Chapter 26: Announcement
Sanji resisted the urge to tug at the collar of his suit as he walked to his father's office. Judge had spies everywhere and tugging would be a sign of nervousness, which could also be a sign of guilt. And he had nothing to feel guilty over. He was still following his father's commands, he was just doing it his own way.
Still, he'd nearly broken out into a sweat when a servant had told Sanji his father wanted to speak with him.
Had Judge found out about Sanji's new tactics? No rebellions had broken out as far as he knew, but maybe Judge had heard something that Sanji hadn't. Maybe one of his men had talked about the odd tactics he was now using and word had gotten back to his father.
Upon reaching his father's office, he threw back his shoulders. No matter what, he would go in with his head held high and defend his choices. If Nami could stand up to Ichiji with no allies, then Sanji could stand up to his father with no allies. It was a good analogy. The difference in power between he and his father was probably comparable to the difference in power between Nami and Ichiji.
Sanji threw open the office doors. "You wanted to see me?"
Judge leaned back in his seat and stared at him. Time ticked by without him saying anything.
"Did the servant get it wrong?" Sanji finally asked. "Was he supposed to bring one of my brothers instead?"
"No," Judge said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm just trying to figure out what's different about you."
"Different?" Sanji asked, wondering where this conversation was going. Was Judge about to accuse him of being weak? Of being soft and unable to retain the territories he conquered?
"Yes," Judge said, breaking out in a grin. "Did you know that not a single rebellion has happened in your territories during the past two months? Not even Ichiji has managed a record like that. What are you doing differently?"
Sanji's heart beat double time in fear even as he mentally reassured himself that Judge wasn't angry with him. He was pleased with him. It was an unusual state of affairs.
Remembering that this was exactly what he wanted, exactly what he and Nami needed, he explained, "Nami and I have been coming up with battle tactics together. I've been implementing them for the past two months. Everything has been going well, so I'm pleased to hear that the results are good enough to meet with your approval."
"It's been your work with Nami that's made the difference, you say," Judge mused, rubbing his chin. "I wonder why your brothers haven't been taking her input in the same way."
"I don't imagine that they'd think to ask a woman other than Reiju for her opinions on war," Sanji said dryly, then added, "Sir." Judge never took kindly to his three favorite sons being disparaged.
Judge went silent again. "I'm having a meeting with your brothers now. I had planned to send you away before that, but since your great success has been due to working with Nami . . ."
Sanji fought a frown. Why would the fact that his success involved Nami make it so he needed to be present for this meeting? Did that mean that Judge had chosen who he wanted Nami to marry? His heart rate picked up again.
~.~
Sanji clenched his fists on as lap as he sat around a table with his three brothers. Did any of them know what this meeting was about? Or were they in the dark as much as he was?
Judge beamed at his sons. "The work of all four of you has been amazing these past few months. Never have there been finer generals in all the history of the Vinsmoke family. We should reach the goal I set of uniting all of North Blue within two years of Nami joining us, perhaps even sooner."
"Nami and I make an unbeatable team," Yonji said, causing Sanji to clench his fists underneath the table. Somehow, it hadn't occurred to him before now what, if anything, Niji and Yonji might be trying with Nami now that she might become engaged to one of them. He made a mental note to ask her about that. In a way that hopefully wouldn't piss her off.
"You?" Niji sneered. "You got lucky. I'm the one who finally settled the rebellions off in the South thanks to Nami's aid."
"Calm down," Judge said, patting the air in a calming gesture. "You've all performed admirably. I'm pleased with all of you. What I want to discuss today relates to how well you've all been doing in your conquering, and to the growing prestige of Germa's navigator."
"None of the men question her anymore," Yonji said with a nod. "They all understand that when it comes to navigation, she knows best."
"And they know that our increased rate of success comes from her," Ichiji added. "Even kingdoms outside of Germa are realizing that the change took place after Nami joined our ranks."
"Indeed," Judge agreed. "Nami's prowess is growing and Ichiji and I have discussed the implications this has for the future. Niji, you are the one who pointed out to me that Nami will be a hero of our people, and that is already coming true. No other woman will ever be able to compare to her in the eyes of our people. This, along with her role in uniting North Blue under Germa 66, is an argument that she should be queen."
Niji and Yonji immediately started yelling out protests.
"Quiet, QUIET!" Judge demanded. The pair settled back in their chairs, mutinous looks on their faces. "My opinion that Nami should marry whoever works best with her has not changed."
Yonji sat forward, a look of wonder on his face. "You're saying that whoever marries Nami will be king?" he asked, throwing a sidelong glance at Ichiji. Their oldest brother's face was expressionless.
"Yes," Judge said. "Germa, like many other nations, has a tradition that the oldest son becomes king, but what's most important is that North Blue is united under the Vinsmoke family with a ruler who the people can rely on. Yes, Nami will be a hero to our people, and whoever she's most closely associated with will likely receive the most glory. The thought crossed my mind for a second to have her marry Ichiji, but, this close to our goal, I'm unwilling to risk anything going wrong. Nami will marry whoever works best with her and he will become king. If that is Ichiji, then it will be Ichiji. If it is Yonji that it will be Yonji."
