"Hmm."
"The three Admirals of Marine Headquarters?"
"So Kong has become the new Fleet Admiral of the Marines."
"And next—"
"Sengoku the Buddha."
"Black Arm Zephyr."
"Great Staff Officer Tsuru."
"The three of them will serve as the Admirals of Marine Headquarters."
After receiving this news, Arthur actually found it rather interesting. After all, Fish-Man Island was located far beneath the sea, and information dissemination here was inevitably delayed. Whether it was Fish-Man Island or Sky Island, intelligence transmission always suffered from significant lag.
"Hmm…"
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Arthur pondered the situation. In the original course of history, there should only have been two Admirals at this point—Sengoku and Zephyr—while Garp remained a Hero Vice Admiral. Together, they still formed the Marines' three top combat forces, which was sufficient.
However—
This era had already undergone massive changes.
Pirate forces were growing increasingly terrifying. If the Marines couldn't even maintain three top-tier combatants, that would spell serious trouble. Precisely because of this, the Marines had adjusted their structure.
Since Garp had no intention of becoming an Admiral, Tsuru stepped in to fill the vacant position. While her combat power was somewhat inferior compared to the other three, she was still undeniably one of the strongest figures of this era, and her strength was more than adequate for an Admiral.
"Your Majesty Arthur,"
Neptune said thoughtfully,
"Will this change in the Marines have a major impact on Fish-Man Island?"
Arthur responded calmly,
"Relax. There won't be any major negative impact. In fact, this is actually good news for Fish-Man Island. The number of pirates reaching Fish-Man Island via Sabaody Archipelago will decrease significantly."
To put it simply—
If pirates traveling from Sabaody to Fish-Man Island via coating had only a one-in-ten chance of surviving before, then once the Marines began operating at full force, pirate crackdowns would intensify drastically. That survival rate would likely drop to one in a hundred.
"I see,"
Neptune immediately understood, nodding in realization.
"In that case, as long as we guard against slave traders, the rest becomes much simpler."
Exactly.
As long as the slave traders were eliminated, regular merchants were welcome on Fish-Man Island. The difference was that this was no longer a place for free exploitation—business now required payment. If you didn't pay, Fish-Man Island wouldn't accommodate you.
Under such conditions, Fish-Man Island would naturally grow wealthier, while problems would steadily diminish. Compared to pirates, major organizations were far more cautious. With large territories and assets, they wouldn't start a war over minor issues.
Pirates, on the other hand, were different.
These were desperate men living with their lives on the line—today alive, tomorrow dead. Once they went mad, chaos would erupt, and that was far harder to manage.
That was why pirates were the most troublesome group of all. Reducing their numbers drastically reduced Fish-Man Island's problems.
"Still," Neptune said thoughtfully,
"those reckless slave traders must be dealt with thoroughly. Otherwise—"
Arthur smiled and interrupted,
"Neptune, you don't need to worry about that. Gawain will handle any slave traders who dare to take risks. You can rest assured."
"Your Majesty Arthur!"
"That's a relief."
Neptune was visibly delighted. This was the most crucial issue—once it was resolved, everything else became manageable.
One month.
In just a single month, Neptune had personally witnessed earth-shattering changes on Fish-Man Island—changes that had never occurred in decades, even centuries.
The joy he felt was indescribable. It wasn't exaggeration—it was joy from the depths of his heart, from his very soul, something outsiders could never truly understand.
Arthur merely smiled without comment.
As time passed, the Ryugu Kingdom's reliance on Britannia grew deeper and deeper. Tiger, too, led large numbers of Fish-Man elites into the Knight Corps.
The royal authority was increasingly consolidated. The island's champions were gradually brought under control.
In truth—
The Ryugu Kingdom was now completely within Arthur's grasp.
"Hoo…"
Taking a small sip from his wine glass, Arthur's smile grew even deeper. Everything was proceeding exactly as planned—almost too easily.
"Drink!"
"Drink!"
Elsewhere, the Fish-Men continued their intense training.
Although fifty thousand candidates had been selected after half a month, that number wasn't the final goal. In reality, the true elite wouldn't even number ten thousand.
What was needed were elites among elites—geniuses among geniuses.
"Ha!"
"Hah!"
Under Galahad's instruction, training had continued for five days. Over those five days, the number of candidates was ruthlessly reduced—three to five thousand eliminated each day. After five days, only twenty-eight thousand remained.
The attrition was staggering.
Yet the remaining Fish-Men knew this wasn't over. Every one of them trained with heads held high, refusing to falter no matter how exhausted they became.
After all—
If they joined the Knight Corps, they could finally escape the stigma that had haunted them their entire lives.
