"Base Commander Daren!"
On the deck of the warship, the North Blue Marines on duty immediately raised their hands in a crisp salute the moment they saw Daren appear.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Daren smiled as he spoke.
The Marines shook their heads, then quickly returned to their posts.
The treatment the North Blue Marines received far surpassed that of their counterparts in other seas. Beyond the base salary, they had regular paid vacations, were equipped with the finest weapons and firearms, and received the highest level of military training in the North Blue.
Everyone in the North Blue Marines understood deep down that everything they had was thanks to their Admiral.
Daren made his way into the ship's cabin, descending the narrow staircase to the very bottom.
There, a makeshift prison had been set up.
Vinsmoke Judge, the commander of Germa 66, was locked up inside.
The moment he saw that damned Marine arrive, Vinsmoke Judge—his body bound in steel restraints and even his mouth sealed—began to thrash violently. Bloodshot eyes flared with rage as he let out muffled, unintelligible noises.
If looks could kill, the venomous glare he shot at Daren would have sliced him to pieces a hundred times over.
Daren waved his hand casually.
The block of steel sealing Vinsmoke Judge's mouth flew off as if pulled by an invisible force.
Judge immediately erupted with fury.
"You bastard Marine brat!! How dare you imprison me!"
"The Germa Kingdom is a member of the World Government! You're dead—!"
His words cut off abruptly. His pupils shrank.
A sharp steel rod twisted its way out from within the cell, slicing through the air and stopping dead in front of his brow.
In Vinsmoke Judge's eyes, the rod's glint flickered with the cold light of the torch, reflecting like a venomous snake ready to strike.
"Finished?"
Daren smiled as he spoke.
Vinsmoke Judge clenched his teeth.
"Sounds like you're done."
Daren nodded, satisfied, and crooked his finger. The steel rod slowly recoiled like a snake returning to its den.
"Vinsmoke Judge, you're right. The Germa Kingdom is a member of the World Government. By Marine regulations, this operation will indeed bring me quite a bit of trouble."
Daren took out a cigar, bit down on it, and lit it.
"But you forgot one thing…"
He looked at the disheveled 'Overlord of the North Blue' in front of him, who now resembled a beaten dog, and said with a faint smile:
"You don't represent the Germa Kingdom."
At those words, Judge's heart skipped a beat. He tried to stay defiant, voice strained:
"What are you talking about! I'm the head of the Vinsmoke family! The king of Germa Kingdom! How could I not represent it!?"
"No, no," Daren let out a short laugh. "You still don't get it."
He slowly exhaled a stream of smoke.
"To the outside world, it might've looked like I wiped out a lot of Germa 66's troops. But both you and I know—they were just Clone Soldiers. Given enough time and resources, you could mass-produce them again in no time."
"In the end, Clone Soldiers aren't humans. They're just weapons."
"And more importantly…"
"The World Government doesn't give a damn about the lives of its member nations. The Five Elders don't care. The Celestial Dragons care even less."
"What they do care about is whether their allied nations can deliver the Heavenly Tribute on time."
"As long as the Germa Kingdom keeps paying the Heavenly Tribute, those bigwigs couldn't care less whether the one sitting on the throne is Vinsmoke Judge or someone else."
Vinsmoke Judge's face went pale.
"Ah, looks like you're starting to get it."
Daren raised his hand.
The steel "cage" restraining Judge unfolded like a blooming flower. Behind Daren, twisted metal coiled and formed into a steel chair.
But even though he was "free," Vinsmoke Judge didn't lunge at Daren in fury. Instead, he stood frozen, face grim.
He knew very well—without his Raid Suit, he didn't stand a chance against this man.
Daren sat leisurely in the steel chair, puffing on his cigar with a faint smile.
"I'm sure the other nobles of the Germa Kingdom are quite interested in the throne. In fact, I imagine they'd be thrilled to see you die here and never return, wouldn't they?"
Vinsmoke Judge fell silent, his face dark and grim.
He knew Daren was right.
The Germa Kingdom had a long history, and aside from the Vinsmoke family, there were plenty of other noble houses, large and small. Ever since he left the research team and returned to Germa, he had used advanced technology and overwhelming force to seize power. The bloodshed that came with it needed no elaboration.
During that process, he had ruthlessly suppressed the other noble families, purging many of them. But wiping them all out was impossible.
It wasn't hard to imagine how much those nobles would love to see him fall at the hands of this Marine.
"You don't have the guts to kill me," Judge rasped.
Daren chuckled.
"I'll give you that. After all, you're a king of a member nation, and I'm just a Marine Captain."
"But I can hand you over to the World Government."
"A scientist with cutting-edge research knowledge, someone who once worked alongside Vegapunk in the MADS team—I'm sure the government would be very pleased with that."
Vinsmoke Judge's expression shifted sharply.
"What do you know!?"
He had gone through hell to escape the World Government's agents, narrowly avoiding becoming just another lab rat for them to use. Yet somehow, this punk Marine knew about it?
Daren smiled calmly.
"What I know isn't your concern."
"There's only one thing you need to know."
"Work with me, and you'll stay safe. You'll remain king, commander—maybe, if I'm in the right mood, I might even help you realize that little dream of 'dominating the North Blue.'"
"Or… resist me."
"I'll hand you over to the World Government and back another noble family to take the throne in Germa. And if the new king agrees to raise the Heavenly Tribute by 20%, I doubt the government will blame me. In fact, they'll probably throw me a public commendation..."
As his words faded, Vinsmoke Judge sank into a long silence, his expression clouded and uncertain.
Daren didn't rush him.
He sat back, quietly enjoying his cigar.
He knew this man's type well.
Power-hungry. Arrogant. Vain.
Would he throw everything away for the sake of pride? Or surrender and hold onto power?
Daren had no doubt Vinsmoke Judge would make the smart choice.
Half a minute later, Judge raised his head, bloodshot eyes staring forward as he rasped:
"What do you want?"
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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