Bernia, the top-floor office of the Steel Heavy Industry Consortium headquarters.
The three o'clock afternoon sunlight slanted through the enormous arched glass window overhead, cutting geometric patterns of light and shadow across the dark floor. Aaron Ball sat in the spacious consul's chair with his back to the light, his short silver-white hair outlined in a cold halo. The office held a distinctive air of power and electromagnetism.
The Den Den Mushi on the desk was dialed, its shell taking on the technological stripes and blond-haired features of Germa 66.
"Judge." His voice was steady, betraying no emotion. "The situation has changed. Have those snail ships of yours push their speed to the limit. Here in Bernia, the base site and all supporting facilities are ready, and the Steel Heavy Industry Consortium's top scientific team is standing by in the laboratory. We must at least complete theoretical validation of the basic processing methods before the first shipment of Seastone arrives."
The Den Den Mushi mimicked Vinsmoke Judge's face, with its mixture of scientific arrogance and a warlord's coldness, yet now it squeezed out an unmistakably ingratiating expression:
"Lord Ball! I just finished the World Economy News Paper's special edition-'West Blue Calamity Clashes Head-on with the Beasts: Undercurrents Stir the New World Order.' I always knew your strength was unfathomable, but I never imagined... you could emerge unscathed from a direct clash with Kaido and even make him sit down to negotiate!" Judge's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, brimming with deliberately flattering excitement. "My confidence in the prospects of our future cooperation is now two hundred percent! But... this 'Seastone processing' you just mentioned-what exactly did you mean?"
The white Den Den Mushi's shell shifted slightly, imitating Ball's nod.
"Exactly what it sounds like." Ball leaned back, his fingertips