Inside one of Germa's residential castles.
Judge was in a good mood, receiving a call from Kanata.
"Our preparations are complete. When do we invade the North Blue?"
'Don't be so hasty, Judge.'
An agreement existed between Twilight and Germa. Manpower in exchange for supplies. Scientific prowess in exchange for equipment. Judge hadn't been told Kanata's ultimate goal, but he was cooperating because he heard that subjugating the North Blue was a necessary step along the way.
The North Blue harbored much darkness. A place where drugs, slaves, weapons, and armaments flowed freely. The black market run by underworld figures hostile to Twilight, the world's largest shipping enterprise, was a prime example.
"We are also making progress with preparations... but there have been some unexpected developments."
"...The fall of one Warlord shouldn't change much."
"Crocodile himself is irrelevant, but the fact remains that we clashed with Kaido and the others as a result. We are currently recalculating the redeployment of forces and allocation of resources."
War was not something to be started spontaneously. It was a move made only after meticulous preparation and careful judgment determined victory was achievable. Although preparations had been ongoing, the sudden battle with the Beasts-Big Mom pirate alliance had undeniably caused ripples.
Especially since the factions entrenched in the North Blue were highly likely to have connections with Kaido and Linlin, there was a risk of pulling the Four Emperors Alliance into the fray. Kanata's true desire was to complete more preparations before cleaning up the North Blue while maintaining a watchful eye on the New World.
"Facing Kaido and Linlin again requires thorough preparation. Even if we win, the damage will likely be significant."
Even with the agreement between Twilight and the Navy, Kanata couldn't freely deploy their forces at her sole discretion. Although they stood shoulder-to-shoulder, Sengoku would likely try to shift as much of the burden onto Kanata as possible. The man known as the 'Resourceful General' wasn't just for show.
The enemy wasn't just Kaido and Linlin. Countless other pirates would seize any perceived weakness in Kanata and begin maneuvering. In this sea ruled by the law of the jungle, showing weakness was not an option.
"...Very well. Should we stand by for now?"
"Yes. I will contact you again later... but I may contact you about a separate matter."
"A separate matter?"
"Involving Caesar Clown and Vegapunk."
Perhaps due to the mention of two familiar names, Judge scowled at the Den Den Mushi. Sensing his mood, Kanata chuckled softly.
"Don't look so displeased. It's not about warming up your old friendships."
"...What are you planning?"
"Research concerning artificial Devil Fruits—SMILE."
The poor quality of Caesar's artificial Devil Fruits was exasperating, but various efforts were underway to somehow treat the side effects. Now that the creator himself had been captured, Kanata planned to hold discussions involving Vegapunk and Judge. With Sukura, the doctor, also participating, they likely intended to finalize the research direction.
"Hmph. That man never creates anything decent. Only flawed failures. Speaks volumes about his limits as a scientist."
"Tell him that yourself when you see him. He's been roughed up a bit, but I imagine they left him capable of talking."
Judge didn't know the specifics of Caesar's actions but assumed it was something deplorable. The scientists formerly of MADS had all been eccentric. Hearing that Caesar had been tortured by Kanata's subordinates elicited no sympathy from him.
"However, we are not involved in Devil Fruit research. I doubt we can be of any use."
"—De-vil Fruit a-bil-i-ties de-pend on the phys-i-cal bo-dy. I believe you, of all people, understand what that implies."
Judge's eyes widened at Kanata's words. Personality transplantation via Sukura's ability and human cloning through Germa's research. If artificial Devil Fruits followed the same principle, it was indeed a viable approach, hence the involvement of Caesar, who researched them, and Vegapunk. Understanding dawned in a chain reaction, and Judge nodded as if it all made sense.
"I see... So that's it. How far has the research progressed?"
"It's still in the experimental stage, solidifying the theory, but if SMILE possesses the same properties as regular Devil Fruits, it should be effective. Extracting the Devil Fruit itself would be quicker, but we haven't identified how to do that yet."
