Sanji Leaves (Please Follow)

After finalizing the plan, life became much simpler.

Following Van's arrangements, Drake and the others trained and studied day after day, their days packed full.

Judge did not come to disturb them, as though he had forgotten all about them, but none of the conveniences he provided had been reduced.

Half a month passed quickly. All of Germa Kingdom's snail ships returned, and the entire nation began its relocation.

When the fleet reached the vicinity of the Red Line, Judge broadcast an announcement across the kingdom, revealing that they were heading for the East Blue.

Everyone in the Germa Kingdom, from top to bottom, began making their final preparations. Van and the others had no choice but to stop training and secure themselves inside the castle.

The snail ships were about to climb the Red Line. Once that happened, the castle floor would be parallel to the cliff face, and a moment of carelessness could send them plummeting.

"I really want to go outside and take a look."

"I heard someone once climbed the Red Line with their bare hands. I wonder how these snail ships climb it."

"Are you talking about that fish-man hero who caused chaos in the Holy Land and freed slaves two years ago?"

"His name seemed to be Fisher Tiger. He's the captain of the Sun Pirates now. The Marines have spent a huge amount of effort trying to catch him, but they still haven't succeeded..."

Hearing her companions mention Fisher Tiger and call him a hero, Blue Moon smiled happily.

Tiger was the pride of Fish-Man Island, and her father had even been Tiger's companion.

He would die soon.

Van gently shook his head and did not reveal that cruel outcome.

At that moment, the castle suddenly jolted and began to tilt. It only stabilized again after turning ninety degrees.

If one were lying atop the Red Line, they would see that the modified snail ships had numerous sucker-like bionic devices on their undersides, allowing them to cling tightly to the cliff face.

These bionic devices took turns exerting force, slowly hauling the heavy ships upward.

For ordinary ships, the Red Line was an insurmountable natural barrier, but to the snail ships, it was no different from level ground.

In less than half a day, the castle returned to normal, which meant the fleet had successfully reached the top of the Red Line.

What was outside?

Drake and the others eagerly undid their restraints and rushed out of the castle without even saying hello.

Yet as far as the eye could see, there was only endless red earth, crisscrossed by ravines and rolling with mounds.

There were no people, no animals, and even the vegetation was pitifully sparse.

This land had been abandoned for a long time. Perhaps only the areas near the Holy Land of Mary Geoise could be considered normal.

Everyone was greatly disappointed. When they turned back, they saw that Van had somehow returned to the top floor of the castle and was watching them through the window.

"Now that you've had your look, it'll be like this for the next half month or so. Go back and continue training."

Compared to the climb, the journey ahead was the real ordeal.

The Red Line was extremely wide, while the snail ships moved slowly on land. It would take some time before they reached the East Blue.

"Lord Van, should I train too?"

Blue Moon's sudden question caught Van off guard. After a brief silence, he asked, "Do you feel like you don't fit in?"

"I'm happy as long as I can stay by Lord Van's side."

Blue Moon shook her head and continued, "But seeing everyone work so hard, I'm worried I'll become a burden, especially after I turn human in the future."

"Merfolk have their own training methods. Did you ever learn them before?" Van added, "If you did, I can find a way to provide you with a training environment."

Blue Moon lowered her head embarrassedly and murmured, "Fish-Man Island has been fairly peaceful these past few years. It seems like no one has really had any desire to train."

Merfolk were different from fish-men. They had no particularly notable physical advantages, nor had they produced any powerful fighters.

There was no need to grow stronger. Even male merfolk rarely trained, much less the beautiful female merfolk.

Van sighed and asked, "Then do you want to train?"

"I..." Blue Moon hesitated for a moment. "I want to be like my companions too. I want to be able to help Lord Van in the future."

"What if the price is being separated from me for a while?" Van asked seriously. "Would you still train?"

By asking that question, he had already revealed his inclination.

Blue Moon understood what he meant and immediately replied in a firm voice, "I will!"

"Since you have that determination, I won't oppose it."

Van nodded, but then his tone shifted. "However, the timing isn't right yet. I'll arrange it for you after some time."

"How long will I have to wait?" Blue Moon sounded somewhat nervous. "And... how long will we be apart?"

"You'll find out later."

Van only had a rough idea in mind and could not determine what the future held, so he could not give her an answer yet.

"Mm." Blue Moon suddenly blushed and asked softly, "I've never been somewhere this high before. Can Lord Van keep me company today?"

"Is your throat uncomfortable? Perfect. My medical skills have improved greatly, so I'll examine you."

Van solemnly unfolded his surgical space and took Blue Moon into the bathroom.

The snail fleet traveled day and night across the Red Line, taking a full twenty days before they once again felt the cold wind carrying the scent of the sea.

When the fleet landed steadily upon the waters of the East Blue, Drake and the others could not help cheering in celebration of this feat.

But to the Germa Kingdom, this was merely a small matter. The fleet seemed to have already had a destination in mind and continued forward through the waves.

It was not until the evening two days later that Judge sent Chavik over. After explaining the situation, Chavik made a request.

The Germa Kingdom was going to attack the Kogia Kingdom in the East Blue. The battle was set for tomorrow, and he hoped Van could lend a hand.

"I'll be there on time."

Van did not refuse, because he knew Judge could no longer wait.

With Germa's military strength, as long as the World Government and the Marines did not intervene, they could run rampant through the East Blue. They had no need for anyone else's help.

Judge's purpose was nothing more than to force him to show his attitude toward the alliance, or reveal that piece of intelligence ahead of time.

"Big Brother Van, are we really going to take part in a war between nations?"

The moment Chavik left, Drake voiced the doubt in his heart. It was also what the others wanted to know.

"Tomorrow, I'll just show up for appearances. You all train as usual." Van waved them off. "Go back and sleep."

War carried risks. He had no intention of letting Drake and the others participate at this point.

He was not going of his own accord because he was being forced to. He wanted to see Sanji and find out whether he could trigger a fate event.

Early the next morning, the fleet arrived at the port of the Kogia Kingdom, and battle erupted immediately.

Overwhelming technological weaponry, combined with the fearless, endless clone soldiers, shattered the port's defenders in a single clash.

Judge remained behind on the flagship while Reiju and the other three led teams deep into the island to carry out the cleanup operation.

Taking advantage of the fleet's dispersal, Reiju secretly slipped into the castle where Sanji was imprisoned and released her pitiful younger brother.

Her actions did not escape Judge's notice. However, he did not stop her. He merely told Sanji never to use Vinsmoke as his surname again, then let him go.

"What a loving father and son... Why didn't that trigger a fate event?"

Van frowned deeply, unable to stop himself from suspecting that the system had gone completely black-hearted and only wanted him to spend points to establish fate events.