Aboard the Cruya, the ship carrying Nero and his companions, everyone was still staring blankly at the Marine warship as it gradually disappeared into the distance.
Junhe walked over to Nero and asked,
“Your Majesty, do you know that old man?”
“Of course I do.”
Nero smiled faintly.
“You could say he’s one of the strongest people in the world.
More importantly, he’s one of the most powerful figures in the Marines.”
“Really?”
Junhe looked surprised.
“But he didn’t seem that strong.”
“You know nothing.”
Nero laughed.
“That old man is terrifying.
His perception alone is frightening.”
Hearing this, Junhe fell silent.
There was something he wanted to ask but had been holding back for a long time.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.
“Your Majesty, the training methods you taught us… are they related to the Marines?”
Nero smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
This time, he didn’t hide anything.
“You’re right.
What I taught you is the Marines’ training system.
More specifically, it’s based on the Six Powers, one of the Marines’ strongest combat techniques.”
“I see…”
Junhe finally understood.
No wonder Nero had always forbidden them from revealing their abilities in public.
If the hundred men he had personally trained could already reach such a level, then the Marines’ own forces must be even more terrifying.
Still, one question remained.
How had Nero obtained such knowledge when he was only ten years old?
Junhe was curious, but he knew this wasn’t the right time to ask.
For him, loyalty to the kingdom and to Nero was enough.
“Stop thinking about it.”
Nero waved his hand.
“Let’s keep moving.
We haven’t even covered half the distance yet.
At this rate, we may not arrive before dark.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As the ship continued forward, Nero’s thoughts drifted elsewhere.
He kept wondering why Garp had come to South Blue.
The region was far from Marine Headquarters.
For someone like Garp, who rarely traveled without reason, there had to be a purpose behind it.
South Blue was relatively weak.
There weren’t many powerful pirates here.
There was no reason for one of the Marines’ strongest figures to personally appear.
Furthermore, there weren’t many World Government member nations in South Blue either.
None of it made sense.
“It must have something to do with Baterilla.”
Nero murmured to himself.
After all, Baterilla was the birthplace of the Pirate King’s son and the place where the Pirate King’s wife had spent her final days.
Most people knew nothing about the relationship between Garp and Gol D.
Roger.
Nero, however, knew the truth.
The treasure map pointed toward Baterilla.
Roger’s wife had also lived there.
The coincidence was too great to ignore.
As the king of the Tru Kingdom, Nero knew a fair amount about Baterilla.
The island’s population was only around twenty thousand.
Most of its territory consisted of mountains and forests.
Although connected to the sea, only a small portion of the island was truly suitable for human habitation.
As the ship continued sailing, Nero had little interest in enjoying the scenery.
Still, this was the first time he had traveled along the kingdom’s coastline.
The Tru Kingdom wasn’t large.
Even with a slow sailing vessel, crossing its waters took only about a day.
Calling it a small nation wasn’t an exaggeration.
As evening approached, the maid accompanying Nero stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, we should reach Baterilla Island in about ten minutes.
Lord Junhe asked me to inform you.”
“We’ve arrived already?”
Nero sighed softly.
“Yes, Your Majesty.
However, it’s already getting dark.
Should we stay overnight near the island?”
“Let’s wait until morning.”
Nero nodded.
“Have the ship anchor five miles from Baterilla Island.
Don’t disturb the residents.” Get faster updates on g.com.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Since it was already dark, Nero had no desire to alarm the islanders.
A large ship suddenly appearing at night could easily be mistaken for a pirate vessel.
That would only create unnecessary panic.
There was plenty of room aboard the ship.
Everyone could rest comfortably until morning.
There was no reason to rush.
The next day, at first light, Nero led the group toward the location marked on the treasure map.
Baterilla Island was far larger than he had expected.
Most of it consisted of mountains and dense forests.
To avoid attracting attention, they deliberately landed far from any populated area.
Walking through the thick jungle, Nero asked,
“Junhe, are you certain we’re heading in the right direction?”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty.”
Junhe nodded.
“If the map is accurate, the location shouldn’t be far ahead.”
Only about twenty people had come ashore with them.
The rest remained behind to guard the ship.
Finding a specific location in such a vast forest using an old treasure map was no easy task.
The dense vegetation made navigation even more difficult.
After nearly another hour of walking, the heat became unbearable.
“Junhe.”
Nero frowned.
“Didn’t you say we were close?
What’s going on?”
Junhe looked helpless.
“Your Majesty, something is strange about this forest.
I’ve noticed that we’ve been circling the same area repeatedly.”
Sweat dripped from everyone’s foreheads.
The hot, humid air made people increasingly irritable.
