In the New World, dawn broke over Wano Country, signaling the start of a bustling day. Thanks to the meticulous efforts of the Beasts Pirates, the entire country was alive with a festive spirit. The Flower Capital, in particular, was a sight to behold, with lanterns and colorful decorations hanging from every building and flowers dancing in the air.
Not long ago, the people of Wano had despised the Beasts Pirates just as much as they had hated Orochi. However, that sentiment had begun to shift. Ever since Kaido ordered the release of all prisoners, closed down the weapon factories—all except the one in Udon—and started distributing free food to the public, a change had taken root. Although only a week had passed, an unusual excitement was spreading among the people of Wano.
Aside from the Flower Capital, the most active place in Wano was its hidden port. This port was located at the very base of the country, concealed within a massive waterfall. It was a large basin of water with a deep channel leading directly up to the land of Wano above. Ships entering the port could be carried up into the country by a gondola system, much like the bubble lifts at the Red Line. This was the only safe and official way to enter the isolated nation. This entrance, once controlled by Orochi, was now firmly in the hands of the Beasts Pirates.
From the moment the sun rose, the ships of the Beasts Pirates were deployed. They formed a perimeter around the seas of Wano, not only to ensure the ceremony proceeded smoothly but also to welcome the invited guests.
To be honest, there weren't many guests. Kaido wasn't a party enthusiast like Big Mom, and his network of allies wasn't nearly as extensive. This time, the only people he had invited were Doflamingo and Vinsmoke Judge. Even so, to show their respect for a Yonko, both men brought all the subordinates they could muster. Doflamingo arrived with most of his Donquixote Family, while Judge brought his eldest daughter and three sons.
The sea surrounding Wano was rough, with turbulent waves crashing under a bright sun. The weather was perfect, as if the heavens themselves were cooperating with the day's events. But good weather didn't change the fact that the waters around Wano were treacherous. Swift currents and hidden reefs made navigation a nightmare, which was why the Beasts Pirates had been sent out to guide the incoming ships.
At the edge of Wano's waters, Doflamingo's flamingo-themed ship and the Vinsmoke family's snail ship finally came into view.
On the massive snail ship, which was large enough to be mistaken for a small island, stood the King of the Germa Kingdom, Vinsmoke Judge. Known as "Garuda," the commander of Germa 66 stood proudly at the bow, wearing a golden helmet over his long, golden hair and an orange cape that fluttered in the wind.
Flanking him were his children. On his left was his eldest daughter, Vinsmoke Reiju, who looked like a butterfly in her sexy pink dress. On his right were his sons: the eldest, Vinsmoke Ichiji, in his red battle suit with flame-like hair; the second son, Vinsmoke Niji, in a blue battle suit with wavy blue hair; and the fourth son, Vinsmoke Yonji, in a green battle suit with a spiky green hairstyle. Behind them stood a troop of soldiers in black uniforms, acting as their personal guard.
As Judge gazed at Wano, so close now, a hint of nervousness was visible on his face. He would never have dared to enter a Yonko's territory alone, which was why he had traveled alongside Doflamingo. He glanced over and saw the Donquixote Family's ship nearby, though it seemed its crew had already gone ahead to Wano.
Even now, Judge found the situation hard to believe. When Doflamingo had first contacted him with the news that Kaido wanted to make a deal involving his daughter, Judge was skeptical. But once the disbelief faded, he was overcome with ecstasy.
Judge's greatest ambition was to restore the Germa Kingdom's former glory as the ruler of the North Blue. To achieve that, he had always dreamed of aligning himself with one of the Four Emperors. Only with the backing of a Yonko could he operate without fear of the World Government and gather the power needed to conquer his home sea.
After much consideration, he had initially chosen the Big Mom Pirates. Among the Yonko crews, Charlotte Linlin seemed the most approachable. Judge believed that if he could just get an invitation to one of her tea parties, he could meet her in person and propose a cooperative alliance.
He did manage to attend a tea party, but the seemingly foolish Big Mom was far more clever and greedy than he had anticipated. Judge presented his proposal for cooperation several times, but Linlin ignored him. The reason was simple: Judge wanted a partnership, not an acquisition. He wanted to use the power of a Yonko to build his own empire, not become a mere subordinate.
Just when Judge was at a loss for what to do next, the invitation from Kaido of the Beasts arrived. What excited him even more was that Kaido's request was simple: he only wanted his daughter. This was an offer Judge couldn't refuse.
He had long accepted that he might one day have to sacrifice one of his children for political gain. His first thought had been of his third son, the "failure" Sanji. He never expected that the boy he had abandoned would grow up to become a notorious pirate with a bounty of 77,000,000. That was enough to make him a significant figure in the first half of the Grand Line, let alone in a place like the North Blue. Still, in Judge's eyes, Sanji was a failure compared to his other, more successful children.
Besides Sanji, the only other child he was willing to part with was his eldest daughter, Reiju. On one hand, Reiju still possessed emotions, which, in Judge's mind, made her an incomplete product of his science. On the other hand, he saw political marriage as a woman's destiny. He had always expected to marry her off for an alliance, but he never dreamed he would get a surprise as wonderful as the one Kaido offered.
Kaido wanted to make Reiju one of the Tobi Roppo. This was a position among the highest-ranking officers in the Beasts Pirates, second only to Kaido and his three All-Stars. This was a far greater honor than being one of Big Mom's lackeys. With Reiju in such a high position, he could leverage the power of the Beasts Pirates to begin his conquest of the North Blue. As he thought of this, Judge's ambition swelled within him.
Standing beside him, Reiju could feel the shift in her father's mood. She knew perfectly well that she was being traded like a bargaining chip. However, there was no disappointment in her beautiful eyes, no feeling of abandonment. Instead, there was a strange excitement. To become a member of the Beasts Pirates, a high-ranking executive like a Tobi Roppo, meant one thing: she was being acknowledged. And the person acknowledging her was Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors of the New World.
As for her family, she glanced at her father, whose face was already filled with dreams of his future empire, and then at her machine-like brothers, who stood with blank expressions. The chance to escape this family and break free from her father's control felt like a stroke of incredible luck. All things considered, she simply couldn't find a reason to be sad.
Now, she was only curious about one thing: how did a powerful figure like Kaido even know she existed?
Just then, a ship from the Beasts Pirates approached their snail ship. A crew member stepped forward to the railing.
"Are you the Vinsmoke family?" the pirate called out. "Lord Kaido is expecting you. Which one is Miss Reiju?"
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