"What? Did the talks fall through?"
Dawn straightened up and walked over with a smile.
"That bastard's still the same! All he talks about is reviving Germa!"
Sanji gritted his teeth and cursed, then paused and looked at Dawn, lingering confusion in his voice.
"But... brother-in-law, I keep feeling there's something off about that old man. The way he looked at me, the things he said—they were all weird. Completely different from the lunatic I remember. It was more like he was deliberately putting on an act for me."
He had grown up under Judge's cold violence and abuse. Every word and gesture of that man had been carved into his bones. No matter how convincing the act was, that deep-rooted sense of wrongness could never escape his eyes.
Dawn did not keep him guessing. He merely stepped closer, leaned toward Sanji, lowered his voice, and told him everything Violet had discovered.
Sanji's eyes widened instantly. The fury in his gaze flared even hotter, and his clenched fists cracked as he lowered his voice as well, rage filling every word.
"The World Government actually dared to use such filthy methods—and even dared to impersonate that bastard?!"
"Don't get worked up."
Dawn patted his shoulder, a meaningful smile curling across his lips.
"It isn't convenient for me to expose him directly right now. Find an excuse to go in there and beat this impostor up. Make a bigger scene out of it. Then I can use the chance to help him up and read all his memories—find out where the real Judge is and learn every detail of their plan."
A cold smile immediately appeared on Sanji's lips as he rolled his wrists.
"I'd be more than happy to do that. Even if he's an impostor, seeing that face makes me