In the eyes of the World Government, an affiliated nation is not irreplaceable.
If they revoke a nation's affiliated status, the World Government will come up with reasons, such as failing to pay the Heavenly Tribute on time.
But if they wish to destroy an affiliated nation, it only takes a single thought.
The one who can make such a decision is usually Imu, and this kind of destruction does not mean exterminating the population, but erasing the entire island from the world.
In such cases, to the World Government, this is even considered a "merciful" action.
The fact that the nation is still expected to have the ability to pay the Heavenly Tribute next year means its economy cannot be completely destroyed, implying they intend to keep the war within a certain scope.
Or rather, this is simply a test by the Five Elders.
Harald's strength has already shown the Five Elders its value. With such power at their disposal, many things become much easier.
In the eyes of the Five Elders, Nereus is on the same level as Harald in terms of strength, but their personalities are completely different.
Someone like Harald, who willingly comes forward seeking help, is much easier to exploit.
Nereus also negotiates terms, but he is the one who takes the initiative to strike. Under normal circumstances, it would already be impressive if Nereus simply maintained stability.
The Five Elders' decision to tolerate this war is partly because Hardinge's actions had already broken many rules.
On the other hand, they want to test whether, when interests align, Nereus can cooperate with them and carry out certain tasks the World Government requires within a controllable range.
With Harald, empty promises are enough. But with Nereus, they must use real benefits to coax him.
"That was my plan from the beginning. In fact, even if you really wanted to mediate, I might not listen."
"You…"
Nereus's completely unyielding response made Nusjuro want to question him, but he suddenly recalled what had happened earlier.
They originally intended to have him pay the Heavenly Tribute, but as the discussion went on, with interest included, the World Government ended up owing Fishman Island quite a sum.
Thinking of this, Nusjuro fell silent and swallowed his unfinished words.
Saturn, however, did not mind Nereus's attitude and instead spoke casually about the general process that would follow.
"The Marines will step in to mediate. That's a necessary procedure. The World Government cannot just sit back and watch. But that's just for show. You can act freely."
"You'd better have an adequate contingency plan. I can't guarantee everything will go according to your plan."
If Hardinge is the target Nereus set up for the Underworld and the pirates, then the Deul Kingdom is the opponent he prepared for the Ryugu Kingdom.
This is not about showcasing his personal strength, but demonstrating the national power of the Ryugu Kingdom.
A strong nation is never built on words. It is forged through battle.
For example, the escort service proposed by the Ryugu Kingdom. If they cannot prove their strength, how can they convince others they are capable of providing it?
Nereus could sense that the World Government was testing whether he could be used for their purposes, but it didn't matter much. At this stage, with Fishman Island still developing, letting them form certain misconceptions was actually beneficial.
By showing a degree of cooperation, Fishman Island could ease some of the World Government's vigilance, but not to the extent of becoming like Harald, who is freely ordered around and made to work off the books. The current balance is just right.
When dealing with the outside world, one's image is self-defined. From the World Government's perspective, as long as a top-tier combatant remains within controllable bounds, they won't take actions that would excessively provoke them.
Especially for someone like Nereus, in the eyes of the World Government, the fact that he has a descendant and has become the king of Fishman Island is actually a good thing.
At the very least, it proves he has something he cares about.
They have no intention of doing anything to Fishman Island while Nereus is away.
If a powerhouse like him were to truly become a lone individual with nothing to lose, that would be the most terrifying scenario—a person who can infiltrate almost anywhere and has virtually no equal in single combat going crazy is something they couldn't handle.
And with the abilities of the Vampire Fruit… they wouldn't even be able to outlive him.
"Saturn, do you really think… this guy is controllable?"
This is someone who used a Poneglyph as a meteor hammer and swung it around as he barged in. Combined with his past behavior, he looked like a dangerous element no matter how you see it.
Because of the Five Elders' special form of mental communication, sometimes their thoughts are conveyed to one another as well.
"He's only using the Poneglyph as a hammer, not trying to decipher it. Controllable or not… isn't the Deul Kingdom the perfect testing ground?
Science requires experiments as a basis. If we don't conduct this experiment, we'll never know whether he's controllable or not."
By the time Nereus walked out of the Five Elders' meeting room, the kings had already begun leaving one after another. Chap had departed even earlier.
According to Doldo's account, Chap seemed to have returned to mobilize his forces and prepare for an incoming attack, effectively confirming the label the World Government intended to pin on him.
