Nereus also explored history, but what he sought in it were past lessons and experiences, as well as methods to deal with the World Government. The things recorded in the Poneglyphs were not entirely useless; records about the Ancient Weapons and certain abilities could still serve as reminders to him.
It was also a matter of habit. After all, five thousand years of glorious history could be brushed over in a single stroke, while a century of humiliation would be split into two volumes.
"No matter what happens, your heart must not waver. If your heart falls into chaos, then you truly won't be able to find your path."
This sea was, in the end, one that ran on willpower. Losing one's spirit was enough to turn a hero capable of contending for supremacy in the New World into a fat shut-in lurking in the shadows, fiddling with corpses.
You have to believe you can grow stronger. After putting in the effort, there will eventually be a return.
"Amphy, your heart isn't strong enough. Your people were once the overlords of the skies, the true tribe of gods. Now even those parasites have people who can awaken the disposition of a king. I believe you can as well."
"A king…"
Not having Conqueror's Haki didn't mean one couldn't become strong. One could still stand at the top of the pyramid. But without mastering the power of Conqueror's Haki Infusion, one would ultimately fall a step short.
This power is hereditary; if parents possessed Conqueror's Haki, their children had a higher chance of awakening it.
However, it is not solely inherited. This power was more like a latent force residing within everyone; as long as there is a right catalyst, it can naturally awaken.
The version of this sea was always updating. Who knew, maybe one day even Koby would be labeled as a user of Conqueror's Haki.
Just because Amphitrite hadn't awakened it now didn't mean she never would.
Of course, it wasn't something that could be achieved with just a few words. Nereus didn't have the ability to awaken someone's power with a single punch.
"Believe in yourself. The time you've spent mastering Armament Haki and Observation Haki already surpasses the vast majority of people. What you lack is only the right trigger. Keep training. As long as your heart doesn't give up, your body will eventually respond."
After saying that, Nereus walked toward the deck.
"Be careful, all of you! Don't fall overboard! Even if you're not afraid of seawater, the route back to Fish-Man Island from here is still dangerous!"
Today's ship was a little different from usual. Aside from his own subordinates and the freed slaves, there were many children aboard; children from Fish-Man Island.
The school on Fish-Man Island had now gotten on track. Though the number of students in the early stages wasn't large, it was a good beginning.
One of the most important lessons for them was to understand the surface world.
Not to hate blindly, nor to trust blindly, but to understand the diversity of humanity.
There were kind humans on land, and there were also dangers filled with malice. If they remained hidden on Fish-Man Island and never interacted with the outside world, they would never come to understand such things in their lifetime.
That was why Nereus personally brought some students out, letting them experience the surface and form their own understanding of it.
With him watching over them, there wasn't much danger. Relying on his reputation, many on Fish-Man Island chose to entrust their children to Nereus.
Of course, many of them were orphans from the Fish-Man District, with no parents at all.
Falling into the sea during the voyage was a dangerous matter. Fish-Men and Merfolk didn't have to worry about drowning, but if no one noticed when they fell overboard, finding them again would be troublesome.
This group ranged roughly from five to ten years old—a stage full of curiosity—so constant vigilance was necessary.
Among them were quite a few of Nereus's "old acquaintances."
Jinbe, Kawamatsu, Arlong, and… Otohime.
Jinbe and Kawamatsu were both considered outstanding among the Fish-Men. Arlong was comparatively weaker, but placed in the Four Seas, he would still count as a strong fighter.
If he had appeared later, he would probably be comparable to someone like Vergo—a senior officer under a Shichibukai.
But the most special among them was Otohime. She was born different, and her Observation Haki possessed unique properties.
She could sense the hearts of others, even subtly influencing their thoughts without them realizing it.
She herself was a goldfish Mermaid, having just turned ten this year. Within the range still affected by the Sabaody Archipelago, she could float above the deck with the help of Bubbly Coral.
Born into a wealthy family on Fish-Man Island, her living conditions were far better than Jinbe and the others, and she also harbored a longing for the surface.
At the moment, she held a sketchbook in her hands, drawing and writing in it, recording everything she saw on the open sea.
"Trees, butterflies, birds…"
Simple children's drawings captured all that she witnessed. Among the crowd of boisterous children, she was practically an outlier.
"What are you doing?"
Hermes drifted over leisurely. Even as it asked, its attention remained focused on the other children.
This was Nanamo's instruction—pay more attention to the children on deck. It had already stopped several who tried to cling to the railing and peek outside. Otohime's quiet demeanor, in contrast, made Hermes feel much more at ease.
"I'm going to record all of this down. When we return to Fish-Man Island, I'll show it to everyone else."
"Not a bad idea. Since you're being so well-behaved, Lord Hermes has decided to give you a reward."
As it spoke, arm-like appendages emerged from Hermes' body, rummaging around inside itself. After repeated searching, it finally pulled out a large shell.
"A specialty from Sky Island, a Vision Dial! As long as you hold this, you can directly record the scenes outside."
"Sky Island?"
"The world is very big. Not only is there a special place like Fish-Man Island ten thousand meters under the sea, but above ten thousand meters in the sky, there are also strange islands known as Sky Islands.
"This shell is like a camera, it can directly capture the scenery outside. It's a reward for good children. If the rest of you want one too, then you'll have to…"
Hermes had intended to use the dial as bait to quiet the other children down. As long as they stayed manageable until they reached Delta Island, that would be enough.
It was a tactic Hermes had learned on Fullalead Island. Charlotte Linlin had managed others that way.
But it overlooked one thing: those children also feared Charlotte Linlin to some extent. The result of copying her method was…
Aside from Otohime, who was listening attentively, no one paid it any attention at all. Instead, they surrounded Nereus, peppering him with questions about everything. Anything they couldn't see in the deep sea made them excited.
"No, this method should definitely work… It must be that the reward isn't eye-catching enough…"
After pondering for a while, Hermes concluded that the Vision Dial simply wasn't impressive enough as a prize to attract their attention.
Seeing how curious these deep-sea dwellers were about the surface, it decided to change tactics. Whoever behaved well would get taken flying in the sky for a lap.
In terms of results, it succeeded. Soaring through the sky was indeed effective enough.
But in terms of the process, it failed completely.
"Hermes, why are you taking them flying one after another?"
"Princess Nanamo, of course it's to carry out your orders—to make them behave. That way I don't have to constantly keep an eye on them."
"Very logical. Then let me ask you, does watching them take less effort, or flying hundreds of laps in the sky?"
"?!"
Please support on pat*eon for extra chapters; there is date to date subscription enabled on patreon. [There is a 7-day trial version availabe on patreon.]
https://www.pat*eon.com/dmtranslations
You can read ahead upto 25 chapters on my pa*reon.
Tiers-
1$- 10 chapters of OPUK
3$- 12 chapters
5$- 15 chapters
10$- 25 chapters