"However, to say it was all for a woman wouldn't be much of an exaggeration either!"
"Granted, during the clash on Whole Cake Island, God of Thunder Enel made an appearance alongside a monster made of pure fire. Some even say they caught glimpses of Black Arm Zephyr and Myles Dimitri, among several other high-ranking executives of the Chris Pirates."
Morgans shifted his tone, adding a trace of playful mockery. "But at the very least, the intelligence I secured states that right before the grand conflict erupted, Aeridar completely flipped Whole Cake Chateau on its head, infiltrating it entirely on his own just to take = Pudding with him!"
Morgans' loud, booming voice came through the Den Den Mushi clear as day, ringing through the ears of every single member of the Vinsmoke family.
"Infiltrating Whole Cake Chateau entirely on his own?!"
The Vinsmoke family stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded. They could scarcely believe that a man of Aeridar's stature would choose to expose himself to such a titanic risk all for the sake of a single person!
Charlotte Pudding! Just what kind of bewitching magic did this woman possess to make a powerhouse on par with a Yonko throw himself into such a lethal gamble?
Surely she couldn't be more stunning than Boa Hancock, the most beautiful woman in the world... right?
"Heh~ Hehehe~"
The moment that thought crossed their minds, Ichiji, Niji, Sanji, and Yonji simultaneously broke into dopey, love-struck grins. Their eyes instantly morphed into bright red hearts as they fantasized about Pudding possessing a peerless, otherworldly visage, with literal streams of drool cascading from the corners of their mouths.
"These absolute idiots..."
Reiju watched her four brothers descend into a collective fit of love-sickness, her lips twitching in pure exasperation.
Especially Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji, they had clearly been stripped of almost every shred of human emotion through the Lineage Factor modifications, yet their overwhelming lust had somehow managed to remain perfectly intact.
"It appears to have something to do with Pudding's unique ability, but the finer details remain a mystery to me," Morgans said, his voice dropping into a more serious tone. "Regardless, Charlotte Pudding was undeniably one of the primary catalysts for this entire war!"
Morgans wasn't lying to Judge. Pudding's ability was directly tied to several highly classified experiments within the Chris Pirates, meaning they would never let any external party casually pry into the details.
Furthermore, as far as the Big Mom Pirates were concerned, Pudding's defection was a catastrophic disgrace, they would certainly never broadcast the details to the outside world.
"Even though Pudding has crossed over to the Chris Pirates, the political marriage between Germa and the Charlotte Family technically still stands. It's highly likely that Big Mom will simply substitute another daughter to maintain the alliance..."
Morgans trailed off before finishing the sentence, but Judge caught his meaning instantly.
If Big Mom insisted on going through with the political marriage, Judge would find it near impossible to refuse. The moment he declined, he would permanently offend Big Mom.
But if he accepted, it meant tying the Germa Kingdom to the Big Mom Pirates' faction, effectively painting a massive target on their backs for the Chris Pirates.
Unless Big Mom herself chose to call off the arrangement, Judge was completely trapped in a lose-lose scenario regardless of what choice he made.
"Alright, I've told you everything you need to know. Remember to send over the payment!"
"With that said... best of luck to you, Judge!"
Following Morgans' highly amused, mocking chuckle, the connection abruptly severed with a sharp click.
Judge stared blankly at the silent Den Den Mushi in his palm, appearing to drop into a state of total catatonia.
Beside him, the four brothers finally snapped out of their delusions. Aside from the completely expressionless Sanji, everyone's face was heavy with gravity, the room falling into a dead silence.
Looking over at the muted crowd, Reiju remained quiet for a moment before speaking up softly. "The choice is yours, Father."
"Do we proceed with the political marriage? Or do we choose to decline?"
…
Meanwhile, within Port No. 1 of the Clifford Kingdom's Noble District, a massive red galley hauled by two titanic Sea Kings gracefully glided into the harbor.
Emblazoned across its colossal sails was a distinct skull enveloped by nine stylized, sun-like serpents.
"It's an all-female crew!"
"Th-That's... the Kuja Pirates!"
"Quick! Give way immediately!"
"Garrison, clear the main path!"
A collective roar of frantic whispers erupted across the harbor front as the crowds watched the red battleship dock.
