As evening fell, Sebastian and the others gradually returned to the camp.
"What's going on? Why is everyone packing?"
All around the camp were bundled supplies and stacked luggage.
Many were still packing.
Even several temporary structures had already been dismantled completely.
Some had even rolled up all their bedding—
apparently planning to sleep directly on wooden boards for one night.
That kind of scene felt strange to Sebastian, who had just returned from patrolling the outer waters.
🌙⚓
"Lord Sebastian? You're back. These are Lord Nereus's orders—everyone is to pack and prepare to leave at any moment.
Also, he said that once you returned, you should head to the meeting room immediately. There's an important meeting."
A fish-man on duty stepped forward and explained.
Hearing that, Sebastian headed directly toward the meeting room.
Aside from him—
all the other officers had already arrived.
Sanbel held a sea chart in his hands, quietly explaining something to Nanaimo beside him.
Bikupanada sat foolishly in an oversized chair by the window,
waving his giant hand toward the moon outside as though entertaining himself.
🌕🖐️
Babel sat silently on the other side,
turning prayer beads in one hand while muttering something under his breath.
Even when Sebastian entered,
he did not mock him for being late like usual—
he only glanced at him once.
"This bald guy didn't complain about me being late... definitely something serious."
Babel's reaction made Sebastian instantly realize:
Nereus must have made a major decision.
Otherwise Babel would never be this quiet.
"Big brother, I saw everyone outside packing."
"Mhm. After the meeting, you should pack too. Once this matter is over, we won't be coming back here again."
Nereus's voice remained calm.
"Just like I said when we first set out to sea:
we went out to temper ourselves,
broaden our horizons,
and encounter more people and events—
all to prepare for what comes later.
That preparation phase is basically complete now.
At this point,
it's time to begin the next step."
He paused briefly.
"Let me explain what happens next. If anyone has opinions, speak freely."
📖🌊
Mentioning those early days brought a trace of memory into his tone.
So many years had passed—
yet some things still felt as if they had happened only yesterday.
"To put it simply:
the Celestial Dragons are going to hold a game at God Valley—
one so cruel it's beneath beasts.
Someone leaked the information.
Rocks and the others have decided to seize everything there."
After briefly summarizing the situation, Nereus continued:
"Once we reach West Blue,
you'll take the crew and remain hidden offshore.
Stay outside and prepare to provide support.
As for God Valley—
I'll go alone."
⚔️
Nereus had far more than just Sebastian and the officers under him now.
At the beginning, his numbers had indeed been small.
But once his name spread back to Fish-Man Island,
his followers steadily increased.
Many fish-men and merfolk who heard of him chose to follow.
Some admired him.
Others simply wanted to see the world above the deep sea for themselves.
They came together and joined his banner.
Among them were not just adults—
there were many children too.
That was the result of years of growth.
"Big brother, if you're worried it's dangerous there, I understand. But going alone... isn't that looking down on us too much?"
"Exactly. We're not weak either. We may not be monsters like you, but we can handle ordinary Marines just fine.
Even if you're worried about everyone else, there's no need to leave all of us behind."
Sanbel and Sebastian voiced their objections one after another.
They understood his caution—
but felt he was being overly careful.
⚓💢
And truthfully—
they had reason to say so.
Even without Nereus:
Babel would eventually become a member of Rocks's crewSanbel would later sail with Roger
Neither was weak.
Sebastian appeared later in history,
but he too would sail under World Destroyer Bondi Waldo.
And now—
under Nereus's training—
they were only stronger than in the original timeline.
Even Bikupanada, the weakest among them,
had undergone a qualitative leap in strength.
Bikupanada said nothing.
That was simply his personality.
Slow-witted looking, but not foolish.
Able to care for himself,
yet lacking strong personal initiative.
Ever since joining Nereus,
he obeyed every order without objection.
"Big brother, let me go with you. The other three are enough to guard the ship."
In the end,
after repeated insistence,
Nereus agreed:
only Babel would accompany him.
The others would remain aboard ship and stand by.
The Next Morning
At dawn,
a gigantic pirate ship set sail from Beehive Island's harbor,
its sails full,
heading south at full speed—
straight toward West Blue.
🌅🚢
This was Rocks's ship.
Even giants like Charlotte Linlin and Whitebeard did not feel crowded aboard it.
Behind Rocks's ship,
two large Marine warships followed.
But they were not Marine ships anymore.
Those vessels were fully manned by fish-men.
Their hulls had been repainted sky blue.
The seagull flags had long been removed.
In their place flew Nereus's banner:
a stretched emblem built around a moon and bat motif—
remarkably similar to Batman's symbol.
🦇🌙
Unlike standard pirate flags,
this served as the identifying mark of Nereus's forces at sea.
In a world where transport depended almost entirely on ships,
vessels held immense status.
Some great ships built by master shipwrights became legendary alongside their captains.
But Nereus's ships?
He had simply seized them from the Marines.
And Marine warships were top-class in every category:
sizespeedhull qualityartillery strength
Because the Marines, backed by the World Government, could gather elite shipwrights from across the world and use premium materials.
Aside from a handful of legendary craftsmen,
most pirate ships simply could not compare.
Otherwise the Marines would never hope to chase pirates across the sea.
⚙️🚢
A good ship mattered greatly.
But because fish-men often fought by abandoning ship and entering direct sea combat,
Nereus had never prioritized building his own fleet yet.
Most vessels he used were simply captured Marine ships.
At this moment,
Nereus and Babel stood aboard Rocks's ship.
Their own ships maintained distance behind.
Nearby,
Miss Buckingham Stussy was calculating the route.
"The direction is correct. If the intelligence is accurate, we'll reach God Valley before they begin."
"Can't we go faster? My Shakky is still waiting for us to save her!"
Shiki immediately shouted.
"Your Shakky? She's mine!"
Silver Axe snapped back.
The two nearly started fighting—
until the sudden halt of the ship stopped everyone.
⚠️
"What happened? Why did we stop?!"
"If you're not blind, look up ahead!"
Rocks's ship was already enormous—
yet compared to what stood before them,
it looked tiny.
Ahead floated a vessel so massive it dwarfed them completely.
And its owner was unmistakable:
Elbaf, Kingdom of Giants.