"Captain Darren!"
On the warship's deck, North Blue Navy soldiers standing guard saluted Darren immediately upon his appearance.
"You've all worked hard," Darren said with a smile.
The soldiers shook their heads and returned to their duties.
The North Blue Navy enjoyed privileges far superior to those in other regions. Aside from generous pay, they also had fixed paid vacations, top-tier weapons, and the best military training the North Blue could offer.
Every member of the North Blue Navy knew that they owed all of this to their esteemed Captain.
Darren walked into the ship's cabin, descended the narrow staircase, and reached the lowest level.
There, a makeshift prison had been established.
The Captain of Germa 66, Vinsmoke Judge, was imprisoned within.
Bound by steel restraints, his entire body immobilized and even his mouth sealed shut, Judge struggled furiously when he saw the hated Navy officer. Bloodshot eyes full of rage bore into Darren as he let out muffled roars.
If looks could kill, Judge's furious gaze could have slain Darren a hundred times over.
With a casual wave of Darren's hand, the steel gag restraining Judge's mouth flew off.
Immediately, Judge erupted into a tirade:
"You damned Navy brat! How dare you imprison me?! You've reached the end of your days as the North Blue's Captain!
"Germa Kingdom is a member of the World Government! You're finished—"
His rant abruptly stopped, his pupils shrinking.
A sharp steel rod twisted out from the cell, slicing through the air and hovering steadily before his forehead.
Reflected in Judge's wide eyes, the rod's tip gleamed coldly in the flickering torchlight, like a venomous snake ready to strike.
"Have you said enough?" Darren asked, smiling faintly.
Judge gritted his teeth, falling silent.
"Good, I see you understand," Darren said, pleased, and with another wave of his hand, the steel rod retracted like a snake retreating.
"Vinsmoke Judge, you are right. The Germa Kingdom is a member of the World Government. According to the Navy's discipline, this operation will indeed cause me a lot of trouble."
Darren pulled out a cigar, clamping it between his teeth as he lit it.
"You've forgotten something…"
He smirked faintly, his eyes fixed on the broken and defeated figure of North Blue's "overlord," who now lay before him like a beaten dog.
"You don't represent the Germa Kingdom."
Hearing Darren's words, Vinsmoke Judge's heart skipped a beat. Forcing a show of bravado, he barked, "What are you implying? I am the head of the Vinsmoke family and the king of the Germa Kingdom! How could I not represent Germa?"
"No, no," Darren chuckled coldly. "You're still missing my point."
He exhaled a slow stream of smoke.
"This time, it might seem like I've killed a large portion of Germa 66's army, but you and I both know—they were nothing more than cloned soldiers. As long as you have enough time and funding, you can easily replace them."
"At the end of the day, cloned soldiers aren't human. They're just weapons."
"And the most important thing is…"
"The World Government doesn't care about the lives of its member nations. The Five Elders don't care, and the Celestial Dragons care even less."
"What they care about is whether member nations can deliver their 'Heavenly Tribute' on time."
"As long as the Germa Kingdom pays its dues, the bigwigs don't care if it's you or someone else sitting on the throne."
Judge's face went pale.
"Ah, it seems you're starting to understand," Darren said, waving his hand.
The steel "cage" restraining Judge unfurled like a blooming flower. Simultaneously, the twisted metal behind Darren reformed into a sleek iron chair.
Though freed, Judge didn't attack. Instead, he stood there, his face dark with frustration. He knew that without his battle suit, he was no match for this man.
Darren eased himself into the chair, puffing on his cigar, and smiled.
"I'm sure the other nobles of the Germa Kingdom would be very interested in the throne. In fact, I bet they'd love to see you disappear entirely, wouldn't they?"
Judge's silence was telling. His expression grew uglier by the second.
Darren was right.
Though the Vinsmoke family had seized power using advanced weaponry upon Judge's return, it hadn't been without bloodshed. Many nobles had been suppressed, and the purge had been brutal.
But it was impossible to eliminate all of them.
Undoubtedly, those survivors were hoping Judge would meet his end at the hands of this Navy officer.
"You don't dare kill me," Judge rasped.
Darren laughed.
"That much, I'll admit. You're a king of a member nation, after all, and I'm merely a Navy captain."
"But I could hand you over to the World Government."
"A scientist who once worked alongside Vegapunk in the MADS team and possesses advanced scientific knowledge? I'm sure the Government would be very pleased with that."
Judge's face twisted with shock.
"What do you know!?"
He had gone to great lengths to evade the Government's agents, escaping a fate of becoming their tool. How could this Navy brat know such a secret?
Darren smirked.
"What I know doesn't matter to you."
"What does matter is this—work with me, and you can keep your throne and your command. Who knows? If I'm in a good mood, I might even help you achieve your ambition of dominating the North Blue."
"Or…"
"You could resist me. I'll hand you over to the Government and install a different noble as Germa's ruler. If they agree to increase the Heavenly Tribute by 20%, I'm certain the higher-ups wouldn't just ignore my actions—they'd probably reward me publicly."
As Darren's words sank in, Judge fell into a long silence. His expression shifted unpredictably, oscillating between fury and resignation.
Darren wasn't in a hurry.
He puffed on his cigar leisurely, fully aware of Judge's nature—power-hungry, vain, and arrogant.
Fight to the death for his pride or lose his freedom and influence?
Darren was confident, Judge would make the "right" choice.
Half a minute later, Judge raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Darren.
"What do you want?" he asked hoarsely.