Chapter 203: I Told You, You Would Be Back
By now, Nereus was certain that Chloe possessed Merfolk lineage. However, the specific species was still unclear; at the very least, Chloe had never exhibited any related abilities.
Although it was often said that Fish-men had superior physical strength, raw power was ultimately the result of total bodily coordination, and Fish-men were simply superior in overall physical power.
Without that inherent racial augmentation, Chloe couldn't match her eldest sister in terms of sheer brute force.
However, with the ability to switch into the Flame Mode, the underwater swimming speed of a Mermaid, and the aerial dominance of a Lunarian, Chloe was destined to possess a far more multi-dimensional combat space in the future.
Furthermore, looking across the entire sea, Chloe was one of the very few individuals capable of learning every single one of Nereus's combat techniques, save for his Devil Fruit abilities.
"Speaking of which, Chloe is over three years old now. It's about time we put an end to this playful 'training' and get her on a proper regimen.
"I don't have any experience with flames. That is, after all, the heritage of your Lunarian race. You and Alber will have to handle that aspect."
Nereus looked at Amphelite beside him. As some of the very few Lunarians left on the sea, only they truly understood the legacy of their own race.
"I know. I was actually planning to start teaching her properly soon. Honestly, I think we could have started even earlier."
"This is early enough. Training is important, but there must be a balance between tension and relaxation. Childhood only happens once; if she misses it, she might never be able to make up for it for the rest of her life.
"I understand your thoughts, but these things cannot be rushed. The era of rampant turmoil is about to arrive. Within this coming era, we will put an end to the past."
The intensity of the training began to ramp up, but Chloe didn't seem to mind at all. Brimming with endless energy, she actually felt that her parents and sister seemed to have more time to play with her now.
However, this situation didn't last long before Nereus received a report from the surface: the Oro Jackson had once again appeared in the nearby waters.
And this time, Roger's objective was crystal clear. While applying for transit permits, he explicitly stated that he had business and wished to see Nereus.
"Roger, based on what you're saying... the final Road Poneglyph was in Nereus's hands all along?"
As the Oro Jackson descended into the depths, Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, and the others sat inside the cabin with solemn expressions. Being just one step away from success, they all wanted to help Roger fulfill this wish.
Or rather, this wasn't just Roger's wish; it was the dream of the entire Roger Pirates crew.
"Yeah. Judging by his tone back then... it should be."
"Assuming that Poneglyph really is in his hands, how are we supposed to get the text off it? Sneak in like we did on Whole Cake Island?"
"Out of the question. This is Fish-man Island, and Nereus is not Big Mom. If we get caught doing that and he chases us through the deep sea, there's absolutely no way we're escaping."
Roger instantly vetoed the idea, and he was putting it mildly.
Let alone escaping in the deep sea, even if they got incredibly lucky and managed to reach the surface, if Nereus locked onto them, completing the rest of their journey would be virtually impossible.
Any ship sailing the ocean surface was completely powerless in such a scenario.
"Besides, he shouldn't have any interest in this matter. Think about the locations of the other three Poneglyphs. I remember Nereus has members of the Mink Tribe under his command; he likely knows there's a Poneglyph on Zunesha's back.
"He probably has his ways of getting the one in Big Mom's hands too. As for Wano Country... Oden, you said he visited Wano a long time ago, right?"
Roger looked over at Kozuki Oden, whom they had borrowed from Whitebeard's crew.
"Yeah, that was many years ago. I even got into a fight with that daughter of his. She was an incredibly tough opponent.
"Oh, right! He also knows how to read the Poneglyphs! Back then, I thought that script was widely known in the outside world. I didn't expect none of you guys to know it."
Oden suddenly clapped his hands together, blurting out the memory that had just resurfaced.
"Why does this feel so weird? If you calculate it like that, if he really wanted to go to the final island, he could have gone ages ago. It almost feels like he... gave up the opportunity."
Oden belatedly realized the crux of the issue and spoke it aloud.
Completing a task that others couldn't achieve was indeed an unprecedented grand adventure.
But suddenly being told that someone else could have done it but simply didn't want to... it somewhat dampened their enthusiasm.
Roger, however, just burst into laughter, completely unfazed.
"Regardless of all that, no one has actually been to that island yet, right? Or rather, none of us coming after have been there! There are still far too many mysteries waiting for us to uncover!
"Speaking of which... did you guys hear some other voice just now?"
"What voice?"
"Something about a 'hybrid princess'... I didn't catch it clearly. If it wasn't any of you... I must have misheard."
As the massive silhouettes of Sea Kings swam past overhead, Roger and the crew temporarily dropped the topic, continuing their descent toward Fish-man Island.
Passing through those familiar waters, the Roger Pirates once again arrived outside Fish-man Island, in the radiant waters illuminated by the Sunlight Tree Eve.
"The last time we came to Fish-man Island, that meathead Bullet messed everything up. We didn't even get a chance to properly look around. Since Bullet isn't here this time, hopefully, no one will cause any trouble."
After landing, Roger set off alone to find Nereus. The rest of the crew, just like any other island landing, dispersed to do what they needed to do.
Buggy looked around at the changes to the island while complaining to Shanks about his opinions on Bullet.
"Not necessarily. Look over there."
Shanks pointed at Oden nearby. In the original timeline, while Oden was on Whitebeard's ship, he had visited Fish-man Island quite a few times. But now, because of King Neptune, the Moby Dick generally avoided Fish-man Island.
If there were errands to run, other ships were sent. Because Oden had always stayed on the Moby Dick, he had never been here. As of today, he was still bursting with curiosity about the place, acting like a giant toddler.
If anyone was going to cause a commotion here, it would undoubtedly be Oden.
Whether Oden would cause any trouble remained to be seen, but Roger had already arrived at the Ryugu Palace.
"I told you, you would be back."
"That Poneglyph... it really is here with you."
Looking at the two massive stones sitting at the entrance like guardian lion statues, many things clicked into place for Roger.
"Well then, Nereus, I'll be blunt. I don't have much time left. This is very likely the last time we'll ever meet.
"The information recorded on this stone is crucial to my voyage. What price must I pay to obtain the text recorded on it?"
"A price? There's no rush for that. The fact that you were able to arrive here smoothly proves that I have no intention of obstructing your voyage.
"However, I am quite curious... what was your original goal when you set out to sea? And now... what exactly do you wish to achieve?"
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