"Does this include me then?" Sanji asked. Niji's and Yonji's grins slipped away as they gave Sanji disbelieving looks. "After our earlier conversation, you decided to include me in this meeting. Does that mean I'm back in the running for Nami's hand in marriage?"
"You?" Yonji snorted. "The weakest of us? You think you're good enough to be king?"
Normally when Sanji's brothers derided him, he got angry or sulked. This time, he stared Yonji down. Yonji gritted his teeth, wondering where Sanji' attitude was coming from Did he really believe that he could compete with the rest of them? That he could possibly be their equal or surpass them?
"Sanji's performance has been as impressive as the rest of yours," Judge said calmly. "So, yes, he is back in the running."
~.~
"I am sorry that things didn't work out between you and Sanji," Reiju told Nami as Nami looked through old maps in Germa's library.
Nami froze. Had Reiju discovered that she and Sanji hadn't given up on him being the one she married? "Like it matters," she brushed off. "Either way, it's an arranged marriage. It doesn't make much difference which brother it is, right?"
"Maybe not, but for a little bit, I thought . . . that maybe you two would be really good together. But I guess that was just my own hopes showing."
Reiju sounded so sad that Nami looked up from the maps she was studying. Reiju stood on the other side of the table, her head cast down.
"What the hell is your game?" Nami demanded, slamming her hands on the table. She was fed up with Reiju's back and forth of seeming like she was on Sanji's side, then seeming like she was spying on Sanji and Nami. "Why do you keep involving yourself in this? Why won't you leave me alone?"
To Nami's surprise, Reiju looked guilty.
"I'm sorry," she said, taking a seat. She stared down at her hands on the table. "I wanted to make sure you were a good person before I was honest with you, so I've been trying to feel you out. Since you were a pirate, I wasn't sure. I scoured the papers for any references to you before you came here, and couldn't find anything bad. I was hopeful that meant you were a good person."
Nami narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, still not seeing why you care or why you won't leave me alone."
"Sorry," Reiju said with a wince. "I'm not explaining myself very well." She should have approached Nami after Nami's conversation with Sanji went sour, when she realized that Nami didn't want to serve the Germa kingdom any more than she did, but, since things were going so poorly with Sanji, Reiju didn't think there was a point in speaking with Nami then. She should have reached out anyway.
Reiju sighed. "You've seen my father's obsession with conquering and uniting all of North Blue. It's an obsession that extended even to modifying his own children."
"I know," Nami said shortly. "Sanji already told me."
"He told you?!" Reiju said, her gaze jumping to Nami's. She wanted to ask when, but that wasn't really the point. "I . . . so I guess you know that the modifications only partially worked on Sanji. He was such a kind boy when he was young, but our father did his best to beat it out of him. I hated watching Sanji lose himself, lose all the aspects of our mother that he used to have. When I heard about his engagement, I hoped that by some miracle that he would be engaged to a woman who could help him find himself again, rediscover who he was back when our mother was still alive."
Reiju couldn't read Nami's cool expression. Had she made a mistake in confiding to her?
"So you care that your brother is a kind, good man, but you don't feel that the same rules apply to yourself?" Nami asked, tilting her head.
"What?" Reiju asked, blinking.
"Your brothers were modified to dampen their emotions. You weren't. It sounds like you don't want Sanji to be like your brothers since he has the capacity to be better. But what about you? You don't have the same emotional modifications as your brothers, yet you're the same as them from everything that I can tell. I'm here because Arlong will slaughter my village if I don't do what he wants. Why are you here, Reiji?"
A chill went down Reiji's spine at the look on Nami's face. This was the first time Reiju had been forced to confront the decisions she'd made. At least, the first time she had to confront it with someone other than herself.
"I don't have the emotional modifications," she admitted and pointed to her brain. "But I do have modifications that allow my father to control me if I don't do as he pleases." Nami paled at her words. "I assure you, I'm not proud of anything I've done in my life. Ever. I know I've made weak choices. I decided to give in and be the monster my father wanted rather than let him force me into it. And I never stood up for Sanji either, not in front of our brothers or father. If I was going to live this life, I at least didn't want to be completely miserable in it."
She stared down at her hands again. "I . . . guess that I feel like if I can save Sanji, then maybe it will redeem me at least a little bit. If there was anything I could have done to help you and Sanji, then I wanted to do it. But I guess it's too late for that now."
Nami bit her lip. Reiju looked so depressed, so ashamed. Nami felt bad for talking down to her. "Sanji and I . . . are trying to change Judge's mind about who I marry," she admitted. "We've been talking together in secret."
"You are?" Reiju asked, her face brightening. "That's wonderful! Please, let me know if there's anything I can do to help."
"Uh, sure," Nami agreed, though she wondered if Reiju would really be willing to stick her neck out for her and Sanji when it appeared she'd never been willing to do it for Sanji before.