Splash… splash…
At that moment—
Arthur and Galahad were still speaking, when several pirate ships appeared on the horizon.
"Oh ho!"
"Brothers, what are we looking at here?"
"God Valley!"
"In just a month… the place turned into this?"
"Interesting!"
Eight pirate ships.
Over a thousand men.
Each filled with madness and greed.
All of them—former members of the Rocks Pirates.
These people could barely be called "human" anymore.
They had long lost their sanity, twisted into deranged beasts.
"Brothers!"
"Kill!"
"Kill them!!"
Their crazed bellows shook the sea as they charged forward.
---
Meanwhile…
On the newly-settled Glacier Island, the Fish-Men paused what they were doing and looked toward the oncoming ships.
"What's this?"
"Attackers?"
"Seems like it."
The Fish-Men murmured among themselves.
There were over 500 of them—it was only natural for chatter to spread.
At that moment—
A heavy, older voice spoke.
From within the crowd stepped a towering Tiger Shark Fish-Man, about fifty to sixty years old, his presence sharp and oppressive.
Deep-Sea Tiger — Max.
Once a renowned protector of Fish-Man Island.
Captured by slave traders.
Sold to the Celestial Dragons.
Freed at God Valley.
And now, one of Arthur's most loyal followers.
His combat strength easily rivaled a Marine Vice Admiral.
Hands clasped behind him, Max spoke with calm authority:
"Everyone… you followed me here, even though many of you are uncertain about this place."
"You resent humans."
"You distrust humans."
"But—"
"Since we have joined His Majesty's nation, we must uphold Fish-Man honor."
"If we abandon our principles the moment life becomes convenient…"
"…we disgrace the teachings of our elders."
"Yes!"
At Max's words, the eyes of all Fish-Men instantly sharpened.
Whether they came out of loyalty to Max, or out of shared suffering—now that they were here, they were part of Britannia.
More importantly—
They lived on Glacier Island, one of the two fortified islands guarding Britannia's sea domain.
Protecting it was their duty.
"Leave none alive."
"Yes!"
With that, the Fish-Men leapt into the water together—hundreds of bodies slipping instantly into the deep.
—
"Oh?"
"Just a bunch of fish-trash!"
"You think—"
"Fish-Man Karate: Shark Bullet!"
CRACK!
A devastating water shot pierced clean through a pirate's chest.
Max remained calmly standing on the glacier coast.
"I am not so old that I can't move anymore," he said coldly.
"And since you came looking for a fight… don't blame me for not holding back."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Hmph. Or perhaps… this land grants its people strength."
"I can almost feel someone supporting me."
"Fish-Man Karate — Shark Bullet: Rainfall Barrage!"
Dozens of shots fired in rapid succession.
Max might not surpass future legends like Fisher Tiger or Jinbe in raw strength…
but in pure Fish-Man Karate, he was a master beyond masters.
Decades of discipline had honed his technique to perfection.
"Fish-Man Karate — Shark Bullet!"
Hundreds of Fish-Men surfaced at once, launching their own water bullets—bursting out like cannon fire.
"Bastards!"
"Don't get cocky!"
"You dare look down on us?!"
"RAAAH!"
Eight pirate captains sprang into the air using Moonwalk, charging toward Max.
As former mid-ranking officers in the Rocks Pirates, they refused to accept being overwhelmed by someone they considered beneath them.
"Old man!!"
Max's gaze sharpened.
He knew they were strong—easily Vice Admiral level.
"Elbaf Spear — Hakoku Sovereignty!"
"HAHAHA!!"
"Max!"
"You old fish! Don't hog the fun!"
A massive shadow descended from the sky.
A giant's slash tore the space apart, landing beside Max.
Hugh swung his enormous naginata with a wild grin.
"Damn it!!"
"A Giant?!"
"Tch!"
The pirate captains scattered to block the incoming attacks.
They were strong—as expected of those who once served under Rocks.
Each captain possessed Vice Admiral-level strength.
Max glanced sideways.
"Hmph. Hugh… to think someone as stupidly arrogant as you joined Britannia. Even I was surprised."
Clearly—
Max and Hugh knew each other.
Long ago, they were rivals—and friends—representing different powers but sharing the same pride.
"Hahahaha!!"
Hugh roared.
"Who knows why? But following His Majesty—that's the most exciting thing in the world!"
Max sighed.
"I only wished for a place to belong…
and when the last thing I saw in my darkest moment was His Majesty's smile of salvation…"
"How could I not follow him?"
"True enough."
Both men spoke with quiet conviction.
—
BANG!
A Longarm Tribe youth—barely twenty—punched a pirate captain straight out of the air.
"Heheheh!"
He landed lightly, grinning.
"Old men love reminiscing too much. Me? I just want to climb higher alongside our king."
"Azure Dragon Cleaving Water!"
A foot soldier of the Longleg Tribe soared overhead, unleashing a slash shaped like an azure dragon roaring through the sky.
"Tsk. Annoying!"
The pirate captain dodged frantically.
Thud!
A forty-year-old Longleg Tribe fighter, dressed like a martial artist, landed with calm eyes.
"Old man," the Longarm youth said, "you're strong!"
"Hardly."
The Longleg elder—Wei—shook his head modestly.
Two more leaders appeared:
Wei, the Longleg Tribe's martial artist grandmaster, creator of a leg-style Iaido
Bohr, the Longarm Tribe's young prodigy, feared as Fist Demon
Together with:
Hugh (Giants)
Max (Fish-Men)
These four formed the mid-tier backbone of Britannia.
They were recognized as:
Candidate Knights of the Round Table.
All trained personally by Galahad.
And after being beaten by Galahad once each, they trained very honestly.
Arthur believed that while none may reach Bullet's monstrous talent, they would undoubtedly earn true knighthood in time.
The Three-Eye and Snakeneck Tribes had strong warriors as well—they simply hadn't joined this battle yet.
"Damn it!!"
"Filthy non-humans!"
"Don't get cocky!"
"GRR!!"
The eight pirate captains, though wounded, were still alive—their fury boiling.
They had expected an easy slaughter.
Instead—
They were being overwhelmed.
Worse—
In deep sea battles, Fish-Men were unmatched.
Fighting Fish-Men in the ocean was nothing short of suicide.
And something else was wrong.
Their attacks...
Were being blocked by a strange, unseen resistance.
"Damn fish-trash!"
"You should all remain slaves!"
"Fish-Man Karate — Shark Bullet!"
BOOM!
The pirate captain blocked Max's strike and sneered.
"Touched a nerve, old man?"
Max shook his head calmly.
"I'm long past the age where words provoke me.
But for someone like you—
I'll show you the meaning of consequence."
Splash!
Max dove into the ocean.
The pirate captain's expression instantly stiffened.
He wasn't an idiot.
When a Fish-Man disappeared into deep waters—
Death followed.
Before he could react—
The water beneath him shattered his footing.
Hugh, Wei, and Bohr all attacked simultaneously.
Against these coordinated strikes—
Even the eight captains of the former Rocks Pirates began to crumble.
Today—
the non-human races of Britannia revealed their true power.
They fought not as refugees—but as warriors ready to protect The Majesty.
They took this chance to show Arthur:
They would not be idle citizens.
They would be shields worthy of the King of Britannia.
This was the truth they wanted Arthur to see.
------------------------------///
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