Up to now—
It had been three full months since the God Valley War.
And today…
Arthur's Britannia Archipelago had finally settled into full stability.
The population had reached roughly fifty thousand, and from them, 5,000 apprentice knights were selected.
Among them:
500 non-humans
4,500 humans
All were placed under Galahad's training.
As time passed, the results were becoming increasingly clear—their growth was dramatic.
And…
After all this time, Arthur finally received news.
Max had reached Water 7 and met Tom.
When Max extended Britannia's invitation, Tom agreed without hesitation.
For a craftsman capable of building the Sea Train and ships able to sail across the entire world…
Arthur held nothing but respect.
Even though Tom had not yet arrived, preparations were already underway.
After all—
This concerned the future of transportation between Britannia's islands.
With the population booming, faint logistical issues were beginning to appear.
Most problems were minor—but the greatest concern was inter-island connectivity.
That was the real challenge.
—
"Your Majesty!"
"What is it?"
"A pirate ship is approaching from afar!"
"Oh?"
Arthur had been in the middle of training.
In addition to training, he had daily administrative duties.
Although the Britannia Empire had not yet officially declared its founding—similar to a pirate crew raising its own flag—they needed absolute readiness before publicly assuming their identity.
No sane man would raise sail without preparation.
Only fools would.
Arthur understood this.
Thus his daily routine was grueling: training and governance, both executed with machine-like precision.
At times, even Gawain couldn't help but sigh:
My King, you are not a machine. You are a merciful ruler. You are human—you deserve a life of your own.
Arthur of course knew this.
But—to realize his vision—he had no choice but to push himself.
He was only eighteen.
This was no time for rest.
He stopped training, took a towel from a nearby attendant, and wiped his sweat.
"Who is it?"
"Whitebeard!"
"Edward Newgate!"
"The Whitebeard Pirates!"
"…I see."
Hearing the report, Arthur's lips curved into a relaxed smile.
"So it's Edward. Knowing him, he probably just came to watch the excitement. After all, what happened in the Britannia Sea caused quite a stir across the world."
Although Arthur had driven Shiki away, countless reckless pirates still swarmed the region.
Madmen, all of them—charging again and again as if they truly believed they could conquer Britannia.
Whether they could make use of it afterward?
Whether they could defend it?
Please.
Such thoughts never crossed their minds.
They simply didn't care.
Wave after wave of attacks.
Trial after trial from major powers, both openly and in the shadows.
For nearly a month, Arthur had lost track of how many assaults he had repelled.
Naturally—
He had recorded every single offender.
You provoke me and expect to walk away?
What a joke.
During this month—
Gawain the Sun Knight,
Galahad the Grail Knight,
Had carved their names into the seas with blood and thunder.
All the world now understood:
Arthur was not a lone king—he commanded elites worthy of legend.
Their reputations were written in the corpses of their enemies.
—
"Your Majesty!"
Gawain entered the training grounds, formal and resolute.
"The Whitebeard Pirates have reached the edge of the Britannia Sea. Shall we attack?"
Arthur shook his head.
"No need. Come—we'll greet him. I want to see what Edward intends."
"Yes!"
Gawain followed Arthur out.
It was worth noting…
During his time in the Rocks Pirates, Arthur had few he could call "friends."
But the ones he got along with were Edward, Shiki, and Kaido.
Though they constantly tried to kill each other, in this sea that meant nothing.
At night, they could drink until unconscious without fear.
Come morning—show even a hint of carelessness, and the others wouldn't hesitate to take your life.
Such was the camaraderie of monsters.
You had to know when to relax…
And when never to relax.
...
Outside the Britannia Sea
Splash—
A ship shaped like a massive whale sailed steadily forward—
the Moby Dick, flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Standing proudly on the deck, Edward Newgate chuckled:
"Volcanic Island… Glacier Island…"
"How interesting."
"What kind of preparations has that brat Arthur made?"
He was genuinely amused.
Such extreme environmental changes in a short time should've been impossible—
unless someone possessed an ability like Shiki's.
But whether he liked it or not—
Arthur had done the impossible.
"Pops!"
Marco, young and full of curiosity, asked:
"Do you think this is some kind of special Devil Fruit ability?"
Whitebeard shook his head.
"No idea."
"But whether it's Arthur, or those so-called Knights of the Round Table—Gawain and Galahad—I can already guess something."
"What?"
"That their weapons aren't normal."
"Not normal?"
Marco blinked in confusion.
Whitebeard nodded.
"Arthur's invisible weapon—Gawain's sword—Galahad's sword… all of them have something unusual."
"These weapons carry power—real power."
Marco nodded seriously.
Whitebeard continued training him like a proper successor. Though Edward was only in his thirties, he was already grooming Marco to one day stand at his side.
---
Meanwhile—
Arthur and Gawain had arrived at Volcano Island.
Unlike Glacier Island, which was guarded by Fish-men, the interior of Volcano Island buzzed like a chaotic mercantile hub.
Arthur had designated it a trade city.
After all—
No outsiders were allowed near the main island of Britannia.
Glacier Island suited the Fish-men perfectly.
Volcano Island, with its dangerous magma eruptions, was ideal for controlling unruly visitors.
A single pillar of lava could erase any troublemaker.
No one was foolish enough to think they could dodge or tank such a thing.
—
"Gurararara!"
"Alright boys! Bring the ship in!"
"Aye, Pops!"
The Whitebeard Pirates laughed boldly, fearless as always.
Their confidence came from their captain—unbreakable, overwhelming, absolute.
Splash—
The Moby Dick docked at Volcano Island.
Thud.
Thud.
Whitebeard strode ashore with his usual grandeur.
Arthur quietly calmed the will of Britannia itself.
The Whitebeard Pirates were not friends—and could easily become enemies.
He had to ensure Britannia did not react violently on its own.
Arthur smiled.
"Edward, has it really only been three months? You've already finished building such a massive pirate ship?"
Whitebeard laughed loudly.
"Gurararara! And you didn't prepare anything, brat?"
"Three months—and you've already created an entire Britannia Sea?"
"No wonder you kept saying you weren't interested in being a pirate.
Turns out… your goal was to be a king!"
Arthur chuckled softly.
"Of course. I've said it before—Britannia Island, Britannia Empire… it is not only my ambition, but my responsibility."
Behind him, Gawain remained silent.
He wanted to tell his king—You don't have to carry this alone.
But looking at Arthur, radiant like a rising sun, he couldn't bring himself to say the words.
This new world had no restraints.
No chains.
Here, Arthur could finally succeed.
It was why every Knight of the Round Table followed him without hesitation.
Whitebeard smiled.
"Ambition… responsibility…"
"Arthur, brat, you're different from us.
You share our ambition,
but you also carry something we never could—duty."
"That's the difference between us."
Arthur shook his head lightly as he led the way toward the volcanic trade city.
"It's nothing strange. From the beginning, my path was never the same as yours.
But your lives—the freedom of pirates—there's nothing wrong with that either."
"Gurararara! That's true. Pirates are the freest people on these seas."
"But even so… there are just things we can never do."
He thought of his homeland—
A place he could never openly protect as a pirate.
His laughter faded into a quiet sigh.
----------------------------///
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