Germa 66

Germa 66 (pronounced Germa Double-Six), also known as the , is both the military branch of the Germa Kingdom, and an Underworld mercenary force commanded by the Kingdom's ruling family, the Vinsmoke Family. They planned to align with the Big Mom Pirates, as part of a political agreement between the Charlotte and Vinsmoke Families, but Germa 66 became enemies of Big Mom's crew after the latter revealed their treachery.
Due to their actions, Germa 66 are the secondary antagonist group for the first half of the Whole Cake Island Arc before they allied with the Straw Hats. They are also the central characters from Germa 66's Ahh... An Emotionless Excursion Cover Page Serial.
==Overview==
===Reputation===
thumb|left|210px|Germa 66 as portrayed in the comic strip Sora, Warrior of the Sea.
Germa 66 are popularly known throughout the world as the main antagonists of the fictional Marine hero Sora, as depicted in World Economic Journal's long-running propaganda comic strip Sora, Warrior of the Sea. For this reason, the organization's existence is doubted by many, with Nami describing them as a "mythical evil army"; furthermore, the East Blue nation of Cozia was also shocked to discover that Germa 66 was real, even while Germa was attacking them. It was revealed by Vinsmoke Yonji that Germa 66 was chosen as the model for the comic's villain group because the name of its commanders was once considered synonymous with evil.
On the other hand, the organization's existence is well-known in both the Underworld and the seas in which they have been militarily active. Irrespective of whether or not people believe in the army's existence, the army retains a fearful reputation throughout the world.
===Activities and Abilities===
Germa 66's activities are a mix of national military expansion and Underworld warmongering. In the former case, they were involved in the Conquest of Four Nations, which culminated in the assassination of the kings of four North Blue nations. In the latter case, they have been shown operating as mercenaries for hire; most recently, they were paid by one side of a two-year civil war on Broc Coli Island to eliminate the other side, which they managed in four hours, using only a portion of their forces. The army's Vinsmoke commanders accept commissions on the basis of profitability, but will not take on different sides of the same conflict even if it would generate a greater return.
As a fighting squad, the Germa makes extensive and adept use of sophisticated military technology, which they continually improve and develop through engagement in warfare. This technology is so advanced that Big Mom of the Four Emperors sought an alliance with the Vinsmokes in order to gain access to their resources. The Vinsmoke siblings who co-command Germa's forces directly under their father are also genetically modified humans whose combat prowess and special abilities easily eclipse the limitations of average humans. Furthermore, they have been shown to use combat gear, including shoes that allow them to hover in midair, jump large distances, and boost their kick power. The army's supreme commander also possesses an assortment of weapons powered by electromagnetic energy.
Germa 66's overall military might is immense, earning the group great notoriety and making it the source of great respect and desire for Big Mom. Aside from its demonstrated ability to defeat whole nations within hours, it is also a highly mobile unit which has so far been shown traversing both North Blue and East Blue (a rare feat which requires crossing the Red Line), as well as entering the New World. Germa's extensive reach allows it to make credible threats across different seas, as seen when Judge threatened the safety of the Baratie (located in East Blue) from the Germa's position in the New World. They were able to utterly defeat a 10000 strong army led by Charlotte Nusstorte of the Big Mom Pirates.
==Symbol==
Germa 66's members and associated property make prominent use of the number "66" in various forms. It is commonly featured as part of their uniforms, as tattoos, and on their equipment (including their headphones and belts). The Germa Kingdom's flag, and the sails of its ships, also bear the number.
The organization's symbol is sometimes stylized with the second "6" rotated upside down; in this stylization, Germa's symbol resembles an ordinary skull with eyes like futatsudomoe. Whenever this version of the symbol is used within the Vinsmoke castle, it is overlaid with a lightning bolt between the two "6s".
In the comic strip, the Germa's symbol consisted simply of a skull-mark.
