Chapter 189: There is Danger, But It's Not Certain Who is in Danger
The current Alber was already an adult. Even without external pushing, he would strive to become stronger on his own.
Hatred was the common driving force for all the surviving Lunarians; they all shared a blood feud with the World Government.
Compared to the adult Alber, a portion of Nereus's energy had already begun shifting toward Chloe.
Compared to ordinary children, raising Chloe was actually much more worry-free. At the very least, there were far fewer things to worry about on a daily basis.
Things like drowning or getting burned simply didn't exist for Chloe. It even sparked a few new topics of discussion, such as whether Chloe would learn to swim or fly first.
The danger of sharp objects to a child didn't need to be considered either. Perhaps out of an innate survival mechanism, Lunarians instinctively mastered their high-defense mode under the flames.
Let alone sharp objects with edges, even a blade couldn't cut those tender little hands.
Coupled with a powerful physique where sleeping could solve 99% of problems via pure immunity, illness and pain naturally stayed far away. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was being raised rather roughly.
The ones who actually needed to be careful were others.
After all, the current Chloe was much more active and would come into contact with the other people living in the Ryugu Palace, yet she couldn't control her own abilities well right now.
Whether it was her flames or her innate physical strength, this held true. If someone with a fragile constitution like Otohime came into contact with Chloe, there was a high probability they would have their bones directly crushed.
Children at this stage couldn't gauge their own strength. Plus, many times, once they grabbed onto something, they wouldn't let go. This was also why the number of people who interacted with Chloe remained strictly limited.
Brook had once suffered a fractured finger because of Chloe, and he had to drink quite a bit of milk to recover.
However, this kind of danger was non-existent for her parents, Nereus and Amphelite. That little bit of strength in Chloe's tiny body was no different from an ordinary infant's in front of them.
[An unusual feeling... is she the King?]
[I don't know... it's different from before, yet very special. Perhaps in a few years... we'll be able to tell...]
In the deep sea, the gazes of certain massive entities occasionally drifted toward Fish-man Island. These were the giant Sea Kings who had lived since ancient times.
And today, even they held doubts in their hearts.
However, they didn't take this matter to heart. For these incredibly long-lived creatures, a few hundred years was not a long time. Even if there were a slight accident, they could simply wait for the next one.
Due to the distance, Nereus also couldn't hear the communications of these Sea Kings; he was merely planning out some things for the future.
Meanwhile, Cricket, who had been brought from the North Blue to the New World, had arrived in Dressrosa and met the wondrous Tontattas.
"A chestnut-like hairstyle!"
"He must be the descendant of the Great Hero!"
"Nereoland really did keep his promise!"
Cricket received an incredibly warm and hospitable welcome upon arriving here. That identical chestnut head made the Tontatta Tribe immediately recognize his identity.
Upon seeing the statue the Tontattas had built for Noland, Cricket wept uncontrollably. He had never imagined that his ancestor, who had been mocked by the world as a "Liar" for hundreds of years, actually had a group of devoted worshipers here.
From this moment on, Cricket began to face his ancestor head-on with true respect. He resolved to clear Noland's name, find the legendary City of Gold, and wash away the shameful title of "Noland the Liar."
As for what Cricket would do next, Tiger didn't care. His mission was only to bring Cricket safely to Dressrosa and then safely escort him back.
However, Cricket declined Tiger's offer to take him home. Instead, he planned to retrace the locations Noland had once visited and search for the missing City of Gold.
This action received the support of the Tontatta Tribe. The Tontattas were not completely isolated from the world; occasionally, a few members would leave the Tontatta Kingdom to travel the outer seas.
Clearing the name of the Great Hero Noland was a very serious matter in their eyes. Thus, several members of the Tontatta Tribe became Cricket's companions, setting off on a journey alongside him.
Examples like this were not uncommon on today's sea.
Chasing dreams, pursuing wealth, fleeing enemies, or an unlivable environment—there were as many reasons to set out to sea as one could count. From every island, ships would embark on their voyages from time to time.
On Delta Island, the territory controlled by Nereus, there was also a ship preparing to set sail.
The crew members on this ship were equally complex: Fish-men, Merfolk, Fish-man and Human hybrids, members of the Longarm Tribe, Longleg Tribe, and Mink Tribe. The crew practically encompassed over half the races on the sea.
However, they weren't setting out to become pirates. At least, they didn't bear the title of "pirate" right now. Whether they would be branded as such by the World Government in the future was hard to say.
After all, to the World Government, the definition of a pirate was very broad.
They were sailing to temper themselves, wanting to become stronger so they could contribute their strength to Nereus's forces.
Although their average age was only in their late teens, on this sea, people of this age were usually already treated as adults. Venturing out on their own was a common occurrence.
As for the position of captain, it was temporarily held by Luna.
The reason was simple: she was formerly an apprentice of the Fish-man Pirates. Although after Nereus's initial plans were achieved, the name "Fish-man Pirates" had temporarily vanished from the sea, and there had been no signs of their activity for a long time.
But to the people of Delta Island, that name remained synonymous with hope. Coupled with her relatively strong combat power, she was naturally chosen.
If it were a full moon night, as long as they didn't run into any long-established powerhouses of the New World, Luna was more than capable of handling most pirates. That was the explosive power the Sulong form brought to the Mink Tribe.
"Given our situation, rushing straight into the New World isn't very suitable. Our ship has been modified by Captain Nereus; as long as we don't make a huge commotion, we can safely pass through the Calm Belt.
"So I think we should first cross the Calm Belt, enter the Four Blues, and start our voyage from the beginning."
Compared to the Four Blues, the dangers faced by those living in the New World were generally much greater.
Setting sail in the New World required either a solid foundation and formidable strength, or immediately joining someone else's command for protection. Otherwise, one would easily end up as cannon fodder.
Going to the Four Blues to start over from the "beginner village" was actually a much more logical choice. Nereus knew of their decision and didn't stop them. After all, flowers blooming in a greenhouse could not withstand the violent storms of the outside world.
However, just as the expeditionary team departing from Delta Island was about to cross the Calm Belt, they noticed something highly unusual. In the waters near Hachinosu, a massive number of pirate ships were converging for some unknown reason.
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