Chapter 218: The Purpose of the Vinsmoke Family

In a luxurious private room of Baratie, the sea restaurant.

Sanji sat in an opulent chair, his eyes locked onto the black Canister in his hands. Even though his mind screamed that he shouldn't take something that wasn't his, his hands betrayed him. They gripped the Canister tightly.

"Vinsmoke…" 

Sanji sighed, raising his head to glance across the table. 

There, old man Zeff was laughing and chatting with Sanji's blood sister, Reiju. They seemed to be getting along well, currently joking about how Sanji had once been slapped in the face by a fish while trying to fillet it. Reiju kept covering her mouth with dainty hands, giggling softly.

"Hey! How much longer are you going to keep talking?!" 

Finally, Sanji snapped, unable to take it any longer. He interrupted their conversation just before Zeff could bring up another embarrassing story—this one about Sanji trying to sneak into the women's bathhouse with a bucket.

"Huh?" 

Zeff and Reiju turned to look at him. Sanji slowly stood, hands trembling as they clutched the Canister, but he still demanded that Reiju leave. 

"Now that you've delivered it… Reiju, isn't it time for you to go? Don't you have battles to fight in the North Blue or places to destroy?" 

Sanji's tone had lost the venom it had earlier. After all, he had accepted the [Invisible Black] battle suit. Even if he hated the vinsmoke, it felt wrong to continue treating her coldly after that. 

Reiju, however, just smiled, her lips curving mischievously. 

"Go back? Why should I? Father sent a special order. He told me to stay in the East Blue for a while… and wait for them." 

"What?!" 

Sanji shot to his feet, face turning deadly serious. His eyes flashed with alarm as he shouted, 

"That bastard is coming to the East Blue? What's he planning!?" 

It wasn't that Sanji was being overly sensitive. His memories of childhood were full of Vinsmoke—always at war or preparing for war. In the North Blue, influenced by its fairy tales, people believed "Vinsmoke" was synonymous with monsters from Ultraman, creatures that only brought suffering.

For Sanji, who had been treated cruelly as a child, the name was even more terrifying. Even though he was strong now, the trauma of his past still held power over him.

Sensing Sanji's distress, Zeff quickly tried to calm him. 

"Hey, Sanji..." 

Though Zeff didn't know the full story of Sanji's past, the old man had raised him and could tell that, despite everything, Sanji didn't harbor much ill will toward Reiju. That was the only reason Zeff allowed them to share a table in the first place. 

And through their earlier conversation, Zeff had gathered that Reiju genuinely cared for her brother. There were clearly secrets buried beneath the surface, but one thing was certain: Reiju wouldn't harm Sanji.

Under Zeff's calming gaze, Sanji slowly sat down again, though his eyes never left Reiju. He didn't want that family interfering with his life. And if it came down to it, even the battle suit Canister in his hand... he might have to... he would have to... 

No, he couldn't just discard it. 

Seeing Sanji's extreme reaction, Reiju's eyes briefly filled with guilt. She sighed inwardly, realizing that Sanji would never reconcile with the Vinsmoke family, no matter what. 

After a moment, her playful demeanor returned, and she chuckled. 

"Who knows? Father never explains his plans to us. We're just supposed to follow orders. Maybe he's coming to the East Blue to meet dimensional merchants for a trade, or maybe it's something else..." 

"Something else?" Sanji muttered warily. 

Reiju's expression darkened, her bangs casting shadows over her eyes. 

"Though it's just a guess... I think the real reason Father's coming to the East Blue is for..." 

"For what?" 

"The essence of life." 

"The essence of life?!" Sanji was taken aback. 

Reiju continued, 

"You know how obsessed and unhinged Father is about his research. His lifelong ambition has been to create the ultimate life form. 

"If he learns about the essence of life—something that can extend lifespan, increase strength, and enhance talent—he won't be able to resist pursuing it." 

Having been raised to manage Germa 66's affairs since childhood, Reiju understood Judge better than anyone. She had sensed this ambition as soon as she saw the life essence Leo brought out during the Pokémon League award ceremony. 

And just yesterday, as the tournament ended, Reiju had received orders from Judge: stay in the East Blue, and gather intel on the essence of life.

After hearing this explanation, Sanji immediately grasped how irresistible such a substance would be to his research-obsessed bastard father.

But… 

"Even if that old man is after the essence of life, what's he doing in the East Blue? Is he planning to steal it from the dimensional merchants?" 

Sanji couldn't believe that, even though Judge was a power-hungry dictator and a crazed researcher, he'd be foolish enough to provoke the dimensional merchants. 

Reiju shook her head softly, a smile playing on her lips. 

"Do you really think Father is that reckless? Besides, the essence of life isn't only in the hands of the dimensional merchants anymore..." 

As she spoke, Reiju's gaze turned meaningfully toward Sanji.

"What are you saying?" 

Suddenly, something clicked in Sanji's mind. His eyes darted toward the dining hall, through the small window of the private room.

There, Zoro and his crew were packing up after their meal, getting ready to leave. 

