One Piece: Marine Luffy, Garp regrets it

Moving the timeline forward a bit.

After Judge extended his invitation, Luffy declined Ain and the others' requests to accompany him and followed Judge alone.

Led by his host, the two walked straight into the depths of the castle.

This was Judge's life's work over the years, and also one of the bargaining chips he intended to use to persuade Luffy.

The first underground floor of the castle was an entire arsenal dedicated to manufacturing cutting-edge weapons.

Luffy followed Judge as he proudly introduced the origins of these factories.

"Our Germa Kingdom has been a technological nation specializing in advanced technology for generations. The factory you see here is the result of joint efforts between myself and the ancestors of the Vinsmoke family. Back then, after our Vinsmoke family was expelled from our homeland, we lived very miserably. But despite that hardship, after generations of tireless work, it was finally my generation that witnessed the Germa Kingdom's rejuvenation."

(The following 10,000 words of boasting are omitted)

Throughout the tour, Judge repeatedly mentioned the former glory and decline of Germa. He continued to emphasize his own contribution to the revival of the kingdom. He attributed all of Germa's current achievements to his personal wisdom and courage.

Even though things were almost exactly as he described them, Luffy couldn't help but feel uncomfortable after listening to his incessant bragging.

"Your Majesty, I have certainly heard of Germa and your glorious deeds. But I suspect you brought me here not just to teach me about the past."

Judge, who was in the middle of his monologue when suddenly interrupted, felt a sudden jolt in his heart. He realized he had talked too much and made the person in front of him uncomfortable.

Thinking of his plan, he quickly stopped his chatter and changed the subject.

"I'm sorry, I said too much. You're right. I invited you here alone because I want to ask something of you, or rather, to discuss a deal with you."

As he said that, he gestured to the arsenal in front of them and asked Luffy:

"Admiral, what do you think of my arsenal?"

Luffy didn't know what Judge was driving at, but he wasn't in a hurry and patiently played along with his host's performance.

"It's impressive in scale, well-staffed, and uses cutting-edge technology. Any army would be fortunate to acquire the weapons produced by your arsenal. It's certainly enough to build a formidable fighting force."

Although Luffy's words might have been somewhat exaggerated, they sounded particularly gratifying to Judge, who felt quite validated.

"Yes, with the weapons produced by my arsenal, even civilians who have never touched a sword could overpower the regular armies of some small nations. This is the strength of our Germa."

After boasting about Germa as usual, Judge looked at Luffy seriously and said:

"Now, I plan to give this arsenal, along with all the weapon blueprints it produces, to my eldest daughter, Reiju."

Luffy was immediately stunned by Judge's words.

After hearing the first half of the sentence, he had thought this old man was going to offer the arsenal to him as a gesture of goodwill. But the sudden pivot in the second half of the sentence, giving it to his daughter instead, left Luffy confused.

What was the point of this strange announcement? It seemed as pointless as taking off one's pants to fart.

Seeing the confusion that flashed across Luffy's eyes, Judge secretly felt proud of himself, inwardly congratulating himself on his genius.

Proudly twisting his upturned beard, Judge then revealed his true purpose.

"I've heard that Admiral Luffy seems to have a special fondness for princesses of various kingdoms. I wonder what the admiral thinks of my daughter Reiju? If my daughter catches the admiral's eye, I am willing to facilitate matters and provide a dowry worth billions of Berries, including this arsenal and five snail ships."

Luffy: ...

"Who the hell has been spreading rumors about me again?! Why do people think I have a special liking for princesses? Hancock and Viola are both queens. There's only one princess named Vivi! This is complete nonsense!"

Luffy inwardly cursed the tabloids that made up stories all day long.

But the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

You know what, these tabloids are quite perceptive in some ways. Someone really does love a certain princess deeply.