"Understandable. I dislike Vegapunk, but the man is a true genius. If even he hasn't achieved it yet, the current situation must be quite challenging."
Judge disliked Vegapunk but acknowledged him as a scientist. Within MADS, he had competed not for the top spot, but for the second position, just below Vegapunk. Perhaps his researcher's blood stirred for the first time in a while; as Judge listened, he began recalling past papers in his mind. He searched for hints... This excitement of venturing into the unknown, even at his age, reminded him that he was, at heart, a scientist.
"The research is slow, but there have been several byproducts. It hasn't been a waste."
"Byproducts?"
"Ah, since you're not an ability user, you might not find it interesting."
Unable to mention specific names due to the risk of being overheard, Kanata described them as "interesting defective goods." Byproducts created during Devil Fruit research that might have uses depending on the situation. Judge, whose field was entirely different, couldn't imagine what they might be but assumed they were likely something troublesome.
"Regardless, I will contact you again. Has this piqued your interest somewhat?"
"...Yes. It has begun to."
Judge's own research had reached completion with the birth and development of his children, demonstrating their power. But still. If Twilight sponsored further research, there was a chance for even better results. The Vinsmoke lineage could become stronger still. Viewed this way, Kanata's unreasonable demands didn't seem so bad. A faint smile played on Judge's lips.
***
Sanji was nowhere to be found.
Eventually giving up the search, Robin's group returned from the Germa ship, dejected that Sanji hadn't been found, and boarded the Merry. There, they found Nami, her eyes turned to Berries, arranging the gold acquired from Skypiea while the elderly appraiser examined it. The old man couldn't hide his excitement either.
"To see such wonders while still alive...! It pays to live long!"
"Eight hundred million! That much!? This is the best!!"
Everyone except Nami was stunned by the amount. Luffy's group, having just returned, didn't understand the situation and approached Uta, who was nearby.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"Oh, Luffy, welcome back. The gold you guys brought back is worth 800 million Berries."
"Eight hundred million!? It's worth that much!?"
"Seriously!?"
Luffy and Usopp exclaimed in unison. Their spirits soared – all-you-can-eat meat, a grand expansion for Usopp's workshop – and they linked arms and started dancing. Uta watched them with an exasperated look, slightly worried, thinking, Was I even supposed to hear that? Given the sum and the fact that Luffy's crew were pirates, it seemed likely to attract unnecessary trouble.
"Oh, right. Kaie-san was here earlier..."
"Kaie-san was? ...Ah, so she wasn't at the castle because she came here," Robin realized.
"Yeah. And she had a message for you, Robin-san... 'I'll be at the royal castle for a while. If you want to meet, contact me, and I'll make arrangements.'"
"I see... Thank you."
Uta handed over a memo with the message and a Den Den Mushi number. Robin's lips curled into a slight smile as she accepted it. Entrusting the message to Uta instead of the Straw Hats themselves suggested Kaie had anticipated their attention would be completely absorbed by the gold appraisal. Uta herself was quite surprised, but being on someone else's pirate ship, she maintained a certain distance. Even if it's my childhood friend's ship, she thought, I'm not one of his crew traveling with him.
"She also said she'd contact us if they find Sanji-san."
"Understood. Unfortunately, we didn't find anything..."
"Seriously, where could he have gone?" Pedro wondered.
Pedro and Robin both tilted their heads, puzzled.
***
Meanwhile, in a different port of Midgard. Located on the opposite side of the island from Luffy's group, separated by the central royal castle, Sanji was bound hand and foot to a chair. His clothes were rumpled and dirty in places, but he bore no visible injuries. Capturing Sanji, one of the Straw Hat crew's powerhouses alongside Luffy and Zoro, was no easy feat—but it likely hadn't been difficult for his captors.
The door creaked open, revealing a man wearing a hat resembling an eye patch over his eyes, and a woman clad in hot pants and a short shirt. The man sighed upon seeing Sanji's face. Sanji's gaze, however, was glued to the woman.
