The port Sora and Sanji headed for was one maintained specifically for Germa. The Germa Kingdom, while a nation, possessed no distinct territory. It was a seafaring nation, traversing the world's oceans using colossal, Den Den Mushi-shaped ships as its temporary landmass.
"...Hasn't changed," Sanji muttered.
"On the outside, maybe. But things change quite a bit on the inside," Sora replied, pointing towards one of the research buildings.
"That place was originally set up to measure your physical abilities, but now it's a research facility for improving plant and livestock breeds."
"...Improving breeds?"
"Have you heard of 'Lineage Factors'?"
Discovered by Dr. Vegapunk during his past research alongside Judge, they were essentially the "blueprints of life." By artificially altering these factors, various changes could be induced in resulting plants and animals. Currently, this knowledge was being applied to create superior breeds.
Species resistant to disease. Species resistant to cold snaps. Species with high reproductive rates. Species born with enhanced flavor. The directions for change were diverse, but strengthening one trait often weakened another. Research required a long-term perspective and skilled scientists.
"I can't imagine that man doing this willingly," Sanji remarked.
"Judge alone probably wouldn't. Germa lacks land, so there are limited places to grow things."
But partnering with Twilight changed the equation. As a seafaring nation, Germa had always struggled with resource shortages, forced to buy what they needed. Though they hadn't previously dabbled in this field, at Kanata's request, they had begun developing improved plant seeds and the like.
The larger the territory, the greater the impact of superior breeds. If more crops could be grown with less manpower, those personnel could be diverted to other projects. Furthermore, if vast quantities of grain could be produced cheaply, livestock like cattle and pigs could also be raised affordably. It took roughly eleven kilograms of grain to produce one kilogram of beef. If the price per kilogram of grain dropped by 100 Berries, producing one kilogram of beef would become 1100 Berries cheaper.
A simple calculation, but reducing such costs made food more affordable, decreasing starvation. High-end brands could be prepared separately for the wealthy, allowing for market segmentation.
"The more superior breeds they create, the richer Germa becomes. It's far better than being warmongers."
Judge had, after all, once been a scientist on par with Vegapunk. Controlling lineage factors was an exceedingly difficult technology, but for Germa, which had utilized it before, it was their area of expertise. Though their association began with the Amber Lead incident, it could now be considered a mutually beneficial arrangement.
"This way."
Sora entered one of the research buildings. It was a strictly controlled area, but Sora gained entry with just a word, Sanji following close behind. Smoking was prohibited, however, so Sanji had to extinguish his cigarette and hand over his pack before entering.
The interior was filled with numerous machines. Down a rather long corridor stood a white bed that resembled nothing so much as a coffin.
"..."
Sanji stopped, unsettled by the room's strangeness, but Sora proceeded towards the bed without hesitation. Beside the bed stood several machines larger than refrigerators, with cables snaking from them and connecting to the bed.
Sanji, who usually calmed his nerves with a cigarette, couldn't now, having surrendered them upon entry. A cold sweat trickled down his neck as he steeled himself and stepped further into the room.
"—...This, is..."
The smell of disinfectant hung in the air, punctuated by the rhythmic sounds of machinery. Lying within the bed, enclosed by a glass-like cover, was a woman—so emaciated she looked almost mummified.
At Sanji's involuntary utterance, Sora, standing beside him, seemed lost in thought.
"...Yes. How should I put this?"
"...There's no mistaking it. Th-this is Mother."
Her hair had lost its color, turning white. Her cheeks were sunken, leaving little more than skin stretched over bone. A machine assisted her breathing, tubes ran into her arms, and several thick, unidentifiable cables were connected to her abdomen. It was difficult to believe the person before him was alive. Beads of cold sweat formed on Sanji's forehead as if he had seen something horrific. Sora, showing no emotion, answered matter-of-factly.
"If you can tell, then this will be quick. This is undoubtedly me. Me, simply... existing."
"What do you mean? If Mother is here, then you are..."
"I am Sora too. I clearly remember raising you... though whether that could be called child-rearing, I'm not sure."
"Then, this is—!"
What was this? Sanji's unspoken question hung in the air, his gaze fixed intently on Sora. Sora closed her eyes, considered something—then slowly began to speak.
"Let's start from the beginning. The me you knew was, at the very least, bedridden and near death. Correct?"
"...Yeah. When I escaped East Blue with Reiju's help... Reiju told me... Mother couldn't even get out of bed anymore."
"Reiju was right. I was weak even when I saw you back then."
The turning point came later. Who suggested it, she didn't know, but Judge created Sora's c-l-o-n-e.
"A clone?"
"Using the lineage factors we discussed earlier. Copying the blueprint of life to create an identical human—that was the clone project."
