Unlike the Ryugu Kingdom, also a World Government affiliated nation, Sakazuki's attitude towards Vinsmoke Judge compared to Neptune was simply poles apart.
The reason was that Judge had illegally caused trouble first, allowing Sakazuki to successfully gain leverage.
He looked at the trembling blond child before him, clapped his hands, and suggested: "What's wrong with a child caring about his mother's physical condition? Just let him go find her."
Young Sanji stared blankly at this tall stranger, then looked at his biological father, not daring to make any move.
Like a lost beast cub, timidly sizing up the two people.
Expressions of astonishment and fear intertwined on his swollen cheeks, making his face seem somewhat comical.
Vinsmoke Judge glanced at Sakazuki, unsure what trick he was up to, but his tone was ultimately not as severe and terrifying as before: "Get out quickly, Sanji!"
Sakazuki mocked somewhat meaningfully: "What? Being so secretive, what are you afraid of? Afraid I'll steal your son?"
The king of the Germa Kingdom scoffed at Sakazuki's words, retorting: "He's just a failure! What do I have to worry about?"
"Failure? So, he's also a product of the Lineage Factor, right? Judge, turning your own family into weapons, heh, that's really like you!" Sakazuki's tone made it impossible to tell if it was mockery or praise.
He glanced at the ashen-faced Judge: "Instead of having the leisure to worry whether that son of yours will amount to anything, you might as well carefully consider my proposal."
"Consider?" His Majesty the King repeated Sakazuki's earlier words with a cold laugh. "As if I have a choice!"
Although he still showed extreme resistance, in his heart, he had already analyzed the pros and cons.
Thinking long-term—if the Germa Kingdom could consolidate the North Blue's underground arms and various smuggling trades, wouldn't the Vinsmoke family be the biggest beneficiary?
Dominating the North Blue would no longer be a dream.
And the only problem was—did Germa have the ability to withstand the pressure coming from all sides?
Judge, living up to his reputation as a regional hegemon, quickly thought of a compromise. He looked sincerely at Sakazuki: "The scale of the black market trade within the North Blue is enormous, and the profit chains are even more complex. Besides large amounts being sold to pirates and gangs, many North Blue nations don't have clean hands either."
The Vinsmoke patriarch's calculations were shrewd. If he were to fully confront those underground arms dealers and smuggling groups according to Sakazuki's wishes, it would be tantamount to offending these groups irrevocably.
And if the North Blue nations, unable to obtain weapons and materials through smuggling channels, were to unite with the underworld and exert pressure together, his Germa 66 forces would be useless even if doubled.
And right before him, wasn't there an excellent partner?
Sakazuki looked at Vinsmoke Judge, whose tone had suddenly softened, and couldn't help but be somewhat wary: "The Navy doesn't interfere in the internal wars of affiliated nations. If you want the Expeditionary Force to step in and intimidate the North Blue nations, then you've miscalculated!"
"Of course, I know the Navy's regulations. But, Vice Admiral Sakazuki, you should know the underground forces of the North Blue are deeply entrenched and complex—pirates, underworld, smugglers, human traffickers... In these mixed places, it's uncertain where a high-bounty pirate might be presiding." Judge seemed to think of something and suddenly burst out laughing.
He pointed to the huge map of the North Blue hanging on the wall: "I won't mention the other small fry for now, but the North Blue underground arms and smuggling inevitably involve one group. They have monopolized half the territory of the entire North Blue underground arms and smuggling industry!"
The Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral nodded with tacit understanding: "The Donquixote Family. I've been thinking about their Young Master for a long time."
At that time, when Navy Headquarters was considering candidates for the Seven Warlords, the first one excluded was this rogue who was thriving in the North Blue.
Perhaps Navy Headquarters could tolerate someone like Sir Crocodile, who was low-key and without much background, joining the ranks of the Seven Warlords, but the military absolutely would not tolerate a major pirate who turned the North Blue into a monolithic bloc managing a region.
This kind of pirate lord with a vile personality dealt in everything from arms and supplies to human trafficking, didn't care about the buyers' identities, and dealt with anyone.
The Navy certainly didn't want to see a vast evil force rise beyond control and supervision.
Moreover, Doflamingo's identity was also so sensitive and special.
"My legion will assist you in dealing with this troublesome fellow, Doflamingo." Sakazuki thought for a moment and agreed. Actually, even if Judge hadn't brought this up, he wouldn't have felt at ease letting Vinsmoke deal with the Donquixote Family.
For someone who could repeatedly match wits and courage with the Navy Headquarters' Great Staff Officer, Sakazuki could only be completely at ease if he handled it himself.
The Burning Legion's commander paused for a moment: "But before you and the Donquixote Family fight each other to the death, the other scattered underground black market forces in the North Blue must be completely cleared out by Germa!"
