"Ayaya, what a strange country this is. There are way too many people who look exactly the same!"
As he walked down the corridor leading to the royal palace, Michael struck up a conversation with the clone soldier guiding him.
The clone soldiers weren't all made from a single mold. Instead, they were based on several—sometimes a dozen—templates. Those created from the same template looked identical, and from a genetic standpoint, could even be considered biological brothers.
In a way, it was reminiscent of the genetically engineered Astartes born from a big golden guy sitting on a toilet in another universe.
Of course, the gap between them was as wide as the gap between the world of One Piece and that other world.
Still, if Michael had to choose, he'd pick the world of One Piece.
Sure, it was a bit of a pain, full of disgusting things and endless headaches—but at least it was a world brimming with life.
The clone soldier didn't respond to Michael's comment.
His mission was to escort this Marine officer to His Majesty the King's palace—not to chat.
Noticing the lack of response, Michael raised an eyebrow slightly.
The technology in the world of One Piece was odd. On the one hand, their firearms were stuck in a primitive stage.
But on the other hand, they casually toyed with gene modification and cloning like it was nothing.
This kind of twisted tech tree... bordered on the indescribable.
After a short walk behind the clone soldier, they arrived at the royal palace of the Vinsmoke family.
Michael folded his wings slightly and stepped through the grand doors.
To be honest, Michael still found the style of the Germa palace quite jarring.
It wasn't as lavish and radiant as the royal palace of the Sorbet Kingdom, nor was it as modest and dignified as the one in Alabasta.
In Michael's eyes, it didn't resemble a palace at all.
Cold, hard, metallic—it felt more like the secret base of some evil organization.
Fitting, given their reputation and character design.
Michael curled his lip and continued forward.
He had already spotted the man seated atop the throne—King Vinsmoke Judge, with his trademark twin tufts of anti-gravity mustache.
"Who goes there! Don't you know that outsiders are forbidden from entering the Germa Kingdom?"
"King Judge-sama, I am Rear Admiral Michael of Marine Headquarters."
The moment Michael spoke, Judge furrowed his brows.
Though the words "King Judge-sama" came out of his mouth, his body language and tone showed not a trace of respect.
"Even the Marines are prohibited from entry. We are perfectly capable of protecting our own nation."
"Oh, that? It has nothing to do with your ability to defend your country. One of my colleagues disappeared on Germa 66's territory, so of course I came to look for him."
Michael didn't care at all about Judge's frosty tone. He wore a gentle smile the whole time.
Yet beneath that smile... Judge felt a sudden chill.
A Marine had disappeared within Germa 66's territory?
Impossible!
Under his strict orders, everyone in Germa 66 avoided the Marines like the plague!
How could this happen?
"Rear Admiral Michael, could this be... some kind of misunderstanding?" Judge's tone immediately softened, as if the stern man from moments ago had never existed. "We at Germa 66 have never had any dealings with the Marines."
"Do you think your word is enough to decide that?" Michael's gentle smile vanished in an instant. He stared coldly at Judge. "I'm not here to ask your permission—just to inform you. If you've got a problem with that, feel free to complain to the World Government."
With that, Michael turned and walked out of the audience chamber.
The brief encounter left Judge with a throbbing headache.
Others might not notice, but Judge had worked alongside Vegapunk on lineage factor research.
Though their fields of study differed, he had frequent exchanges with Vegapunk.
So, his ability to identify Devil Fruits was top-notch.
Just one look at those radiant, holy wings told him—it was definitely a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit!
And the man who bore it was already a Rear Admiral at such a young age. No doubt he was a rising star within the Marines.
This... wasn't someone to mess with.
"Notify all soldiers within the borders. Mobilize every unit to search for the missing Marine!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
Michael had just stepped out of the palace when his expanding Observation Haki picked up on something.
He sensed a pair of eyes watching him from the shadows.
So... Judge didn't trust him and had someone spy on him?
Michael smirked. With a flap of his wings, he vanished from sight.
"Eh? Where did the Marine with wings go?!" A young girl's surprised voice rang out from the corner. "He was just here a second ago!"
She stumbled out from her hiding spot, flustered—only for her feet to suddenly lift off the ground.
It wasn't that she'd learned to fly. Someone had grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her into the air.
A clone soldier would never do something like that, so...
"So, it's just a little brat, huh?"
Michael brought the girl up to eye level and examined her pink hair and spiral eyebrows—her identity was obvious.
Vinsmoke Reiju, Judge's eldest daughter and princess of the Germa Kingdom.
Also the first to undergo lineage factor modification, granting her a powerful physique.
Like Sanji, she had retained her emotions.
"Hi... hello, M-Marine sir."
Reiju stammered, her cheeks flushed pink.
In this country, you didn't see many different faces.
And Michael's handsome face—capable of charming both grandmas and lolis—was honestly a bit too dazzling for little Reiju.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the Germa Kingdom's princess, Vinsmoke Reiju, right?" Michael smiled. "Why were you following me?"
Michael didn't believe for a second that this kid was just following him out of curiosity.
After speaking, he gently set Reiju back on the ground.
If it had been one of her four brothers, he might've just kept holding them up and talking.
Unexpectedly, the moment Reiju touched the ground, she grabbed tightly onto Michael's cloak.
"Marine sir... please save my mother!"
"She's been hospitalized for a long time, but her condition just keeps getting worse."
"But my father..."
Reiju bit back her tears. At the mention of her father, a trace of fear flickered in her eyes.
She didn't dare defy him.
"And your father turns a blind eye to it all, right?"
Michael smiled faintly. Judge, as a scientist capable of altering lineage factors, couldn't possibly have no means of treating the side effects of the suppressants.
That petty man...
He was taking revenge on his wife.
And as for Michael—he lived by one belief.
Even if he wasn't always sure what was right...
He knew that going against the enemy was never wrong.
The more the enemy opposes me, the more I know I'm right!