"So, you're Mother's clone?"
"Physically, yes."
Naturally, a mere clone possessed the same body but could not inherit memories. There were currently two conceivable methods for transferring memories.
"Devil Fruits that interfere with memory have been confirmed, so that's one method. The other is... personality transplantation using the Ope Ope no Mi."
"Personality... transplant..."
"They swapped the per-son-al-i-ty of the c-l-o-n-e with the per-son-al-i-ty of the o-ri-gi-nal bo-dy. So, the personality residing in me here is Vinsmoke Sora herself, while the body is a clone."
Conversely, the body lying in the bed before them was Sora's original, but the personality within was the clone's. However, the clone's personality never surfaced. Only the body was desired, and without implanted knowledge, the personality was no different from an infant's, so it was kept perpetually asleep.
Sora's original body was ravaged by the drugs she took before giving birth to Sanji and his siblings. Machines larger than refrigerators replaced her internal organs; she couldn't speak, couldn't even breathe reliably on her own. Yet, she was kept alive because they couldn't definitively say there would be no impact on the transplanted personality.
"After a personality transplant, does the personality remain even if the original body dies...? Sukura, the Ope Ope no Mi user, concluded from several studies that it would, but Judge keeps my original body alive."
The reason was unclear. Perhaps, ultimately, Judge simply couldn't bring himself to abandon Sora. Even after she took the drugs while pregnant, even though Sora was technically unnecessary once the children were born, he hadn't abandoned her, ensuring she received treatment—.
"...I thought Devil Fruits were powers that defied common sense... but this is beyond imagination."
"But because it's a clone, the body's lifespan isn't particularly long."
"So, when that happens, will you transplant your personality again?"
"No. I don't intend to."
She had seen her children grow up admirably. While Sora herself cooperated with Twilight as a researcher, she had no desire to live on by transferring her consciousness from body to body. This was merely a brief extension of her lifespan.
Having grasped the situation, Sanji and Sora left the room. This isn't something I can tell Chopper, Sanji thought, scratching his head. Unlike simple medical treatment, this involved Devil Fruits. If it couldn't be replicated by anyone other than the ability user, explaining it was pointless. He would have to fudge the details somehow.
"Sanji, are you heading back to the ship?"
"Yeah. No more business here."
They had stocked up plenty of food on Skypiea, so there was no immediate need to buy more. He planned to browse the market idly on his way back to the ship.
"I see... It's lonely, but you have your own adventure. Please give my regards to Luffy-kun and the others."
"Got it. You take care too, Mother."
Putting the returned cigarette to his lips and lighting it, Sanji turned his back and started walking away. It was good that Sora was alive. But that didn't mean he wanted to see Judge. Having cut ties with his family once, that was the end of that relationship.
"If... if you ever want to. You can always come back."
"—No, I won't be back," Sanji replied, without turning around.
***
Meanwhile, the trio of Chopper, Robin, and Zepo. They wandered the island, searching for books, Zepo matching Chopper's pace to prevent the easily distracted reindeer from straying while admiring unusual goods.
As Twilight's largest trade hub, Midgard offered a vast array of items. Books were no exception, including numerous medical texts. Since the gold hadn't been exchanged yet, they lacked cash, so Chopper diligently took notes, marking items to buy later. Robin and Zepo watched him with small smiles, exchanging quiet words.
"—Three behind us. Too sloppy for government agents. Navy or bounty hunters."
"The Navy and pirates both use this island frequently for supplies. Being spotted is unavoidable."
"They probably won't make a move on the island, but getting ambushed outside would be troublesome."
"We should try to lose them somewhere before heading back to the ship."
Robin was a wanted criminal marked by the World Government. Although her bounty wasn't over a hundred million, the fact that she could read the Poneglyphs held significant weight for the government. It wasn't surprising she was under surveillance, and her bounty amount made her a frequent target for bounty hunters. Even just information about her was bought at a high price by the government.
However, Robin had spent years evading such pursuers. Both she and Zepo were accustomed to it. The problem was Chopper...
"...Have him shrink down, and I'll carry him."
"That seems quickest."
In his smaller Human-Beast form, Chopper wouldn't be much of a burden. Since they were still on the island, they might be spotted again, but as long as the ship wasn't found, their departure time would remain unknown.
Quickening their pace slightly, they ducked down an alley, momentarily breaking line of sight. In that instant, Zepo scooped up Chopper, kicked off the building wall, and leaped onto the roof. Robin used her ability to ascend as well, then checked on their pursuers. Their clothes were mismatched. Their movements weren't particularly skilled. Bounty hunters.
"Damn it! Where'd they go!?"
"They must still be close! Split up and search!!"
