Chapter 164: Eight Hundred is Just Eight Hundred
"In other words, the World Government has tacitly approved the existence of this war, is that right?"
Zephyr could still understand Fleet Admiral Kong's meaning. Whatever the Ryugu Kingdom and the Doel Kingdom did to each other had nothing to do with the Marines. All the Marines needed to do was make an appearance and go through the motions.
The purpose wasn't to target the Doel Kingdom or the Ryugu Kingdom, but to send a message to the other member nations that in times like this, the World Government was not standing idly by.
It was just that their capabilities were limited, and a certain someone was acting willfully, so the result was still going to be less than ideal.
"There are some things that are inconvenient to discuss with you. In short, this war will be controlled within a certain scope."
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be the same no matter who leads the team? Why bother dispatching an Admiral to mediate this kind of war?"
"After all, the other party is Nereus. I probably don't need to repeat the things he has done in the past, and you... are one of the very few high-ranking Marine generals who has crossed paths with him more than once and actually survived.
And luck is also a part of strength.
The Marines need a figure of sufficient weight to show that they aren't slacking off, so..."
Kong didn't think Zephyr was able to remain unscathed under Nereus due to his strength; currently, on this sea, no one dared to claim they could retreat completely unharmed when facing Nereus.
Nereus's unique abilities often led him to abandon defense entirely, pouring all his Haki into his attacks. He would wear down his opponent's stamina through a ruthless strategy of trading his own life for their injuries.
When facing Nereus, even if one survived due to some unexpected factor in the battle, they would still end up heavily scarred.
But when Zephyr encountered Nereus, Nereus seemingly happened to be busy with something else. This stroke of luck, combined with his sufficiently high status, made Zephyr the chosen candidate for the mission.
"The task of escorting the other Kings back to their countries has already been handed over to others. There is no movement from Fish-man Island yet, so until then, you can continue your vacation.
When you depart for the mission, Headquarters will take good care of your family. No pirate would dare proactively attack Marineford."
So far, Marineford was still a restricted zone for pirates. Compared to Mary Geoise, it was harassed even less frequently. Kong said this to reassure Zephyr.
Mary Geoise generally wouldn't have any accidents, and if something did happen, it would definitely be an inside job.
As for how the Marines determined the timing of the war...
It wasn't because their surveillance ships were constantly monitoring Nereus's movements, but because of certain unspeakable secret agreements. Before setting out, Nereus would casually notify certain people.
At this very moment, deep in the sea on Fish-man Island, a troop mobilization was also underway.
Out of the fifty-thousand-strong Neptune Army, only eight hundred were ultimately drafted—roughly the average number of Marine soldiers carried on a single large warship.
To describe it using the scale of the Summit War, these eight hundred men were all officer-class, the type who could wear the coat of "Justice."
Within the Neptune Army, they were inherently grassroots commanders. A small portion were old subordinates who had fought alongside Nereus out on the sea back in the day, but the majority were the earliest members to join the newly formed Neptune Army during its initial expansion.
It was just a single member nation, not a Giant Kingdom like Elbaf; there was absolutely no need for a massive army to bear down on them.
During their negotiations, the World Government had expressed a desire that the scale of the war wouldn't completely derail the overall operation of the Doel Kingdom, allowing it to retain the capability to pay the Heavenly Tribute.
And Nereus hadn't planned for total annihilation in the first place.
Although it was a national war, this time they weren't aiming to slaughter cities and obliterate the country. It was more akin to a decapitation strike aimed squarely at the King.
Not holding back against enemies didn't equate to indiscriminate slaughter; the two concepts were fundamentally different.
"Big Bro, just eight hundred people... is still a bit low, isn't it? If it's just for training, we still have quite a few new recruits who need to experience the fires of war."
Looking at the finalized expedition roster, Sunbell was slightly worried. Unlike Sebastian and Babel, who were still fighting on the front lines, Sunbell had gradually shifted toward internal affairs since returning to Fish-man Island.
Aside from necessary guard duties, he was currently the Chief Instructor of the Neptune Army. Most of the recruits who joined the army were trained by him.
This included Jinbe and Nereus's personal guards, who were trained by Sunbell most of the time, only occasionally receiving Nereus's special tutoring.
If the frequency of Nereus's tutoring was too high, they wouldn't be able to handle it; that level of intensity simply wasn't suitable for ordinary people.
Even Nanamo, under such high-intensity training, constantly had Amphelite's Flames of Regeneration clinging to her body just to survive it.
"It's enough. This number is very auspicious. There wasn't any issue with the selection, right?"
"No, Big Bro. I verified it several times; they are all outstanding young fighters."
Because it was a surface expedition, Fish-men made up ninety-eight percent of these eight hundred, with only a few Merfolk members participating.
Because the Four Blues were beyond the influence of the Sabaody Archipelago, the special bubbles couldn't exist there, which slightly restricted the Merfolk's movements outside the ocean.
Even female Merfolk over the age of thirty were no exception. Although Merfolk at this stage gained the ability to split their tails, it wasn't like a Devil Fruit ability or magic that directly transformed a fish tail into human legs.
Instead, it was a structure resembling flippers. They could move freely on land, but they weren't nearly as swift as they were underwater.
"Gather them at the Ryugu Palace. I have some words for them."
A pre-battle speech before an expedition was customary. However, since the Ryugu Kingdom mostly patrolled near its own borders, this kind of experience was a first for them.
A short while later, the Neptune Army soldiers, ready and armed for the expedition, assembled at the palace...
"Everyone, I am sure you all know what we are about to do. This is a war. Not for wealth, not for power, but solely for the nation of the Ryugu Kingdom.
Not long ago, the people of the Doel Kingdom brazenly abducted your comrade-in-arms. Yet their King believes this matter is insignificant and that we shouldn't take any action against his people.
There is no need for any guilt. Our war is not an invasion, but a liberation. Once you understand the specific situation of the Doel Kingdom, you will realize exactly what kind of country this is."
Nereus gestured to the side, and Nanamo turned on the pre-prepared projection equipment, broadcasting the Doel Kingdom's geographical and political situation onto the large screen.
As an island nation in the North Blue, the island where the Doel Kingdom was located was shaped somewhat like a lollipop. And on the map's legend, it was marked in different colors, much like a rainbow lollipop.
"You might be curious why this island is marked in different colors. All the areas on this map technically belong to the Doel Kingdom. However, only this central region and this extended section constitute the true Doel Kingdom.
The other regions have all been designated as lawless lands by the Doel Kingdom's elite. The people living there are, in their eyes, entirely their 'slaves'."
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