Chapter 80: The Vinsmoke Family
Lacalela Island, North Blue.
It was an island with no king, no nation, and naturally, no law.
The place had once been nothing more than a nest for the rogues and bandits of North Blue, but after various hidden forces quietly merged and took control of it, the island gradually transformed into something else entirely. It became an entertainment paradise for the underground world, a place where gambling, vice, black market deals, and endless revelry flourished in broad daylight.
People died here every day.
But just as many people struck it rich.
That was enough to keep drawing in new blood, not ordinary civilians, but greedy pirates, smugglers, outlaws, and every kind of scavenger the sea could produce.
At this moment, the streets were crowded.
A large group had gathered in the middle of the road, clearly drawn by something unusual.
Or rather, by someone.
Momousagi, Axel, and Tokikake stood in the center of that gathering crowd.
The whispers around them were anything but polite.
"I like the mature one. Those legs are incredible, and that figure... damn."
"The younger one's not bad either. She's got a strange charm."
"That old guy in the middle is blocking the view."
The crowd pointed openly, speaking without the slightest restraint. Many of them wore vulgar, greedy smiles, and none of them seemed the least bit intimidated by the Justice cloaks draped over the trio's shoulders.
On this island, people lived with their heads on the chopping block.
They were outlaws. Desperados. Men who believed that as long as there were enough of them, they could drown anyone in numbers.
Why should they fear a few Marines?
Axel felt his irritation rise almost at once.
Tokikake's face darkened even faster.
He was never soft on criminals to begin with, and now these filthy eyes were crawling all over Momousagi. How could he possibly tolerate that?
He stepped in front of her without hesitation, blocking the worst of the stares with his body.
"Old man, get lost. You're in the way!" someone shouted from the crowd.
That immediately sparked a chorus of agreement.
Tokikake smiled.
It was the sort of smile that meant trouble was about to begin.
Then a gunshot rang out.
Bang!
One of the loudest men in the crowd dropped to the ground on the spot.
The sudden bloodshed sent a wave of panic through the onlookers. Before they could react, another group appeared, and the entire atmosphere instantly froze.
The Vinsmoke family had arrived.
Or more precisely, Germa 66.
A square formation of soldiers advanced in perfect order, their movements crisp and uniform, their expressions utterly blank. Two lines parted down the middle, opening a path as if the crowd had been split by an invisible blade.
Then Judge stepped forward.
His tone was flat, polite, and almost mechanical.
"My apologies. Our guests should not have been made to endure such a disgraceful scene."
There was not a trace of embarrassment in his face, only the polished courtesy of a man speaking for form's sake.
Axel's gaze shifted past him.
There were four children standing behind Judge.
Only four.
No Sanji.
At once, Axel reached a conclusion.
This was the year 1511 of the Sea Calendar. At this point, Sanji should still be imprisoned within Germa. He had not yet escaped to East Blue.
That judgment did not come from memory alone. Some of it came from information Axel had pried out of Tokikake earlier while playing the role of "love consultant." The mission this time was to investigate why the Vinsmoke family had begun military movements directed toward East Blue.
Since they had not yet marched there, Sanji had to still be trapped in Germa.
Momousagi showed no interest in Judge's empty courtesy.
"So the Vinsmoke family, who currently hold no territory at all, chose a place like this for negotiations?"
Her tone was calm, but the blade hidden inside those words was obvious.
No territory.
That was a wound the Vinsmokes could never quite hide.
The Germa soldiers around Judge instantly grew tense. Their presence sharpened. It felt as though they could attack at any moment.
Judge merely lifted one hand.
The soldiers fell quiet again in an instant.
Their obedience was so absolute that it was almost chilling.
"What exactly does the Navy wish to discuss?" Judge asked.
Momousagi answered directly.
"The purpose behind your recent military operations. And why you crossed the sea toward East Blue."
Judge glanced around at the lingering spectators.
"This is not a suitable place for that conversation."
"That much is true," Momousagi said.
"Then please, come with me."
Judge turned and prepared to lead the way.
As head of the Vinsmoke family and ruler of Germa's military science kingdom, he had no intention of going to war with the Navy here. At least, not yet. His first priority was reclaiming influence over North Blue. Everything else could wait until that goal was achieved.
To the crowd, however, Judge's attitude looked suspiciously like compromise.
A few of the sharper observers immediately lost the urge to stay and watch. If even Germa's king was speaking politely, then these outsiders were clearly not people to provoke casually.
Some began slipping away at once.
Momousagi did not follow immediately.
Instead, she turned to Tokikake.
"You stay here with Axel and wait for me."
"No."
Tokikake rejected it on the spot.
Letting Momousagi walk straight into enemy territory alone, especially when they still had no clear idea of Germa's true intentions, was far too dangerous.
Momousagi remained calm.
"I already considered that before we came ashore. If too many people go in, it will only make escape more difficult. If I need to leave, they won't be able to stop me."
That was also why only the three of them had come.
Originally, she had wanted Axel to remain on the ship. The only reason she had brought him at all was because she was also bringing Tokikake.
Tokikake frowned.
"If something really happens, are you actually going to retreat?"
In his mind, swordsmen were all stubborn monsters who would rather be cut to pieces than turn their backs.
"It's settled," Momousagi said, leaving him no room to argue. "If anything happens on this island, your ability will let you notice. Come help then."
Then she added, "Take care of this kid."
Tokikake clenched his jaw, but he knew Momousagi's temperament. Once she had decided, no one was changing her mind.
So in the end, he could only watch her leave with Judge.
After Germa and Momousagi disappeared into the distance, the crowd scattered completely. Whatever curiosity they had was no longer worth the risk.
Soon, only Axel and Tokikake remained standing in the street.
Tokikake let out a breath, then looked down at Axel.
"Master, now it's just the two of us."
In private, he always called Axel "Master." Somewhere along the line, he had truly accepted Axel as his emotional mentor. Though the actual results were... questionable, he firmly believed that ever since listening to Axel's guidance, his relationship with Momousagi had improved.
That belief alone was enough to keep him loyal.
Axel glanced at him.
"If you're worried, go after her. I'll be fine."
That was not false bravado.
His strength was nowhere near enough to roam the seas freely, but on an island like this, ordinary thugs and pirates were not a serious threat to him.
Tokikake hesitated.
He had just promised Momousagi to look after her "little brother." If he abandoned Axel now and something happened, he would not just fail in his duty, he would likely be rejected another fifty times on principle.
Just as he was wavering, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the street among the last few stragglers.
Tokikake's eyes widened.
"Issho?"
.....
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