The three men shouted angrily as they dispersed. Robin and Zepo exchanged glances, wondering what to do. Robin's wanted poster was twenty years old. Since the photo hadn't been updated, she had thought the chance of being recognized wasn't high, but apparently, that wasn't the case here. Selling information about Robin to the Navy would fetch a decent sum. With many pirates visiting the island, some likely made a living this way. Petty thugs, perhaps, but troublesome nonetheless.
"Maybe they plan to snitch to the Navy and are sniffing around us for info."
"Kanata-san is strict about information handling, and this island is under her direct control. I doubt she'd allow that sort of thing..."
"Ah, maybe they're selling info to Twilight?"
It wasn't just the government and Navy collecting information on wanted criminals. A high bounty indicated strength and danger, serving as an objective measure. For a shipping business, knowing the current location of dangerous pirates was surely valuable. Robin's bounty was high, but Zepo's exceeded 300 million.
It wouldn't be strange for lower-level operatives unaware of the specifics to mark him. However, entry and exit to Midgard were monitored at the outer islands, so this group was likely unaffiliated. Small-time spies did infiltrate occasionally. The Five Elders knew well that information was a weapon.
"...Could be selling intel to both sides for pocket change.".
"Possibly. It's best not to be found, but that will be difficult."
The island was large, but crowded. Zepo and Pedro, in particular, stood out and would likely be spotted immediately if they went outside. Acting nonchalantly might be easier, but being indebted to Luffy and the others, causing them trouble weighed on their minds. They had only boarded the Merry to escape the Navy blockade after Alabasta; now that they were here, they could part ways with Luffy's crew...
"...We should probably think about that back on the ship. Let's head back."
"Right. Chopper, hold on tight."
Chopper, still covering his mouth, nodded vigorously. Though he could talk now, Zepo first dropped into an inconspicuous alley and scanned the surroundings. Robin followed him down, and then they emerged onto the main street as if nothing had happened. The three bounty hunters were gone.
As Robin's group headed back towards the ship, retracing their steps, they happened upon Luffy's group, who were also returning.
"Ah, Robin! Heading back now?"
"Yes. Any luck on your end?"
"We spoke to Kaie-san, at least. She said she'd send someone, but didn't know if it would be today or tomorrow."
It was still daytime, but the sun was beginning to dip. They needed to return to the ship, inform everyone, and ensure someone could handle the appraisal whenever the person arrived.
Robin was acquainted with Kaie and wanted to see her, but given her current situation as a fugitive from the Navy and Government, and wanting to keep her ties to Twilight discreet, meeting Kaie would be difficult. That was why she had acted separately this time as well. Kaie had been like an older sister figure who had looked out for her back in Hachinosu, but even a simple greeting could risk information leaking – that was the way of the world.
"Huh, who're you?"
Chopper noticed the unfamiliar person with Luffy's group. The girl with the two-toned red and white hair smiled brightly at Chopper.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Uta! Luffy's childhood friend. Are you Luffy's friend too?"
"Wow, Luffy's childhood friend. I'm Chopper! I'm a doctor!"
"A doctor!?"
Ignoring Uta's surprise, Usopp suggested, "Let's head back to the ship first." Standing around talking near the harbor wasn't ideal. Everyone agreed and returned to the ship, where they found Zoro and Pedro facing each other, swords drawn.
"What are you guys doing?" Luffy asked.
"Oh? You're back," Zoro replied nonchalantly.
It didn't look like they were fighting. Usopp questioned them, but Zoro just said, "It's nothing." Since Luffy accepted that it wasn't a fight, Usopp decided not to press the issue.
"We finally met Uta again! Let's have a feast!" Luffy declared.
"We haven't exchanged the gold yet," Nami reminded him.
"It'll be soon, right? Besides, we have plenty of food!"
"Yeah, but Sanji's not back yet," Usopp pointed out.
The only ones who could cook were Sanji, Zepo, or Nami. Cooking with Nami meant paying, so she was out. Zepo wasn't a bad cook, but he was merely competent, not skilled like Sanji. Letting anyone else cook usually resulted in disaster. Pedro and Robin had always relied on Zepo, so they weren't as proficient as the other three.
"Then let's feast when Sanji gets back!" Luffy decided.
"Sounds good to me," Zoro shrugged.
"You just want to drink, don't you?" Nami accused.
"Alright! Then I'll sing to liven up the party!" Uta volunteered.
"Just try not to bother the other ships," Nami cautioned.
The group buzzed with excitement, already planning the feast. The sun was still high. It was too early to drink, they said, even as they eagerly prepared the alcohol. They chatted, wondering when Sanji would return, asking Uta about Luffy's childhood, recounting tales of their own competitions and adventures.
Even as the sun set, the conversation flowed endlessly.
—And Sanji did not return that day.