, his expression instantly froze.
The cloning and lineage factor technology were Judge's life's work. Though not as important to him as the great mission of Germa's restoration, the thought of handing them over still made him hesitate.
"The cloning and lineage factor technology I can give you. But Germa 66 cannot be disbanded! The reborn Germa Kingdom needs enough strength to protect itself!"
Still, Judge wasn't some fool raised in a greenhouse. After brief hesitation, he made the correct decision.
Handing over cloning and lineage factor technology would indeed damage Germa's interests. But without using those two technologies to win Kizaru's support, Germa 66 alone, no matter how hard they tried, could never complete the restoration.
Without the World Government's approval, even if Germa 66 conquered other nations, it would be impossible to establish a kingdom on someone else's territory.
The powers of the world could allow small nations to slaughter each other endlessly, but they would never tolerate a strong Germa Kingdom rising within their sphere of influence.
That was why Germa 66, as mercenaries of war, were welcomed by all, but could never rely on mercenary work alone to find the chance to rebuild their kingdom.
Yet Kizaru merely sneered. With power in his grasp, killing intent arose—he didn't believe for a second that Judge would truly use Germa 66 only for "self-defense."
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