Fuse, yes, you are on the right track. A perfectly functional 140A alternator can generate... up to 140Amps. So, you have to fuse for that much because a dead battery will take all of that load. Rule of fuses is to oversize by 25% or so... 200Amp.
See, what you are really guarding against is this cable shorting to ground, either at the alternator terminal, or somewhere along the way. If that were to happen, that would be a dead short across the battery and that is, of course, bad news. I'd put the fuse as close to the battery as reasonably possible.
If the engine were running and that cable shorted, the fuse blows, so no shorted battery, but you still have a shorted alternator. Hmm... well, the original design puts a fusible link at the starter relay, which is at the battery.
Try not to short the cable if the engine is running.