What Do You Want

"Admiral Darren!"

On the deck of the warship, the North Blue naval soldiers on duty immediately raised their hands in a crisp salute upon seeing Darren appear.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Darren smiled and said.

The men shook their heads before returning to their respective posts.

The benefits for the North Blue Navy were far superior to those of their peers in other seas; beyond their base salary, they enjoyed regular paid leave, were equipped with the finest arms and weaponry, and received the highest level of military training in the North Blue.

Every person in the North Blue Navy knew in their hearts that everything they possessed was entirely due to their Admiral.

Darren walked slowly into the ship's cabin, descended the cramped stairs, and reached the bottom of the hull.

At the bottom of the hold, a makeshift prison had been established.

The commander of Germa 66, Vinsmoke Judge, was being held there.

Upon seeing that damned marine arrive, Vinsmoke Judge, bound by steel restraints and with his mouth gagged, struggled frantically. His eyes were bloodshot and ferocious, and he let out muffled, incoherent sounds.

One could imagine that if looks could kill, his violent, venomous glare would have been enough to slay Darren a hundred times over.

Darren waved his hand casually.

The steel block sealing Vinsmoke Judge's mouth flew away into thin air.

The former immediately roared in a rage:

"You damned marine brat!! How dare you imprison me!! Your time as the North Blue Admiral is at an end!!"

"The Germa Kingdom is a member of the World Government!! You are finished—"

His voice cut off abruptly, his pupils contracting.

A sharp steel rod suddenly twisted out from the cell wall, pierced the air, and hovered steadily right between his brows.

In the reflection of Vinsmoke Judge's pupils, the tip of the steel rod caught the flickering torchlight, reflecting a cold, icy gleam like a venomous snake waiting to strike.

"Are you done talking?"

Darren smiled.

Vinsmoke Judge gritted his teeth hard.

"It seems you are."

Darren was satisfied with his reaction and flicked his finger, causing the snake-like steel rod to slowly retract.

"Vinsmoke Judge, you are right; the Germa Kingdom is a member of the World Government. According to naval discipline, this operation will indeed cause me quite a bit of trouble."

Darren pulled out a cigar, bit down on it, and lit it.

"But you forgot one thing..."

He looked at the North Blue "overlord," now as pathetic as a stray dog, with a smirk.

"You do not represent the Germa Kingdom."

Hearing Darren's words, Vinsmoke Judge's heart skipped a beat, and he blustered, "What is that supposed to mean! I am the head of the Vinsmoke family and the King of the Germa Kingdom; how could I not represent it!?"

"No, no, no," Darren chuckled, "you still don't understand my point."

He slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"This time, it may look like I killed a lot of Germa 66 troops, but we both know those were just Clone Soldiers. Given enough time and funding, you could manufacture more before long."

"At the end of the day, Clone Soldiers aren't human; they are merely weapons."

"And most importantly..."

"The World Government doesn't care about the lives of its affiliated kingdoms. The Five Elders don't care, and the Celestial Dragons care even less."

"All they care about is whether their member kingdoms can pay the 'Heavenly Tribute' they require on time."

"As long as the Germa Kingdom pays the Heavenly Tribute on schedule, the big shots won't care if the person sitting on the throne is you, Vinsmoke Judge."

Vinsmoke Judge's face turned deathly pale.

"Hmm, it seems you are beginning to understand."

Darren gestured with his hand.

The steel "cage" confining Vinsmoke Judge suddenly bloomed outward like a flower, and at the same time, the twisted metal behind Darren wove itself into a steel chair.

Having regained his "freedom," Vinsmoke Judge did not attack Darren in a rage; instead, he stood there with a livid expression.

He knew all too well that without his Battle Suit, he was no match for this man.

Darren sat leisurely on the steel chair, puffing on his cigar, and smiled:

"I believe the other nobles of the Germa Kingdom would be quite interested in the throne, and they would likely be very happy to see you die here and never return, wouldn't they?"

Vinsmoke Judge fell silent, his expression looking incredibly unsightly.

He knew that Darren was right.

The Germa Kingdom had a long history, and apart from the Vinsmoke family, there were other noble families of various sizes.

After he left the research team and returned to Germa, he had used high-tech weaponry to forcefully seize control of the Germa Kingdom; the bloodshed involved in that process went without saying.

During that time, he had also ruthlessly suppressed and purged the other noble families of the Germa Kingdom.

But it was impossible for him to kill every single one of those nobles.

One could imagine that those fellows would likely be hoping for him to die at the hands of this Marine.

"You wouldn't dare kill me."

Vinsmoke Judge said in a hoarse voice.

Darren laughed.

"I'll grant you that; after all, you are the king of an Affiliated Kingdom, and I am merely a lowly Marine Captain."

"However, I can hand you over to the World Government."

"A scientist who possesses powerful research technology and once worked alongside Vegapunk in the MADS team—I believe the government will be very satisfied with my actions."

Vinsmoke Judge's expression changed drastically:

"What exactly do you know!?"

He had gone to great lengths to escape the pursuit of World Government agents, avoiding falling into their hands to become a research tool for them.

Yet, how could this Marine brat in front of him know about such a secret event!?

Darren smiled and said:

"What I know is none of your concern."

"You only need to know one thing."

"Cooperate with me, and you can continue to be your king and commander in peace; perhaps if I'm in a good mood, I might even help you fulfill your ambition of 'conquering the North Blue'."

"Or, you can try to resist me."

"I will hand you over to the World Government and then install another noble as king in Germa... as long as the Heavenly Tribute from the Germa Kingdom increases by 20%, I believe the government will not only refrain from holding me accountable but will likely even publicly commend me..."

As his words fell, Vinsmoke Judge sank into a long silence, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

Darren was in no hurry.

He simply smoked his cigar, minding his own business.

He understood this guy's personality very well.

He craved power and was vain and arrogant.

Would he fight to the death for his own face, or lose his freedom and power...

Darren believed Vinsmoke Judge would make the right choice.

Half a minute later, Vinsmoke Judge looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and hissed:

"What do you want?"