Aokiji’s words weren’t unreasonable.
A country that had undergone such tremendous changes in just a few years and had even mastered the Marines’ Six Powers could very well produce people capable of using Haki.
“How terrifying.
What if Vice Admiral Aokiji dies after going there?”
Kizaru twisted his mouth into a grin and looked toward Aokiji.
“Kizaru, can you stop making sarcastic comments?
It’s just a country in the South Blue.
What’s there to worry about?”
Akainu replied coldly.
“Alright, the decision is made.”
Sengoku looked at Aokiji.
“Let me emphasize this one more time.
Do not get involved in their country’s war.
After the war is over, try not to interfere either.
If someone uses that against the Marines, the consequences could be troublesome.”
“Oh my… I understand, Fleet Admiral Sengoku…”
Aokiji answered casually, clearly not taking it too seriously.
At this moment, Nero had no idea that the Marines were already aware of his existence.
Even if he knew, there wasn’t much he could do about it.
Since he had already begun leading the King’s Guard onto the world stage, he no longer worried about being discovered.
The Tru Kingdom wasn’t affiliated with the World Government, so there was no reason to fear them.
After living in this world for so many years, Nero already understood how its rules worked.
For now, however, the Tru Kingdom was still focused on ending the war.
The only good news was that after the pirate crews had been crushed, the Kingdom of Roya’s advance had completely stalled.
Signs of retreat were already beginning to appear.
Inside the palace, Nero sat at the head of the chamber with a serious expression as he looked at the officials standing below.
Unlike before, most of those present were young.
The older officials who had served under the previous king were gradually retiring and handing authority over to the next generation.
“Losta.”
Nero looked at a man in his thirties.
“As the current head of commerce, tell me about the kingdom’s overall business situation.”
Losta stepped forward respectfully.
Wearing glasses, a formal suit, and carrying himself with a refined air, he took a small notebook from his pocket before speaking.
“Your Majesty, the kingdom’s primary industries remain perfume and textiles.”
“After nearly two years of development, our perfume business has expanded throughout the world.
We even have sales agents operating along the Grand Line.”
“As for textiles, we have only recently begun opening sales channels across various regions, so the results are not yet particularly noticeable.”
He lowered his head to glance at his notes.
“The perfume industry now employs approximately 120,000 people, including those responsible for cultivating flowers and raw materials.”
“Average monthly revenue remains stable at around 5.5 billion Baileys, enough to support the kingdom’s current economic expenditures.”
“The textile industry is still in its early stages, but monthly net profit has already reached approximately 1.3 billion Baileys.”
“This is only the beginning.”
“As for future planning, I believe we should begin expanding beyond the Four Blues.”
“I hope Your Majesty can offer some guidance.”
Nero listened quietly.
Losta wasn’t particularly talented when it came to large-scale economic planning, but he was hardworking, meticulous, and reliable.
That alone made him valuable.
The Roya Kingdom’s invasion was no longer an immediate concern.
Economic expansion was now the priority.
However, perfume and textiles alone would never be enough.
After thinking for a moment, Nero asked,
“How much perfume inventory do we currently have?”
“Nearly one million bottles, Your Majesty.”
“At present, the kingdom can easily absorb that volume.”
Losta answered immediately.
Perfume was still considered a luxury product.
Even throughout the Four Blues, selling it required effort.
After all, the truly wealthy consumers were concentrated elsewhere.
Nero nodded.
“The Ministry of Commerce should continue planning for future expansion.”
“Our business will never be limited to these two industries.”
“Identify and cultivate people with commercial talent.”
“We’ll discuss the rest later.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Losta bowed slightly. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Gogoya seemed about to ask something but stopped herself.
“The Ministry of Commerce should also begin preparing detailed reports.”
“I want population statistics, regional distribution, age demographics, employment figures, living conditions, and social security information.”
Nero’s expression became serious.
“In addition, prepare for expansion.”
“Next, I intend to take over the Kingdom of Roya.”
“The necessary preparations must begin immediately.”
“From today onward, remain on high alert.”
The firmness in his voice immediately stirred the room.
At the same time, everyone was stunned.
The Kingdom of Roya was significantly larger than the Tru Kingdom.
Yet Nero was openly declaring his intention to conquer it.
The officials exchanged uncertain glances.
No one quite understood what their king was planning.
“Your Majesty…”
Losta hesitated.
“Are you saying you intend to declare war on the Kingdom of Roya?”
Nero looked at him.
“Do you think that’s impossible?”
His tone remained calm, but his determination was unmistakable.
Since Roya had launched this attack once, it could do so again.
Nero had no intention of allowing it to interfere with his plans a second time.
Although the Tru Kingdom’s overall strength had improved dramatically, many outdated ways of thinking still remained.
Those would eventually need to change as well.
“Your Majesty, I fully support your decision.”
Losta’s voice grew emotional.
“It’s just a shame that my abilities are limited.
Otherwise, I’d gladly follow Your Majesty into Roya myself.”
