"So, in other words, the World Government has tacitly approved the existence of this war, right?"
Zephyr could understand what Kong meant. However Ryugu Kingdom and Deul Kingdom fighting had nothing to do with the Marines. They only needed to show up and go through the motions.
The goal wasn't to target either Deul Kingdom or Ryugu Kingdom, but to tell the other affiliated nations that, at times like this, the World Government was not standing idly by.
It was just that their capabilities were limited, and with certain individuals acting willfully, the outcome wouldn't be very ideal.
"There are some things that aren't convenient to tell you. In short, this war will be kept within a certain scope."
"In that case, wouldn't it be the same no matter who leads it? Why send an Admiral to mediate this kind of war?"
"After all, the other party is Nereus. There's no need for me to repeat what he's done in the past. And you… are one of the very few high-ranking Marine officers who have had more than one encounter with him and still survived.
And luck is also a part of strength.
The Marines need someone with enough status to show that we're not holding back, so…"
Kong didn't think Zephyr had survived encounters with Nereus purely because of strength. In the current seas, no one dared claim they could retreat unscathed when facing Nereus.
With his unique abilities, Nereus often abandoned defense entirely, pouring all his Haki into offense, trading injury for injury to wear down his opponent's stamina.
Even if someone managed to survive a battle with Nereus due to some unexpected factor, they would still end up covered in wounds.
When Zephyr had encountered Nereus, the latter just happened to be busy with something else. That stroke of luck, combined with Zephyr's sufficiently high status, made him the chosen candidate for this mission.
"The task of escorting the other kings back to their countries has already been handed over to others. There's still no movement from Fishman Island. Until then, you can continue your vacation.
When you head out on your mission, Headquarters will look after your family. No pirate would dare attack Marineford on their own initiative."
So far, Marineford remained a forbidden zone for pirates, attacked even less frequently than Mariejois. Kong said this to reassure Zephyr.
Nothing usually went wrong at Mariejois; if something did, it would almost certainly be an inside job.
As for how the Marines determined the timing of the war…
It wasn't because their surveillance ships had been constantly monitoring Nereus's movements, but because of certain undisclosed secret agreements. Before setting out, Nereus would inform certain people in advance.
At this very moment, deep beneath the sea on Fishman Island, a military mobilization was also underway.
Out of the fifty thousand-strong Neptune Army, only eight hundred were ultimately selected, roughly equivalent to the average number of Marine soldiers carried on a warship.
If compared to the scale of the Summit War, these eight hundred would all be officers, each qualified to wear the coat of justice.
Within the Neptune Army, they were already grassroots commanders. A small portion were veteran subordinates who had followed Nereus in his earlier campaigns, while the majority were among the first to join the newly formed Neptune Army during its expansion.
This was merely an affiliated nation, not a Giant Kingdom like Elbaf. There was no need to deploy an overwhelming army.
During negotiations, the World Government had hoped that the scale of the war wouldn't affect the overall functioning of Deul Kingdom, allowing it to continue paying the Heavenly Tribute.
And Nereus had never intended otherwise.
Although it was a national war, this time it wasn't aimed at slaughtering cities or destroying the country. Rather, it was more like a decapitation strike targeting the king.
Showing no mercy to the enemy did not mean indiscriminate slaughter. These two things were fundamentally different.
"Boss, just eight hundred people… isn't that a bit too few? If it's only for training, we still have quite a few new recruits who need to experience real combat."
Looking at the finalized expedition list, Sunbell showed some concern. Unlike Sebastian and Barbell, who were still fighting on the front lines, Sunbell had gradually shifted toward internal duties after returning to Fishman Island.
Aside from necessary guard duties, he currently served as the chief instructor of the Neptune Army. Most members of the Neptune Army, after completing recruit training, were trained under him.
Including Jinbe and Nereus's personal guards, most of their training was also handled by Sunbell, with only occasional sessions personally overseen by Nereus.
If the frequency were too high, they wouldn't be able to endure it. Such intensity simply wasn't suitable for ordinary people.
Even Nanamo, under high-intensity training, had to rely on Amphitrite's Flames of Regeneration to sustain herself.
"It's enough. This number is quite auspicious. There's no issue with the selection, right?"
"No, Boss. I've checked it several times. They're all youngsters with outstanding strength."
Since this was an overseas expedition, among these eight hundred, Fish-Men made up ninety-eight percent, with only a few Merfolk participating.
The Four Seas were regions beyond the influence of the Sabaody Archipelago, and bubbles could not exist there, which slightly restricted Merfolk movement outside the ocean.
Even female Merfolk over the age of thirty were no exception. Although at that stage they gained the ability to split their tails, their transformation wasn't like a Devil Fruit ability or magic that turned a fish tail directly into human legs.
Instead, it formed a flipper-like structure that allowed them to move freely, though not as swiftly as they could underwater.
"Have them gather at Ryugu Palace. I have something to say to them."
A pre-battle speech before departure was standard practice, but since Ryugu Kingdom usually patrolled near its own territory, this was their first time undertaking something like this.
Before long, the Neptune Army soldiers, fully prepared for departure, assembled there…
"Everyone, you all know what we're about to do. This is a war. Not for wealth, not for power, but for Ryugu Kingdom.
Not long ago, people from Deul Kingdom brazenly abducted your comrade, yet their king considers it insignificant and believes we should take no action against them.
You don't need to feel any guilt. Our war is not one of invasion, but of liberation. Once you understand the true situation of Deul Kingdom, you'll realize what kind of country it really is."
Nereus gestured to the side, and Nanamo activated the projection device that had already been prepared, displaying the situation of Deul Kingdom on the screen.
As an island nation in the North Blue, the island where Deul Kingdom was located had a shape resembling a lollipop, and on the map, it was marked in different colors like a rainbow lollipop.
"You might be wondering why the colors on this island are different. All the regions on this map belong to Deul Kingdom, but only this central area and this extended section are the true Deul Kingdom.
The other areas have been designated as lawless zones by Deul Kingdom. The people living there are all regarded as 'slaves' in their eyes."
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