A flicker of confusion crossed Katakuri's eyes.
Why would Luo Xing want a Log Pose to Germa?
Still, he didn't ask further. Instead, he turned to Cracker behind him.
"You went to the Germa Kingdom not long ago. You should still have the Log Pose, right?"
Cracker's true body was hidden within a biscuit soldier. He replied with a sneer:
"Yeah. Mom wanted to form a marriage alliance with Germa to get their technology. But that old bastard Judge refused—absolutely outrageous!"
In truth, Vinsmoke Judge hadn't refused at all.
On the contrary—being able to ally with a Yonko like Big Mom was something he desperately wanted. With her backing, he could finally realize his lifelong ambition: ruling the entire North Blue.
The real reason Judge hesitated was far more selfish.
He was unwilling to offer his own sons as political sacrifices.
Judge's four children were his masterpieces—emotionless killing machines he had personally engineered. They were essential tools for his future conquests. How could he give one away as a mere pawn in a marriage alliance?
That was when Judge thought of the son he had discarded long ago—his third child, Sanji.
If Sanji could be found and handed over instead, the problem would be solved perfectly.
Cracker didn't know any of this.
But Luo Xing could guess it all.
According to the original timeline, the Germa–Big Mom marriage deal wouldn't be finalized until two years later.
But that was no longer going to happen.
Because Luo Xing planned to intercept Germa first—and bring the Germa Kingdom under the Beast Pirates' banner.
As mentioned before, the Beast Pirates numbered only around forty thousand. Even with Moria's zombie army added in, they still didn't reach fifty thousand.
Meanwhile, during the Summit War, Marineford could easily mobilize over one hundred thousand troops.
If the World Government went all out, a force approaching a million wouldn't be surprising.
Luo Xing had long been thinking about how to supplement his manpower.
After recruiting Moria, he turned his attention to Germa's clone army.
Genetically enhanced soldiers.
Physically powerful.
Fearless of death.
Absolutely loyal.
They were, in many ways, even more perfect than zombies.
The only problem before was distance. Luo Xing had never been to Germa and didn't know its precise location.
But now—
With the Anywhere Door.
With a Log Pose.
That problem no longer existed.
Luo Xing walked straight up to the Anywhere Door.
Yamato clung to his arm, looking around curiously.
It was her first time in Totto Land, and she found the cake-like buildings—roofs, walls, everything—fascinating.
Katakuri and the Big Mom Pirates' officers gathered around the door, craning their necks as they watched Luo Xing's every move.
A door that could instantly transport people from Wano to Totto Land was far too incredible not to draw their attention.
Luo Xing input Germa's coordinates into the door, then glanced at the Big Mom Pirates with a smile.
"What? Want to come to Germa too?"
Cracker's eyes widened.
"You can go to Germa just like that?"
When he'd traveled to the North Blue before, the round trip had taken days.
Smoothie crossed her arms, frowning.
"That door looks ordinary enough. How can it possibly connect two places so far apart? Some kind of sorcery?"
Even with his face half-covered, Katakuri's widened eyes betrayed his shock.
Queen scoffed from the Beast Pirates' side.
"Hah! A bunch of country bumpkins. How could you possibly understand the young master's inventions?"
In truth, Queen's reaction when he first saw the Anywhere Door on Onigashima hadn't been much better.
But now that he'd experienced it once, he was determined to act superior.
The Big Mom Pirates shot him glares, but Queen only smirked smugly.
Luo Xing stepped in before things escalated.
"Enough. Since our crews are now allies, you're welcome to experience the Anywhere Door yourselves."
"If you want, follow us."
With that, Luo Xing opened the door and stepped through first. Yamato naturally went with him.
The door remained open.
The Big Mom Pirates exchanged uneasy glances.
No one dared to be the second person through.
The door was simply too strange—who knew what lay on the other side?
What if it led straight to hell?
"I'll go first. You follow."
As expected, Katakuri took the lead.
He gripped his trident tightly, clearly tense.
He even pushed his advanced Observation Haki—capable of glimpsing the future—to its limit.
If danger awaited on the other side, he'd react instantly.
Katakuri stepped into the door—and didn't come back.
Smoothie, Cracker, and the others grew nervous.
Queen burst out laughing.
"A bunch of cowards!"
He swaggered straight into the door.
Jack and the rest of the Beast Pirates followed one after another.
Being looked down on like that was unacceptable.
The Big Mom Pirates clenched their teeth and rushed in as well.
Even if the other side was a sea of blades and fire, they'd fight their way through!
What awaited them was not hell—
But a massive floating kingdom, formed from dozens of warships linked together.
High upon the palace walls were engraved the words:
GERMA 66
Cracker, Smoothie, Perospero—even the ever-composed Katakuri—stood frozen in shock.
They had truly crossed from Totto Land in the New World… to Germa in the North Blue… in an instant.
It felt unreal.
But those who felt even more unreal were the Germa soldiers.
"Hey… why did a few hundred people suddenly appear in front of me?"
"Am I seeing things?"
"I think I'm seeing things too."
"Me too…"
"Same here…"
"…Wait. We all are?"
One soldier suddenly shouted in alarm:
"This isn't an illusion! Hundreds of people have invaded Germa!"
"And among them are members of the Beast Pirates… and the Big Mom Pirates!"
Even though Germa's clone soldiers were engineered without fear, they still froze in utter disbelief.
What in the world was going on?!
At the highest structure of Germa—
Inside a luxurious chamber—
A mature woman with wine-red hair and a graceful figure lazily stretched.
Her thin clothing clung tightly to her body as she moved, accentuating her striking curves.
What drew the eye most, however, were her long, snow-white legs.
Though just over 170 cm tall, her legs alone seemed to take up a full meter—she was a true long-legged beauty.
This woman was Vinsmoke Reiju, Germa's eldest princess.
Unlike her brothers—Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji—her modifications had not erased her emotions entirely.
It was because of that remaining humanity that she once helped her younger brother Sanji escape.
"Sanji… since you escaped this cold country, never let yourself be dragged back…"
She murmured softly.
Reiju knew her father's plan—to find Sanji and use him as a political sacrifice in a marriage alliance with Big Mom's family.
She despised such cold, utilitarian family bonds.
But she was powerless to stop it.
Reiju opened the window to take in some fresh air.
The sky was blue. The clouds were white.
Below, clone soldiers trained methodically as always.
Just as she was about to close the window—
A door suddenly appeared in the middle of the training grounds.
"…Huh?"
Reiju's eyes widened.
Then her lips parted in shock.
The door opened.
A handsome man and a beautiful woman stepped out.
Then a stern man wielding a trident.
Then dozens upon dozens of men with bestial builds and savage auras.
Behind them came dozens more with bizarre appearances.
Reiju inhaled sharply.
She recognized them.
Those beast-like men were from the Beast Pirates.
Those strangely shaped figures were from the Big Mom Pirates.
Among them was even Cracker, one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders—who had visited Germa before.
The Beast Pirates.
The Big Mom Pirates.
Two Yonko crews… arriving together at Germa?!
What were they planning?!
And that door—
Just what in the world was that thing?!
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