===Uniform===
The soldiers of Germa 66 wear dark grey suits with an orange "66" on the chest. They wear a short white, double breasted, pointed cowl that covers the head and shoulders, leaving only the nose and lower jaw visible. They also wear thin goggles, black headphones, grey boots, white gloves, and a yellow ascot.
When leading their troops into battle, each Vinsmoke commander wears a bearing their designated number: "0" for Vinsmoke Reiju, "1" for Vinsmoke Ichiji, "2" for Vinsmoke Niji, and "4" for Vinsmoke Yonji. When not being worn, raid suits can be wholly contained inside small canisters, each marked with the Vinsmoke's allocated number (for Judge, the letter "J" marks his canister). Once clicked, the canisters rotate and release the material of the suit; this material remembers the shape of its wearer, and is completely resistant to fire.
==Members==
Despite leaving the family and renouncing his ties to Germa 66, Sanji (whose designated number would be "3") is still treated by others (most notably the Big Mom Pirates) as a member of the group, until Sanji renounced his family and cut his ties to Germa 66 once again.
===Commanders===
The Vinsmoke Family heads the organization, with the family patriarch, Vinsmoke Judge, operating as its supreme commander.
===Scientific Unit===
Germa 66's Scientific Unit is the primary source of the army's renowned strength. It is constituted by capable scientists working together under Judge to create more and more performing warfare technologies. They notably created its Clone Army, which constitutes Germa's main strength, and also successfully conducted experiments on the Vinsmoke siblings in order to make them "perfect warriors". Much of the Scientific Unit's work is a continuation of the research conducted by Judge with his former research partner, the famous World Government scientist Vegapunk.
===Clone Soldiers===
Germa 66's present soldiers are artificially manufactured humans, using the cloning technology of the Germa Kingdom. So far, six types of Clone Soldiers have been shown:
*Type-WB (Woman Balance)
*Type-MB (Man Balance)
*Type-MR (Man Reach)
*Type-MH (Man Heavy)
*Type-MST (Man Strong)
*Type-MSP (Man Speed)
These types cover many distinctive physiques: soldiers of average size, tall and thin, very broad and heavily muscular builds have all been seen. Regardless of their type, everyone of them wears dark lens over their eyes at all times. While cloned, they are kept in culture fluid capsules in a secluded section of the Vinsmoke Castle, being observed and monitored by the Scientific Unit in a sealed laboratory called the . They are known as and are themselves not aware of their origins.
Germa 66's soldiers are known for their endless and tireless training; the clones spend every moment outside of battle in preparation for their next operation. They are also fiercely loyal to their commanders, and execute orders without hesitation. They are indeed programmed to obey every order that is given by their superiors, and will not hesitate throw their lives away to protect a commander; even under trivial circumstances, a soldier will sacrifice himself purely to demonstrate the loyalty of the group.
It is likely, however, that Germa 66's forces were not always comprised of clone soldiers, since the cloning technology used to manufacture them is an application of the Lineage Factor research discovered in relatively recent times by Judge and Vegapunk. Furthermore, it is said that these duplicates were created from the strongest soldiers of Germa, meaning the originals that served as the template were born human.
==History==
===Past===
Sometime in the past, Germa 66 was involved in the infamous incident known as the Conquest of Four Nations, during which four kings in North Blue were assassinated by the army's leaders.
Thirteen years ago, Judge ordered a number of Germa soldiers to imprison Sanji in the Vinsmoke castle's dungeons, and told the rest of the soldiers (to their great sadness) that one of their future commanders had died in an accident. Six months later, Germa 66 crossed the Red Line and initiated a campaign against the nation of Cozia. During the early stages of the battle, Sanji successfully escaped the Germa Kingdom and fled onto the docked Orbit.
===Whole Cake Island Saga===
====Zou Arc====
Recently, Germa 66 allied with the Big Mom Pirates, as part of a political alliance between the two families which command each respective force. To seal the alliance, a marriage was arranged between a member of each family: the Vinsmoke Family's third son, Sanji, and the Charlotte Family's thirty-fifth daughter, Pudding.