"Of course, Legion Commander." Judge walked up to Sakazuki and extended a hand. "[Big fish eat small fish first, then begin a new round of competition for status]. Then should I say—Pleasure doing business with you?"
"Pleasure doing business with you! I believe besides this operation, we have many other areas where we can cooperate," Sakazuki encouraged.
"Of course, whether it's military supplies, weapons research and development, or mercenary operations, Germa always offers fair prices." Judge spoke of this with a tone full of pride.
He gave Sakazuki a mysterious smile: "Even, as long as you need, I can provide these artificial soldiers for the legion! Absolute obedience, absolutely fearless of death!"
He couldn't help but make a small joke: "If the time comes when the legion needs me to sell artificial soldiers, even if it means taking a loss, I will give you, Vice Admiral Sakazuki, the factory price!"
Judge finally let out a sigh of relief. In just half an hour of negotiation, the cold sweat on his back had soaked through his clothes.
Sakazuki's focus, however, was not on the price. He asked somewhat curiously: "Absolute obedience, fearless of death? Can you really achieve this through the Lineage Factor?"
Germa's chief scientist seemed to have heard extremely insulting words. He frowned, as if Sakazuki's words had greatly offended him: "Of course! Modifying some factor chains within the Lineage Factor can achieve it! You should know, the soldiers' Lineage Factors are just simplified versions, far inferior compared to my proudest creations! No need for emotions! From childhood, they possess strength and speed exceeding ordinary adults! They are the most suitable sharp blades and commanders for the future Germa 66."
Sakazuki felt extreme disgust in his heart towards this antisocial behavior of using one's own flesh and blood as experimental subjects and one's lover as an incubator. But alas, although he detested the man's character, the plan that needed to be executed had to proceed step by step.
Onigumo stood on the second-level deck, observing the movements of the Germa army. He had been assigned here by Sakazuki.
The flagship was deep in the port. With the enemy/friend status of the other party unclear, Lindeman, who was next in command, had been assigned another confidential mission.
Under these circumstances, the flagship needed a capable general who could shoulder the main responsibility.
"Children?" Onigumo stared expressionlessly at the three figures below who were chaotically disrupting the solemn Germa military formation.
But on the port, the Germa personnel did not stop these few children who suddenly burst out from the crowd, fighting and darting about, allowing them to break up their own military formation.
These three boys, wearing clothes of different colors, all had similar appearances; only their hair color distinguished them.
Perhaps feeling they hadn't had enough fun, these mischievous children turned their attention towards the warship docked by the port.
The three little devils grabbed onto ropes and quickly moved upwards, grabbing the ship's railing in the blink of an eye, and flipped over onto the deck.
"Adjutant! Warn them!" Onigumo tilted his chin up slightly, speaking to Tulius.
"Unidentified personnel! You have entered a restricted military zone! I order you to disembark immediately! Don't say you weren't warned!" Tulius shouted loudly. But before he finished speaking, those mischievous children had already completely treated the warship as a brand new playground and started climbing the main mast without any restraint.
"Second warning! Disembark immediately! Otherwise, we will take immediate action!" Tulius tilted his head up, looking at the three laughing and playing little devils. What was surprising was that on the narrow terrain of the mast, the three children moved as if on flat ground, their movements exceptionally agile.
"Has the second warning ended?" Onigumo, who had been resting with his eyes closed since the three little devils boarded the ship, suddenly opened his eyes.
Tulius gave a proper salute: "Yes! Rear Admiral! According to regulations, the two warnings are complete!"
Onigumo suddenly roared, "Then what are you still waiting for?"
"But... those are just children," a veteran standing beside Tulius hesitated slightly.
The eight-armed officer had no intention of answering such a low-level question. He used Moonwalk consecutively, rapidly approaching the children.
The mischievous children, just thinking of teasing this Marine, had already assumed attack stances. At the instant he got close, they were unexpectedly caught off guard by eight arms that suddenly emerged from the opponent's hair, tightly clamping their wrists and plucking them cleanly and efficiently from the mast.
Even during this process, Onigumo discovered with surprise that the strength of the three children was greater than that of ordinary marines, but compared to him, it was still far too lacking.
He slammed the three down onto the deck: "Although we take protecting civilians as our duty, that doesn't mean letting them do whatever they want! Everyone remember this! The military is an apparatus of violence! Not a nursery!"
Vinsmoke Judge, accompanying Sakazuki, had just walked out of the castle when he saw a burly, eight-armed Marine tackling his greatest masterpieces down from the mast.
Sakazuki looked at the mischievous child legion suffering painful punishment and teased: "These are the successful products you mentioned?"