Chapter 262: Just Give It to Him

As long as he can secure this man's aid, Germa's army will be invincible in the North Blue!

That good-for-nothing... no, Sanji ultimately carries Germa's blood; even if he refuses to acknowledge me as his father, he could never refuse to acknowledge Sora!

Upon thinking this.

Gaji's heart surged with extreme excitement, but in the turn of a moment, he calmed himself down.

The more excited one becomes, the more reason is lost, and the more likely one is to make decisions contrary to one's own interests due to momentary impulse.

Gaji looked back toward the port of Water Seven.

The pirate ships that had been loitering around had long since departed; there, all was empty, with only countless wrecks of pirate ships rising and falling with the seawater, a sight that made one's scalp tingle with numbness.

Originally, in Gaji's eyes, this battle held no suspense whatsoever.

But now, with Gao Wen's appearance, he had almost single-handedly reversed the tide of war.

Even a major figure as powerful as Wang Zhi, who had ruled Hive Island for decades, had suffered a bloody loss at Gao Wen's hands; such power was hardly inferior to that of the Emperor of the Sea.

But could Water Seven truly be defended with merely this degree of strength!?

Gaji was unclear on this point.

What he did know was that, based solely on the intelligence he had openly obtained, among the pirates coming to Water Seven were major figures like Big Mom and Wang Zhi, while second-tier powers were too numerous to count.

With such combat strength, they were already qualified to attack Marine Headquarters; relying solely on Gao Wen's power would ultimately only delay matters for a while longer.

Moreover, even if the Marines arrived subsequently, whether they would stand on the same side as Knight Gao Wen remained an unknown.

After weighing the pros and cons, Gaji helplessly shook his head; he desired Germa's restoration, but he understood even better how to weigh advantages against disadvantages.

With only Gao Wen's solitary strength, whether he could even survive the coming chaos was itself a question.

"What a pity."

After a sigh.

Gaji lifted his head.

Water Seven grew smaller and smaller in his line of sight until finally it vanished into the vast, boundless sea.

"Lord Gaji!"

Adjutant Moss let out a startled cry, stumbling out from the cabin, his expression filled with panic:

"The Marines have launched their operation!"

"Our hidden agents left along the shipping lane have detected the Marines' movements."

"A fleet composed of over thirty Marine warships set out for Water Seven as early as half a month ago."

"Even though their sailing speed gradually slowed due to being blocked en route by a large-scale glacier, at most only four or five days remain before the Marine fleet arrives at Water Seven."

Gaji's pupils contracted sharply.

He possessed strategic vision far superior to Moss's, so the information he perceived at this moment was naturally far greater than the latter's.

"It seems this struggle for the Pluton blueprints is about to come to an end."

"Do you mean the Marines will completely sweep away all the surrounding pirates?!"

"No!"

Gaji's gaze was sharp as a torch:

"Once the news that the Marines are about to arrive spreads, the major powers hiding around Water Seven, whether it be Golden Lion, Wang Zhi, or others, will none of them be able to sit still."

"The most rational and safe approach is to directly capture Water Seven before the Marines arrive, obtain the Pluton blueprints, and then retreat swiftly."

"After all, whether one is willing to admit it or not, the Marines are the most powerful force on these seas; with a movement of such magnitude this time, the one leading the operation must inevitably be a Marine Admiral."

"And the current three Great Admirals of the Marines..."

Gaji swallowed hard, his expression exceedingly solemn:

"Their overwhelming combat strength is secondary; what matters most is that all three are Logia-type users, possessing the power to sway the tide of battle single-handedly."

"Logia-type..."

Moss murmured, the terror in his eyes intensifying.

He naturally understood clearly what a Marine Admiral wielding a Logia-type ability represented.

"Let us withdraw."

Gaji commanded:

"The coming battle is no longer something we can interfere in."

"But what about Lord Ichiji and the others..."

"Then we can only depend on whether their fate is good or not!"

Gaji's steps halted abruptly, his fist beneath his sleeve clenching tightly.

After hastily leaving those words, he quickly walked into the cabin.

Moss intended to follow him in, but unexpectedly, the very next second, a hoarse, desperate roar erupted from within the cabin, accompanied by the sound of things being smashed to pieces.

Water Seven.

The port.

The surrounding pirates had completely withdrawn, leaving the sea vast and empty.

Only waves of nauseating bloody scent, scattered by the sea breeze, drifted into the entire city.

