Chapter 210: This is Called Covert Protection
Given the current situation, theoretically, as long as the Marines didn't actively seek trouble with Nereus, Nereus wouldn't lay a hand on them either.
But this didn't stop the Marines from agonizing over what Nereus might potentially do. Regardless of the trigger, a monster of his caliber making a move would instantly plunge the Sabaody Archipelago into absolute chaos.
Time caused people to forget many things, but the terror represented by the name Nereus perpetually loomed over the hearts of the Marines—a terror forged in rivers of blood.
The soldiers tasked with monitoring Nereus's movements weren't powerful military officers, nor were they master-infiltrator Cipher Pol agents. They were merely fresh recruits who had recently enlisted and been assigned to the Sabaody Archipelago.
Although Nereus's name hadn't become a heavily censored taboo like the "D" in Rocks or Roger's names, the World Government had been gradually downplaying his existence.
If veteran soldiers were assigned this mission, they would easily shrink back in sheer dread. Moreover, whoever executed this mission...
No matter how strong the soldier was, they couldn't possibly be stronger than Nereus. Since they were guaranteed to be exposed anyway, it was better to send a weak, strictly obedient rookie lacking independent initiative to simply watch him from afar.
Even if they were discovered, they could explain it away as a standard security protocol rather than a declaration of war.
Furthermore, precisely because these rookies didn't fully comprehend the horror of Nereus, they actually carried far less psychological burden.
"Someone is following us."
A short while later at Sabaody Park, Amphelite cast a highly unwelcoming gaze toward a corner not too far away.
Her former life as a fugitive made her hyper-sensitive to being tailed. Sometimes, she didn't even rely on Observation Haki; it was pure, honed intuition.
"It's fine. Just some little mice sent by the Marines. If they want to follow, let them. Smart mice who know how to stay quiet are much more amusing than rabid ones squeaking wildly."
This kind of tailing was exactly like the surveillance ships assigned to monitor the Great Pirates—it was inherently a suicide mission. If the target did nothing, everything was fine. But the moment the target made a move, these Marines were utterly powerless to resist the ensuing assault.
The only thing they could do was use their own deaths to notify Marine Headquarters that these pirates had made a new move. Theoretically, if one batch was wiped out, a new batch would take their place. The Marines had a virtually endless supply of soldiers to use as cannon fodder like this.
Aside from these glaringly obvious tails, there were also quite a few World Government and Marine operatives deeply embedded in the Sabaody Archipelago. People who looked perfectly ordinary might secretly hold high-ranking intelligence positions.
After all, given the World Government's mindset, even a prodigy like Rob Lucci—hailed as the greatest genius in Cipher Pol's 800-year history—could be dispatched on a multi-year deep-cover mission.
Considering Lucci's and Kaku's immense talents—both awakening their Devil Fruits within just two years of eating them—if they hadn't spent so many years doing undercover carpentry work, they might have long been crowned with titles like "Strongest X."
Since they didn't intend to completely tear up the peace treaty, letting these people quietly follow them was no big deal.
"But these guys... let's have them keep their distance."
Borrowing a pen and a piece of paper from a nearby amusement park vendor, Nereus casually jotted down a few words. He then picked up the slip of paper and, seemingly without any effort, flicked it to the side.
Whoosh!
The moment it left his hand, the flimsy paper emitted an ear-piercing shriek as it tore through the air. Like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, the seemingly soft, powerless paper shot forward. Before the Marine captain could even react, it embedded itself directly into the button on his chest.
Click...
The metal button was sliced cleanly in half. After cutting through the metal, the thin slip of paper lodged itself perfectly into the man's collar.
"Gulp..."
Feeling the sudden anomaly on his chest, the Marine's legs suddenly went soft. Trembling violently, he slowly raised his hand to his chest.
Rip...
The fragile paper tore in two under his pull. A small fragment remained wedged in his uniform, while the rest of it fell into his trembling hand.
[Keep your distance.]
"Fall back... stay away from them..."
The very second the paper severed his button, he had already raised his hand, signaling all his men to halt.
After repeatedly confirming that it was just a completely ordinary piece of paper with absolutely no special properties, the Marine captain remained silent, but firmly decided to follow the instruction written on it.
His throat wasn't nearly as tough as a metal button. A man who could slice a button in half with a flick of paper could effortlessly sever his throat the next time.
"Captain, the mission..."
"The mission is just to tail him! It never specified how close we had to be... His Majesty doesn't need our 'protection.' If you don't want to see your name on a casualty list... then behave..."
Yes, in name, their mission was the "covert protection" of a monarch from an affiliated nation. After all, Nereus's official status had changed.
But the sheer infamy of slaughtering Marines and executing the Fleet Admiral still loomed large within the organization. Even if the new recruits were ignorant, the veterans remembered it vividly.
They couldn't ignore him, they couldn't effectively manage him, and they couldn't treat him like a pirate either. Ultimately, it resulted in this exact stalemate.
As he retreated, the captain bent down and picked up the severed halves of his button.
"As expected... they're all monsters..."
Their own flesh and blood are their greatest weapons. This was the universal evaluation of top-tier martial brawlers.
Garp could throw cannonballs with his bare hands faster and further than actual artillery cannons. On this sea, human bodies tempered to the absolute limit could surpass even the roar of steel.
Once they confirmed that Nereus was genuinely just here for sightseeing, the Marines stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, the outlaws mingling around Sabaody Park suffered a terrible stroke of bad luck.
To ensure none of these criminals accidentally provoked Nereus, the Marines launched a preemptive, sweeping crackdown in the vicinity, drastically improving the public security of the Sabaody Archipelago in the process.
Meanwhile, Nanamo and Chloe were standing in front of a shooting gallery stall, firing at targets. Compared to her previous carpet-bombing tactics, Chloe's accuracy had seen a massive improvement.
While she couldn't hit the bullseye with 100% accuracy like a master sharpshooter, she was no longer missing every single shot like before.
"I plan to take Chloe out for a trip soon," Nereus said.
"Where to?" Amphelite asked.
"The East Blue. I want to show her the world, and there's a certain unpaid debt I need to collect."
"Is there... something special about that place?"
Amphelite had her own understanding of the Four Blues.
Every sea birthed formidable powerhouses, and the East Blue had produced apex figures like Roger and Garp. However, ever since Roger, the East Blue hadn't produced any great pirates with overwhelmingly exaggerated strength.
Within pirate circles, the East Blue was mockingly dubbed the "Weakest Blue." Even birthing the Pirate King couldn't change the overall weakness of its pirate presence.
But in the eyes of the Marines and the World Government, the East Blue lacked the rampant Mafia families of the West Blue, the endless kingdom-shattering wars of the North Blue, and the sheer overwhelming volume of pirates from the South Blue.
As the most stable and orderly of the four oceans, it was a symbol of peace.
If the goal was to "show her the world," the cruel and unforgiving New World seemed like a far more appropriate choice.
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