[Galahad]
[Title: Knight of the Holy Grail]
[Affiliation: Round Table Knights]
[Noble Phantasms: Red-Hilted Sword, The Distant Ideal City]
That was all the data shown about Galahad.
Simple—almost laughably so.
But Arthur wasn't surprised.
Given how minimalistic his so-called "system" was, having any data at all was already generous.
Detailed stats? Attributes? Strength or magic power levels? Forget it—such things were clearly impossible here.
After all, Galahad wasn't some fictional summon—he was a real person.
A living being's strength fluctuated constantly; he couldn't be neatly quantified like a number.
By Arthur's estimation, Galahad's base power was roughly on par with a High-Ranking Officer—a bit weaker than Arthur himself.
However…
What if he unlocked the Holy Grail hidden within his Red-Hilted Sword?
In those moments, Galahad's might would become overwhelming.
There was no doubt about that.
The strength of the Knights of the Round Table had never lain in raw power.
Their brilliance came from their Noble Phantasms—treasures that embodied their legends.
Each knight was a prodigy, chosen by fate.
But not all were like Saber—the bearer of the Red Dragon's Heart, the final ember of myth itself.
The age of myths was long gone.
That was why, in the end, the one who felled that king was Mordred—the very heir of her blood.
Only the one who shared her lineage could end her legend.
Even the strongest knights—Lancelot, Gawain, and the rest—had fallen short.
Galahad, though the purest of them all—the knight who once raised the Grail—was born too late.
Had he lived in the mythic age, he would have been an angel.
But now, he was just a man.
The Knights of the Round Table were mighty—but not world-shattering.
Not gods who could split the sea with a gesture.
Arthur understood that well.
That was why he accepted Galahad's current power without complaint.
It was enough for now.
In time, Galahad would grow stronger—and together, they would fulfill Arthur's grand ambition.
---
Clack… Clack…
Arthur's boots echoed as he strode away, leaving everything behind him to Galahad.
Gion's attacks grew sharper, more ferocious—but Arthur never looked back.
He knew Galahad would handle it.
He always did.
BOOM!
A devastating punch shattered the chest of a pirate before him.
The officer didn't even have time to scream before his body was blown apart.
"Hahahaha!"
The man who threw that punch—the Lion Admiral, Vixen—grinned broadly, crossing his massive arms.
"So, Arthur, brat! You've come to challenge me again, have you?"
His voice was bold and thunderous, his very presence radiating arrogance.
As a Marine Admiral, "The Lion" Vixen carried himself with absolute pride.
Arthur's arrival was no surprise to him—it was as though he had been expecting it all along.
"Yeah," Arthur smiled faintly.
"Admiral Lion Vixen. Back then, I couldn't even scratch you. But today…"
He drew in a breath, eyes blazing with resolve.
"...I'm here to change that. Like they say—where you fall is where you rise again."
Vexen's laughter boomed.
"Well said! Well said, boy!"
He nodded approvingly. "It's a damn shame you're a pirate. If you'd joined the Marines… ah, never mind."
His expression hardened.
"You're the enemy now. So I'll do what must be done—kill you myself."
A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
He'd seen too many so-called geniuses collapse after one defeat.
Crocodile. Moria. Countless others.
Once they fell, they never rose again.
But Arthur—Arthur was different.
He was a prodigy, no question.
Yet unlike the others, he had faced failure, learned from it—and returned stronger than before.
That made him terrifying.
That made him worth Vixen's respect.
"Heh…"
Arthur chuckled softly.
"I became a pirate because I wanted more than what your 'justice' could ever give me. But enough talk—"
He lifted his invisible blade, his form encased in shining knight's armor.
"—let's see again, Lion Admiral… what true power looks like."
Vixen's grin widened.
"Come, then! Show me, brat of the new era!
If you can beat me today, then this old lion's era ends here!"
Crack!
Arthur's foot slammed into the ground, splitting it apart as he launched forward like a bullet.
His speed was blinding.
Whoosh!
The invisible blade sliced toward Vixen's throat in a single, flawless motion.
No hesitation. No holding back.
Against an Admiral, restraint was suicide.
Clang!
Vixen met the blow head-on, his arm coated in Armament Haki.
A grin split his face.
"So that's it! I finally felt it—your weapon. A sword. A wide-bladed knight's sword, am I right? A heavy cavalry blade?"
Gasps echoed around them.
Everyone nearby turned in shock.
For the first time, Arthur's mysterious weapon had been identified.
But Arthur gave no answer—only pressed his assault.