The backstreets of the Ryugu Kingdom—born from humanity's cruelty—had become a dark underworld where they were branded as lesser Fish-Men.
Now, they finally had a chance.
If they passed the selection and entered the Knight Corps, they would truly bring honor to their names. There was no hesitation about that.
Even failure wasn't meaningless—those eliminated could still join the palace guard, a position of high status.
But what they truly desired was the Knight Corps.
Joining it meant the highest possible elevation of status.
Even the veterans were only apprentice knights—these candidates wanted nothing less than to become full-fledged knights.
That was the dream of every Fish-Man present.
The remaining twenty-eight thousand trained with unyielding determination. Not a single one dared to slack off.
"AAAAAH!"
With ferocious roars, madness burned in their eyes.
"Mm."
Watching this, Galahad nodded in approval.
Standing beside him, Gawain asked quietly,
"Galahad, isn't this training a bit too extreme? Won't it leave lasting injuries?"
Galahad shook his head.
"Don't worry. I've studied their physiology. Fish-Man Karate and Fish-Man Jujutsu both include recovery methods. I've arranged someone to oversee strict instruction. This training load is optimal."
"Is that so?"
Gawain thought for a moment, then nodded. If Galahad said it was fine, then it likely was.
After all—
In this field, Galahad was the true authority.
Time continued to pass.
Fifteen days for initial selection.
Another fifteen days for further refinement.
A full month in total.
Arthur had now been on Fish-Man Island for an entire month—but he wasn't in a hurry to leave. With Agravain governing Britannia and Morgan handling military affairs, nothing could go wrong.
After all—
Morgan had fought Whitebeard for three days and three nights. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't dare provoke Britannia now.
As for Fish-Man Island?
Troublemakers hadn't stopped coming—but after Arthur personally crushed several of them with overwhelming force, they learned their lesson.
This was Britannia's territory.
Behave—or be gone for good.
So far—
Four and a half months had passed since the dissolution of the Rocks Pirates.
In those months, the Flying Pirates? The Whitebeard Pirates?
No.
While their names echoed across the seas, the force that truly shook the world was Britannia.
The Pendragon family.
Arthur Pendragon.
Morgan le Fay Pendragon.
The Knights of the Round Table.
Their names thundered across the ocean, leaving the world in awe.
Britannia had risen by stepping over giants—Shiki, Whitebeard, Ochoku, Silver Axe—and carved its name into history.
Shocking? Yes.
But understandable.
To rise so quickly, one must step on the strong.
Fish-Man Island was now extraordinarily safe.
Arthur personally sat in command, and everyone knew it.
But—
Everyone was waiting.
They believed Arthur would eventually leave.
Fish-Man Island was too valuable a prize to abandon.
Arthur's deterrence alone wasn't enough.
Only when Arthur departed—and challengers realized they still stood no chance against Gawain—would true stability arrive.
Only then would Fish-Man Island enjoy genuine peace.
And how long that peace would last—
Depended entirely on how long Britannia remained strong.
As long as Britannia did not decline—
Its glory would endure.
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
Under Galahad's supervision, the Fish-Man Knight Corps—now numbering ten thousand—underwent the harshest training imaginable.
The fact that they had risen above all other Fish-Men already proved their extraordinary talent.
Even Galahad was deeply satisfied with their presence and spirit.
Gareth asked curiously,
"Sir Galahad, how do they compare to Britannia's former Knight Corps?"
Galahad shook his head.
"There's no comparison. The old Knight Corps relied entirely on the King and the Round Table Knights. This Fish-Man Knight Corps is fundamentally different—every aspect of them is complete."
"Really?"
Gareth was startled by the disparity.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
Old Britannia had been rejected by the world. Aside from those destined to be born strong, ordinary people had pitiful aptitude.
Without King Arthur and the Round Table, defeat would have been inevitable.
The physiques of humans and demi-humans in this world far surpassed those of that era.
"Judging by the time…"
Arthur murmured,
"It's almost time to leave."
A month and a half had passed.
The Fish-Man Knight Corps was established. He would stay another half month at most—to fully solidify their foundation—before departing.
He couldn't remain on Fish-Man Island forever.
Britannia still awaited him.
Besides—
If Morgan kept dealing with pirates nonstop, the shut-in sorceress might truly explode.
For a homebody, constant interruptions were intolerable.
"Buru~"
"Buru~"
At that moment, a Den Den Mushi rang.
Arthur froze briefly, then smiled in surprise.
"This is Shakky's Den Den Mushi? Interesting. For her to contact me proactively—this must be some fascinating intel."
Arthur's interest was instantly piqued.
After all—
Shakky was one of the very few people who would ever contact him on her own initiative.
Which meant—
She must have obtained some truly shocking and intriguing information.
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