Chapter 85: Vinsmoke Gaje

Boom,

When the distant rumbling reached the central castle of the fortress, there was only a faint sound left, but it made the elegant room quiet. The golden-haired beauty who was quietly sitting in front of the dressing mirror, while being attended to by maids for her grooming, glanced at the noise.

"Don't worry, Your Highness."

A tailor with needle and thread in his mouth was rapidly sewing flowers onto a pure white wedding dress. Beside him was a chubby maid who gave comforting words to the golden-haired beauty.

"They are all people who came to attend the engagement ceremony, vying for the chance to be presented."

"I know, Eponi."

The golden-haired beauty was calm and graceful. Although she appeared somewhat delicate on the surface, the bright blue eyes revealed a glimmer of wisdom, indicating that she was far from being just a pretty face.

Vinsmoke Solace!

The upcoming protagonist of the engagement ceremony, the princess of the Vinsmoke family, and the future queen of Gilma.

Her former name was Francemeer Solace, the young lady of the Francemeer family.

Her father was the most famous industrialist in the North Sea: Vladimir Lysin, known for mining, steel manufacturing, and maritime trade.

It was a conglomerate with assets worth billions of beli, spanning several major countries, and employed hundreds of thousands of workers, affecting the lives of millions of people—a colossal entity!

The only difference between him and the king was that he lacked a crown.

And this time, the union between the multinational tycoon and the "assassin family," the Vinsmoke, was an entirely political alliance.

"Compared to the 'strong' who wield swords and guns, I hope that ordinary people can also attend my engagement."

Sola sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror, knowing that neither her father nor the man who would soon become her husband would give ordinary people a second glance.

"Ordinary people are just lambs."

At that moment, a tall, blond man pushed the door open and walked in.

"While we are the shepherds."

This man was tall and straight as a spear, moving with grace. His long, golden hair flowed behind him like a lion's mane. Coupled with his handsome face, the heartbeats of the maids in the room couldn't help but accelerate.

"Your Highness Gaje,"

"Prince,"

"Everyone, step aside—"

Without even looking at those infatuated maids, the man waved his hand dismissively.

When faced with his 'fiancée,' a hint of pleasure finally appeared on his face.

Yes, not love, not indulgence, but 'pleasure.'

For this man, the prince of the Vinsmoke family, Vinsmoke Gaje, the marriage to the delicate beauty before him was the 'correct' decision.

With the military power of the Vinsmoke family and the wealth of the Francemeer family, the long-cherished wish of their ancestors was about to be fulfilled!

"My lady, are you unhappy?"

Since the beautiful woman before him was the 'bridge' between the two families, Gaje didn't mind spending some time solidifying this connection.

"Indeed,"

Unfortunately, the 'distinguished' Gaje misunderstood the thoughts of his fiancée.

"A prince without a territory seems a bit destitute."

"Please rest assured, I will soon reclaim the ancestral territory! As long as you like, the common people of the entire North Sea will cheer for you."

...But what I want isn't these.

"Thank you for your concern, Prince Gaje."

With a hint of delicateness, Sola smiled in response, choosing not to point out the 'fiancé's' misunderstanding.

"Guests should have already arrived, my lady."

When a man extended his hand toward her, Sola smiled again and placed her hand in his palm, sighing once more.

Whether in terms of address or behavior, the man before her was the same as her father, possessing the qualities of an unwavering, proud, and self-confident leader.

Her life seemed a bit unsatisfactory.

——

"Is this the Vinsmoke family?"

Guided by black-suited guards, Rosinante and the others arrived at the central hall of the fortress, a castle in the middle of the sea, and Diana curiously looked around.

The entire hall was tall and spacious, with oil paintings hanging on both sides. A massive chandelier hung in the center of the hall, with hundreds of candles casting a soft light, making the place bright.

In the hall, there were amusing clowns performing fire breathing and magic, elegant musicians playing, graceful dancers, and of course, essential fine food and wine.

"Doesn't look that impressive,"

The people who occupied a place started eating and drinking, while taking in their surroundings.

To be honest, the Donquixote family could host a party like this now. — They could even make it more 'splendid'!

"Haha, country bumpkins."

A girl guarded by several well-built individuals in black suits beside her scoffed upon hearing Diana's words.

The girl had black hair tied behind her head, revealing a clean forehead. She wore a tight-fitting training outfit on her upper body and a luxurious black gown on her lower body. Holding a folding fan, she looked like a straightforward young lady.

"Have you seen that painting?"

Before Diana could get angry, the girl pointed her fan at a painting on the adjacent wall.

Following the girl's gesture, Rosinante and the others looked at the painting. It depicted a group of people who had encountered a shipwreck, floating on a raft in the raging waves of the sea.

Some were swept into the sea, some resorted to eating the flesh of the deceased due to hunger, some couldn't bear it and went insane, some were contemplating while holding the bodies of their loved ones, and some were shouting for rescue with raised arms...

"This is Master Theodore Geirko's famous painting, 'Medusa's Raft.' It's worth 40 million beli. It describes people facing despair—"

"Boring,"

Faced with the explanation of this top-tier artist's work, Diana raised an eyebrow and directly refuted it.

"I don't need these broken boards; I can directly run back to land."

???

"You..."

The girl's face froze after being retorted by Diana. She didn't expect such a response.

"That's enough,"

"We're all guests here; let's give each other some space."

Rosinante stepped in to stop their banter, not because she was afraid Diana would hurt someone, but because she was worried Diana might end up at a disadvantage!

With her Kenbunshoku Haki briefly scanning the place, Rosinante noticed that beside this seemingly 'big-chested, empty-headed' girl, there were two individuals whose strength wasn't beneath Pica's.

