170. The Adventure of the Scarlet Letters

"Alright, Rear Admiral Onigumo, you can put the princes down from the warship now." Sakazuki took a slight jab at the Vinsmoke patriarch, but still stopped just short.

After all, both sides had reached an agreement, nominally allies with a common goal. Slapping the Vinsmoke family's face swollen at this point, making it impossible for them to save face, wouldn't benefit anyone.

Judge looked at the three princes who were carried off the ship, still looking unconvinced, and suddenly noticed a problem: "Hmm? Where is Reiju?"

Before anyone could answer, a pink figure leaped down from the castle roof: "I am here, Father."

On the Navy warship, some soldiers had already turned their heads away, unable to bear seeing the upcoming tragedy.

However, the height, enough to shatter a normal person's bones, didn't seem to cause the girl any trouble at all. As easily as jumping down steps, the pink-haired girl heavily slammed onto the ground without any deceleration, only bending her knees slightly, forcefully absorbing the impact force.

Sakazuki nodded. If Sanji was a failure who retained emotions but lost the power of genetic modification, and the three brothers Niji, Yonji, and Ichiji were defective products who retained the genetic modification but lost emotions, then Reiju was the true success, possessing both emotions and successfully completed genetic modification.

But regrettably, their father Judge did not use this as the standard for judgment. The supreme commander, who viewed his children as living weapons and future commanders of the Germa 66 army, evaluated the success or failure of the Lineage Factor products entirely from the perspective of a powerful general.

"You were observing, right?" Judge looked at his eldest daughter, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Reiju, dressed in pink, like her brothers, had eyebrows that curled upwards, but these strange eyebrows made her look even cuter: "Yes, as you saw, dealing with a Navy fleet whose status as friend or foe is unknown naturally requires careful consideration before acting."

Judge grinned at Sakazuki. Besides the three thoughtless brats, his Vinsmoke family still had someone presentable: "Hahaha! Very good! This is the demeanor the Vinsmoke family should have!"

"Oh? How about letting these children of yours come to my legion for a few days of training?" Sakazuki glanced at His Majesty the King, who was laughing almost wildly, and decided to hit him with a harsh blow.

Facts proved that this exceptionally effective blatant grab seemed to trigger a critical hit.

"Ugh!" Judge almost couldn't catch his breath. He shook his head repeatedly: "No need, no need, thank you Vice Admiral Sakazuki for your kind offer, the Vinsmoke family appreciates it! These children are too young, they still can't leave their parents."

To dispel the Vice Admiral's impulsive suggestion to poach his talent, Judge had even put on the appearance of a loving father.

He looked up with lingering fear at Sakazuki's slightly regretful expression, terrified that the other party might pull some other cunning stunt: "But my third son Sanji naturally lacks the enhancement of the Lineage Factor. If you train him in the legion, I wouldn't have any objections."

Sakazuki, however, didn't immediately agree: "Judge, it's not just your four precious treasures who can't leave their parents, right? I want to hear the involved person's thoughts before deciding!"

"Go! Bring your younger brother here. He should be in your mother's sickroom." Judge was actually somewhat tempted by the idea of sending Sanji into the Navy. On one hand, Vinsmoke sending a prince into the Navy undoubtedly demonstrated the Germa Kingdom's firm determination to cooperate with Navy Headquarters. On the other hand, seeing Sanji grow through being sent into the Navy was also something he hoped for.

But Sanji, brought by Reiju, delivered a heavy blow to Judge's fantasy. Although looking at his three brothers beside him, who were clearly sizing him up with malicious smiles, the bruised and swollen blond boy still mustered the courage to refuse his father's proposal. This was perhaps the first time he hadn't obeyed his biological father's arrangement: "Thank you for your kindness, but I hope to spend more time陪伴 her by my mother's side."

Sakazuki noticed that when the boy said this, his legs were trembling, but he still used his somewhat soft voice to quietly explain the reason.

The Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral looked down impassively at the little boy; no one could guess what he was thinking. But Judge's reaction was much bigger than Sakazuki's: "Bastard! Father is doing this for your own good! Your talent is inferior to your brothers', so you must work doubly hard later on! This is a rare opportunity! And yet you are indecisive!"

"How is your mother's health?" Sakazuki suddenly spoke, asking the boy.

Little Sanji looked worried: "I hope she can get better, but Mother has been in the sickroom for a long time."

The grim-faced Sakazuki looked somewhat frightening: "So you mean to refuse my invitation?"

The trembling seemed to have spread from his calves to his whole body, but the boy's eyes stared unblinkingly at the seemingly angry Marine: "Yes! My mother and I made a promise, I will definitely make delicious food for her to try!"

Although the volume was still low, it was incredibly firm.

"Good answer!" Sakazuki ruffled the boy's soft golden hair. "I like your eyes, little guy! Remember this feeling, the feeling of facing difficulties but standing firm without retreating!"

Judge beside him wanted to speak but hesitated. A flash of pity passed through the Germa supreme commander's cold eyes, fleeting, but still caught by Sakazuki who was observing his expression.

The Vinsmoke chief scientist certainly knew the cost and consequences of Sora resisting the genetic modification during pregnancy. Even if he exhausted Germa's best treatments, that fool's organs were still failing day by day.

It was very likely she wouldn't live long enough to taste Sanji's cooking.

The iron-blooded Vice Admiral, always known for his coldness and ruthlessness, suddenly spoke: "You know what? Judge, my impression of you has changed somewhat."

He looked meaningfully at Judge: "Let me give you a piece of information for free. Besides correcting factors and creating superior soldiers, Lineage Factor technology can also be applied in the medical field."

"Wait! You mean?" Judge was stunned. He hadn't expected Sakazuki to know about the latest research in this academic field.

"This is the latest research result from your former partner, Dr. Vegapunk. Cells, my foolish Majesty, can be cloned." Sakazuki cleanly passed the buck to the Navy's chief scientist whom he had never met, but since Vinsmoke already had sufficiently mature technology and capability to create clones, then theoretically, a mass-produced 'Operation Fruit' could be developed.

He looked at the bruised and swollen boy, suddenly recalling the intelligence Borsalino had previously passed to him; a certain pirate in the New World was also currently bruised and swollen in a miserable state: "I hope next time I come to the North Blue, I can also taste your cooking. Don't disappoint me, third son of Vinsmoke."

"Right, right, how did I not think of that? Theoretically, it's completely feasible! And I don't lack living materials!" Judge, who had been tunnel-visioned, slapped his forehead. He had been solely focused on researching how to apply this technology to the military field, and lacking medical knowledge, he had completely overlooked the huge storm cloning technology could bring to the entire medical system, even the proposition of extending human lifespan.

Sanji had no idea what his father was muttering about, but he still noticed Sakazuki's earlier words: "Are you leaving the North Blue?"

"Yes," Sakazuki replied briefly to the boy. He glanced at the scientist lost in research and reminded him: "My legion will be stationed in the North Blue during this time, while I must immediately return to Headquarters to deal with an issue."

"An issue?" Judge, finally snapping back to reality, asked habitually.

"Our second candidate for the Seven Warlords has been decided!" Sakazuki's mind was full of cunning schemes at this moment.

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