"War is not a good thing, Nereus. Are you really going to start a war?"
"Doldo, that's not quite right. It's not that I want to fight, he wants to fight. He's the one who said he'd be waiting in the North Blue."
"Nereus, someone like Chap may not understand you, but I do. The Deul Kingdom has launched plenty of wars in the past, but they were all plundering wars against non-affiliated nations.
In the North Blue, they count as a strong country, but they simply don't have the capability to send troops into the Grand Line.
They can't reach the Grand Line, but you… you truly have the ability to fight your way to the North Blue."
As an old friend of Nereus and a king from the New World, Doldo was one of the few who had a clear understanding of Nereus's strength.
Unrivaled.
That was the fixed impression Nereus left on Doldo.
"I don't like war, but some battles… are unavoidable. If Fishman Island wants to establish itself on this sea, it cannot avoid being tempered by the flames of war.
But I won't be marching an army to their doorstep. It's just a kingdom, there's no need to make it that complicated.
I'll act after I've thoroughly investigated the situation of that kingdom."
There are many nations across the seas, and Nereus was not familiar with most of them. He could only name a handful.
Although he had heard about the situation in the Deul Kingdom, he had yet to conduct a detailed investigation.
During the period of the sea ban order, Chap had published several accusations in the newspapers, and at that time, Nereus had already sent people to the North Blue.
However, due to the distance, the detailed intelligence had yet to be delivered back.
"Alright, there are some things I can't tell you right now. You'll understand later. Once I'm done with these matters, I'll pay you a visit in Dressrosa."
The "visit" Nereus referred to was a proper one, not threat or coercion. After that, the group gradually left Mariejois.
If he wanted efficiency, he could have taken Nanamo and jumped straight down from the Red Line. Even Brook could create a protective bubble with Bubbly Coral and take him directly into the sea.
But in a place that values appearances and ceremony, it was necessary to wait.
Not long after Nereus left, Doldo suddenly noticed that Scarlett seemed to be holding a scroll in her hand.
"Scarlett, what's that?"
Doldo was certain the World Government wouldn't be handing out souvenirs.
And as for the Socializing Plaza…
Many princes and princesses from various countries seek marriage alliances there. Being born into royalty, marriage and love are no longer free, burdened instead with numerous political factors.
At the Levely, it is one of the few opportunities they have to interact with other royal families.
Doldo wasn't intent on controlling Scarlett's marriage, but he was worried that if he wasn't paying attention, someone might just whisk her away.
After all, that golden scroll looked quite expensive, almost like a marriage contract.
"It's a Fishman Island insurance service promoted by Nanamo. She said that for the sake of our friendship, she's giving me a complimentary Supreme VIP package trial voucher.
It not only provides escort services, but even if something happens on the main island, they can offer assistance as well. Though the voucher can only be used once."
Hearing this, Doldo's furrowed brows relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief.
"To get that girl Nanamo to say 'free'… it seems your relationship has progressed quite well. But what exactly is this voucher?"
Nereus had only briefly mentioned some things during the meeting and hadn't gone into detail, after all, the Levely's time was limited.
Over four years, more than a hundred nations had accumulated countless affairs across the world; there was no way to cover everything in such a short time.
So Nereus only made proposals; those who were interested would learn the details when they contacted him privately.
"Father, just take a look yourself."
Scarlett handed the scroll to Doldo. The terms written on it were extremely clear, and it even included a contact number.
"Nanamo said that given the distance between Dressrosa and Fishman Island, once the message is sent, they can arrive within a day at the latest."
"Keep it. It might prove very useful someday."
The military strength of Fishman Island…
As a king, Doldo had roughly calculated the power difference—one senior officer on Nereus's side could probably handle the entirety of Dressrosa.
Although his relationship with Nereus was good, having such a literal agreement was still reassuring.
Because they had left earlier, while Doldo and the others were still waiting for the Bondola, Nereus and his group had already arrived at Red Port.
Over the past few days, Nanamo hadn't seen anyone from the Island of Music, Elegia. It seemed they hadn't attended the Levely.
They didn't immediately return to Fishman Island either. With kings from all over the world gathered at Mariejois, the Sabaody Archipelago had also attracted a large number of merchants, all hoping to make a fortune from the crowds.
There was even a bubble concert being planned at the Sabaody Archipelago, and after seeing the list of performers, Nanamo expressed that she wanted to watch the concert before heading back.
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