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Chapter 21: What Do You Want
"Darren Base Chief!"
On the warship's deck, the North Blue Marine soldiers on duty saluted as soon as they saw Darren appear.
"Thank you, everyone," Darren said with a smile.
The soldiers shook their heads in response before immediately returning to their posts. It was well-known that the North Blue Marines received significantly better treatment than their counterparts in other seas. Their benefits included not only a basic military salary but also fixed paid vacations and access to the most sophisticated arms and weapons. The North Blue Marines were trained at the highest level.
Each member of the North Blue Marines was aware that all their privileges were thanks to their admiral, Darren.
Darren strolled into the warship cabin, descended the narrow steps, and reached the cabin's depths. There, a makeshift prison had been set up.
Vinsmoke Judge, the commander of Germa 66, was incarcerated here. When he saw the despised Marine approach, Vinsmoke Judge, restrained by steel shackles and with his mouth sealed, struggled wildly. His eyes, bloodshot with anger and indistinct sounds muffled, betrayed the intensity of his emotions. Clearly, if his gaze could inflict harm, it would have struck Darren down a hundred times over.
With a casual wave of his hand, Darren caused the steel block gagging Vinsmoke Judge's mouth to dislodge.
Vinsmoke Judge roared furiously, "You damn Marine brat!! How dare you imprison me!! You are the North Blue admiral!!"
"The Germa Kingdom is a member of the World Government!! You are dead—"
His words cut off sharply as his eyes widened in shock. A sharp steel bar twisted out of the cell. It pierced the air and paused, threateningly close to his forehead. Vinsmoke Judge could see, reflected in the bar's tip, the cold glint of metal akin to a majestic lion choosing its prey.
"Have you said enough?" Darren asked with a smile.
Vinsmoke Judge clenched his teeth tightly.
"It seems that you have," Darren observed, noting his reaction. With a flick of his finger, the steel bar resembling a majestic lion receded.
"Vinsmoke Judge, you are right. The Germa Kingdom is part of the World Government. Following Marine protocol, this action could indeed cause me a lot of trouble," Darren mused as he searched for a cigar, placed it in his mouth, and lit it.
"But you're forgetting something..."
Darren gazed at the "overlord" of North Blue, now as pathetic as a stray dog, and continued with a sardonic half-smile, "You cannot represent the Kingdom of Germa."
Hearing this, Vinsmoke Judge's heart thumped with apprehension. He retorted angrily, "What do you mean! As the Vinsmoke family head and the Germa Kingdom king, why can't I represent Germa!?"
"No, no, no," Darren sneered. "You still don't understand my point."
He exhaled slowly before continuing, "This time, I may have killed many Germa 66 troops, but we both know they're just clone soldiers. Given enough time and resources, you can easily recreate them."
"At the end of the day, clone soldiers aren't humans; they're merely weapons."
"And most importantly..."
"The World Government doesn't care about the lives of the countries under its protection. The Five Elders don't care, and the Celestial Dragons care even less."
"What they do care about is whether the nations under them can regularly contribute the 'heavenly tribute' they demand."
"As long as the Kingdom of Germa can pay the heavenly money on time, the big shots don't care if you, Vinsmoke Judge, are the one sitting on the throne."
Vinsmoke Judge's face turned pale.
"Well, it seems you're beginning to understand what I mean."
Darren raised his hand.
The steel "cage" that had imprisoned Vinsmoke Judge spread out like a blooming flower. At the same time, the twisted metal intertwined and gathered behind Darren, forming a steel chair.
Vinsmoke Judge, who had regained his "freedom," did not attack Darren angrily. Instead, he stood there with a livid face.
He knew very well that, without his combat uniform, he could not defeat this man.
Darren sat slowly on the steel chair, smoked a cigar, and smiled:
"I believe that the other nobles of the Germa Kingdom will be interested in the position of the king. They should also hope that you die here and never show up again, shouldn't they?"
Vinsmoke Judge remained silent, his expression extremely ugly.
He knew Darren was right.
The Kingdom of Germa has a long history. In addition to his family, there are other noble families, both large and small.
After he left the research team and returned to Germa, he took over the authority of the Germa Kingdom using high-tech weapons. The process was undoubtedly bloody.
During this time, he suppressed other nobles of Germa and carried out a series of purges.
However, he couldn't kill all the nobles.
It was conceivable that those same people would be glad for him to die at this Marine's hands.
"Don't you dare kill me," Vinsmoke Judge said hoarsely.
Darren laughed.
"I know this. After all, you are the king of a franchised country, and I am just a Rear Admiral in the Marines."
"It's just that I can hand you over to the World Government."
"As a scientist with strong research skills, who has worked with Vegapunk on the MADS team, I believe the government will be very satisfied with my action."
Vinsmoke Judge's face changed drastically.
"What on earth do you know?"
He had managed to escape from the pursuit of World Government agents and avoid becoming a tool in their research.
But how did this Marine brat know about such a secret event?
Darren smiled and said,
"What do I know? You don't have to worry about that."
"You just need to know one thing."
"By cooperating with me, you can continue to be your king and commander in peace. Maybe when I'm in a good mood, I can even help you fulfill your ambition to 'dominate the North Blue'."
"Or you could try to resist me."
"I will hand you over to the World Government and then support another nobleman in Germa to become the king. As long as the amount of heavenly gold from the Germa Kingdom increases by 20%, I believe the government will not hold me accountable. They might even give me an official reward..."
After the words fell, Vinsmoke Judge fell into a long silence, his expression uncertain.
Darren was not in a hurry.
He just minded his own business and smoked his cigar.
He knew this man's character quite well.
Desire for power, vanity, and arrogance.
Do you fight to the death for your reputation, or do you lose your freedom and power?
Darren believed Vinsmoke Judge would make the right choice.
Half a minute later,
Vinsmoke Judge raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and hissed,
"What do you want?"