"Who goes there?"
"Stop right there!"
"Don't move!"
"..."
Smoker and the other members of the elite class quickly closed in, surrounding the uninvited guest.
"Judge?! Vinsmoke Judge!"
Hearing Zephyr's words, Cross looked on with curiosity, eagerly sizing up the newcomer.
The name Judge made him think of Judge's third son, Sanji, which in turn brought to mind Sanji's sister, Reiju...
He mentally wiped away his drool.
The uninvited man wore a metal helmet, his long, golden hair making him look like Son Goku in his Super Saiyan 3 form. He was tall and imposing, his expression stern and commanding.
Appearing to be in his thirties or forties, he sported a sharp, black, upward-curving mustache and a small goatee on his prominent chin.
He wore an orange cape over a light gray battle suit emblazoned with the Germa "66" logo, complete with white gloves, a gold belt also bearing the "66" insignia, and black combat boots equipped with jet thrusters.
The man was none other than the King of the Germa Kingdom and supreme commander of Germa 66, the man known as "Garuda"—Vinsmoke Judge!
Judge glanced dismissively at the Marines surrounding him before turning his gaze to Zephyr. "To treat a king with such disrespect," he said coolly, "do all your students aspire to be kingslayers?"
Clearly, Judge had also read today's paper and knew what Zephyr had done in the Flevance Kingdom.
"If my students didn't even react to someone boarding my warship without permission, they wouldn't be worthy of being my students!" Zephyr retorted in a low voice. "As for you, Vinsmoke Judge, you've trespassed on a Marine vessel without authorization. I would be well within my rights to have you thrown off!"
"That's right. The Marines only welcome kings who are worthy of it! If someone dares to provoke the Marines, what's one more dead king?"
Cross rested a hand on the hilt of Kagehide at his waist and slowly walked up to Judge, looking him directly in the eye with a hint of coldness in his tone.
Judge frowned, his eyes settling on the boy who didn't even look like he had come of age. He then let out a contemptuous laugh. "Ha! Zephyr-san, since when does this brat get to speak for you? He clearly has no sense of propriety!"
"Propriety? And how much propriety have you shown?" Cross tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing with a trace of mockery.
With his left hand on the scabbard, he flicked his thumb, exposing a sharp section of Kagehide's blade. An incisive aura erupted from him.
"This aura..."
Judge's eyes hardened, a flicker of surprise in his heart. He could actually sense a faint hint of danger from this brat.
A moment later, Judge broke into a grin. "Hahaha! Zephyr-san, the Marines are truly brimming with talent!"
"Enough with the pointless talk. I'm here to escort you safely to the Holy Land, Mariejois, not to exchange empty words!" Zephyr snorted dismissively. "You should return to your own ship. We will repel any attackers before they reach you. We wouldn't want to disturb you while you're enjoying your lobster and tomato pasta in your castle!"
"Don't be so cold, Zephyr-san. It's been a long time. I came over specifically to invite you to taste the Legends brand sherry I just acquired!" Judge said with an unconcerned smile.
"I'll pass!" Zephyr waved his hand, refusing. "What if you've added something to the wine? Should I kill you, or just cripple you?"
"Hehehe... You jest! Since you won't do me the honor, Zephyr-san, then I shall take my leave. However, I will be relying on your assistance for the journey ahead!"
Seeing Zephyr decline his invitation, Judge didn't get angry. He chuckled lightly and prepared to depart.
"Ship spotted to the southeast, approximately one thousand meters out... Wait, it's a steamship! You don't see many of those!"
Suddenly, a cry of alarm came from the lookout, broadcast from the speaker below the crow's nest.
Cross's expression remained unchanged. He walked quickly toward the stern, casually taking the spyglass from Yukimura's hands and peering southeast.
An iron-hulled ship emitting black smoke came into view. Large, waterwheel-like paddle wheels turned on its flanks, and its massive red sail was conspicuous, adorned with a pattern of ten white skulls in a circle. The same emblem was flown as a flag from the mainmast.
"Zephyr-sensei, it's the Roberts Legion!" Cross's expression tensed as he recognized the pirate flag on the steamship.
Hiss...
A series of sharp inhales could be heard across the deck.
"You've got to be kidding, Cross!" Kibin exclaimed. "You don't mean the Roberts Legion, do you?! The one with a fleet of over twenty pirate ships and more than ten thousand men?!"
"See for yourself if you don't believe me!" Cross glanced at Kibin, thrusting the spyglass into his hands.
"Tch! A steamship... that must be 'Silver Arm' Regedor's Spiral. Looks like he's here," Judge spat, his tone laced with a hint of gravity.
"'Silver Arm' Regedor... You mean the man with a 499 million Beri bounty, the top commander of the Roberts Legion's three generals?" another Marine shouted in alarm.
"Don't worry, it's only the Spiral. They won't launch an attack with just one ship!" Zephyr said grimly. "Let's leave this area to avoid being encircled by the main force of the Roberts Legion!"
Zephyr was right. The steamship merely trailed behind the Germa and Marine warships, neither attacking nor retreating, clearly on a surveillance mission.
Seeing that his pursuers had arrived, Judge decided to take his leave. "Zephyr-san, I'll be returning to my ship. If Regedor dares to attack, we'll sink him!"
Swoosh—
As soon as he finished speaking, visible white streams of air blasted from his feet, and he shot into the sky, carving a curved arc as he flew directly back to the Germa warship.
Due to the massive storm a few days prior, many of Germa 66's ships were damaged and required repairs, forcing Judge to travel to the Holy Land, Mariejois, with only a single vessel.
Understanding that his enemies had come for him all the way from the second half of the Grand Line, Judge had felt isolated and vulnerable, which prompted him to contact Marine Headquarters.
As a result, Zephyr's warship was dispatched as an escort.
Otherwise, with the full might of Germa 66's fleet of dozens of warships and tens of thousands of elite soldiers, Judge would have had no reason to fear his enemies' retribution, unless, of course, his foes were one of the hegemonic powers of the New World.
"Full sail! Maintain an escort distance of five hundred meters from the Germa 66 vessel! Level two combat alert!"
Zephyr immediately issued his own commands, sending everyone on deck into action. Then, he gave a separate order to Cross. "Send out some of your Enlivened creatures to monitor the surrounding waters. Prevent us from being encircled by the Roberts Legion!"
"Leave it to me. I'll go myself!" Cross replied solemnly, turning on his heel and walking toward the metallic black dragon in the middle of the deck.
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