Zing!

Gao Wen sheathed his blade, scanned his surroundings, and upon confirming that all nearby pirates had departed, he lingered no longer; with a flash, he vanished into thin air.

Within the distant buildings.

The scene of Gao Wen slicing away everything with a single strike still echoed in Reiju's mind; the earth-shattering boom still made her ears ring.

Her lips parted slightly, her shock beyond words, and she stammered:

"He, he, he... just what is he?"

"An Admiral? A Yonko?!"

Reiju had never seen an Admiral or a Yonko fight, but apart from those universally acknowledged as the strongest on the seas, she could find no other reference.

The power Gao Wen displayed turned the human-modification genetic engineering that Judge was obsessed with into a complete joke.

Reiju could not even imagine how a human could become strong to such a degree.

This time, Zoro did not reply, nor even turn his head; he too was stunned by the scene just now, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the sword hilt bulging.

Hiss—!

A distinct breathing sound came from Zoro's mouth; his eyes hardened in the next instant, and he murmured softly:

"Only such a Gaoshan is worth climbing; this is the goal I must pursue, the man I must defeat."

Reiju froze, and as she turned to look at Zoro, a touch of sympathy appeared in her gaze.

How are you supposed to fight something like that?!

Anyway, I don't know.

"Right! Sanji!"

Reiju finally reacted; she turned and saw Sanji sitting up nearby, even lighting a cigarette and sitting there.

"Sanji... you..."

Reiju was momentarily stunned.

She knew exactly how potent the anesthetic she had made was; even a Sea King, after taking the antidote, would need at least several hours to recover normally.

But Sanji?!

From the moment she injected the antidote for him until now, less than half an hour had passed; this was absolutely something no normal human could do.

Add to that the combat power Sanji had displayed earlier in the fight, no less than that of Ichiji and Niji, and the answer was obvious.

Did Father's modifications still take effect?

Then what about the emotions Sanji lost...

"Green-haired idiot, thanks."

"Hah~"

Zoro wore a mischievous grin, placed his hand by his ear in a posture of earnest listening, and said in a sarcastic tone:

"Hah~ hah~"

"Can't hear you, speak up!"

The only reply was the cigarette butt Sanji threw at him.

Immediately, the two erupted into another argument, their voices rising louder and louder, with an atmosphere of swords drawn and bows bent.

Yet in Reiju's eyes, standing aside, there was only unspeakable astonishment.

The complex emotions Sanji displayed at this moment were something Ichiji, Niji, and the others completely lacked.

In other words.

Her only younger brother, Sanji, though showing an irritable side before Zoro, was undoubtedly still that kind child he once was.

"How wonderful~"

A soft chuckle made the two bickering stop.

Sanji looked at Reiju before him; the scene of Reiju forcibly prying open the dungeon cells flashed through his mind, and his mood was extremely complex at this moment.

Reiju was the only beam of light in that dark and sunless period of his life.

Indeed, what made Sanji respect women so deeply, apart from the will inherited from Zeff and the influence of his mother and the Wang Fei, was also Reiju as a crucial factor.

One could say that without Reiju, he would most likely still be imprisoned in the dungeon by Judge, unable to meet Zeff or meet Gao Wen.

"Saxi burida na."

"Reiju."

Sanji did not speak the word "big sister," but Reiju understood Sanji's meaning.

For Sanji, the experience in Germa was no different from a nightmare; only by casting aside that past could he be reborn.

A faint smile played on Reiju's lips as she looked at him with gentle eyes:

"Did you meet someone kind?!"

Sanji froze.

This was the words Reiju had left for him when they parted back then; of course, he remembered.

He exhaled a puff of smoke and nodded:

"Ah."

"Old man Zeff, Princess Guinevere, Captain Gao Wen, Mr. Keluo..."

"Many, many."

"How wonderful~ Can you tell me about them~"

"Of course."

Sanji simply sat down right there and slowly recounted his experiences over these years, bit by bit.

From meeting Zeff, to Princess Guinevere, to the promise he made with himself before Gao Wen resolved to face Hawk-Eyes alone...

Reiju listened quietly, her eyes growing brighter and brighter as Sanji spoke.

At this moment, she finally confirmed that her decision back then was not wrong.

The one who was wrong was not Sanji, not his mother, and certainly not herself, but Judge, who, relying on his own strength, attempted to mold his children into weapons of his own design.

