Chapter 232: Subjects of the Sea Sovereign, A Delayed Trial
If the Sea Kings in the outer sea were previously doubting whether this half-blood princess was truly their Sovereign...
Then, as they obeyed Chloe's commands and her powers as Poseidon further awakened, those doubts were completely dispelled.
However, to these colossal, deep-sea Sea Kings, the single most noteworthy event in their incredibly long lifespans was the birth and growth of the Sea Sovereign.
Therefore, when they chatted and gossiped among themselves, the core topic was always their Sovereign. Their unique vocal frequencies were practically noise pollution in the deep sea; sometimes, the terrifying roars echoing from the abyss were just them making a fuss.
Because the Sovereign of this generation was fundamentally different from those in the past, many Sea Kings wanted to come closer and take a look. Their excited chatter had inadvertently disturbed Chloe, leading to the current situation.
Originally, Nereus had planned to wait a few more years before telling Chloe about these things. After all, the existence of Poseidon carried massive implications. But looking at the current situation, some things needed to be moved up on the schedule.
"I'll take her down into the sea for a trip," Nereus said.
"Those massive creatures..."
"Don't worry, it's absolutely safe. Even if she wasn't 'Poseidon,' I could still bring her back without a scratch."
After informing Amphelite, Nereus took the hand of a still-confused Chloe and flew out through the bubble film and into the open ocean.
Chloe had long grown accustomed to shifting between various modes of movement. Even when Nereus let go of her hand, she smoothly kept pace with him in the water.
"Daddy, what does it mean to be my 'subjects'? Were those voices people from Fish-Man Island talking?"
"No, those are subjects that belong exclusively to you. You are a half-blood 'Mermaid Princess,' but the title of Mermaid Princess carries a very different, profound meaning here.
"Chloe, let's make a promise. This is our family's absolute secret. Until you possess the same level of strength as your big sister, aside from the two of us, only your mother and your sister can know about this."
"Okay!"
Seeing Nereus extend his pinky finger, Chloe immediately reached out and hooked her tiny pinky around his. At her young age, a pinky promise was the most binding contract in the world.
"It's a very long story, and there are some things you might find hard to understand right now. But simply put, aside from ordinary marine life, there is a special species in the ocean: the Sea Kings.
"And every few centuries, a sovereign of the Sea Kings—Poseidon—is born. You carry that exact power within you.
"You are born to be their King. They are your loyal subjects, and they will absolutely obey your commands. Try commanding them not to bother you normally, and they will stay perfectly quiet."
Staring into the profound, dark depths of the sea before her, Chloe seemed to grasp a faint sense of understanding. As Nereus's daughter, her education naturally included lessons on royalty and governance; she understood what it meant to have subjects.
"Come... come out and see me," Chloe said.
There was no feedback from the deep sea. It was as if no one had heard her.
"That's not how you do it," Nereus guided gently. "They can't hear your physical voice from this distance. Use your heart to communicate with them. Focus your mind, try hard to picture it, and transmit your thoughts."
This method was both incredibly difficult and surprisingly simple. The technique Nereus described was the communication method of the Voice of All Things. It was infinitely more effective than relying on vocal cords.
As a single, clear thought formed in Chloe's mind, numerous colossal entities lurking in the abyss seemingly received an absolute directive, rapidly swimming toward their location.
"Sovereign..."
"We greet the Sovereign..."
"Please give us your orders. This time, we will definitely not disappoint you..."
Their massive bodies remained partially cloaked by the darkness of the deep sea, but it wasn't hard to see that they were entirely surrounded by leviathans.
A single swing of Zunesha's trunk could obliterate an entire pirate fleet. These colossal Sea Kings naturally possessed that exact same caliber of destructive power.
It was safe to say that if Chloe wanted to, within a single hour, not a single wooden plank would remain floating on the surface of the ocean near the Sabaody Archipelago.
But her command was incredibly simple.
"Don't talk to me when I'm in class anymore!"
"U-Understood..."
The Sea Kings seemed slightly taken aback, but they respectfully complied with her absolute order. Afterward, treating it more like making new friends, Chloe happily started asking these massive creatures for their names.
Relying on his own ability to hear the Voice of All Things, Nereus could vaguely decipher their conversation. However, one of the Sea Kings briefly shifted its attention toward him.
[The Guide... the greatest variable in the deep sea. What kind of path will he lead the Sovereign down?]
Alongside the birth of Poseidon, a "Guide" often appeared. The existence of this figure was utterly crucial to the Sovereign's growth.
However, unlike their innate ability to sense the birth of Poseidon, the Sea Kings had no inherent way of knowing exactly who the Guide was. They could only guess based on their instincts.
The trip to the deep sea went smoothly. Chloe successfully grasped the ability to communicate with them, and Nereus repeatedly instructed her never to casually use this power to mobilize them. After all, the time was not yet right.
Rather than viewing them as "subjects," Chloe felt more like she had just made a bunch of giant new friends. When they got back, she enthusiastically chattered about it with Amphelite.
Only after coaxing Chloe to sleep did Amphelite leave her room and join Nereus.
"So... is it considered complete?" she asked.
"Perhaps," Nereus replied. "The power of Poseidon is actually quite simple in its essence: commanding the Sea Kings. Looking at it now, she can already accomplish that. Once she grows a bit more, it will be more than enough.
"As for whether she possesses any other hidden powers, I don't know... those giant beasts certainly aren't going to tell me."
Exactly what the full extent of Poseidon's capabilities was, only the Sea Kings truly knew. But that wasn't something Nereus could interfere with.
What the future held would require time to prove. However, over these past few years, the influence of Fish-Man Island had been expanding imperceptibly across the world.
Meanwhile, in the first half of the Grand Line, at a temporary courthouse in Water 7, a trial that had lasted an entire year was only now finally reaching its conclusion.
"Tom! It is a fact that Roger used a ship built by you to reach the final island! Did you or did you not build a ship for the Pirate King, Gold Roger?!"
"That's right, I built it with a 'DON'!" Tom laughed boisterously. "To see a ship crafted by my own two hands complete such an unprecedented voyage—I am incredibly proud of it! This is the ultimate honor of a shipwright!"
"Mhm. Record this down," the judge said, acting as if he hadn't heard a single word Tom just shouted, casually addressing the court scribe with entirely contradictory statements. "The ship was built by Tom, but Roger's crew maliciously stole the newly built ship when he wasn't looking. After careful, exhaustive investigation by the World Government, this has been verified as the absolute truth."
This trial had originally begun a year ago. Following Roger's execution, the World Government launched a massive purge to hunt down anyone associated with him. The origin of Roger's ship naturally became a primary target for prosecution.
But as they investigated, they discovered the shipwright was a Fish-Man.
Building a ship for Roger was one of those crimes that could be brushed off if ignored, but if officially weighed on the scales of justice, it was an unbearably heavy offense. It all depended on how the authorities wanted to handle it.
If a man named Nereus didn't exist in this world, they would have undoubtedly convicted and executed Tom on the spot. But his identity as a Fish-Man gave the World Government officials a massive, terrifying headache.
Terrified of accidentally provoking the monster ruling Fish-Man Island, they heavily employed delay tactics. It was only recently that they finally dared to produce this utterly fabricated "acquittal"...
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