"Why? Not planning to invite me in for a seat, Your Majesty?" Sakazuki appeared fearless, and in fact, he truly was.
Vinsmoke Judge's face twitched heavily. This Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral was clearly telling him: I'm holding your tail regarding illegal research, the rest is up to you.
"Please!" Judge took a deep breath and squeezed out a word from between his teeth with difficulty. The Commander-in-Chief of Germa 66 waved his hand, signaling the artificial soldiers to make way for a path to the castle.
Although the head of the Vinsmoke family had an extremely poor impression of this Navy man, he still possessed the demeanor and magnanimity that a royal and general should have.
Sakazuki walked side by side with this kingdom's Commander-in-Chief, looking around at the obviously technological architectural style along the way. He clearly noticed that compared to the Navy Headquarters' multi-point wide-range strategic layout, the degree of emphasis on technology here was already being implemented as the primary productive force.
The two silently arrived at a spacious conference room inside the castle. Judge dismissed everyone around him with an unhappy expression, flicked his cloak, and sat directly in the host's seat: "What do you want to talk about?"
"That depends on what you plan to tell me." Sakazuki kicked the ball back exactly as it came.
"Nothing to tell you!" Judge frowned. Did this Navy man really take him for a fool? He didn't intend to be the first to soften in this negotiation. Coupled with the World Government's nature of "confess and be lenient, prison awaits," it made him even more determined to deadlock with Sakazuki.
Sakazuki crossed his fingers and casually rested his head on the back of his hands: "Then I'll tell you, General. Vegapunk is in our hands. What makes you think that we Navy are completely ignorant of your research on Lineage Factors in 1501?"
"Everything emphasizes evidence." Judge's eyelid twitched. Although he was mentally prepared, being spoken to so directly by Sakazuki still made him somewhat uneasy.
"Evidence?" Sakazuki pointed to the monarch sitting across from him. "Look around, your castle is full of evidence. Artificial soldiers, are they fun?"
But Vinsmoke Judge asked the key question without blushing or skipping a beat: "You didn't come here simply to accuse me of conducting cloning experiments, did you? Aren't you Navy also developing these things behind the scenes when you arrested Vegapunk?"
Sakazuki knew very well that this was the truth. Whether it was the biochemical weapons and anti-gas weapons that the Navy's Science Unit had been secretly developing for a long time, or the design of artificial humans and humanoid weapons spearheaded by Vegapunk after he joined.
The mass production plan of giant soldiers proposed by the Navy scientist Caesar, the preservation and utilization plan of explosion rocks... the Navy had been developing various black technologies and operations from the beginning.
Sakazuki did not respond to Judge's question, but instead made exorbitant demands: "Hand over all the specific data of Lineage Factors and the experimental reports of producing artificial soldiers, and the Navy can pretend that nothing has happened."
"Bullshit!" Judge roared directly, "I think you're just here to pick a fight, aren't you?"
"How could I?" Sakazuki shrugged. "I'm here to negotiate."
Neither Judge as a scientist nor Vinsmoke as a king would agree to such an excessive request.
The Commander-in-Chief of Germa 66 shook his head: "This is non-negotiable!"
For scientists, what could be more important than protecting core experimental data? For the Germa Kingdom, its foundation for prosperity lay in the application of Lineage Factors, and Sakazuki's initial demand for concession of benefits was simply asking for the life of the Vinsmoke family.
"The World Government hasn't paid too much attention to your actions so far, but that may not be the case in the future, Judge. You should know the consequences of rejecting me." Sakazuki appeared somewhat aggressive.
"Are you threatening me?" The head of the Vinsmoke family seemed somewhat angry.
Sakazuki was unmoved: "You can understand it that way, but I prefer to use the words [good-faith advice]."
Judge laughed in anger: "Good faith? You lead a fleet of warships to my kingdom to coerce me, how can I see a trace of good faith?"
"I didn't come alone to raze your kingdom to the ground, but sent a large army to show the respect due to a king. Such negotiations are equal, aren't they?" Sakazuki lied through his teeth. From the beginning, his confidence was not the Expeditionary Force's fleet, but his own powerful combat power sufficient to destroy islands and nations.