Especially this girl herself, she gave off a dangerous vibe to Rosinante!

"Rosinante...?"

While their conversation didn't last long, after both sides of the group had their say, Doflamingo turned to Rosinante.

"They're strong,"

"The girl is someone I can't be certain of defeating."

With a light sway of the hand holding a glass of wine, an invisible 'circle' enveloped everyone. Rosinante openly explained to the others:

"There are around ten experts in this hall who have bounties of around 30 million beli or more."

"The rest are probably their juniors who came here to experience the world, full-time spies, and advisers who give counsel. We shouldn't underestimate them."

"Haha, this is interesting."

Doflamingo, who had taken a sip of wine, showed no fear; instead, he was quite excited.

Only by continually surpassing and defeating strong opponents could one prove themselves as 'strong.'

"Don't get too excited; this is the Vinsmoke family, and I've already told you about their strength."

According to Rosinante's estimation, the Vinsmoke family surely had several members with bounties over 100 million beli. With their abilities, there was no need for them to recklessly cause trouble here.

————

"Don't get too excited; this is the Vinsmoke family, and I've already told you about their strength."

On the other side, a short-haired woman in a tidy black suit bent down, whispering the dialogue between Rosinante and the others into the ear of the girl with a broad forehead and black hair.

While the Silence Fruit could indeed mask sound, it didn't guarantee complete prevention of information leakage.

Because there was a technique called 'lip reading'!

Despite facing away from Rosinante and the others, the well-organized woman in the black suit could still clearly relay their conversation. In her eyes were countless tiny hexagonal 'compound eyes,' forming a pair of 360-degree 'compound eyes.'

Animal System · Insect-Insect Fruit · Dragonfly Form

"Interesting, these guys are indeed not ordinary."

The girl with the broad forehead opened the folding fan in her hand with a swish. It was black on the outside and white on the inside, and the characters on it danced like dragons and phoenixes: The sky is high, and the clouds are tranquil; I gaze upon the distant flying swallows.

The script was robust and powerful, and most importantly: it wasn't the commonly used alphabet of most countries, but a set of square-shaped characters.

"Besides our West Sea, there are also 'heroic youngsters' in other places. I really want to see it."

"Miss,"

The short-haired woman gently reminded her,

"We've come to the North Sea this time for arms trading with the Vinsmoke family."

"It concerns our 'Eight Treasures Water Navy's' ability to stabilize its position. Please don't cause any unnecessary trouble—"

"I got it,"

The girl casually waved her fan. Her grandfather had been struck by the Navy's 'hero,' Capone, a couple of years ago, and he was proud of his 'Helm Splitter' move. This caused the Eight Treasures Water Navy's reputation to plummet in the Kingdom of Flowers.

The old man wasn't drowning his sorrows in alcohol; he was desperately ramming the 'Jewel Iceberg.' The heavy burden of the family rested on the shoulders of him and his siblings.

Her older brother was busy maintaining the Eight Treasures Water Navy, and as the youngest sister in the family, she was sent to the North Sea to trade weapons with the Vinsmoke family and fend off internal and external threats.

"Why isn't the groom out yet? Hurry up and get things done so we can go home—"

Without realizing it, the girl slipped into her hometown dialect.

"Hahaha, you've all been waiting long."

Amid hearty laughter, a tall man in a black groom's suit appeared, accompanied by a somewhat delicate-looking woman.

Judging from the respectful expressions of the attendants and soldiers belonging to Germa, as well as the kneeling gesture, there was no doubt about who he was:

"Vinsmoke Judge."

So strong!

Doflamingo put down his wine glass. This man gave him the feeling of a colossal fortress rolling in.

Rosinante wasn't surprised by his strength. This was a person who could exchange blows with an Emperor in the future, something the current Donquixote family would absolutely be unable to do.

Of course, there was no need to become enemies.

"Hehehe, this guy is too strong—"

Torreboru wasn't Doflamingo, but after recognizing the opponent's strength, he quietly cautioned the others.

"It's best if everyone doesn't stir up trouble···"

As if Rosinante needed to be told that. The Donquixote family was composed of reliable individuals; they didn't have those kinds of troublesome troublemakers who idly stirred up conflict. Only Torreboru and Diana were more talkative.

"···Thank you all for coming from afar to attend my engagement ceremony."

Majestic and resolute, Vinsmoke Judge, his blond hair cascading behind him, stood on the platform in the hall and spoke eloquently. His manners and bearing were impeccable, truly befitting a 'prince' of a nation.

"The Vinsmoke family relies on martial strength for its nation-building, and you all are heroes in your own right, wielding formidable power···"

The young Vinsmoke Judge swept his gaze around, like a lion patrolling its territory.

"Drinking and chatting, light singing and graceful dancing, are not our strengths. How about—"

As he spoke, he let go of the woman's hand beside him and clapped his hands.

Rumble~~

?!

A continuous and unceasing tremor emerged, causing the figures of the people in the hall to sway as if during an earthquake.

However, everyone who could enter this hall possessed considerable strength; even the juniors brought here to experience the world could remain 'unperturbed' at the very least. They all quietly awaited the truth behind the tremor:

Soon, the 'walls' beside the hall automatically slid open to the sides, revealing a massive arena!

"Men of the Sea, we should engage in fisticuffs and prove our strength through combat!"

The young Vinsmoke Judge gestured toward the arena, then took big strides forward.

"Stay here in the hall, entertained by Queen Sola—"

"Let's have a contest, what do you all say?"

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.....

(End of this chapter)