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In the massive laboratory, countless precision instruments, suits of armor, and combat uniforms were neatly arranged. Despite the sheer volume of equipment, everything was meticulously organized, leaving no trace of clutter.
This was Vinsmoke Judge's personal laboratory.
"So this is the shape-memory armor that Germa has developed this time?" Ichi asked in astonishment as he accepted the "red armor" handed to him by Vinsmoke Judge.
Though he had mentally prepared himself, seeing it for the first time still left him surprised.
At first glance, the "armor" appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary metal wristband. Aside from the activation mechanism, there was no indication of anything unusual about it.
It was hard to believe that this seemingly simple "wristband" embodied generations of technological advancements and painstaking effort—the pinnacle of Germa's shape-memory armor.
"All you need to do is wear it on your left arm and activate it…"
Vinsmoke Judge spoke with unmistakable pride, clearly pleased by Ichi's reaction. "Compared to the first prototype, which has already undergone performance testing with satisfactory results, this new 'shape-memory armor' was only recently designed specifically for you by the research team. However, it's not yet fully refined and requires further adjustments."
"The design doesn't need to be overly complicated—simpler is better…"
Examining the "red wristband," Ichi nodded slightly and stated frankly, "You know that I don't place high demands on combat gear."
"I understand. In that case, it should only take two or three days to complete!" Vinsmoke Judge shrugged lightly. He knew that while his son placed great importance on Germa Kingdom's technological prowess, he personally preferred not to rely too heavily on such advanced equipment in battle.
"Click—"
Ichi fastened the wristband onto his bare wrist and activated it.
"Whoosh…"
In an instant, the red wristband emitted a blinding light so intense that it was almost impossible to keep one's eyes open. The armor flowed like liquid, rapidly covering his entire body at visible speed…
Within mere seconds, the full ensemble—tech-infused shoes, combat uniform, belt, gloves, wristbands, and even a cape—had completely enveloped him. It was almost unbelievable.
One couldn't deny that wearing the combat suit added a cold, commanding aura to Ichi's presence.
"Not bad! Quite interesting!"
Ichi's sincere praise caused Vinsmoke Judge's expression to darken momentarily.
All their painstaking efforts—the cutting-edge shape-memory armor developed by Germa—and all this guy could say was "quite interesting"?
"Speaking of which, it's time you explained why you went through so much trouble, risking conflict with Doflamingo, the 'Heavenly Yaksha' among the Shichibukai..."
Taking a deep breath, Vinsmoke Judge, long accustomed to being disappointed by his "rebellious son," questioned sternly, "Does that young man named Trafalgar Law really hold such immense value?"
From where he stood, Trafalgar Law didn't seem particularly remarkable.
In terms of strength, he might not even match up to Niji or Yonji.
"He's the user of the Ope Ope no Mi…"
Still getting accustomed to the feel of his new armor, Ichi casually offered an explanation.
"The Ope Ope no Mi?"
Judge raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You mean the fruit that can turn even a mediocre doctor into a world-class physician, capable of curing any disease or ailment? But even if he were truly the world's greatest doctor, how does that translate into significant assistance for Germa?"
Clearly, Judge was unaware of the true extent of the Ope Ope no Mi's power.
"The abilities of the Ope Ope no Mi go far beyond that…" Ichi smiled faintly and provided a brief overview. "For instance, he can extract someone's heart, allowing it to function independently outside the body without affecting the host's movements… More importantly, once mastered, he can even swap two people's 'souls' or 'consciousness,' enabling them to use each other's abilities after switching bodies!"
"You can imagine the implications… If we transfer the 'souls' or 'consciousness' of Germa soldiers into powerful beasts or sea kings—creatures even you might struggle to defeat—we could create a genuine 'monster army.' Now do you see his value?"
"This…" Vinsmoke Judge was utterly stunned. He never imagined that the Ope Ope no Mi's abilities could reach such an extraordinary level—it was chilling to think that it could even swap human "souls."
He could easily envision the monumental changes that would come to Germa if Ichi's "monster army" plan came to fruition.
Germa lacked elite-level combatants but had no shortage of soldiers who were 100% loyal!
"West Blue?"
On this day, shortly after returning from training in the ocean, Ichi was summoned by Vinsmoke Judge.
Over the past two months, with no expeditions scheduled, Ichi spent his days training in the depths of the sea, enduring its crushing water pressure. Additionally, he devised a rigorous physical conditioning regimen for Law, instructing Horton—who had already mastered Soru, Shigan, and Tekkai—to teach him the Soru technique from the Rokushiki.
Every day, Law was pushed to the brink of exhaustion. Yet driven by his burning desire for revenge against Doflamingo, he gritted his teeth and endured.
"Mm, the Kingdom of Golbarn in the West Blue. Apparently, their internal rebellion has been ongoing for half a year now, and they've been unable to suppress it. The royal family is growing desperate…"
Vinsmoke Judge nodded and continued directly, "Of course, the reasons behind the rebellion are irrelevant. What matters is that they're offering a substantial reward."
While conflicts may erupt and persist daily across the globe, not every nation is willing to shell out such exorbitant sums to hire Germa 66, the infamous mercenary war organization.
It had been three months since their last deployment to the Kingdom of Ferland in the South Blue. Finally, Germa had received another lucrative contract—this time from the West Blue.