====Whole Cake Island Arc====
As the Sanji Retrieval Team finally reached Big Mom's territory, their signal was detected by underwater sea slugs before they were subsequently discovered by one of Germa 66's ships. Germa 66 was surprised to see them, as they had intended to meet up with Sanji. As Vinsmoke Yonji conversed with the Straw Hats, tensions flared as he refused to help them cure Luffy of his poisoning; however, Vinsmoke Reiju appeared and cured Luffy, conversing briefly with the Straw Hat Pirates about the history of her family and Germa 66. Shortly afterwards, Germa 66 parted ways with the Sanji Retrieval Team, having decided to pretend that they had not encountered the team.
Three days before the wedding was scheduled to occur, Germa 66, led by Vinsmoke Ichiji and Vinsmoke Niji, put an end to a two-year civil war on Broc Coli Island within four hours, in exchange for an undisclosed payment.
Meanwhile, the rest of Germa 66's forces and ships began to converge at Whole Cake Island, reassembling the Germa Kingdom in preparation for the wedding. There, Sanji reunited with members of his family after 13 years of estrangement, before being challenged to a duel by his father. During the duel, a crowd of Germa 66 agents watched on, cheering both sides on as the fight intensified.
The day before the wedding, the Germa soldiers gave Ichiji and Niji a hero's reception upon their return to the kingdom; in particular, they expressed their awe at the brothers' success in quelling the uprising in Broc Coli Island. Later that day, following a confrontation between himself and Niji, Sanji went in pursuit of Niji, only to encounter Yonji. Yonji offered to take Sanji to Niji, but instead led Sanji to a laboratory in a sequestered area of the Vinsmoke castle, inside of which a shocked Sanji discovered hundreds of Germa 66 soldiers being monitored inside liquid capsules.
Germa 66 were later seen escorting their commanding family to Whole Cake Chateau. During the procession, they were encountered by Luffy and Nami, who tried unsuccessfully to convince Sanji to leave with them. As Sanji and Luffy dueled, Germa's soldiers observed Sanji's Diable Jamble attacks in amazement.
After leaving Luffy and Nami behind, Germa 66 arrived at Big Mom's castle. The Vinsmoke Family then had their lunch meeting with Big Mom and Pudding. After the meal, Big Mom took the Vinsmokes on a tour at her library. The Vinsmokes were later given guest rooms and Reiju went alone to investigate Pudding, who shot and captured her. Inside Pudding's room, Pudding revealed to Reiju about Big Mom's plot to assassinate the Vinsmoke Family during the wedding. She then altered Reiju's memories before sending her to the infirmary. Sanji, who had overheard Pudding, went to Reiju and revealed the truth to her. Reiju decided to pretend to have no knowledge of the plot and tried to convince Sanji to leave.
On the day of the wedding, the soldiers at the Germa Kingdom commented on the impending wedding. Meanwhile, the Vinsmokes went to the wedding venue. During the ceremony, Big Mom's plan to assassinate the Vinsmokes went awry when Pudding did not shoot Sanji as planned. After Katakuri tried and failed to kill Sanji, the Sanji Retrieval Team entered the venue and began causing chaos. Perospero then restrained the Vinsmokes to their seats with candy as members of the Charlotte Family held them at gunpoint. However, after Luffy successfully caused Big Mom to start screaming, Sanji freed his family while the other Straw Hats provided them earplugs and their raid suits.
With the Big Mom Pirates beginning to recover from Big Mom's scream, the Vinsmokes donned their raid suits and aided the Sanji Retrieval Team in retreating to Bege's Big Father fortress by fending off the Big Mom Pirates. Inside the fortress, the Vinsmokes decided to face off against Big Mom to give Sanji's friends and allies an opening to escape. While they are soon overpowered by the Charlotte Family, an unexpected explosion triggered the collapse of Whole Cake Chateau and allowed everyone, including the Vinsmokes, to escape. With the exception of Sanji, the family fled the chateau and retreated back to their kingdom. After defeating the Big Mom Pirates squad sent after them, Niji tricked Mont-d'Or into thinking that Germa 66 had been crushed. They were then informed of the status of the Straw Hats, and Ichiji gave the order for Germa's ships to set sail.
