Although Aramis was not as skilled in swordsmanship as William or Edmond, he was far from being mediocre. During their sparring session, William blindfolded himself and relied on the steam produced by his Devil Fruit ability to sense his surroundings. However, as his mastery of this technique was still in its early stages, he mainly took a defensive stance.
Of course, if William were to go all out—combining his Devil Fruit powers with his swordsmanship and other abilities—he could easily defeat Aramis in a short time, even while blindfolded. However, William's current goal wasn't to win the duel but to practice and internalize some of the techniques and insights he had gleaned from Fish-Man Karate.
Aramis found himself restrained during their duel, not just because William's katana always intercepted his strikes at precisely the right moment, but also because of the faint steam that seemed to move in concert with William's sword.
Although William had limited the intensity of his ability, the steam wasn't scalding. Yet, at some point, Aramis realized that the steam around them had thickened, shrouding the entire deck in a mist-like veil that even the sea breeze couldn't disperse.
Aramis swung his blade once more, and William tilted his head slightly, sidestepping the attack. At the same time, William's left hand suddenly shot out, palm straight like a blade, slicing toward Aramis's direction at an angle.
From their distance, it was clear that William's hand strike couldn't possibly reach Aramis. However, as William's hand moved, the steam around Aramis stirred violently, as if William's motion had commanded it. The mist-like steam condensed and surged toward Aramis, pushing him off balance.
"Is that a technique from Fish-Man Karate? You've mastered it so quickly?" Aramis asked, withdrawing his katana and stepping back.
Hearing this, William stopped his movements, removed the black cloth from his eyes, and shook his head. "Yes and no. There's a bit of Fish-Man Karate in it, but it's mostly an application of my Devil Fruit ability."
"It's a pity that Kuroobi, the Fish-Man, only knew Fish-Man Karate and not Fish-Man Jujutsu," William said with a sigh.
From Kuroobi, William had extracted a wealth of information about Fish-Man martial arts. On Fish-Man Island, two martial arts were particularly renowned: Fish-Man Karate and Fish-Man Jujutsu. Compared to Jujutsu, Karate focused more on techniques that maximized the Fish-Men's physical strength, with sensory abilities being secondary. Fish-Man Jujutsu, on the other hand, emphasized sensory perception, and it was said that masters of the art could even grasp seawater.
Through the sensory techniques of Fish-Man Karate, William had developed ideas to deepen his connection with steam—not just water vapor, but all forms of steam. However, since Fish-Man Karate only offered limited sensory training, William couldn't fully bridge the subtle gap between himself and the steam he controlled. If Kuroobi had been a master of Fish-Man Jujutsu instead of Karate, William might have been able to break through this barrier after sufficient practice.
Nevertheless, William quickly composed himself. He wasn't one to dwell on disappointments. Seeing Aramis's puzzled expression, he explained, "Fish-Man Jujutsu would have been more useful to me. However, Fish-Man Karate is valuable not just for me but also for you. Many of its techniques for utilizing strength are equally applicable to both humans and Fish-Men."
The two continued discussing combat techniques, with William sharing his insights from practicing Fish-Man Karate over the past few days.
After some time, their conversation shifted from martial arts to work.
Under William's leadership, there were two major intelligence agencies: the National Security Bureau, which handled internal affairs, and the Commercial Intelligence Division Five, which focused on external operations.
While many people, both within and outside the organization, were aware of the National Security Bureau's leadership, the Commercial Intelligence Division Five was far more enigmatic. Originally established as part of the Four Seas Trading Company, most people didn't even know of its existence, let alone who was in charge. This secrecy was dictated by the nature of its external operations.
Those who were aware of the division's existence often speculated that its controller was none other than Sherlock, the founder and head of the Four Seas Trading Company. In reality, however, it was Aramis, who served as the division's director.
Due to the extensive scope of the Commercial Intelligence Division Five's operations, its structure differed significantly from the National Security Bureau, which was tightly controlled by Kuro. The division had numerous operatives and regional leaders, with many decisions delegated to them. To maintain his cover, Aramis also held a formal position in the royal guard, giving the impression that he was merely a somewhat idle officer who traveled frequently. As a result, aside from a select few high-ranking individuals who knew the truth, no one suspected Aramis's true role.
As the head of the Commercial Intelligence Division Five, Aramis was naturally aware of the recent rumors spread by traveling poets regarding William's mysterious origins.
This was something William had instructed, and Aramis carried out the task without question. However, it was impossible for Aramis not to feel a twinge of curiosity afterward.
"Come to think of it, we've known each other for years, and I still don't know your background. Are you really a member of the Faraise royal family?" Aramis asked.
"Yes," William replied, raising an eyebrow. "The current king of the Faraise Kingdom, Robert, is actually my uncle. While my father was gravely ill, he usurped the throne. My mother fled the royal palace with me, a young child at the time, hoping to escape the country. But we encountered pirates at sea. My mother died, and I was sold into slavery. I eventually escaped."
Aramis's mouth fell open. "That's... quite a tragic backstory."
William glanced at Aramis and suddenly burst into laughter, leaving Aramis thoroughly confused.
"It's fake. That story's for others to hear," William said, shaking his head. Seeing Aramis's bewildered expression, he asked, "But does it really matter whether it's true or not?"
Without sufficient power, even if William's story were true, it wouldn't bring him any advantages. Conversely, with enough power, even a fabricated story could be made real.
Over the years, William had gradually acquired or founded seven newspapers across the East Blue, including the East Blue News, and his acquisitions showed no signs of slowing down. These newspapers occasionally attacked one another, and few people knew they were all controlled by the same person. When so many ostensibly independent newspapers unanimously reported a fabricated story, it could make others doubt the truth—or even believe it wholeheartedly.
"How many people truly understand the royal family? And this was over a decade ago," William said. "Would you care about whether the children of a neighboring king from ten years ago died of illness or disappeared? Would you have the means to verify whether they truly died of illness or were assassinated?"
"The truth, when it's far away, can only be known through hearsay or what's printed in the papers. In this world, the truth has never been important. What matters is having the loudest voice and silencing your opponents," William said, his gaze fixed on the small island now visible in the distance.
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