Listening to Agravain's account, Arthur found it rather amusing.
"Heh…"
He couldn't help but chuckle. "Agravain—so what was the final outcome?"
"Bullet and Marco were evenly matched," Agravain replied.
"Of course, the two youths didn't decide a winner."
"I intervened and stopped it."
"As for Mother and Whitebeard…"
"According to Mother herself, if she were to leave the Britannian Isles, she likely wouldn't be his equal."
Arthur nodded. That much was within his expectations. His sister's strength could only be fully unleashed on the Britannian Isles—unless one day Britannia itself awakened and released all of its power.
When that day came, no matter where she was, Morgan would be able to fight at full strength.
For now, that wasn't possible.
Arthur thought for a moment. "And how was everything settled in the end?"
Agravain replied, "In the end, at thirty percent of the usual price, Sir Shipwright Tom built four escort ships for the Whitebeard Pirates. That closed the matter."
Arthur nodded. He had taken a small loss, but it was nothing significant. As long as the issue was put to rest, that was good enough.
"Alright. Anything else?"
"Nothing else of note," Agravain said. "After the clash with Whitebeard ended, pirate incursions dropped sharply. Clearly, Mother's strength made its impact. However, Britannia's current defensive forces are still too thin."
"I understand," Arthur replied. "If nothing unexpected happens, I should be preparing to return in a few days."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"With your permission, I'll take my leave."
"Mm."
"Blu—"
The Den Den Mushi clicked off.
Arthur fell silent, deep in thought. This incident was clearly different from the others.
"Your Majesty," Gareth said from behind him, hesitating slightly. "What do you think about all this?"
Arthur replied calmly, "Most of those pirates were merely probing on behalf of others—nothing serious. My sister's actions this time also made her strength unmistakably clear. That's actually a good thing."
"However," Arthur continued, frowning slightly, "there's another issue that matters even more. Britannia's surrounding seas still have many unresolved problems. It seems everything must be dealt with slowly, step by step."
Gareth smiled. "Your Majesty, I believe that no matter the circumstances, you'll succeed. Under your leadership, Britannia will surely stand at the summit of this world."
Arthur smiled but said nothing. His ambition had always been exactly that—to lead Britannia to the top of the world.
---
In truth, the outside world's understanding wasn't entirely accurate.
The Pendragon family wasn't limited to just Arthur and Morgan le Fay.
Gawain, Gareth, and Agravain—the three siblings—were also members of the Pendragon bloodline.
Their full names were:
Gawain Pendragon
Gareth Pendragon
Agravain Pendragon
They were Morgan's sons and daughter. Was it strange for them to bear that name?
Not at all.
The name Pendragon itself symbolized something extraordinary. Not just anyone was worthy of it—and those who bore it were never weak.
Morgan had long believed that she created her children through various powerful means.
But in truth, it was because they were Pendragons that they could possess such power in the first place.
The difference might seem subtle, but the order of cause and effect changed everything.
That distinction was fundamental.
...
Arthur exhaled slowly. "Gareth—how did things go on Gawain's side?"
Gareth reported, "Your Majesty, Sir Gawain has resolved all existing and potential issues on Fish-Man Island. With Sir Galahad's abilities, seeing through everything was effortless."
"The purge was swift. All slave traders—and anyone harboring such intentions—have either been dealt with… or are already hanging as examples."
"Additionally, recruitment on Fish-Man Island has begun. The response has been overwhelming—over a hundred thousand applicants already. And Fisher Tiger himself plans to enlist."
Arthur nodded, thoroughly satisfied.
Fish-Man Island had required immense effort to secure—failure had been a real possibility without a bit of luck. Now that it had become a vassal state, Arthur naturally expected proper returns.
Money wasn't what he valued most.
What mattered were talents—especially people like Max and Tiger. Once they joined Britannia, their future status would be unquestionable.
Arthur thought briefly. "We can begin grooming Max. Let him undergo the Round Table evaluation."
Gareth blinked, then considered it. "Your Majesty… Mas has enough merit, but to become a full Round Table Knight, he'll still need time."
Arthur nodded. "No rush."
He didn't say more. Max wasn't the only one on his list—Tiger and Jinbe were as well.
If Max, Tiger, and Jinbe all became Round Table Knights, then as knights they could protect Fish-Man Island directly—while also placing it firmly under Britannia's control.
