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Chapter 64: My Child, Please Forgive Me
Crackling...
Flames rose furiously, and Darren's upper body was engulfed in fire. The surrounding air twisted from the heat, causing Gion and the others to jump back in fear. It took Vinsmoke Judge a full minute to lower the flamethrower, unaware of the thin layer of cold sweat that had formed on his forehead.
As the smoke billowed, Kake swallowed hard, turning to Flying Squirrel and whispered, "Hey, he won't be burned to death, will he?" Flying Squirrel shot him an angry look.
Then, from the center of the smoke, a faint voice emerged, "Well, the power is not bad." A gust of wind cleared the smoke, revealing Darren standing on charred ground, looking down to check his condition. His skin was covered with black ash and the faint outline of burns, but it was clear from his expression that the damage was minor, at least for him.
"Flame Thrower passed the test," Darren said, brushing the ashes off his skin and grinning at Vinsmoke Judge. He then turned to Kake and the others, "Don't be idle. Let's continue the experiments and save time."
What ensued was one of the most intense and shocking weapon tests in history. Flamethrowers, high-voltage electric guns, portable rocket launchers, high-speed cutting discs, and continuous-fire heavy machine guns—all were unleashed on the Marine Colonel in a relentless assault. The training ground was filled with roars, slicing noises, and explosions, occasionally accompanied by Kake's sinister laughter.
Vinsmoke Judge and everyone else watched in awe, slowly becoming accustomed to the spectacle and eventually numbing to it. Thirty minutes later, gasping for breath, Kake and his associates set down the last weapon and collapsed on the ground. They stared at Darren with disbelief.
"Monster," Vinsmoke Judge mumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead with a pale face.
Sitting on a box of weapons, Darren puffed on a lit cigar with a look of satisfaction while a military doctor treated his wounds. "Very good. Let's proceed with those weapons. A deposit of 50%, and the balance after delivery," Darren said, smiling at Vinsmoke Judge.
"No problem," Vinsmoke Judge replied hoarsely, now fully aware of the terrifying force that was the North Blue Marine chief executive.
After being bandaged, Darren slowly stood up, redressed in his uniform handed to him by Flying Squirrel, donned the snow-white cloak of justice, and approached Vinsmoke Judge. He said softly, "We also need to discuss warship modification..."
Vinsmoke Judge looked uneasy. "Your requirements are high. Replacing the keel with metal means the ship's weight would double, affecting its buoyancy..."
Darren interrupted with a dismissive wave. "Don't worry about the buoyancy."
His eyes glinted with sinister ambition. "The main structure must be light metal."
Vinsmoke Judge frowned, considering the implications. "If so, we could mix a small amount of combat uniform alloy with the steel."
"But the cost..." He glanced at Darren, "...is astronomical."
"I just need your commitment," Darren laughed. To him, money was only valuable when used to strengthen oneself.
With the deals made, the warship set sail, slowly departing from the Germa Kingdom's port.
Vinsmoke Judge stood proudly on the land, smiling and waving at the distant warship. He maintained his smile until the warship vanished over the horizon. Once it disappeared, the smile on his face faded into a cold, ferocious expression.
"Master, the deposit from the North Blue Marine has been secured in the vault," reported a middle-aged man, dressed as a housekeeper, who approached respectfully and spoke in a hushed tone.
Vinsmoke Judge nodded with a somber expression. Without a word, he waved his hand, dismissing the butler, and walked toward the main castle of the Germa Kingdom.
The castle gates, heavily guarded, opened for him. He passed through and proceeded along a secure corridor that ended with a metal door. He aligned his eyes with the electronic panel on the door and pressed his hand on the door guard.
"The iris verification passed, the bloodline verification passed, welcome back, sir," announced a cold, robotic voice.
The door swung open, and Vinsmoke Judge strode into the space beyond. He found himself in a laboratory, vast as several football fields, with rows of enormous test tubes displayed before him, slowly rotating with the machinery's movements.
Each towering three-meter-tall test tube contained a green liquid where human bodies floated. These were the clone soldiers of Germa.
Standing before a silver console, Vinsmoke Judge watched the test tubes emotionlessly. Abruptly, he struck the console with his fist. Boom!
"Damn!!" he roared, teeth clenched, eyes bloodshot, face contorted in anger. "Shame! What a shame!!"
He was breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell violently, his eyes ablaze with fury.
'I miss my grand title, King of the Germa Kingdom, the supreme commander of the evil army, and now I'm just a lowly and humble arms dealer!' he thought bitterly.
'Rogers Darren... Does he truly view the Germa Kingdom as his arms supplier? He even dared to covet our combat uniforms!'
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Vinsmoke Judge continued to roar, repeatedly punching the metal console, each hit leaving a distinct impression.
His gaze was locked on the rows of gestating clone soldiers, torn between anger and reluctance.
'That "weapon test" earlier... It was clearly a warning from that bastard Darren. He wanted to demonstrate his overwhelming power.'
Rogers Darren's ferociousness during the weapons test made him seem like an absolute beast.
'Monsters... How does one confront a monster?' Despair seeped into Vinsmoke Judge's eyes.
'Is there truly no way to challenge him?'
Suddenly, a voice came through the microphone. "Sir, Mrs. Sora's amniotic fluid has ruptured, and she's going into labor soon. Please come at once."
Vinsmoke Judge snapped to attention. Sora, his wife, was about to give birth to their child. And he, the king of Germa, was about to welcome his first heir.
A rare sense of tenderness softened the cruelty on Vinsmoke Judge's face. "My bloodline..." he mused quietly to himself.
And then, an epiphany struck him like lightning.
"Hahahahahahaha!!! That's it! I've found a way to fight you, Darren!"
He laughed wildly, a manic gleam in his eye.
"Bloodline modification... Why didn't I think of it before... Only monsters can combat monsters!"
Energized as if having seized his last chance, he rushed to the other side of the laboratory and seized a pink test tube. The pink liquid within mirrored his madly grinning face.
"My child... Please forgive me. This is for the honor of Germa," he muttered with intensity.