If the Sea Kings had previously still been uncertain whether this mixed-blood princess truly belonged to them as their king, then after the Sea Kings of the outer seas obeyed Chloe’s commands, and as Poseidon’s power continued to awaken and develop, all of their doubts disappeared.
For these colossal Sea Kings, the most important event throughout their long lives was the birth and growth of Poseidon.
As a result, whenever they discussed and chatted among themselves, the central topic was inevitably Poseidon. Their unique tone can be considered noise even in the deep sea, and the terrifying roars that occasionally echo through the deep sea were just the sounds they make.
Because this Poseidon was different from all previous ones, some among the countless Sea Kings wanted to come closer and take a look.
Their casual discussions had inadvertently disturbed Chloe, ultimately leading to this situation.
Originally, Nereus had planned to wait a few more years before telling Chloe about these matters. After all, Poseidon’s significance was immense. But judging from the current circumstances, some things needed to be explained ahead of schedule.
“I’ll take her for a trip into the sea.”
“Those huge creatures…”
“Don’t worry. It’s completely safe. Even if she weren’t “Poseidon”, I could still bring her back safely.”
After informing Amphitrite, Nereus took the still-confused Chloe and flew toward the sea beyond the bubble membrane.
By now, Chloe was already accustomed to all kinds of unusual methods of movement. Even when Nereus let go of her hand, she quickly followed after him.
“Dad, what do you mean by my subjects? Are those voices from the people of Fish-Man Island?”
“No. They are subjects that belong only to you. You are a mixed-blood Mermaid Princess, but the title of Mermaid Princess carries a different meaning.
“Chloe, let’s make a promise. This is a secret within our family. Until you possess strength equal to your sister’s, no one besides the two of us, your mother, and your sister may know about this.”
“Okay!”
Seeing Nereus extend his little finger, Chloe immediately hooked her own around it. To a child, there was no promise more binding than a pinky swear.
“It’s a long story, and some things are still difficult for you to understand. In short, besides ordinary marine creatures, there exists a special species in the ocean—the Sea Kings.
“And every so often, a King of the Sea Kings—Poseidon—is born. You possess that power.
“You were born as their king. They are subjects who belong only to you and will obey your commands. Try ordering them not to disturb you anymore, and they’ll stay quiet.”
Staring into the dark and boundless depths of sea before her, Chloe seemed to sense something. As Nereus’s daughter, she had received education related to royalty and naturally understood what a subject was.
“C-Come… come out and meet me.”
No response came from the deep sea. It was as though no one had heard her words at all.
“It’s not like that. They’re too far away to hear your voice. Use your heart to communicate with them. Focus on it and try to convey your thoughts.”
This was something that was both difficult and simple. The method Nereus described was the communication method of the Voice of All Things. Compared to shouting at the top of one’s lungs, it was far more effective.
As a thought appeared in Chloe’s mind, many collosal creatures deep beneath the sea seemed to receive her command and began swimming toward them.
“Our King…”
“We pay our respects to the King…”
“Please give us your orders. This time, we will surely not disappoint you again…”
Their enormous bodies were hidden within the depths, but it was obvious that colossal creatures had surrounded them on all sides.
A single swing of Zunesha’s trunk could wipe out an entire fleet of pirate ships, and these super-sized Sea Kings possessed the same kind of power.
It could be said that if Chloe wished it, within an hour there would no longer be a single plank of wood floating on the sea near the Sabaody Archipelago.
Yet her request was incredibly simple.
“Don’t talk to me when I’m in class anymore!”
“A-As you command…”
The Sea Kings seemed stunned for a moment, but they still responded to her order. Afterward, Chloe began asking for their names as though she were making friends with them.
Thanks to the Voice of All Things, Nereus could roughly understand their conversation as well. However, one of the Sea Kings focused its attention on him.
【Guide… the greatest variable of the deep sea. What kind of path will you lead Poseidon onto…?】
Alongside Poseidon’s birth, there was often a guide as well. That individual’s existence was crucial to Poseidon’s growth.
But unlike their ability to sense Poseidon’s appearance, the Sea Kings had no way of knowing who the guide was. They could only judge based on instinct.
The trip into the deep sea went rather smoothly. Chloe mastered a way to communicate with them, while Nereus repeatedly warned her not to use this power, since the time was not yet right.
Compared to the so-called subjects, Chloe felt more as though she had made friends with a group of giant creatures, enthusiastically telling Amphitrite all about them.
After putting Chloe to sleep, Amphitrite left her room and came to Nereus.
“Does this count as… complete?”
“Perhaps. Poseidon’s power is actually quite simple—commanding the Sea Kings. Judging by today, she can already do that. Once she grows a little more herself, it should be enough.
“As for whether there are any other powers, I have no idea… those big fellows certainly won’t tell me.”
The Sea Kings themselves knew best what abilities Poseidon truly possessed, but that was not something Nereus could interfere with.
What the future would ultimately look like remained to be seen, but Fish-Man Island’s influence had been quietly expanding over the years.
In the first half of the Grand Line, at Water 7’s temporary court, a trial that had lasted an entire year had finally reached its conclusion.
“Tom! Roger reached the final island using a ship you built! Is it true that you constructed a ship for the Pirate King, Gold Roger?!”
“That’s right, I built it. Seeing a ship I crafted with my own hands complete such a voyage fills me with pride! It’s the honor of a shipwright!”
“Mm, record that. Tom built the ship, and Roger’s crew stole the newly completed ship while he was off guard. After a thorough investigation by the World Government, this has been confirmed as fact.”
The judge seemed not to have heard a single word Tom said and kept talking to the nearby court recorder about unrelated matters.
The trial had originally begun a year earlier. After Roger’s execution, when authorities pursued those connected to him, the origin of Roger’s ship naturally became one of the matters under investigation.
But as they investigated further, they discovered that the shipbuilder was a Fish-Man.
Building a ship for Roger was one of those matters that if it’s not put on the scale, it doesn’t even weigh four ounces; but once it’s on the scale, even a thousand pounds can’t hold it down. It all depended on how one chose to handle it.
Had Nereus never existed, they would have undoubtedly put him on trial directly. But Tom’s identity as a Fish-Man gave World Government officials a headache. As a result, they resorted to delaying tactics, only recently arriving at a conclusion…
You can read ahead upto 45 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon.