Steel Heart

Ch 105 - How to Force a Hand

"So this is your kingdom," Nana murmured as the Germa 66 snail passed by two three-tiered watchtower Tartes that guarded any intruders from arriving in Lake Aprico. It was a lake situated on Whole Cake Island, near Big Mom's castle, and it was where the Germa 66 Kingdom temporarily resided.

The location wasn't permanent, as the mechanic was told, because of the fact that the entire kingdom was built on the backs of giant snails. It was the one and only seafaring kingdom in the world. It could detach and attach as it pleased. At the center of it all was a looming stone castle with foreboding towers, black and blue flags waving out on the rooftops and declaring its presence to the world.

"Graaaa," Yonji groaned as the mechanic kept a firm grip on hood of his cloak while Pygmy stood on the other side of Nana.

Yonji's face was completely dented in on the left hand side, courtesy of the mechanic. His raid suit, as Nana learned to call it, was torn and ripped all over. The patches of skin revealed were covered in black and purple bruises. Behind them, a soldier held on to Nana's hammer, backpack, and her two gloves. Her price to pay to enter this realm.

"Ah. This Germa 66," Reiju said next to Nana as their ship slowly clicked into place in the middle-right spot at the front of the kingdom.

There was a line of Germa 66 soldiers waving flags at the front to guide them in to their docking space but they stilled and some of them even dropped the flags at the sight of Yonji's state.

Reiju put up a hand before any of them could even think of rushing towards them. "Leave him," Reiju said as she and her group made their way off of the ship. She made a point to step in front of Nana to exert her power and position, "He'll be fine. This was a successful training exercise I'd like to show my father."

"Training exercise? R-Reiju-sama, you did this?" a soldier closest to them whispered as he bowed his head.

Reiju ignored his question. "Where is my father?"

"Oh! In the throne room. He's expecting you."

"Good," Reiju said and motioned for Nana to follow, which she did while dragging Yonji behind her.

Just by spending the night with the pair was enough for the mechanic to know how cold and distant the siblings were to each other. They treated each other more like begrudging comrades in arms with not as much respect as it was a light acknowledgement of the other person's abilities.

As Nana went deeper into the kingdom, she passed by groups of soldiers training and fighting each other. They all wore the same grey shirts, olive green pants, and metal safety goggles. It must've been their casual uniform since the ones she had been travelling with wore a black jumpsuit, a cropped white cloak that hooded their eyes, and a yellow bandana around their necks. Nana couldn't help but notice that she saw several of them with the same faces.

Does every man have a twin in this country?

She kept her head bowed as to avoid eye contact and just focused on following behind Reiju. They entered the castle, which was as empty as it was vast. There was nothing along the walls. No furniture lying around. It was just a barren hall with a sterile stairwell right at the center that led to stone double doors that were at least two stories tall. It was a befitting home for what the mechanic seen so far of this family - a hollow and soulless institution.

They went up the stairwell and two soldiers pushed open the doors at Reiju's signal. The doors opened to the throne room, which was also made completely out of stone. It was grey and drab from floor to ceiling with only some stormy blue banners hanging down along the sides of the room with the number 66 printed on them.