Sanji murmured under his breath, 

"That bastard… Is he planning to steal the life essence from that moss-headed?" 

Reiju's slight nod confirmed Sanji's suspicion. 

Though she wasn't sure why Sanji referred to Zoro as "Moss Head," the nickname seemed fitting. 

Sanji let out a bitter, sarcastic laugh. 

"Haha... Hahahaha..." 

Zoro, standing by the door, heard the laugh and scowled, rubbing his ear in annoyance. 

"What an obnoxious laugh," he muttered before turning around sharply—only to walk in the wrong direction. 

"Brother Zoro, the door's this way, not the restroom," Johnny corrected, as if it were a common occurrence. 

The group had become so used to Zoro's bad sense of direction that they now formed a square around him, ready to steer him in the right direction at any moment.

  ...

  ...

In the Private Room

Sanji picked up the glass of red wine in front of him and, with the elegance of a gentleman, swirled it briefly before taking a sip. The smile on his face remained amused, as though something entertaining was about to unfold.

Sanji's sudden laughter caused Reiju to pause for a moment. Could Zoro be Sanji's enemy? she wondered. Why else would Sanji react this way when hearing that the Vinsmoke family was planning to cause trouble for Zoro? Could it really be that Sanji held such a grudge just because he lost to Zoro? Was he that petty?

Countless questions raced through Reiju's mind, but Sanji showed no intention of answering, and she wasn't sure how to ask. Only Sanji, still sipping his wine, seemed content to let time pass.

But don't misunderstand—Sanji didn't wish ill on Zoro just because they didn't get along. Quite the opposite...

Having faced Zoro in battle, Sanji knew better than anyone just how powerful the swordsman was. He doubted the Vinsmoke family would stand a chance against someone like Zoro. In fact, he was eagerly anticipating the news of their defeat.

However, out of consideration for the [Invisible Black] suit Reiju had given him, Sanji knew he had to give her a warning. He couldn't let her get caught up in a fight with Zoro and face unnecessary harm.

——

Time Flies

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Celestial Island had once again returned to its usual peace. Even some trainers, who had planned to spend their points on training, decided to take a break after the Pokémon League Conference and enjoy a well-earned rest.

That day, a must-read notification appeared on every Rotom mobile phone across the Pirate World. The message contained the detailed rules for the second Pokémon League Conference, which Leo had previously shared with Doflamingo.

The rules were nearly identical to the first tournament, with one key difference: trainers would now be allowed to use two Pokémon in battle instead of one. This sparked discussions among trainers, though with the event a year away, the excitement from the first conference still held most people's attention. As a result, not many people focused on the announcement just yet.

What most trainers failed to notice, however, was the quiet addition of a brand-new product to Rotom's mobile marketplace: [New Bond Evolution], discreetly tucked among thousands of other items.

——

One Month Later

A month passed quietly, perhaps due to the overwhelming impact of the Pokémon League Conference. The world seemed to pause, as people prepared to adapt to this new era defined by Pokémon. But after that month of calm, some individuals finally began to stir once more.

——

At the Port of Coast Kingdom

"Goodbye, Mr. Zoro! Safe travels!" King Laurent waved energetically at the departing cargo ship. "If everything goes well, please return soon so we can begin our plan."

Zoro, standing at the ship's rail with a bottle of red wine in hand, waved back, equally enthusiastic. "Don't worry! I'll be back soon! Thanks again for everything!"

Zoro's tone was filled with genuine gratitude, because this cargo ship wasn't just carrying any cargo—it was packed with gold and silver treasures worth a staggering 5 billion beli!

Truth be told, before arriving in Coast Kingdom, Zoro hadn't expected Laurent to offer such an immense fortune to secure his cooperation. Nor had he expected to possess such influence! In order to recruit Zoro, Laurent had offered a partnership fee of 5 billion beli—a sum unimaginable in the East Blue, where it's rare to see a pirate with a bounty over 30 million beli.

Yet Laurent, understanding Zoro's worth, was willing to break tradition. He knew that in the New World, people would line up to offer Zoro such a sum. Even though Zoro wouldn't be bound to him, Laurent knew this investment was essential for the future he envisioned.

As the ship faded into the distance, a victorious smile spread across Laurent's face. He may have been the only king in the world who spent money this happily.

——

Aboard Zoro's Ship

"Oh my god!!! This... this is real!?" Alvida gasped, eyes wide as she stared at the gold and silver treasures stacked throughout the ship's cargo hold.

Koby, standing beside her, was equally stunned, his jaw practically on the floor. The two of them were frozen in place, unable to believe the sight in front of them.

When Zoro entered the cabin from the deck, they were still rooted in place, like statues.

"Hey, what's wrong with you two?" Zoro, in high spirits and sipping his wine, asked with a grin.

"Master Zoro... this... this..." Koby stammered, pointing at the treasure but unable to form a coherent sentence.

Zoro, unfazed by their astonishment, walked up to the treasure and casually picked up a handful of gold coins. Taking another swig of his wine, he stared deeply at the coins in his hand and murmured, "This time, I can finally bring you back, Kuina." 

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