Pink-haired Lolita!

And just as Nicholas, with a (--_--) expression, was pondering, Judge, who had been floating in the air with his Puff-Puff shoes, suddenly flashed a gleam in his eyes.

Then, the four great warriors of Germa, of various heights and builds, who had been standing beside him, immediately soared into the air and surrounded Nicholas in the center.

"Wanna ambush me, huh? I..."

Nicholas didn't even finish his sentence before he saw the skin of the four great warriors surrounding him begin to wriggle, as if something was about to emerge, and he could clearly sense the immense energy contained within each of them.

Boom!

These changes occurred almost instantaneously, accompanied by four nearly simultaneous explosions that engulfed the sky in a massive blaze.

Seeing this scene, Judge's mouth curved into a mocking smile.

He dared to let Germa reclaim its dominance in the North Sea precisely because he had a trump card—these fearless clone warriors were his sharpest spear and sturdiest shield.

The self-explosion just now was just a minor matter; if he wished, the clone warriors of Germa 66 within the castle would charge into battle fearlessly at his command!

However, Judge's smile soon faded, because as the smoke from the explosion dissipated, a figure emerged from the air once again, and its immaculate clothes seemed to suggest that the explosion just now was hardly a breeze.

"Mere pawns dare to..."

Before Nicholas could finish speaking, he saw another four warriors surrounding him begin to wriggle.

Boom!

Before Nicholas could react, a figure quickly descended from the smoke, striking him with a punch. Nicholas extended his palm to block the blow, but the tremendous force was nothing to him. The figure swiftly retreated like a startled rabbit, landing lightly on the castle wall just before reaching the ground.

"This force..."

Nicholas hadn't had time to ponder when he saw Judge's figure darting towards him in the air, his spear aimed directly at Nicholas's chest.

Sizzle!

Judge tightened his grip on the spear, while golden electricity surged along its length, enhancing its power.

But just as the spear was about to strike its target, the figure glanced at Judge, the mockery evident even through the mask.

Then, with a swift movement, the figure stomped on the spear, while another foot, like an axe, struck Judge's arm. Accompanied by a crisp sound of bone fracturing, Judge grunted as his body was sent flying backwards, coming to a stop dozens of meters away.

His injured arm hung limp, and his face darkened as he looked back.

Despite the extent of his body modifications, the fractured bone would soon repair itself, but damn, this force wasn't right. When Raiju charged earlier, the opponent clearly didn't treat her the same way.

And most importantly, he was wearing his battle suit now, which made him the strongest he had ever been. Yet he couldn't even withstand the opponent's strength!

This reminded him of those monsters that roamed the New World.

"Raiju, transform. Show this Marine what the power of the Vinsmoke family is!"

Although still not yet an adult, as Germa's masterpiece, coupled with her battle suit, she was already a formidable force.

With Judge's command, the pink-haired loli sighed and produced a cylindrical canister from somewhere behind her. "Stranger, don't hate me for this."

Boom!

A cloud of smoke enveloped the pink-haired loli. As the smoke cleared, her childlike clothing disappeared, replaced by a pink battle suit with a purple cape draped over her shoulders, resembling butterfly wings, with a large '0' symbol on it.

Although not a magical girl, who could resist a cute loli?... Maybe Monkey D. Luffy?

Nicholas glanced around, then turned his gaze nonchalantly towards the pink-haired loli, and then back elsewhere. Fortunately, he didn't bother pretending anymore and just looked straight at her.

Seemingly sensing the gaze, Raiju frowned, while Sora, who stood beside her, looked at Nicholas with deep vigilance. As a mother, she knew the temperament change that came with entering battle, especially for her daughter, who had undergone the bloodline surgery. Once born, her child was destined to be different from ordinary children.

Hearing Raiju's words, Nicholas scratched his head, and at the same time, reached out and snatched a long knife from one of the Germa 66 soldiers on the ground. Swinging the knife lightly, Nicholas glanced at the pink-haired loli.

Then, he slashed towards the Germa 66 clone soldiers gathering on the ground, unleashing a blue slash hundreds of meters long that cleaved through everything in its path, including the buildings and soldiers.

With a deafening roar, even the war snail ship of Germa, which had served as the castle, was cleaved in half, slowly sinking into the sea, with many lucky survivors and corpses floating in the water.

"Are you sure you want to fight me?"

Nicholas tilted his head, looking at the pink-haired loli in the distance.

This question left Raiju stunned, and she looked at the devastation on the sea's surface, her eyes widening in disbelief.

And if Judge's face was just dark before, it was now completely black. The opponent's sword strike had undoubtedly revealed his identity as a master swordsman, and combined with the strange ability to evade his attacks earlier, there was even the possibility of being a Devil Fruit user.

Most importantly, the opponent's mention of Vegapunk's affair indicated that Germa 66 had plunged into its greatest crisis since returning to the North Sea.