NOVEL NEXT Chapter 569: Judge's Frustration
Looking at Judge's square face, Luffy, Ain, Nami, and the others couldn't believe how he could say such things with such a shameless expression.
Ever since reading about him in the original timeline, Luffy had harbored a dislike for Judge. Now that Sanji had become his subordinate, it was only right and proper for Luffy to stand up for his little brother.
Just as he was about to give this old man who looked down on others a proper dressing-down, Luffy realized he had underestimated Judge's ability to twist things to his advantage.
The words Luffy had intended to use as a confrontation took on an entirely different meaning when they reached Judge's ears.
"You want to communicate with Germa? You want to talk to me about world affairs? Could it be that this new admiral has the same ambitions as me? Does he also recognize my worth?!"
After this rapid calculation in his mind, Judge immediately put on a gentle smile that made Sanji want to vomit. He stepped forward, placed his hands on Sanji's shoulders, and spoke with feigned concern.
"Sanji, you've grown up so much! Your body is much stronger than before. Look at that hair, those eyes, that nose, even the curled eyebrows! He is indeed my proudest son, and looks exactly like me!"
The expressions of Reiju and her three siblings were nothing short of astonished, especially since their father had always regarded Sanji as a disgrace to the family. Now he was personally declaring Sanji to be his proudest son!
This was unbelievable even to the three brothers who had been deprived of emotions through genetic modification.
Reiju was even more disturbed, wondering if the man standing before her showing such care toward Sanji was truly her father or an impostor who had taken his place.
As for Sanji himself—the subject of all this attention—his reaction was visceral. Looking at Judge's concerned face, he nearly couldn't contain himself from vomiting up his breakfast and lunch. Even with his self-control, he still felt so nauseated that he bent over and began to dry heave.
Seeing Sanji's reaction, Judge's face reddened, and a flash of anger crossed his mind. However, considering that Luffy was still standing beside them, he gritted his teeth and suppressed his rage.
He even continued his charade of concern by patting Sanji on the back, ostensibly trying to help him feel better. But after this gesture, Sanji only retched more violently.
Judge: ...
The Marines: ...
The four Vinsmoke siblings: ...
Luffy's mouth twitched as he watched Sanji retching, and he silently apologized. I didn't expect that after my intervention, Sanji would be the one suffering.
Sanji's disrespectful behavior infuriated Judge. But it also made him realize that this "idiot" was not going to play along with his scheme. In this case, his plan would need to be adjusted.
After a moment's recalculation, the concern on Judge's face diminished slightly. However, he wasn't ready to discard this chess piece yet, still determined to extract whatever value remained.
Looking up at Luffy, Judge displayed a hint of emotion tinged with apparent regret and said:
"Admiral Luffy, you may have some misunderstandings about me. Actually, Sanji has always been my favorite child. When he accidentally got lost in the East Blue, it was the most heartbreaking thing I've experienced in all these years. Now that we can reunite as father and son, I would like to thank you for making this possible. Taking this opportunity, I would like to ask you to be a witness."
As he spoke, Judge turned to face the clone soldiers neatly lined up in two rows around him and announced in a booming voice: "I, the patriarch of the Vinsmoke family and the king of the Germa Kingdom, hereby restore the identity of my third son, Prince Vinsmoke Sanji!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers let out a collective gasp of surprise. But soon, someone recovered and shouted Sanji's name.
"Long live Prince Sanji!!"
"Long live His Royal Highness the Prince!!"
"Welcome back, Your Highness!!"
Hearing the excited cheers around him, Sanji, who had finally stopped retching, immediately tensed and prepared to refuse this unwanted honor.
But when he looked up, he caught sight of the forced smile on Judge's face—an expression even more strained and ugly than his own.
He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt much better.
It must be excruciating for him, knowing that the son he considers a disgrace is being publicly celebrated. He has to exaggerate his affection in front of everyone. He's even gritting his teeth while accepting me back into the family.
Sanji knew without even having to guess that Judge must be feeling extremely upset and distressed at this moment. And somehow, Judge's unhappiness made Sanji feel strangely satisfied.
At this moment, Luffy glanced over at him quietly and gave him a meaningful smile. Suddenly, Sanji understood the game being played. Feeling grateful to Luffy for this unexpected revenge, he began to perfunctorily wave to the people around him, acknowledging their cheers.