Vinsmoke Judge's near-maniacal muttering echoed through the cold laboratory.
"Only a monster can fight a monster..."
His bloodshot eyes locked onto the test tube filled with pink liquid in his hand, but in his mind, he kept replaying the image of that Marine—Rogers Daren—emerging unharmed through a hail of bullets, relying solely on his physical body to withstand the assault.
"Skin enhancement? No, just enhancing flesh and skin isn't nearly enough."
"Bulletproof resilience... rapid regeneration... brute, beast-like strength..."
"Yes... that's it. Only an exoskeleton could do that."
As he mumbled to himself, a flicker of madness gleamed in his eyes. He picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed a line.
"My lord, are you here yet? Lady Sora is calling your name... the delivery is about to begin..."
The butler's anxious voice came through the receiver.
Vinsmoke Judge clenched his jaw, his expression shifting. After a moment of hesitation, he made up his mind and barked,
"Have the doctor wait. I need more time!"
With that, he slammed the receiver down, cutting off communication.
Carefully placing the test tube onto the workbench, he swept all the equipment and clutter from the console to the floor in a single violent motion.
With a flurry of clattering sounds, he pulled out a pen and paper and began scribbling rapid calculations.
"Lineage Factor ratios... An exoskeleton alone won't do. I'll need to incorporate toxicity too..."
Beads of cold sweat streamed down his cheeks and chin, but he ignored them completely.
Within just one minute, the blank sheet was filled with dense formulas and reagent combinations.
"Begin."
With a hoarse whisper, he pressed a button on the console.
The lab equipment roared to life, pumping carefully measured chemical agents into the pink test tube.
The liquid inside began to boil violently, releasing a rush of bubbling foam.
"Success!"
Seeing the indicator light flash green on the control panel, Vinsmoke Judge clenched his fist and grabbed the test tube, striding quickly out of the lab and toward the palace.
...
As he passed through long corridors and manicured palace gardens, the moment he stepped into the royal residence, the sound of anguished cries reached his ears.
It was his wife.
"Sora..."
He whispered anxiously and quickened his pace, entering a lavish bedroom adorned with painted murals.
The once-white bedsheets were now stained deep red with blood, and doctors and nurses in white coats bustled frantically around the room.
A beautiful woman with a gentle face lay trembling on the bed, drenched in sweat and writhing from the pain of childbirth.
"My lord, you've finally arrived!"
A doctor wearing rimless glasses paused and bowed respectfully.
Vinsmoke Judge waved him off and quickly approached the bedside, grasping his wife's hand tightly.
"Sora, I'm here."
The queen of the Germa Kingdom, Sora, slowly opened her eyes. A gentle smile appeared on her face as she softly murmured,
"Judge... Judge..."
Seeing the pain on his wife's face, Vinsmoke Judge felt his heart tighten.
He took a deep breath.
"Sora, I've found a way for Germa to rise again... to dominate the North Blue!"
He raised the test tube in his hand, filled with swirling pink liquid.
"Lineage Factor! With this technology, our child will be born with the talents of a monster!"
"Our child will become the strongest warrior Germa 66 has ever seen!"
"The Vinsmoke name will rise with them and echo across the seas!"
He spoke with fervor, expecting joy from his wife.
Instead, what greeted him were eyes wide with fear and disbelief.
"You want to turn our child into a weapon?!"
Queen Sora's voice trembled, her face pale.
As Germa's queen, she understood all too well the terrible consequences of the "technology" her husband wielded.
Just like the Clone Soldiers of Germa 66—those infused with Lineage Factor would lose all human emotion, bound to obey Vinsmoke Judge's every command without question.
Judge froze.
"No, Sora..."
Her terrified gaze felt foreign, unfamiliar. In that moment, he softened.
"I'll preserve our child's emotions," he said.
"—But our child will still be a weapon in your hands, won't they!?"
Judge opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word of denial.
Silence fell.
In his mind, the image of Rogers Daren's wild, unyielding face kept flashing again and again.
"This... is for Germa's glory."
His voice dropped, cold and distant.
The head of the Vinsmoke family rose to his feet. Turning his back to his wife, who now wept in silent disappointment, he clenched his fists and rasped,
"Only then can Germa rule the North Blue again."
"I'm sorry, Sora."
He murmured the words so softly they barely carried.
Then,
As his wife cried behind him, Vinsmoke Judge handed the pink test tube to the doctor. His bloodshot eyes glistened faintly with grief as he gritted his teeth and ordered,
"Inject her with the serum... then begin the delivery."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room without looking back.
...
Half an hour later.
Outside the royal palace, Vinsmoke Judge paced impatiently. Finally, the sharp cry of a newborn rang through the air.
"Congratulations, my lord. The madam has given birth to a healthy baby girl."
A doctor in a bloodstained white coat and surgical mask stepped out, gently cradling a baby in his arms.
Judge froze.
He stared blankly at the child, then instinctively reached out and held her in his arms.
Soft pink hair covered her right eye. Her left eyebrow curled in a counterclockwise swirl. Her violet eyes gleamed with intelligence.
"It's just..." the doctor hesitated, "my lord, the young lady's skin is extraordinarily tough. The needle couldn't pierce it. I'm afraid she can't be vaccinated..."
Judge blinked, stunned. Then an overwhelming surge of joy exploded within him.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
He threw his head back and burst into wild, manic laughter.
The experiment had succeeded!
It really worked!
A child born with a superhuman body!
"No need for vaccinations," he declared.
"My daughter... is a monster by birth!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
That day, in the Germa Kingdom of the North Blue, the Vinsmoke family welcomed its first royal heir.
The King of Germa and commander of the Army of Evil, Vinsmoke Judge, gave her a name—
Vinsmoke Reiju.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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