On Ghost Island, as dawn broke.
After returning from Odens' residence, Kaido sat alone on a mountaintop.
Numerous empty sake jugs lay beside him.
Tap tap tap—
Crisp footsteps approached.
King, clad in armor, stood beside Kaido, gazing at the rising sun.
Drunkenly, Kaido suddenly spoke:
"King!"
King turned to look:
"Brother Kaido."
Kaido mumbled drunkenly:
"I will create a world of freedom..."
Beneath King's mask, a resolute smile emerged, and he whispered:
"You will surely succeed."
----
The North Blue, Germa Kingdom.
In the center of a massive fleet, a thunderous sound erupted from the colossal ship carrying a castle.
BOOM—
A dark silhouette smashed through the castle's apex, followed by a bolt of blue lightning piercing into it.
The people inside the royal palace, caught completely off guard, watched in stunned silence as a towering figure landed on the ground, shaking the entire castle.
Vinsmoke Judge paused, then reacted:
"Wh... "
Before he could utter a name, his pupils constricted.
The towering figure, as if teleporting, appeared before him. A large hand clamped onto his face.
Vinsmoke Judge's head was forced down, slamming him into the ground.
CRACK—
His golden helmet, covering the upper half of his face, shattered. His head spun with dizziness.
Then, he was lifted by his head. A moment later, excruciating pain shot through his limbs.
CRACK! x4
His limb joints were dislocated in an instant. Following that, with a few sharp cracks, the metal attachments he wore were all smashed.
Barrett, seeing Vinsmoke Judge, who could no longer resist, tossed him aside onto the ground.
He produced the wanted poster prepared by Enel and said to Judge, whose face was covered in blood:
"Formerly affiliated with the illegal research organization 'mAds', and one of its leaders."
"Vinsmoke Judge, your time is up."
"I am now formally arresting you on behalf of the Marines."
Vinsmoke Judge, face contorted with rage and terror:
"Cough cough..."
"Damn it, that matter is long past."
"Who sent you!"
"I am now the king of a member nation of the World Government!"
"You have no right to arrest me!"
Tap tap tap...
Just then, footsteps from outside grew more numerous, and within seconds.
Countless emotionless, stern-faced Germa soldiers flooded into the hall, surrounding them.
Enel's eyes, observing these nearly identical soldiers, flickered with a hint of amazement.
"This technology is quite advanced."
"Impressive."
Vinsmoke Judge, slumped on the ground, heard Enel's words and felt a chill in his heart. Damn it... could it be that the Government had taken an interest in his technology? He desperately pondered a solution.
Barrett spoke indifferently:
"We are here under the orders of Admiral Sakazuki of Marine Headquarters."
"If you have any issues, feel free to lodge a complaint at Marine Headquarters."
"You may now remain silent."
Vinsmoke Judge's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he cursed, would he even survive if he went to Headquarters?
Taking a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain:
"I demand to speak with your Admiral."
"There's no reason he wouldn't know the Government has already pardoned those past crimes, and I am the king of a member nation!"
"A Marine Admiral has no right to arrest me!"
Barrett let out a sinister grin:
"Did you not hear me clearly? You may remain silent."
BANG—
He kicked Judge, sending him crashing into a giant painting of Judge's four kings hanging in the hall.
"Cough cough... damn it! Kill them all!"
Judge's furious voice echoed from within the wall. Two modified humans rushed in to help him out.
After resetting his joints, Judge swiftly pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
In the center of the hall, dense ranks of replicated Germa soldiers charged forward.
Barrett's figure was instantly engulfed.
Enel, however, knitted his brows. He merely stood in place, and the soldiers' weapons passed straight through his body.
Seeing their attacks were ineffective against Enel, all the modified soldiers switched to combat mode, drawing out bullets coated with Seastone.
BOOM—!
At this moment, a surging, profound blue Conqueror's Haki erupted from Barrett.
Everyone in Germa Kingdom seemed to glimpse a figure covered in deep blue, a fiendish grin splitting its mouth, and scarlet eyes fixed upon them.
Waves upon waves of Conqueror's Haki pressed down on everyone in Germa Kingdom.
Even the emotionless modified soldiers instinctively felt a tremor of fear. Under Barrett's oppressive aura, they fell one by one.
Germa Kingdom's rear palace.
Sanji, who was about to climb a tree to bring food to a small bird, suddenly fainted.
By the window, Sora, her face filled with gentle affection, watched Sanji collapse. Before she could react, a blue devil appeared before her eyes.
Is that... Shura...
Then, she lost consciousness.
Everyone in the kingdom fainted, except for Judge.
As Judge, who had just pulled out his Den Den Mushi to dial, froze, the Den Den Mushi slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
Damn it... damn it... move!
But his body's instinctive reaction prevented him from moving. The emotion of fear filled his mind.
He was utterly incapable of any other action.
Tap tap tap tap....
Barrett walked slowly, a sinister grin on his face. He bent down and picked up the Den Den Mushi from in front of Judge.
CRACK!
It turned into a pile of components.
The components, along with flesh and blood, fell from his fingertips.
"Now there's no one else."
"Hand over the technology, and this matter will be resolved."
Although Judge acted unscrupulously, was cold and selfish, his family's future was at stake. He held firm, refusing to speak.
This was the key to the Vinsmoke family, who once ruled the North Blue, regaining its former glory. He absolutely could not...
Barrett let out a sinister grin:
"Not talking, excellent."
He casually tossed Judge to the ground, took out his Den Den Mushi, and after a few seconds.
Sakazuki's voice came through the Den Den Mushi:
"What is it, Barrett."
Barrett squatted down, looking at the defiant Judge, and smiled:
"This fellow refuses to hand it over."
"Shall we finish him."
Sakazuki's indifferent voice replied:
"Kill him, and take whatever is useful."
"Have Enel use Raijin to bury them."
"After all, no one will know."
"Let the Vinsmoke family, who once ruled the North Blue, disappear completely."
Barrett let out a sinister grin:
"Understood."
He slowly reached towards Judge's neck.
Judge, sprawled on the ground, had his psychological defenses completely shattered by Sakazuki's words.
Damn it... how many times have they done this? So practiced.
I haven't even restored the glory of the Vinsmoke family! Yes! I can't die yet!!!
"I'll hand it over! I'll hand it over!"
----
The North Blue, on an island where the fleet was repairing, in the commercial district.
Sakazuki hung up the Den Den Mushi and tucked it into his pocket. He glanced at the little girl beside him, who seemed frozen in shock, and smiled as he continued walking.
He acted as if he hadn't noticed the girl's unusual state, nor her clothes soaked through with cold sweat.
After an unknown period of time...
The little girl, who hadn't dared to move, nearly jumped when someone patted her shoulder.
She looked back and finally relaxed, breathing heavily, still shaken.
Rolka frowned and grabbed Robin, who was about to fall:
"What's wrong, Robin."
Robin shook her head:
"N... nothing..."