Poneglyphs are inscriptions that record history, carved into an unknown material.
The stone itself possesses an indestructible nature, and the techniques used to carve it have long been lost.
Even the Kozuki clan of Wano Country is no exception.
When Oden traveled with Roger, he only left new text on a base made of ordinary stone; he did not carve anything onto the Poneglyphs themselves.
Nereus is not a purely martial-arts-oriented fighter, but he is accustomed to fighting barehanded. This does not mean he is unfamiliar with weapons.
Give Nereus any sword at random, and he can unleash slashes that only a great swordsman could produce.
Nereus also knows that inanimate objects can be made to eat Devil Fruits; it's just that this technology hasn't been researched yet, or rather, hasn't been successfully unearthed through archaeology.
He also had Wobbegong keep a closer eye on this technology over at MADS.
Letting a Poneglyph eat a Devil Fruit might yield extremely rare results.
After all, these days even swords that have eaten Devil Fruits can awaken; an indestructible behemoth transformed from a Poneglyph would be a massive trouble.
"Dad, if you're expanding the army, then fine, but why drag me along too?"
"What, haven't you finished counting those treasures after three whole days?"
"That's not it, but I don't think this kind of occasion has anything to do with me."
If Hermes had come along this time, it would definitely be nagging about topics like heirs and succession.
Homies have a very special way of existing. Hermes, whose main body is made of clouds, isn't afraid of water, but underwater its abilities are far less fluid than in the sky, and its flying speed becomes extremely slow.
Putting a bubble around it would let it float around like a hydrogen balloon.
Nanamo found that too much trouble and simply left it on Fishman Island.
"You don't understand Fish-Man District well enough. In a place like this nowadays, fists are still what settle things. And just like pirates who've just entered the New World, there are plenty of people here who see the world from the bottom of a well.
They lack understanding of the outside world and use what little they know to judge everything.
In places like the Four Seas, a swordsman who can cut steel is already enough to dominate a region, but once you enter the New World, you'll realize that this is nothing more than a cheap trick.
They need to face reality. Only by understanding their own weakness can they grow stronger.
By then, there might be a few who refuse to accept it. Go beat them into submission and let them see how vast the world really is."
If Nereus were to act personally, the effect wouldn't be good enough. People in Fish-Man District consider it only natural that they can't beat Nereus. He had carried the reputation of being the strongest for years.
Nanamo may be his daughter, but her age and gender are right there; being defeated by a thirteen-year-old girl is more than enough to wake most people up.
And if someone collapses completely because of that, it simply proves they were unqualified to begin with.
"Your Majesty Nereus, everyone from Fish-Man District has arrived."
Tiger delivered his report with great respect, using a very formal form of address.
"A total of thirty-seven thousand five hundred and seventy-two people. All of them meet the age requirements. Anyone who didn't, I sent back."
In the original timeline, Hody Jones relied on the power of Energy Steroids and used every kind of threat and inducement to scrape together seventy thousand Fish-Men from the entire Fish-Man District, with virtually no restrictions.
Given the current population base and the principle of voluntary participation, this number was already quite decent.
However, Nereus wasn't recruiting people to serve as cannon fodder; he needed to sort out the specific circumstances of each individual.
Those with stronger combat ability would be assigned to the front-line forces, receive intensified training, and serve as the main fighting units. Those who were a bit weaker would be responsible for maintaining public order, expanding the scale of deep-sea exploration teams, and carrying out tasks such as searching for ruins and seabed mineral exploration.
There was a very simple way to make this distinction.
"Get ready, the test is about to begin!"
After sweeping his gaze over the Fish-Men around the Sea Forest, Nereus gave them a brief warning, without explaining what the test would involve.
Just as they were wondering what the test might be, with Nereus at the center, the seawater seemed to ripple as if struck by some unknown force. An invisible shockwave instantly swept across the entire area.
The surrounding schools of fish scattered in panic, and one Fish-Man after another at the scene lost consciousness, their eyes rolling back and foaming at the mouth as large numbers of them collapsed.
"Th-this… this is…"
Tiger was still able to remain standing, but a sense of dread surged in his heart. He could hear his own heartbeat racing, yet his body dared not move. His limbs felt as though they were bound by some force, completely unresponsive.
"About three thousand, huh… not bad. Congratulations, everyone, you've passed the test."
When it comes to screening the quality of soldiers, Conqueror's Haki is an extremely useful tool. Nereus had already exerted great control over its intensity; otherwise, including Tiger, not a single person present would have remained standing.
This level was, after careful consideration, a very gentle baptism of Conqueror's Haki from Nereus.
Being able to withstand this degree of mental impact meant that at the very least, they wouldn't have to worry about being knocked unconscious by someone who had just awakened Conqueror's Haki.
"Don't worry, they're only temporarily unconscious. Your willpower and physical abilities are stronger, which is why you're able to stay awake."
The sea is a place where conviction matters immensely, and the power of Haki is especially so.
It is the power of the body, but also the power of the heart.
A strong person who loses their fighting spirit will see their strength plummet drastically; even someone who once had a firm grasp of Haki can lose the ability to use it due to such a decline in resolve.
"The deep sea is our home turf, but don't underestimate any race. Pirates who make it to Fishman Island possess a certain level of strength themselves. I don't want to hear, one day, that someone among you died because of carelessness.
You are still weak! For Fishman Island, for your families, and for yourselves, you must strive to become stronger!
From today onward, you are the newly formed First Corps of the Neptune Army! As for the assignment of positions…"
Nereus clapped his hands, and the school of Fighting Fish behind him immediately understood his intent, swimming over to his side.
"These are Fighting Fish, a species that lives in the New World. Defeat one of them and earn its recognition, and from then on it will become your partner! Your military benefits will be raised by another level.
I guarantee your safety, fight with everything you've got."
Compared to the far more intelligent Sea Beasts, these Fighting Fish were clearly not very smart. To make them obey, one had to earn their acknowledgment in this way.
"These are the comrades who followed me in the early years. Defeat them, and you'll become squad leaders within the corps. When the Neptune Army expands again in the future, you'll also have the chance to become corps commander."
There were both Merfolk and Fish-Men among them, all elite fighters personally selected by Nereus, and also the instructors for this test.
"As for her, you should all be familiar with her. My daughter.
No matter what method you use, as long as you defeat her, you'll be the new corps commander!"
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