Hours later, Germa 66 arrived at Cacao Island and attacked the Big Mom Pirates' fleet surrounding the island, rescuing Luffy and Sanji in the process.
As the battle raged on, the Big Mom Pirates brought anti-Germa bullets and used them to injure the Vinsmoke siblings. When the Straw Hats finally escaped Totto Land, Germa 66 prepared to withdraw. However, Big Mom arrived at Cacao Island before they could retreat.
==Anime and Manga Differences==
The flag was altered in the anime. Instead of having a Nordic Cross flag, the anime flag features an indigo-colored fess between two white cottices under the number "66".
==Trivia==
*In Episode 839, the usual eyecatchers with the Straw Hats' wanted posters are replaced with ones featuring Germa 66.
*The symbol of Germa 66 resembles a tomoe symbol. This symbol is also present on the outfits of Enel and Sentomaru.
*The symbol of Germa 66 also resembles the eyebrows of the Vinsmoke Children, if turned clockwise.
*The throne room of the Germa Castle has some symbology in common with Germany during the Second World War, including the Reichsadler (a stylized eagle used to represent Germany at many points in history), two large skulls with tomoes for eyes, with an overlaid lightning bolt, which are a combination of the SchutzStaffel's SS-Runen symbol, and the Totenkopf or "death's head", and the Germa flag bears resemblance to the German warflag, which was used at various points in German history, including during World War 2. In addition, the insignia of the Vinsmoke, the 66, is written in such a font that appears to be S S  with a line connecting the bottom curve of the letter. This symbology fits in with the Germa's overall motive of creating genetically more powerful humans, something commonly associated with Germany during World War 2, cloning a la WW2-themed science fiction novel Boys From Brazil, and Judge Vinsmoke's desire to conquer the entire North Blue.
*In the manga, the flag of Germa 66 resembles a Nordic Cross flag; without the number "66", it shares the exact same design (if not colors) as the flags of Iceland and Norway.
*The flag of Germa 66 and their warmongering, cruelty, and "perfect soldier" ideology could also be inspired by the German Empire. The old German war flag shares similarities with the Nordic Cross flag and the Germa 66 flag. In addition, Judge's mustache shape bears resemblance to the mustache of former German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, who led Germany during World War One. Wilhelm II is also commonly depicted wearing a metal helmet.
*Germa 66's Vinsmoke commanders also bear a resemblance to the popular Super Sentai series, as they bear similar color-coded designs and epithets: Reiju is "Poison Pink", Ichiji "Sparking Red", Niji "Electric Blue", Yonji "Winch Green", and Sanji "Stealth Black". These colors are also prominently incorporated into their clothing and hair color (except for Sanji).
**The Red/Blue/Pink/Green team alignment matches that of the 1977 series J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai, the first and only Sentai squad which started with four members.
**The clone soldiers used by the Germa likewise resemble the various foot soldiers used by the villains in many tokusatsu series such as Sentai and Kamen Rider.
*The concept of an army with no land is similar to the Militaires Sans Frontières from the Metal Gear franchise.
*On the color spread cover of Chapter 872, the Straw Hat Pirates are depicted as an homage to the army, entitled "Mugiwara 56" with their own unique Raid Suits (including a different version for Sanji).
**In One Piece: World Seeker, Luffy's Mugiwara 56 Raid Suit appears as a DLC Outfit and Germa 66 development of the Raid Suit is referenced in its description, which reveals that Luffy's Raid Suit is just a flammable imitation.
**Additionally Niji, Ichiji, and Yonji are also fought together as a boss collectively referred to as Germa 66.
==References==
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