In fact, a heavily overweight harbor master immediately commanded a garrison of over a hundred kingdom soldiers to violently clear a wide path, ensuring the women of the red ship could disembark without any obstruction.
As the red pirate ship lowered its gangplank, a contingent of several dozen women marched down. Among them, a stark number possessed towering statuettes and breathtakingly exotic features.
At the very front of the procession walked a remarkably tall woman of staggering, peerless beauty. The mere sight of her caused the surrounding onlookers to drop to their knees in a daze, completely driven mad by her visage.
"Hancock-sama!"
"Too beautiful! She's a goddess descended from the heavens!"
"That intensely haughty gaze... my heart has been completely stolen away!"
"..."
However, Boa Hancock's current mood was incredibly foul. She maintained a deeply frozen, icy countenance the entire way down, causing the guiding harbor master to break out into a cold, nervous sweat, frantically wondering if he had inadvertently offended her.
"Onee-sama, Brother-in-law Aeridar isn't that kind of man. There must be some sort of misunderstanding here!"
"She's right, Onee-sama! Brother-in-law Aeridar is about to wage an all-out war against the Big Mom Pirates. This is no time to be throwing a tantrum!"
Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold followed closely behind Hancock, continuously bending down to offer frantic words of comfort.
"Hmph~ I must personally see this little hussy with her own eyes. I had no idea that little brat possessed such a grand charm!" Hancock scoffed coldly, tilting her flawless chin upward in a magnificent display of sheer arrogance.
Before long, the Kuja Pirates spotted five six-meter-long, pitch-black, steam-powered luxury limousines parked just a dozen meters away on the harbor plaza. These were the transport vehicles designated for their arrival.
Shuuu—
Suddenly, the fierce screech of a tearing projectile ripped through the air. A deafening BOOM shook the square as a blazing artillery shell slammed directly into one of the steam-powered limousines, detonating it instantly into a crumpled fireball of twisted iron.
A dense cascade of jagged shrapnel sprayed outward, severely crippling the two adjacent limousines while instantly tearing through a dozen surrounding escort guards, leaving a gruesome scene of casualties in its wake.
"Hahaha—Women of Kuja, die!"
A manic, roaring laugh echoed from the top of a stone tower nearly a hundred meters away. A hulking man standing over three meters tall held a rocket launcher over his shoulder, perched atop the peak as he pulled the trigger on Hancock and her crew once more.
Another scorching projectile screamed out from the barrel of the launcher, cutting through the sky with an ominous, whistling pop.
"Audacious scum!"
Hancock's elegant brows knit together, her beautiful eyes instantly flashing with a murderous, terrifying aura. She braced her legs, preparing to leap into the air and kick the incoming projectile away.
However, the combatants of the Kuja Pirates were just as fast to react. Drawing their bows in unison, a dozen arrows shot forth with lightning-fast velocity, cutting through the air like rapid streaks of light.
BOOM!
Mid-air, the artillery shell was directly pierced by arrows heavily imbued with Armament Haki, detonating prematurely into a massive cloud of fire and thick, black smoke that billowed into the sky.
"Charge!"
"Slaughter the Kuja women!"
"For Mama! For the Big Mom Pirates!"
Following the explosion, a massive horde of combatants erupted from the surrounding crowds with furious roars, brandishing a chaotic mix of blades and firearms as they charged viciously toward the Kuja Pirates.
"Damn it! It's the Big Mom Pirates' crew!"
"Move out! Hold those bastards back!"
The chubby harbor master hopped up and down in absolute panic, screaming at the top of his lungs as he ordered the surrounding kingdom soldiers to intercept the advancing Big Mom Pirates.
Or rather, the lunatics operating under the Big Mom Pirates' banner!
For an assassination attempt of this scale to happen under his jurisdiction, especially when the target was their own King's Queen, he knew that if anything went wrong, he would likely be sent straight to the upper laboratories to be turned into a human test subject!
"Hmph~ A mere gathering of circus clowns!"
Hancock let out a cold, deeply dismissive snort, her voice laced with an absolute, icy fury. "All of you... shut your mouths for me!"
The next instant, Hancock took a commanding step forward, her beautiful eyes narrowing into a piercing glare as an invisible, cataclysmic pressure violently erupted from her body.
OM—
Instantly, the very atmosphere trembled as a localized gale ripped across the plaza, draining the color from the heavens and earth in a flash of blinding black and white.