Ritter said nothing at first. He simply lowered his gaze, watching Judge with those crimson eyes that flickered with amusement. Blood mist coiled lazily around his fingertips, rising and falling like a living shadow breathing at his command.
Judge's breath hitched.
In that moment, he finally understood.
His knees slammed onto the deck with a dull, heavy thud. His forehead pressed against the bloodstained planks, and when he spoke, his voice trembled from strain and surrender.
"Vinsmoke Judge, and the Vinsmoke family… swear loyalty to you."
The declaration drained what little strength he had left, yet relief washed over him. It felt as if chains he had dragged his whole life had finally fallen off. His fingers dug into the gaps between the deck boards, knuckles whitening not from resistance but from suppressing the twisted thrill rising within him.
Ritter finally smiled.
He lifted his hand. Threads of blood mist curled around Judge's neck, then sank into his skin, forming a deep red sigil burned directly into his collarbone.
"A wise choice."
The rune glowed faintly. Judge's entire body convulsed as a surge of power flooded through him. Old wounds healed. Strength he had long forgotten returned to his limbs.
"What… is this?" Judge whispered, staring at his hands in shock.
"A small gift," Ritter said as he turned toward the throne. The blood mist gathered under his feet, forming a crimson path. "Compared to illusionary power, this is nothing. Prove your worth…" He tilted his head and smirked coldly. "And I will let you touch those dreams with your own hands."
Scenes from the illusion flashed in Judge's mind once more: the conquered North Blue, Vegapunk's horrified disbelief, the World Government bowing, a peaceful dinner with a family he thought he could never have…
His lips twitched upward until they formed a nearly maniacal grin.
"Yes, Lord Reid. No… Your Majesty. My king."
Ritter (meta-comment): You are welcome. All this vitality comes from those clone soldiers. Besides, if everything were only gain and no pain, I wouldn't be Ritter.
The shadows on the deck shifted, releasing the unconscious Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji. They stirred awake, and when they saw their father kneeling, their eyes widened in disbelief.
"Father… sir?" Reiju's voice trembled.
Judge slowly rose to his feet and turned toward his children. His gaze had changed. Gone were the violence and prejudice he once carried. What remained was a cold, almost mechanical fervor. A devotion so intense that even darkness was acceptable if it led to his goal.
"From today onward, Germa 66 pledges itself to the Lord of Mist."
He paused.
"To Reid."
His voice allowed no doubt.
Ritter leaned back on his throne, satisfied with the scene before him.
A wind heavy with the scent of smoke swept across the deck. Ritter's eyes shifted toward the distance, where a tiny, battered boat desperately tried to flee the battlefield.
Ritter: Oh? Little Sanji.
He glanced at Reiju, then at Judge.
Sanji felt Ritter's gaze fall on him and his entire body trembled. Fear and relief warred in his eyes, but when he realized Ritter was truly watching him, pure terror overwhelmed everything else.
"That… that monster is looking at us…!" Sanji choked, rowing even harder. The small boat rocked violently as if it might capsize at any moment, but he did not dare stop. He had witnessed Ritter destroy everything Germa once boasted, watched him force Judge to kneel like a broken man.
He had seen power so overwhelming it felt demonic. If not for Reiju's help, he would still be imprisoned. Strength, cruelty, invincibility… that was Sanji's memory of Ritter.
"Damn it…" Sanji bit down hard and rowed with all his might. The boat shot forward like a frightened seabird.
Judge followed Ritter's gaze, and his pupils narrowed sharply. The son he once deemed worthless was now fleeing without looking back. He should have been furious, yet a memory from the illusion surfaced: Sanji cooking for his mother, the two of them smiling warmly together.
"Lord Reid!" Judge suddenly lowered himself in a deep bow, his forehead slamming into the deck again.
"Let that failure go!" he rasped. "He means nothing. He lost his place in the Vinsmoke family long ago. Killing him would only dirty your hands."
Reiju and the others stared in shock. It was the first time they had ever heard Judge plead for Sanji, even if his words were as cruel as ever.
Ritter did not answer immediately. He watched the tiny boat drifting farther, then chuckled softly.
Ritter (meta-comment, gleefully villainous): Hehe… I wasn't planning to chase him anyway. But since you asked so nicely… hehe.
He waved a hand casually. Blood mist rippled like liquid silk between his fingers.
"Normally, I despise deserters. But since you requested it…" His crimson gaze slid toward Judge. "Remember this mercy, because it is the only one. I am a king, and you are not even a proper subject yet. Prove your worth. Anyone can claim to be a king. I trust you understand."
Judge straightened his back, Adam's apple trembling. "…Yes."
Far away, Sanji's boat became a small black dot on the horizon. He looked back once more. Germa's fleet was now shrouded in mist, a silhouette of nightmare against the sky.
"Vinsmoke… no."
He tore off the collar embroidered with his family crest and let it fall into the sea.
"From now on, I am simply Sanji."
The sea wind dried the tears at the corner of his eyes, carrying away the last of his ties to his family. But the image of the man sitting on a throne of blood and mist burned itself deep into his mind.
Fear.
And…
A twisted, indescribable gratitude.
Back aboard the Blumarine Jackson, Ritter withdrew his gaze and turned once again toward his throne.
Judge straightened, a feverish devotion burning in his eyes. He looked at Ritter with urgent enthusiasm.
"Lord Reid, please allow me to show you Germa's greatest existing power."
He motioned with his hand. Clone soldiers immediately brought forward a reinforced metal case. When the lid opened, several battle suits gleamed coldly under the sunlight.
"These are the custom combat suits designed for my children." Judge traced a dark blue suit with almost reverent fingertips. "Niji's Shining Blue contains a built-in high-voltage system. Combined with his speed, he can pierce a warship's armor instantly."
He moved to a crimson suit.
"This is Ichiji's Shining Red. The flamethrower's temperature can melt steel, and the propulsion unit in his boots gives him aerial mobility surpassing even the Sky Walk technique."
Reiju's soft pink battle suit was lifted out gently. Judge's tone softened slightly, unusual for him.
"Reiju's Poison Pink resists all toxins and can condense and release absorbed venom. Although, for someone like you, I imagine this seems trivial."
Finally, his hand rested on Yonji's deep green armor.
"The Coiling Green exoskeleton can exert fifty tons of crushing force. With its extension mechanism, it can tear apart seastone nets with ease." Judge's mouth twitched faintly.
"As for the equipment belonging to the failure… it has been destroyed."