The massive snail fleet.
Vinsmoke Judge stood by the window, watching the fleet slowly climb upward, a faint smile appearing on his face.
The Marines' blockade of the New World had helped him greatly. By assisting Knox with transporting essential supplies, he had gained enormous support over the past year. Several member nations had fallen under his control in secret, and no one had noticed.
He simply had not turned against the World Government yet, because he still wanted more land.
For over twenty years, the Vinsmoke family's revival had shown no progress at all. But in less than a year of working with Knox, they had quietly taken control of several countries without alerting the government.
Judge became more and more convinced that cooperating with an Emperor had been the right choice.
Reiju leaned against the palace doors behind him, watching Judge fantasize about the future with a blank expression. She felt no excitement at all.
Unlike the others, she possessed normal human emotions and a mature mind. Deep down, she felt that cooperating with pirates was not a good choice.
The Marines were at their peak right now. Pirates would eventually be wiped out. When that time came…
Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—
A piercing alarm suddenly rang out. The entire fleet went on high alert.
All personnel immediately entered combat mode.
"Who's there!"
But it was all useless.
Beside the climbing giant snails, numerous vines burst out. Some pierced straight through the snails' bodies. Others rushed into the cabins, splitting into countless branches that stabbed through the soldiers' chests.
They all shared one trait. Every living being they pierced quickly withered, drained of all moisture and energy.
Boom, boom, boom…
Explosions erupted everywhere. In just a few seconds, nothing remained of the fleet except rows of dried corpses nailed to the Red Line and vines filling the sky.
Only the Vinsmoke royals survived, escaping into the air using their high-tech equipment.
Judge hovered midair, drenched in cold sweat, eyes wide with terror.
"Ah… ah…"
His mouth opened, but only broken sounds came out. He could not form a single complete sentence.
Reiju was shaken as well, stunned by the horrific scene. The other three sons watched with interest. They had been stripped of emotions since childhood and did not even understand fear.
Below them, the vines drifted through the air. After absorbing all life, they lost their targets and paused for a moment. Then they suddenly straightened and shot toward the sky.
The Vinsmokes tried to resist. Flames, electric arcs, poison, all their abilities were fired at the incoming vines. They looked powerful, but it was useless.
They did not even manage to escape. Countless vines wrapped around them, pierced them, and drained them dry.
Only then did a smug voice echo from above.
"Struggle, you pitiful little things."
Aramaki slowly descended from the sky, a cruel smile on his face.
"Die while you struggle in despair, traitors. Oh my, there's a beautiful young lady too. What a shame, Mr. Sakazuki's order was very clear. Except for the main culprit, not a single one of you is to be spared."
His words sounded regretful, but he showed no mercy. The power output increased instead.
Aside from Judge, the main culprit, the rest of the children were instantly drained of all blood and energy.
The vines trembled slightly. Their shriveled bodies crumbled like brittle glass, breaking apart.
With a wave of his hand, Aramaki flung them toward the Red Line.
Boom!
They slammed into the hard surface. Their cracked bodies shattered into pieces and fell into the endless sea.
Aramaki slowly floated in front of Judge, looking at the sniveling, terrified man with amusement.
"Honestly… with courage like yours, how did you dare oppose the World Government? You even made me miss my chance to meet my idol."
His expression turned slightly savage as he absorbed some nutrients from Judge's body.
Feeling his life slipping away, Judge shuddered and came back to his senses. Trembling, he begged, "Don't kill me… don't kill me… please…"
Seeing such a spineless man, Aramaki lost interest. Vines grew from his fingers, piercing Judge and lifting him as he flew toward the direction of Sabaody Archipelago.
"Unbelievable. Trash like this wasted months of my time…"
The Red Line was simply too long, circling the world. Even with some intelligence, there were no clear routes. He could only search blindly.
After Aramaki left, the vines that had pierced the massive fleet and countless clone soldiers slowly withered, losing their support.
The dried corpses nailed to the Red Line fell into the sea.
* * *
New World, New Marineford.
The heavily fortified fortress stood quietly under the setting sun, carrying a rare sense of calm.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
As the final stroke landed on the document, Carlo let out a long breath.
"Phew~ Done."
He then stood up, stretched, and loosened his body. Shaking his head, he rubbed his neck with one hand and walked out of the office. Standing by the battlements, he admired the view for a while.
Just then, he seemed to sense something. A wave of heat spread across the island.
Tap, tap, tap…
The sound of leather shoes echoed.
A mass of magma appeared by the battlement, forming into a figure. Sakazuki's voice followed.
"Good work."
Carlo smiled and looked over. "You're finally back, Fleet Admiral. If you were any later, I wouldn't have held on."
Several months had passed since Sakazuki began reorganizing the ley lines. Moving through magma deep within the earth made it impossible to carry a Den Den Mushi. All they could do was wait.
Carlo had barely managed to stall Aramaki's side. Even with fake intelligence, he could not make it too obvious. After just a few months, the man still found the Vinsmoke family.
Fortunately, Issho had been sent to Fish-Man Island not long ago. Aramaki was now heading there to meet up.
Sakazuki gave a light chuckle. "Believe in yourself. You did fine."
Carlo pressed his forehead, helpless. "You really aren't afraid of things getting out of hand."
Sakazuki smiled without answering. The curve of his lips showed that he was in a good mood.
Carlo asked curiously, "Looks like the ley line work went smoothly. You seem very pleased."
Sakazuki let out a low laugh, his tone playful. "Just imagine those foolish pirates. When they try to destroy those two islands and flip the table, only to realize the button is still in our hands. Their expressions…"
He gazed at the sea and spoke softly. "They'll be priceless."
Looking at his smile, Carlo smiled as well for no clear reason.
"How cruel, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki."
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