Germa, a factually extinct entity that, driven by Vinsmoke Judge's desires, has drifted endlessly across the seas, igniting wars, should now have vanished.

The brother and sister recounted their separate lives since parting ways.

Even though Reiju had just attacked him alongside Ichiji and the others, Sanji did not mind; he had experienced such scenes countless times in his childhood memories.

Furthermore, because he understood Reiju and held an almost obsessive respect for women, he was willing to pay even with his own life.

Zoro stood aside, listening quietly.

By the time the two stopped, more than half an hour had passed; only then did they realize and hurry back to the refugee camp in Water Seven.

Before they even approached,

the three heard waves of cheers erupting from the camp, accompanied by the scent of fireworks and alcohol, as countless people looked up and wept.

"Waaaaah..."

"We have finally waited for the dawn of victory."

"Everything will come to an end."

"Hope has finally arrived~"

"Mr. Iceburg did not lie to us; the Navy's rescue has truly arrived, and it is even a Navy Admiral-level combat power!"

"We... we were not abandoned... It's great, it's great..."

They had suppressed their emotions for far too long before finally waiting for this present victory.

From the moment the Pluton design plans were exposed, Water Seven had been under constant attack, with countless pirates swarming in from all over the world.

Continuous cannon fire had nearly destroyed the entire city.

Even Iceburg, who had long served as the spiritual pillar for these refugees, had gone missing during a previous attack.

Originally, only despair was left for them.

But at this time, a man led a group of Navy soldiers to arrive, crushing the invading pirates with a thunderous momentum; among them were even major powers like Germa 66 and Wang Zhi of Whole Cake Island.

As long as this Navy officer named Lancelot remains for one day, Water Seven will not fall, and there is still hope for everything.

At this very moment, the civilians in the camp all harbored such thoughts, so much so that their footsteps and voices were much lighter.

The despair that had been suppressed in their hearts for so long was finally released at this moment.

Gao Wen sat in the main seat, surrounded by countless intensely burning gazes; that was the power of hope, shining upon Gao Wen like flames.

He fell silent for a moment, returned a smile to the crowd, and struggled to comfort their hearts.

But only Xiang Keluo, sitting beside him, knew that the current situation was far from a time for relaxation.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Crisp footsteps came from outside the crowd.

Zoro, bringing Reiju, walked before Gao Wen, briefly explained the situation, and then stood aside to await Gao Wen's next order.

Although he had just learned of Reiju and Sanji's past and knew this woman was different from the others in Germa,

he understood even more clearly that Gao Wen was the leader of this pirate crew, and when facing prisoners of war, only Gao Wen had the authority to make the final decision.

Sanji also understood this, but still could not help but fight for his only sister:

"Captain, I..."

"I know."

Gao Wen nodded at him, then looked at Reiju; after pondering for a moment and noticing Sanji's expectant gaze, he said lightly:

"Do nothing unnecessary; I do not want to make things difficult for Sanji."

Reiju nodded heavily, with no dissatisfaction whatsoever:

"I understand."

"Mm."

Gao Wen responded, then immediately rose and left together with Xiang Keluo beside him; the two found a random spot outside the camp and sat down.

The brother and sister embraced and wept; amidst the cheers of the surrounding people, the scene appeared warm and heart-warming.

Yet Gao Wen, watching all this from afar, showed not a trace of a smile on his face, only an indescribable solemnity.

Xiang Keluo spoke:

"Gao Wen, you should know, right?!"

"Tonight's attack is not the end; it is merely the beginning."

"With our appearance, those forces lurking in the shadows will inevitably be unable to sit still; what we must face next may be continuous assaults, with more and more powerful enemies appearing."

"Fighting like this is not a solution."

Gao Wen remained silent.

He merely looked lightly at the distant camp, where gathered only ordinary people, ordinary people who could not survive in this world.

The Red Dragon is large enough and can fly; combined with the defense of the Battle Armor, ordinary attacks cannot stop Gao Wen. For him, at worst, he can simply retreat.

But for these ordinary people, defeat means death.

At least, before a true threat endangers himself, Gao Wen is unwilling to abandon them.

"Do you have any ideas?!"

Gao Wen turned to look at Xiang Keluo; he knew Xiang Keluo's character, and since he asked such a question, he must have already thought of a countermeasure.

Indeed.

Xiang Keluo revealed a meaningful smile on his face and said:

"Since they want the Underworld King's design plans, we might as well just give it to them."

(End of chapter)