Even without Junhe’s explanation, Nero had already noticed something was wrong.
More importantly, there wasn’t a single bird call anywhere nearby.
The entire forest felt eerily silent.
Not even insects could be heard.
“Your Majesty, please rest for a moment.”
Junhe said.
“I’ll send people into the trees to investigate.”
“No.”
Nero immediately shook his head.
“No one separates.
This place is more complicated than it looks.”
After speaking, he walked toward a giant tree.
The tree was enormous.
Its trunk measured at least ten meters across, and its crown disappeared into the sky.
More importantly, Nero had seen it several times already.
No matter where they walked, they always seemed to return to this tree.
“System, can you tell what’s happening here?”
“Answer: The Myriad Worlds Mall System is not responsible for environmental analysis.”
Nero was speechless.
At a time like this, the system was completely useless.
Still, he could sense that something was hidden here.
This situation couldn’t have appeared for no reason.
If the system couldn’t help, he’d have to figure it out himself.
“Your Majesty, have you discovered anything?”
Junhe asked as he approached.
“Not yet.”
Nero shook his head.
“Tell me something.
Has anyone in the Tru Kingdom ever mentioned a place like this?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.
I’ve never paid attention to such matters.”
Junhe lowered his head.
“Forget it.”
Nero sighed.
“Let’s focus on finding a way out first.”
At that moment, one of the soldiers stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, what if we cut down the trees?”
Junhe immediately shook his head.
“Impossible.
These trees are too massive.
Even if we managed it, it would take an absurd amount of time.”
“Still…”
Nero looked around thoughtfully.
“He might have a point.
“But Your Majesty, we didn’t bring any tools.”
Junhe said.
“Doing it by hand isn’t realistic.”
“That’s fine.”
As soon as Nero spoke, a sword suddenly appeared in his hand.
A powerful aura erupted from his body.
“Muramasa.”
He looked at the blade.
“Whether we get out of here depends on you.”
With that, he slowly drew the Demon Sword Muramasa.
A crimson glow flickered in his eyes.
Although he hadn’t learned any formal swordsmanship, his physical strength alone was enough to wield Muramasa.
The moment the blade was unsheathed, everyone behind him froze.
The sinister aura radiating from Muramasa was overwhelming.
Even these highly trained soldiers felt instinctive fear.
“What is that?”
One soldier whispered.
“We should stay away.”
Another swallowed nervously.
“As expected of His Majesty…”
Everyone reacted differently.
Some were afraid.
Others were filled with admiration.
Nero heard none of it.
His entire focus was fixed on the sword.
The bloodthirsty intent pouring from Muramasa was difficult to control.
This was the first time he had truly connected with the blade.
Coldly, he said,
“You acknowledged me as your master.
Then obey me.”
The sword trembled violently.
Had Nero not held it firmly, it might have flown from his grasp.
The sinister aura spread throughout the entire forest.
Nero tightened his grip.
He refused to let Muramasa break free.
A struggle began between man and sword.
The soldiers retreated farther and farther away.
Even Junhe, the strongest among them, chose to keep his distance.
Everyone silently watched from afar.
Half an hour passed.
The already sweltering forest felt even hotter.
Sweat covered everyone’s body.
Nero’s condition was the worst.
Suppressing Muramasa consumed enormous amounts of strength.
Gradually, however, the sword’s resistance weakened.
Its sinister aura slowly faded.
Eventually, Muramasa became completely calm.
The blade rested quietly in Nero’s hand.
Its polished surface reflected a cold, brilliant light.
“Muramasa.”
Nero smiled faintly.
“Since we’re partners, I’ll take you across this world someday.
I’ll make your name known once again.”
The moment he finished speaking, the blade trembled twice as if responding.
A spiritual weapon like Muramasa would become one of his greatest assets in the future.
Even so, Nero was exhausted.
The battle of wills had drained him significantly.
Looking up, he realized afternoon had already arrived.
If they remained trapped here much longer, leaving before nightfall would become impossible.
Once darkness fell, the dangers hidden within this forest would become far more unpredictable.
Even though Muramasa had calmed down, none of the soldiers dared approach.
Nero paid them no attention.
Holding the sword horizontally before him, he fixed his gaze on the enormous tree.
Especially the giant trunk standing directly ahead.
Then he swung.
It was a simple strike.
Nothing more.
Yet the ten-meter-wide tree was instantly cut through.
At that moment, everyone heard a crisp sound.
Like glass shattering.
Before the giant tree could even collapse, the suffocating heat that had dominated the forest suddenly vanished.
A cool breeze swept gently across their bodies.
The entire atmosphere changed.