"Number one?"
Judge raised an eyebrow at the words and then burst into laughter.
Who was he?
He was a scientist who researched bloodline factors, then built Germa 66 from scratch and founded the Kingdom of Germa!
The reason Germa 66 was known as "war experts" was not only due to their highly efficient cloned soldiers but also undoubtedly to the command of Vinsmoke Judge!
This man was undoubtedly a top-tier commander at sea when it came to leading troops and strategizing!
To declare "If war were a game, I'd be number one" in front of such a man required immense courage and also a corresponding "price."
Vinsmoke Judge stared at the envoy before him and slowly said:
"It seems the dissipation of Conqueror's Haki has made you much more audacious…"
But the envoy's action was unexpected.
He patted his head, took a moment to feel, and then denied:
"As of now, my 'personality' should be quite steady. I don't usually talk tough."
"Hmm…"
Judge narrowed his eyes, then leaned forward from his seated position, the anticipation filled with coldness.
"Then are you ready to pay the price for your audacity?"
If the envoy lost this simulated offense and defense, Judge would attack the Aden Kingdom without hesitation.
At the very least, he would collect the interest Germa 66 had "protected" the Aden Kingdom with over the years!
After that?
Even if the Four Seas Alliance truly had a rule, as the envoy claimed, that they wouldn't let any challenged force off the hook, so what?
To Judge, the North Blue would be Germa Kingdom's territory sooner or later anyway.
The reign he envisioned for the North Blue was far more than just sixty-six days!
Therefore, as long as the Four Seas Alliance interfered in the North Blue for even a day, friction between the Kingdom of Germa and the Four Seas Alliance would inevitably grow!
To resolve this situation, which was highly likely to occur in the future, they needed to show sufficient "strength" to make the other side calm down and talk.
Since that moment was bound to come, why not now?
Settling the outcome early would be beneficial for both forces.
While Judge was thinking, the envoy began using sand in his hands to create model after model, simulating the Aden Kingdom's royal army and the small contingent of Four Seas Alliance guards stationed within the Aden Kingdom.
Of course, the newly formed but exceptionally powerful Abandoned Army would also be included.
...
Currently, within the Aden Kingdom, humans and the formerly human Abandoned coexisted peacefully.
Most of the Abandoned were ordinary humans before they were infected with the Crystal Demon virus. They had their own lives and jobs, so they had no connection to so-called "armies" or "wars."
After becoming Abandoned, they continued to live their previous lives, only finding it easier to handle heavy lifting or engage in certain high-risk jobs.
As for the minority of Abandoned, some were originally soldiers, or after the Donquixote family's rebellion, they felt it necessary to step up and protect their country and families.
In short, for various reasons, they stepped forward, voluntarily forming the Abandoned Army, serving under the Aden Kingdom and obeying the orders of the Four Seas Alliance.
...
After a period of special training, this Abandoned Army had grown into a powerful force that could absolutely not be ignored in war.
Due to the Crystal Demon virus, a strange crystal armor grew on the Abandoned's skin.
After training, a small number of Abandoned could consciously control this armor for short periods, expending some stamina to make it spread further across their bodies.
The result of this was that their entire bodies were covered in crystal armor.
The hardness of the crystal was close to ordinary Armament Haki.
In other words, every Abandoned who could fully arm themselves with crystal armor had the potential to be comparable to a master of full-body Armament Haki!
One person alone was one thing.
Without proper counting, even the fat uncle, the current King of the Aden Kingdom, couldn't figure out how many people in the Aden Kingdom could achieve this!
This was no longer just "a powerful army."
The emergence of the Abandoned Army was enough to change the entire war landscape of the North Blue, and even the entire sea!
...
Now, this powerful and mysterious Abandoned Army had become a few "pawns" in the envoy's hands, placed into the precision sand table created by Germa 66.
Judge picked up a ship model belonging to Germa 66, pondering countermeasures.
The clash—had begun.
...
This was a simulated "game" of offense and defense.
It was similar to playing chess, but fundamentally different from a confrontation on a chessboard.
The key lay in the "rules."
As a game that had existed for countless years, although there were slight variations in different regions, the rules applicable to both sides within the same game were always constant.
Those participating in the game could not do things that went beyond the rules, because the game did not allow it.
But the game between the envoy and Judge was different.
There was no such sand table game called "Aden Kingdom and Germa 66 Offense and Defense War" in this world!
For the two people participating in this game, there were no fixed rules to speak of.
To put it unscientifically, this confrontation was like children playing house!
If one side wanted to, they could even pick up their own pieces and smash the opponent's models directly, because there were no rules to restrain them!
However...
This situation did not occur.
The envoy and Judge, back and forth, moved the model pieces on the sand table bit by bit.
Within a mere few dozen seconds, several large and small friction conflicts erupted near the Aden Kingdom's coastline!
No exaggerated or outrageous actions occurred during this time.
Even though Judge used his pieces to forcibly level a city;
Even though the envoy's Abandoned Army resisted ten times their own force;
Neither of them questioned the other.
Because they knew that in this game, which outsiders might see as having no rules, they each had a fairly complete set of rules in their hearts.
Victory achieved by abandoning the "rules" in their minds was utterly meaningless!
Because this was a war simulation based on reality, and both of them happened to possess the powerful strategic command ability to "recreate" reality on the sand table!
...
Approximately half an hour later.
A scene unfolded that made the clone soldiers present widen their eyes.
They could vaguely see that the armies of the Aden Kingdom and Germa 66 were fighting fiercely.
The final result was a mutual destruction!
"Hoo..."
Judge exhaled a breath, placed the chess piece he was holding back into the box, and said in a low voice, "That's enough, a draw."
But what Judge didn't expect was that the envoy touched his chin, as if he hadn't had enough, and grinned:
"Wait, how about another round?"
At that moment, the envoy seemed to forget his original purpose, and his "personality" seemed to change once again.
A hint of shrewdness appeared in the envoy's eyes as he looked at Judge.
"Well, I finally have some free time to take a look. This game is very interesting, and I think I've come up with a better solution..."
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