Reiju knew exactly what her father's look meant. With Sanji gone, she would be the one sent into a marriage alliance.
And becoming the link between the Vinsmoke Family and the Charlotte Family meant living on Whole Cake Island from then on—as the Vinsmoke Family's hostage.
She knew something else, too. Her father had never intended to bind himself closely to the Charlotte Family. He only wanted to use the Big Mom Pirates' power to restore the family and return the Germa 66 Kingdom to its former glory. Once he had what he wanted, he would abandon the alliance without hesitation. He might even turn around and swallow them whole. And Reiju, the hostage, would naturally be sacrificed.
What would happen to her when that day came went without saying.
Even knowing all this, Reiju dared not speak, much less resist. She even had to wear an expression of perfect calm.
That was the Vinsmoke Family. Affection meant nothing to them. Their father treated everyone in the family as a weapon; he had even stripped away their emotions when he modified them. In his eyes, giving everything for the family was only natural.
Maybe this is for the best...
Reiju had spent years suffering in that family. She was a genetically modified soldier, but unlike her younger brothers, she had not been born without emotions. She had human feelings, though she could never show them. Nor could she defy her father. That, too, was a result of the modifications.
If only it weren't for Sanji!
Her heart ached for him. She wanted neither for Sanji to be dragged back for the marriage nor for him to be sent to Impel Down. He was her one emotional anchor. Unable to escape the family herself, she had helped him flee years ago.