These three represented Fish-Man Island across different eras. Making them Round Table Knights would make them both pillars and guardians.
There was nothing more to question.
Of course, Arthur kept these calculations to himself. Schemes like these were best handled quietly.
All in all, everything was proceeding smoothly.
Arthur was more than satisfied. This journey to Fish-Man Island had yielded enormous gains.
Naturally, there were still matters left to handle—but there was no need to rush. Returning to Britannia would take time.
---
Meanwhile...
"All of you—quiet down!"
Tiger roared, standing at the forefront. "Calm yourselves! One at a time! Pass the test, and you'll become knight apprentices! Remember—fifty thousand will be selected, and from them, the finest ten thousand will be chosen! Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Brother Tiger!"
The Fish-Men roared in unison.
At least five to six hundred thousand Fish-Men had gathered here.
Why was Fish-Man Island's population considered terrifying?
Fish-Men, Longarm Tribe, Longleg Tribe—
the three most populous races among all non-humans.
(And the Sky People were numerous as well.)
Fish-Man Island alone had nearly ten million residents, rivaling the largest islands of the world.
That was precisely why the World Government had suppressed them for so long.
Ten million Fish-Men, properly organized, would be a force beyond imagination—after all, a Fish-Man's raw strength was ten times that of a human.
Tiger himself was another monster altogether—ten times stronger than ordinary Fish-Men.
This wasn't exaggeration.
And yet, after everything that had happened, Arthur—this absurdly charismatic man—had earned overwhelming trust on Fish-Man Island.
The speed at which centuries of resentment toward humans faded was almost eerie.
That could only be attributed to Arthur himself. Anyone else would have failed.
...
Under Tiger's command, the Fish-Men gradually calmed down and lined up in order.
Gawain watched the scene in awe. "I never imagined it would be like this."
The sheer numbers were staggering.
Max sighed emotionally. "This is all because of the King."
Hugh said bluntly, "Sir Gawain, I'm setting sail. I'm going to Little Garden to bring my eldest and second brothers back."
Gawain froze, then said seriously, "Hugh—be careful. The Grand Line isn't the New World. Don't let anything go wrong."
Hugh grinned confidently. "Don't worry, Sir Gawain. Nothing will happen."
Only then did Gawain nod.
The selection continued—and with these numbers, it was impossible to finish in a day or two.
Gawain understood Arthur's requirements clearly:
Those selected had to be exceptional even among Fish-Men.
Fish-Men were ten times stronger than humans.
Tiger was more than ten times stronger than Fish-Men.
That was just a saying—but Tiger truly possessed talent dozens of times greater than ordinary Fish-Men.
And Gawain was selecting exactly such prodigies.
At minimum, they needed five times the talent of an average Fish-Man.
"Next!"
"Next!"
—
Time passed by...
Half a month already passed.
Finally though, fifty thousand Fish-Men were selected.
From over half a million candidates—this was talent in abundance.
If Tiger's Sun Pirates were composed of these fifty thousand Fish-Men, each mastering both Armament and Observation Haki…
They would be monsters.
No wonder the World Government feared the Fish-Men.
Out of a population of over nine million Fish-Men, even after removing the old, weak, and sick, there were still at least four million capable fighters.
That level of potential was terrifying.
Arthur smiled. "Neptune—without your cooperation, this selection wouldn't have been easy."
Neptune stood half a step behind Arthur and replied earnestly,
"Your Majesty Arthur, this is already more than enough. Your protection alone is invaluable to the Ryugu Kingdom."
"And more than that…"
Neptune looked down, deeply moved. "You were willing to share part of your training methods. That was something I never expected."
Arthur had allowed Galahad to help train Fish-Man soldiers. Even if only the fundamentals were taught, Galahad's skill meant their strength would multiply.
Arthur was never a heartless ruler.
As long as the Ryugu Kingdom's attitude satisfied him, he was never one to only take without giving.
In fact, he understood this principle perfectly.
To control the Ryugu Kingdom through exploitation alone was meaningless. Only mutual benefit could bind it firmly under Britannia's rule.
That was the key.
And just as Arthur and Neptune were speaking—
A momentous event erupted across the seas.
A massive upheaval occurred at Marine Headquarters.
------------------------------///
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