He had never thought of doing something like that before. Just as he was about to say something, his father's voice echoed from behind, "Didn't you hear? Sanji! Ian told you to go beat them up!"
Sanji looked back, instinctively glancing at his three brothers.
The trio remained silent, but their gaze was locked on him, intense and intimidating.
Sanji couldn't help but look down.
Ian spoke again, but this time his tone was different. "You're the chef I've chosen, which makes you my companion. Since you're my companion, I'll protect you. There's no need to be afraid or worried. Just go for it."
Sanji's body trembled.
Would he… protect him?
Sanji sniffled slightly.
Gritting his teeth, he dashed forward.
With all his might, he punched Ichiji right in the face, sending his eldest brother tumbling from his chair.
Even though Ichiji's exoskeleton wasn't fully developed yet, its toughness was already ridiculous.
But Sanji felt a strange happiness.
So, when his second punch knocked Niji off his chair, a smile had already spread across his face.
Finally, with a third punch, Yonji joined his two brothers, and all three collapsed on the ground together.
Sanji's smile was now incredibly bright.
The years of suppression had finally been released.
"Remember this feeling, Sanji," Ian said. "You don't have to rely on violence, but you must never be without it."
Sanji nodded, glancing over at Reiju.
Reiju stood motionless, silent, even closing her eyes.
Sanji recalled Reiju's strange words from earlier, and in the end, he quietly turned around and found a seat near Ian.
"Let me introduce you," Ian gestured toward Sanji. "This is Sanji, who will be the chef aboard the Golden Dragon."
Yamato, who looked drowsy, still managed a big smile. "I'm Yamato."
Jack gave a slight nod. "Jack."
Black Maria smiled warmly, as she had a soft spot for kids. "Black Maria."
Sanji felt a bit happy, though he tried not to smile too widely. He nodded a bit shyly, "Nice to meet you all. I'm Sanji."
Ian then looked at someone who hadn't spoken yet. "Drake, won't you introduce yourself?"
"I'm not one of you," Drake said bluntly, leaving everyone else in the room bewildered.
What is this guy talking about?
Drake gave Sanji a quick glance. Yet another kid about to be led astray.
He was no longer a kid.
"I am going to become a Marine Drake! Not a pirate!"
Drake said seriously.
Umit quickly spat out his food. Did he hear that right?
Rosinante froze for a moment.
This kid wants to become a Marine?
Then why is he hanging around with Ian and the others?
Doflamingo was also taken aback. "Hehehe! How interesting! Ian, do you have someone this unique on your ship? This kind of dream is pretty rare among pirates."
"It seems," Doflamingo looked at Drake, "You really don't have the right understanding of the Marines, kid."
Drake couldn't be bothered to reply and just buried his head in his food.
Whatever, he didn't care anymore.
If it came down to it, death was fine.
Then, Doflamingo turned to Ian again. "How about I share some of the Marine's glorious deeds with him later? What do you think, Ian?"
Doflamingo didn't know many dark secrets about the Celestial Dragons, but when it came to the Marines… he had more than enough to make up for it.
As everyone knows, the Marines are the Celestial Dragons' dogs.
In fact, he had planned for Doflamingo to give Drake a lesson.
So the kid would know that the justice he believes in never truly existed in the first place.
The door to the banquet hall was suddenly pushed open.
A Germa Kingdom guard hurriedly ran in. "Your Majesty! King Vinsmoke! The Navy is here!"
Judge paused in surprise. "The Navy?"
Donquixote Doflamingo was also taken aback.
Ian raised an eyebrow, impressed by how quickly they had arrived.
"Yes! A fleet from the Navy Headquarters is approaching!" the guard shouted. "And leading them is Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
"What? Did you say Tsuru?"
Doflamingo's mood instantly shifted. "That damn old hag is chasing us again?"
He glanced apologetically at Ian. "Ian, it seems I've dragged you into this."
"Really?" Ian's smile deepened, his tone almost amused. "I'm starting to feel like something's off here."
"How did they know we were here?"
That was the question. How did the Navy know?
This country was a non-aligned state, with no channels for information to reach the Navy.
And the Navy wouldn't care about the rebellion happening here; there was no reason they should know it was his doing.
So how did the Navy manage to arrive right after them?
Doflamingo took a deep breath.
"Hehehe… Ian, it seems I've truly let you down this time!"
Damn it! There's a traitor in the family!
Ian stood up and stretched. "Well, let's go take a look, then."
As he lowered his head, he met the burning gaze of Yamato. "Are we going to fight?"
Ian thought for a moment. "It depends on what they have to say."
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