"...When I heard the story, I couldn't believe it, but you're one of the Straw Hats..."
"Couldn't be helped. They saw me fighting those government lackeys." The woman grumbled.
"...Do you know me?" Sanji asked.
"Yes, very well. We've been told not to antagonize you if possible," the man replied.
While the man looked troubled, the woman seemed unconcerned, munching on a sandwich.
"At first, I thought he was with the government, but he didn't seem like it. So I just brought him here. What do we do now?"
"Don't ask me. Of all the people..."
"Hey, untie me already! If you don't plan on fighting, then at least do that! Who the hell are you guys anyway!?"
"We... are just working together because our goals align for now. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Drake. X Drake."
"I'm Bonney. Nice to meetcha."
After the introductions, Drake began untying the ropes binding Sanji. Sanji rubbed his wrists and ankles, checking them, then pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag to calm himself before slowly exhaling. Then, he fixed his gaze on Drake.
"What the hell is going on? I get caught up in a fight, and next thing I know, I'm tied up here. Makes no sense."
"Well, let's start with the basics. Understanding is important. If the premises are different, the conversation won't connect," Drake said, sitting down on the floor. Bonney leaned against the wall, adjusting her ten-gallon hat.
"You're one of the Straw Hats, right?"
"Yeah, but... how do you know?"
Sanji didn't even have a wanted poster yet. His face should have been largely unknown, yet Drake spoke with certainty. The reason was simple. Drake pulled out a bundle of photos from his pocket; one sheet showed the entire Straw Hat crew with headshots. Robin, Pedro, and Zepo were on separate sheets.
"This is Twilight's watchlist. In this context, 'watch' means 'contact superiors before engaging, as it could get messy'."
"Why are we on something like that..."
"Be-cause Ni-co Ro-bin is with you," Drake stated plainly.
Her existence alone had prompted two Emperors to move. It was only natural her movements were monitored. The ship's course, islands visited, people contacted – Drake's job was to gather as much detailed information as possible and determine the subsequent course of action.
"Ideally, I wanted to just gather information without interfering..."
"My bad," Bonney muttered.
Drake shot a glare at Bonney, who was leaning against the back wall. She offered a half-hearted apology. Since entry and exit were monitored on this island, Drake's surveillance shouldn't have been necessary. He had been hiding Bonney, who was wanted by the government for some reason, and dealing with various matters when Bonney, mistaking Sanji for a government agent, had brought him here. Sanji wasn't weak enough to be easily knocked out, but he was powerless against women. Especially Bonney, whose ability allowed her to manipulate physical age. Turned into a child, resistance was difficult.
"...So, can I go now?"
"Good or bad, it's bad, but there's nothing I can do. All I can ask is that you keep quiet about this."
"..."
He's surprisingly upfront, Sanji thought. For someone who seems like an intelligence agent, he talks a lot. Sanji took another drag from his cigarette, studying Drake intently.
"You sure talk easily. Is it because you really don't want to fight us?"
"That's part of it, but... I've known Robin for quite some time. If she's on a ship where she seems happy, I just wanted to be sincere."
At that moment, partly due to Luffy and Uta, the word "childhood friend" clicked firmly in Sanji's mind, igniting flames of jealousy.
"Robin is a wanted woman; even this island isn't completely safe. Dealing with government agents isn't easy either."
"Then I'll help," Sanji declared.
"...Huh?"
The ignited jealousy fueled Sanji's chivalrous spirit, bolstering his resolve. He knew Robin was being targeted. Pedro and Zepo had mentioned similar things, and it was likely true. If it was necessary anyway, he wanted to be the one to do it and earn Robin's praise—Sanji was fired up.
"I'll take care of any lowlifes who try to mess with Robin-chan."
"...You're Robin's crewmate, but you're just temporarily on the same ship, right? Why go so far?"
"Isn't it obvious—Love is always a hurricane!!!"