Judge suddenly calmed down. Since the other party repeatedly emphasized the word negotiation, it showed that what he wanted to get was clearly not to completely break face with Germa. "Then thank you for your equality! Lineage Factors are the foundation of my country, and I still won't budge on this point."
"Just this point, right." Sakazuki understood tacitly, "I can forgo your most important Lineage Factor achievement, but the artificial soldier data is my final bottom line."
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, I hope we can be more open and honest." The head of the Vinsmoke family frowned. He had basically figured out the crux of the problem. "Of course, you can use the irrefutable evidence of my Lineage Factor research to destroy my kingdom, everything I have, but you will get nothing."
"Oh?" Sakazuki raised an eyebrow. "You're starting to threaten me back?"
Judge also shrugged: "I wouldn't dare. I'm just stating a fact. When the Navy's attack begins, I will attack your fleet at all costs and order the destruction of all research data."
The Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral's face was somewhat gloomy. "A desperate struggle? You dare to rant in front of me? Do you think I can't stop you?"
"Please stop your meaningless intimidation. Instead of wasting time, why don't we talk about what you really want?"
The King of Germa knew in his heart that if Sakazuki truly gained nothing from him, the next time this notoriously fierce Headquarters Vice Admiral visited again, he certainly wouldn't mind destroying this country that insisted on illegal research.
Sakazuki tapped his finger on the table: "Armaments, a large amount of high-quality military supplies."
Judge couldn't help but feel strange. Even an outsider like him knew that the Navy Headquarters' military expenses were uniformly allocated by the World Government, and then produced or purchased through the Navy's own channels.
But as long as it didn't involve his artificial human data, everything was within the scope of negotiation.
"How much do you want?" When Judge said these words, he had already mentally prepared himself to be ruthlessly ripped off by Sakazuki.
After all, he had such a big weakness in the hands of the Navy. Only by deeply cooperating with the other party and becoming "one of their own" could he prevent the Navy Headquarters from constantly making trouble under this pretext.
"Thirty thousand of the best quality military supplies produced by Germa." Sakazuki was very pleased with Vinsmoke's pragmatism and finally stated his request.
"Thirty thousand!" Even though His Majesty the King was mentally prepared, he was still taken aback by Sakazuki's exorbitant demand. He repeatedly shook his head: "Impossible, you might as well just rob..."
Sakazuki's ferocity was fully revealed. He punched the table, and magma directly burned through the wooden conference table. "Judge! Is this how you show your openness and honesty to me?"
With a bang! The Germa artificial soldiers who had been guarding outside kicked open the door and filed in, protecting their commander-in-chief behind them.
"Put down your guns," Judge roared first. He originally thought he could bargain further, but he didn't expect Sakazuki to be so tough, turning hostile so quickly.
He looked at this candidate for Navy Headquarters admiral and felt the blood vessels next to his temples throbbing. He felt a little powerless in his heart: Well, damn it, he really deserves to be called Akainu, this dog face turns hostile as soon as it says so.
The Commander-in-Chief of Germa 66 waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to use sand and water to extinguish the conference table that had already caught fire, and explained to Sakazuki: "Vice Admiral, it's not that I'm repeatedly prevaricating you, but the request you made is indeed too difficult. The entire Germa Kingdom's armory may not even have 30,000 sets of military supplies, and without these supplies, my soldiers can't possibly fight with their bare hands, can they?"
Sakazuki insisted on his conditions: "Thirty thousand pieces, this is my bottom line."
Judge's eyes twitched. He vaguely remembered that Vice Admiral Sakazuki seemed to have said the same thing about the artificial soldier data just now.
But now the situation was stronger than others, and whether the Vinsmoke royal family could continue was not up to him.
"Must it be thirty thousand?" Judge clenched his fist. He was already considering a method of continuous supply in batches over several years.
"Of course, but for the sake of friendship, I can give Your Majesty a small suggestion." The corner of Sakazuki's mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.
