Chapter 120: Harald: Then What About Me?
"That is to say, from now on, his definition by the World Government is no longer a pirate, but the King of a member nation.
Let alone targeted operations against him, we even have to cooperate with his actions..."
Kong briefly summarized the decisions made up in Mary Geoise. Although the Five Elders had reached a series of agreements with Nereus, many things were still in the process of being implemented.
There were some things even the Five Elders hadn't officially finalized, so the information Kong knew was only a portion of it.
But even this portion was troublesome enough.
"The matter of Fleet Admiral Salazar... has also been shelved by the World Government just like this..."
The Marines as a whole obeyed the World Government, but the Marines also possessed a certain degree of independence. To be promoted to Marine Fleet Admiral, one's loyalty to the World Government was inherently qualified.
But they were also the highest representatives of the Marines, and they themselves had to consider the Marines' problems. Obeying the World Government didn't mean having no thoughts of their own.
It was just that his subordinates' reactions were quite different from what Kong had expected.
At this moment, in his office, there was no scene of righteous indignation. Whether it was Tsuru, Zephyr, Sengoku, or Garp, they all appeared extremely calm.
This exceeded Kong's expectations. It was normal for Tsuru to be so calm. Although she also fought on the front lines, she currently held a staff position, and given the current situation, she would soon be promoted to Great Staff Officer, or Chief of Staff.
It was also somewhat normal for Zephyr and Sengoku not to be agitated, but with Garp's personality...
Even if Garp's previous behavior had been slightly weird, Kong felt his attitude shouldn't be this indifferent after hearing such news.
"Isn't this very normal? When has the World Government ever cared about the lives of Marines? Soldiers or Fleet Admirals—as long as it fits their interests, they are all a disposable part of the equation.
If that guy Nereus expressed his desire to join the Marines, maybe those five old geezers would just hand the Fleet Admiral position straight to him?"
"Garp! Don't say such things at a time like this! Don't forget, you are also a Marine!"
Seeing Garp about to spout more strange remarks, Sengoku stepped forward to reprimand him. Or rather, he was worried Garp would say something that couldn't be taken back.
"I know. Isn't the purpose of the Marines to obey the orders of the World Government? Then just obeying is fine, isn't it? It just so happens that the soldiers won't have to face that madman anymore, which can reduce some unnecessary casualties."
Bang!
"Stop arguing, you two! The World Government's order has already been issued. I called you here not to study how to refute this order, but to study how to notify the entire army of this order!"
Kong knocked on the desk in front of him, stopping Sengoku and Garp's argument, and then raised the crucial issue.
"Is there anything complicated about this? Just relay the exact words and say it's an order from the World Government. Won't that do?"
"Tsuru, you should understand what I am worried about."
"It's nothing more than the soldiers' reactions. But Fleet Admiral, you are overthinking it. Ordinary soldiers won't consider this aspect of the problem too much; they might not even know what you look like.
Flag officers more or less understand the situation with the World Government. Knowing it's their order, they won't ask too many questions. Even if there are any problems, it's caused by the World Government's orders and has nothing to do with us.
Fleet Admiral Kong, you feel this matter is difficult to handle simply because you are considering too much."
The primary standpoint of Garp and Tsuru was the Marines, while Kong was simultaneously considering both the Marines and the World Government.
Knowing full well that the World Government had made a decision that might chill the hearts of some Marines, he hoped to use other methods to ensure these Marines remained absolutely loyal to the World Government, rather than solely loyal to the Marines.
This was also the reason Kong felt it was difficult to handle. But Tsuru didn't think so. Just as Garp had said earlier, this could reduce future casualties. Any problems could just be directly shifted onto the World Government; it fundamentally wouldn't affect the internal structure of the Marines.
In fact, this was exactly the case.
The Marines weren't some amateur troupe established just a few years ago. Over hundreds of years, their level of obedience to the World Government was extremely high.
Therefore, even if those soldiers who participated in the God Valley Incident felt that what they did was wrong, very few opposed the intentions of their superiors.
After this news was announced, most people had no reaction.
Only some Marines whose comrades or relatives had died at Nereus's hands felt indignant about it. But this too fizzled out under the reasoning of "This is the World Government's order, we have no choice either."
Few of these people ever had the chance to see the Five Elders. At most, their direct superiors heard a few more complaints.
And the news that the Ryugu Kingdom had become a member nation, or rather, had its corresponding member nation rights restored, was officially published in the newspapers.
[Due to the mistakes of some World Government staff and former royal members of the Ryugu Kingdom, there were some misunderstandings between the Ryugu Kingdom and the World Government. Following amicable negotiations, the misunderstandings have been resolved...]
[The World Government solemnly declares that the World Law does not support the existence of slavery, and any acts of capturing or trafficking citizens of member nations are illegal...]
[Due to an uncontrollable geological disaster, a meteorite fell on Mary Geoise after the conclusion of the Reverie. Fortunately, it did not cause severe casualties...]
With the publication of the newspapers, a massive amount of news about the Ryugu Kingdom spread across the Four Blues. For over a hundred years, the frequency of the Ryugu Kingdom appearing in the world's eye hadn't been as high as it was in these few days.
It even let some citizens of the Four Blues learn of a certain fact for the first time.
"Is there really a kingdom in the deep sea?"
"Mermaids really exist too? I really want to see one..."
"What kind of sweet dreams are you having? That's a country in the Grand Line. If you aren't afraid of dying, go buy a boat ticket there."
Many people saw the newspaper, but few truly cared about him. If one were to ask who was the most confused by this, it was actually Harald.
In the Florian Triangle, Harald crushed a pirate ship in the dense fog as usual and happened to pick up a fluttering newspaper.
To Harald, human newspapers were akin to comic books, but he still read it carefully, wanting to know what was happening in the world.
But the words on it momentarily made him feel like he couldn't recognize them.
[His Majesty... Nereus?]
He narrowed his eyes, looking carefully at the rows of small print. Without exception, these titles indicated that the World Government was not only changing its attitude towards the Ryugu Kingdom but had also accepted Nereus as this King.
"He actually did it..."
Harald and Nereus weren't exactly close friends, but they were acquaintances. Regarding Nereus achieving this, Harald himself didn't have much of an opinion, even feeling a sense of gratification.
If Fish-man Island could do it, then Elbaf should have no problem either.
But on second thought...
"Then what about me? What does this make my situation?"
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