Enel yawned. He swung his gold trident lazily.
"30,000,000 Volts: Thunderbird."
A blinding bolt of lightning took the form of a giant bird and shot forward, instantly piercing dozens of clone soldiers. Their bodies exploded under the high voltage. Charred remains scattered across the deck.
Moria grinned darkly. He spread his arms wide. The shadows under his feet moved like living things. "Shadow Spear: Pierce."
Black shadow spears erupted from the ground, impaling an entire row of clone soldiers at once. Blood sprayed, staining the deck red.
Judge's smile froze.
"Keep going," Rhett said calmly. He liked them tough.
The slaughter did not stop.
Enel walked through the clone soldiers. Every step he took brought a burst of lightning. The soldiers couldn't even get close to him before they screamed and turned to charcoal.
"50,000,000 Volts: Thunder Dragon."
A giant thunder dragon rampaged through the area. An entire squad vanished in an instant. Germa's prized soldiers meant nothing against absolute power. They were like reflections in water, flowers in a mirror. Germa 66's top fighters were still just children. What could they do? Nothing.
Moria's shadows turned into countless blades, weaving through the crowd. Each flicker brought a spray of blood.
"Kishishishi... What boring toys."
One hundred. Two hundred. Five hundred. The number of clone soldiers dropped rapidly. The deck was covered in severed limbs. The air was thick with the smell of burning flesh and blood.
Judge's breathing grew faster and faster. His fingers dug into the deck.
"No... impossible... my army... my masterpiece..."
When who knew how many soldiers had fallen, Judge's eyes finally showed signs of wavering.
"Why... why are you still standing?!" He screamed hysterically. "They are my perfect technology! The foundation of Germa's rule over the North Blue!"
Rhett finally stood up. Blood mist swirled at his feet. He walked to the shadow cage and looked down at Judge. His voice was cold.
"Your 'perfect technology' is nothing but laughable toys in my eyes."
Judge's whole body trembled. The madness in his eyes was slowly replaced by fear. Everything he had been proud of was being crushed before his very eyes.
"No... no! Stop!!" He threw himself at the shadow wall, pounding his fists against it. "They are my life's work! My dream!!"
Rhett didn't move. He just raised his hand lightly.
The slaughter continued.
Rhett: Good. Time for me to step in.
Rhett walked slowly to stand in front of Judge. Blood mist flowed beneath his feet. He didn't even spare Judge a proper glance. He just looked out at the distant sea, indifferent.
"Judge, you're pathetic." Rhett's voice was light, but the words cut like knives into Judge's heart.
"Judge, is this all your so-called 'Scientific Kingdom' has to offer?"
Judge struggled to lift his head. Resentment still flickered in his eyes. "What do you know?! Germa's technology is the best in the North Blue! We—"
"The best?" Rhett sneered. He didn't even look at Judge. He just raised his hand slightly and gestured to Moria in the distance. "Old Moria, tear that flagship apart."
"Kishishishi... With pleasure!" Moria grinned darkly. His shadows instantly formed giant claws and tore into Germa's main ship. With a deafening screech of twisting metal, the entire warship was ripped in half and sank into the sea. Nothing could stop it. A mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Judge's pupils contracted sharply. "You—!"
"You what?" Rhett finally glanced at him. His gaze was like looking at an ant. "Your technology can't even handle one hit from Enel. Your army can't even cut through Moria's shadows. And you call this 'the best'? A laughable weakling."
Judge gritted his teeth. "That's because—"
"Because what? Because you're stronger than Vegapunk?" Rhett cut him off. His voice was mocking. His tongue was still as sharp as ever. Just ask your predecessors — the Five Elders, Yasopp, Kuma. Not one of them could avoid getting hurt.
"Oh, I almost forgot. You and that genius scientist used to be colleagues, didn't you? Too bad. He got taken away by the World Government. And you —" He deliberately dragged out his words. "You're stuck in the North Blue, experimenting on your own children, making a bunch of junk toys to entertain yourself."
Judge's face went white. "You... shut up!"
"Hit a nerve?" Rhett chuckled. "Did I say anything wrong? Look at your 'masterpieces'." He casually pointed. In the distance, Enel was crushing the remains of a clone soldier under his foot. "They're not even good enough to be cannon fodder. What are they in front of true strength?"
Judge suddenly latched onto something, as if he had found hope.
Judge trembled. "You... what do you know?! This is for the revival of the Vinsmoke family!"
The more he spoke, the more proud he became.
Rhett saw this. Oh no, I can't let you get fired up. That would make me look bad. If you don't break down, how can I become your light?
"Revival?" Rhett's smile vanished. "With these pathetic methods? You can't even beat a random New World pirate crew, and you dream of ruling the Grand Line?" He stood up and stepped on Judge's hand. "Here's a secret for you. Any random headliner from Kaido's Beasts Pirates could wipe out your entire snail fleet. And I can wipe out the Beasts Pirates."
"Impossible!" Judge's eyes were about to burst. "My technology—"
"Your technology can't even scratch Enel." Rhett laughed coldly. "You know why? Because you're too weak. You can't even reach the threshold of being 'strong.'" He leaned close to Judge's ear and whispered, "You're just a coward hiding in a laboratory, living in a fantasy."
Judge's pupils contracted violently. His lips trembled, but he couldn't find any words to argue back.
"Look at your clone soldiers," Rhett pointed at the bodies on the ground. "Puppets that can't even scream. Look at your 'masterpieces'—"
Judge's breathing grew faster and faster.
"Do you know the real difference between you and Vegapunk?" Rhett delivered the final blow. "He creates the future. You can only make outdated toys. Toys that can be destroyed at any moment. With this, you will never revive Germa. You will never surpass Vegapunk. You will always be the laughingstock of others. A clown living in your own fantasy, deceiving yourself."
Judge completely collapsed. The light in his eyes went out completely. His lips moved, but no words came out. All his pride, all his ambition, was crushed in that moment.
Rhett straightened up with satisfaction and turned to walk back to his throne. "Now, we can discuss the future of Germa." His voice drifted on the sea breeze. "Of course, you are also free to die with whatever is left of your pathetic pride."
Judge stared blankly at his destroyed fleet. For the first time in his life, he doubted everything he had dedicated his life to.