He looked directly at Vinsmoke Judge: "If your own production is insufficient, you can also get enough through other channels. In this way, the Germa Kingdom probably only needs to transport 10,000 military supplies from the armory to me to make up the number."
The Germa Kingdom's king's first reaction was to think that Sakazuki was asking him to borrow from neighboring countries. Not to mention how difficult it was to get IOUs for military supplies, just based on the Vinsmoke family's notorious reputation in the North Blue, the North Blue countries would not agree to lend any supplies to the warmongers.
"Of course, I know the reputation of the war kingdom," Sakazuki seemed very magnanimous. He seemed to be seriously considering for Judge's sake. "I won't make it difficult for you to go to the North Blue countries to get military supplies through formal channels."
Judge's ears twitched. From Sakazuki's words, he heard the phrase "formal channels," which meant...
He tentatively asked: "You want me to launch a war against a country?"
Sakazuki was somewhat exasperated. He had hinted so clearly, why was this warmonger in front of him still thinking about using force against the North Blue countries?
"It's the black market! My foolish Majesty!" Sakazuki sneered gloomily. "There aren't that many military supplies in the North Blue on the surface for you to get! But the underground arms and black market line is not necessarily the case!"
"Are you kidding me!" Judge's face was extremely ugly. Of course, he knew how prosperous the North Blue's black market trade was. Those endless pirates dared not reach out to the World Government's member countries to buy weapons and gunpowder.
Then black market transactions became their first choice. The North Blue therefore formed a huge underground trading system, with systematic and organized large arms dealers, scattered individual black market merchants... Everyone who smelled the scent of money wanted to participate and get a share.
Judge glared fiercely at Sakazuki: "You are pushing the Vinsmokes into a fire pit!" If he nodded and let Germa 66 attack the North Blue black market arms dealers, the supplies would definitely be enough, but the Germa Kingdom would definitely become the public enemy of all underground arms dealers in the North Blue.
The Vinsmoke family, which was already standing in opposition to the North Blue countries, would also have to face the hidden arrows and dark guns of numerous black-hearted merchants. This was something Judge was unwilling to see.
In this way, the Germa Kingdom had no choice but to wholeheartedly be a helper to the Navy.
Only then did he understand Sakazuki's layout and strategy. What bullshit Lineage Factors! What bullshit soldier data! And using military supplies as a cover! He realized that from the beginning of the negotiation, although the initiative seemed to be exchanged between the two sides, in fact, he, Vinsmoke Judge, was clearly and plainly set up!
The Navy wanted to use the Germa Corps as a sharp blade to deal with the North Blue black market, and let Vinsmokes exert effort to seize the black market trade!
His hand trembling, he took out a cigar from his pocket and had a soldier cut it open and light it with a cigar cutter.
He took a deep puff and heavily exhaled smoke: "Vice Admiral Sakazuki, what a vicious plan. With a flick of your finger, you plan to cut off our retreat in both the black and white paths in the North Blue. You want the Vinsmoke family to be your dogs!!"
Sakazuki also took out a cigar from his coat, leisurely cut it open and then directly lit it with his fingers: "Don't put such a big label on me! Threatening a World Government member country to be a dog for a small Vice Admiral like me? I can't bear this kind of remark."
He glanced at the king opposite him: "All of this is the Vinsmoke family's own decision!"
"Eh! Prince Sanji, His Majesty is on official business, please don't..." There was a sudden commotion outside the conference room, and then a small head of golden hair poked in from the door.
It was a boy of about four years old, with bangs covering one eye, and the other eyebrow that was exposed was strangely curled. He timidly asked in a low voice: "Father, can I go visit Mother? She has been in the hospital for a long time..."
Before he could finish speaking, Judge's furious roar resounded throughout the conference room: "Get out! Waste!"
He seemed to want to vent all the injustice and grievance he had suffered during the negotiation, and the boy with scars on his face in front of him became the best outlet: "Sanji! How many times have I told you! Your mother is sick because she brought it upon herself! If it weren't for her insistence on having her own way, how could she have given birth to a failure like you! Now! Get out of here!"
"That's...your child?" A glint of light flashed in Sakazuki's eyes.
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