Nero smiled faintly.
Support was always welcome.
Besides, he had already considered every step before making the decision.
If Roya could hire pirates to invade his kingdom, then the root problem was simple.
His own military strength wasn’t sufficient yet.
At present, the entire King’s Guard had already reached the border.
The next step would likely be advancing directly into Roya.
Changing the mindset of an entire nation would never be easy.
“How much money do we currently have available?”
Nero asked.
Losta checked his records.
“Your Majesty, after accounting for national expenditures and public welfare costs, we currently have approximately 3 billion Baileys available for unrestricted use.”
Nero leaned back in thought.
Combined with the nearly 2 billion Baileys already in his possession, the kingdom now had considerable funds available.
Not only could they support a military campaign, but many other projects could also begin.
“Losta.”
“Start preparing detailed plans for Roya.”
“Once we take control, I want the kingdom stabilized as quickly as possible.”
“I don’t want us scrambling afterward.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Losta adjusted his glasses and nodded.
“That’s enough for today.”
“We’ll discuss the remaining matters later.”
Nero dismissed the meeting.
The situation with Roya was already clear.
There was no need to waste time on unnecessary discussions.
The Tru Kingdom’s overall strength was no longer weak.
Junhe alone possessed power comparable to a Marine Vice Admiral.
Most members of the King’s Guard had mastered at least one or two of the Six Powers.
The current Tru Kingdom was no longer the timid nation it once had been.
After leaving the palace chamber, Nero headed directly to the palace gardens.
The environment there was peaceful and quiet.
More importantly, it was effectively his private territory.
No one would enter without permission.
Even so, he spread out his Observation Haki first, carefully scanning the surroundings.
Only after confirming that nobody was nearby did he relax.
Rather than a garden, it was more accurate to call the area a primitive forest behind the palace.
A large open training ground had been constructed within it.
Standing at its center, Nero finally focused on the real reason he had come.
Since eating it, he had lost the ability to swim.
Now his greatest priority was fully mastering its abilities.
Of course, that wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight.
A faint sky-blue glow appeared around his right hand.
He still had only a limited understanding of the fruit’s powers.
He didn’t even know how to properly control the ability itself.
Fortunately, he still had his greatest advantage.
The system.
His consciousness entered the system space.
The familiar blue mechanical world instantly surrounded him.
Every time he entered, it gave him an unparalleled sense of security.
“System.”
“Do you have a detailed explanation of the Space Fruit’s abilities?”
As soon as he asked, information immediately appeared before him.
The system didn’t even respond verbally.
Instead, a detailed panel materialized.
It contained explanations regarding the Space Fruit’s abilities and methods of cultivation.
The most important discovery was this:
The Space Fruit’s growth depended on mental strength.
Future development paths could be determined according to the user’s mental power.
Defense.
Attack.
Movement.
The fruit excelled in all three areas.
However, when Nero reached the section regarding awakened abilities, the information suddenly stopped.
There was no explanation at all.
That disappointed him somewhat.
Still, the information he had received was more than enough for now.
What confused him most was the emphasis on mental strength.
Observation Haki relied heavily on mental power.
Conqueror’s Haki was similar.
Yet he had no idea how strong his mental training currently was.
Standing there, he began experimenting.
A wave of power spread outward.
A transparent sky-blue barrier instantly appeared before him.
It looked fragile.
Almost defenseless.
As if it possessed no offensive capability whatsoever.
But was it really that simple?
Obviously not.
That same day, Gogoya sat in the courtyard reading a freshly delivered newspaper.
The moment she saw the front page, cold sweat immediately appeared on her forehead.
The headline read:
“Special Combat Methods of the Tru Kingdom — Pirates of Loguetown Captured En Masse”
Just reading the title made her heart sink.
She immediately remembered Nero’s previous warning.
The techniques practiced by the King’s Guard were Marine abilities.
If their existence became public, the Marines might regard them as enemies.
Yet now those techniques had been openly published in newspapers.
There was no way she was the only person who had received a copy.
After carefully reading the contents, Gogoya hurried toward the palace.
At that moment, Nero was still immersed in training his Devil Fruit abilities, completely unaware of the situation outside.
The Tru Kingdom remained chaotic.
Outside the royal capital, pirate activity and warfare had not fully ended.
Yet remarkably, none of it had significantly affected the daily lives of ordinary citizens.
The kingdom no longer relied primarily on agriculture for survival.
The perfume factory and textile factory had transformed the nation’s economy.
Over the last two years, these industries had expanded beyond the Four Blues and gradually entered the Grand Line.
More importantly, they had stimulated countless supporting businesses throughout the kingdom.
The resulting economic network allowed the people to become almost entirely self-sufficient.
Gogoya waited outside Nero’s residence until evening.
When she finally saw him returning, she immediately rushed forward.
Her face was tense and anxious.
At that moment, she looked nothing like the confident person responsible for the kingdom’s shipping operations.