The clash intensified, steel and haki ringing like thunder.
Each strike blurred the air, each counter perfectly timed.
Neither gave an inch.
Then—
BANG!
Vixen's punch met Arthur's blade, the force blasting the younger man backward.
Arthur twisted midair and landed hard, the ground cracking beneath his boots as he absorbed the impact.
CRACK!
The earth caved in under the pressure, dust rising around him.
And then came the next strike—
"Shigan!"
Vixen's finger thrust forward like a spear, wreathed in haki.
Arthur barely blocked, but the shock numbed his entire right arm.
The strength gap was still vast.
Even with the Red Dragon Bloodline, facing a Mythical Zoan user like Vexen head-on was brutal.
He slid backward, leaving deep gouges in the ground before finally stopping.
Arthur smirked.
"Admiral Lion… looks like you're not so untouchable anymore. I can see your limits now."
Vixen's eyes narrowed.
"Don't get cocky, brat. You think you've seen my limit? Don't make me laugh!"
He lunged forward, fist blazing.
BOOM!
Arthur met him punch for punch.
He wasn't backing down.
"You're a Zoan, huh?" Arthur growled. "Well, I'm a Red Dragon!"
Their fists collided again, bursting with Conqueror's Haki, violet lightning crackling between them.
Arthur's arm trembled—but he didn't yield.
"GET BACK!"
Arthur roared, unleashing a burst of raw power that actually forced Vixen to take a step back.
For a heartbeat, the entire battlefield froze.
"What…?"
"Did he just—?"
"That's Admiral Vixen! The Lion himself!"
"He… he got pushed back? By that kid?!"
The Marines stared in disbelief.
They knew Arthur was powerful—one of the Rocks Pirates' new-generation monsters, even stronger than Gion.
But to force back an Admiral?
That was beyond imagination.
—
Arthur exhaled slowly, smiling through his exhaustion.
"See, Admiral? Like I said… your strength isn't unreachable anymore."
For a moment, silence.
Then—
"Hahahahahaha!"
Vixen burst out laughing.
Instead of rage, there was delight.
"Arthur Pendragon… you truly are something else!"
"In just one year, you've grown to this level…!"
Then his tone hardened.
"But that's precisely why I can't hold back. You're too dangerous—for the Marines, for the justice I carry."
He tore off his Marine coat, letting it fall to the ground.
Everyone watching knew what that meant.
An Admiral removing his coat—there was no higher sign of seriousness.
---
Elsewhere on the battlefield—
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido's roar shook the sky as he clashed against Gaji.
"Urgh…!"
Gaji gritted his teeth, sliding backward.
Shakky exhaled a puff of smoke, stepping forward.
"Kaido, leave him to me. Go help your captain."
Kaido's eyes gleamed.
"Shakky… I owe you one. And I will repay it."
Shakky smiled faintly.
"Getting Kaido of the Beasts to owe me a favor—that's rare indeed."
Kaido chuckled darkly, hefting his kanabo as he strode toward the distant clash between Arthur and the Lion Admiral.
—
"Hey, Arthur!" Kaido bellowed.
"You bastard, you planning to face a Marine Admiral alone?!"
Arthur glanced at him, smiling faintly.
"I think I can handle him on my own."
Kaido grinned wide, eyes turning feral.
"Funny. I was thinking the same thing."
He came to stand beside Arthur, muscles tensing, his gaze filled with savage excitement.
For a moment—it was just like a year ago.
The two of them, side by side, standing before the Lion Admiral once more.
Two boys who had once been crushed beneath his power…
Now stood ready to challenge the lion again.
---
Clang! Clang!
Elsewhere, Galahad calmly parried Gion's strikes one after another.
No matter how many attacks came, his movements remained smooth, serene—unshakable.
---
Shakky exhaled another puff of smoke, smiling at Gaji.
"Don't go easy on me just because I'm a woman."
"Earth Fist!"
Gaji said nothing—his arm hardened with Armament Haki as boulders formed around his hand and shot forward.
Shakky's body twisted gracefully, slipping past the attack with ease.
Her hand brushed his fist lightly—then countered in a single flowing motion.
Never underestimate Shakky.
She was a member of Rocks Pirate too.
---
"Hahahahaha!"
Vixen laughed as he looked upon the two before him—Arthur and Kaido, standing together once more.
A year ago, they were just reckless boys.
Now, they were warriors.
And he knew—he couldn't underestimate them again.
Their growth was monstrous.
Even that brief exchange had proven it.
He'd have to fight seriously now.
---------------------------///
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