Ryugu Kingdom — Filthy Rich!!!
There was no denying it.
These people—every single one of them—were absolutely not to be underestimated. On the surface, they looked wildly arrogant, but the moment they realized how troublesome their opponent truly was, they would reveal astonishing intelligence.
The logic was simple:
If I can knock you down with one punch, why would I waste time scheming?
That was how all of them thought.
Every single one of them shared the same mindset—if brute force was enough, then elaborate planning was meaningless.
Just look at how Sengoku dealt with the Whitebeard Pirates. On the surface, it seemed like there were all sorts of clever maneuvers, but in reality? Aside from one tactical feint, what did he actually do?
He captured Ace, dragged him out, and then crushed Whitebeard head-on.
That was it.
The Whitebeard Pirates simply were not a match for Marineford. And that was with Garp never truly entering the fight, with Zephyr, Gion, and Tokikake not even participating.
From this alone, it was obvious—things were never as simple as they appeared.
To put it bluntly:
If my power is overwhelming, I don't need schemes at all.
Because they are pointless.
---
At the Palace...
The banquet had already come to an end.
"Phew…"
Arthur let out a long breath and rubbed his brow lightly, his face faintly flushed. Even with his Red Dragon physique, he was feeling the effects—Fish-Man Island's wine was truly exceptional, but it was also terrifyingly strong.
It was no exaggeration to say that the potency was unbelievable. Even Arthur felt a headache coming on.
"Lord Arthur!"
"Please, have some tea."
"Mm."
Arthur accepted the teacup from the attendant and drank without concern. Poison? The same old answer—he hadn't been afraid before awakening the Red Dragon's blood, so what was there to fear now?
Red Dragon Blood.
The ability itself was straightforward.
A dragon's blood was the greatest treasure of all.
In other words, Arthur's blood possessed immense value for forging, growing, and countless other applications. More importantly, it granted terrifying regenerative power.
His recovery ability had risen by an absurd number of levels.
That was the core reason why Red Dragon Blood was so frightening—it contained enormous internal power.
Moreover, within Arthur's blood flowed a single, extraordinary drop known as Heart's Blood, an exceptionally rare form of dragon blood. By swallowing it in a critical moment, Arthur could temporarily restore all injuries and dramatically increase his strength—though it would leave him weakened afterward.
This was the fourth ability Arthur had awakened.
From Red Dragon Scales, to Red Dragon Claws, to Red Dragon Stomach, and now Red Dragon Blood, Arthur could clearly feel it—he was becoming a true dragon in every sense.
However, he also knew one thing clearly.
He could not advance any further for now.
Before pushing his Red Dragon bloodline beyond forty percent, he had to fully master what he already possessed. Otherwise, he risked being overwhelmed by the bloodline itself and falling into an uncontrollable berserk state.
And that would be disastrous.
A rampaging Red Dragon was no joke.
Controlling a Red Dragon bloodline was never easy. Artoria had managed it largely thanks to Merlin's assistance. Arthur, on the other hand, had to rely entirely on himself.
Of course, this wasn't all bad.
The advantage was that Arthur's future growth would be far more stable. Every ounce of power would be fully under his control, completely different from power borrowed from others.
That meant his potential was unquestionable.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Creak.
The door opened, and Gareth entered, bowing respectfully.
"Your Majesty. I will stand guard."
Arthur smiled and nodded.
Gareth was perfectly suited for the role of bodyguard.
"Your Majesty," Gareth continued from behind Arthur, "the banquet has ended. King Neptune has sent word—he wishes to invite you."
Arthur smiled.
"I know. It's about time Neptune made his move."
Arthur could easily guess Neptune's thoughts.
Although Fish-Man Island had survived Ochoku's attack this time, the incident had served as a brutal wake-up call.
Fish-Man Island was a lamb awaiting slaughter.
Without a powerful protector, its fate was obvious.
Neptune understood this all too well.
That was why, despite the banquet having ended and everything seemingly settled, Neptune was the one who felt the greatest urgency.
Simply put, Fish-Man Island—Ryugu Kingdom—needed a big brother.
And Britannia was unquestionably qualified.
Shiki, Ochoku, and Silver Axe had all been repelled by Britannia. That alone proved its strength beyond doubt.
Knock, knock.
The door was knocked again.
Arthur smiled.
"Come in."
Creak.
The Left Minister entered and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty Arthur, my king wishes to speak with you in private."
"By all rights, His Majesty should have come personally."
"But… as the King of Ryugu Kingdom, such an act might unsettle the people."
"We ask for your understanding."
His posture was incredibly humble—so humble it was almost as if he were saying outright:
Please, I beg you, come with me.
Arthur smiled.
"Let's go. Gareth. Inform Max to come as well."
"Yes."
Gareth withdrew, and Arthur followed the Left Minister deeper into the palace.
There lay the true core of the palace—the place where matters of utmost importance were decided.
Inside, three figures were already present:
Neptune.
Queen Otohime.
Tiger.
Together, they represented Fish-Man Island.
Neptune was the King of Ryugu Kingdom.
Queen Otohime was the spiritual pillar of the island.
As for Tiger—he was the undisputed boss of Fish-Man District. Nearly every fish-man who rose from the backstreets followed him. Moreover, he was Meus's disciple.
His status was unquestionable.
Creak.
The doors opened.
Arthur stepped inside.
All three rose at once.
"Sir Arthur!"
"Your Majesty Arthur!"
Arthur smiled.
"King Neptune, Queen Otohime… and Tiger."
Tiger bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, please just call me Tiger. I hold you in the highest respect."
Arthur nodded.
Everyone took their seats.
Max soon arrived as well, standing behind Arthur alongside Gareth. Regardless of Max's standing on Fish-Man Island, in Arthur's presence, he was a candidate Round Table Knight—his position was clear.
Once seated, Neptune spoke solemnly:
"Sir Arthur… may Britannia's banner be raised over Fish-Man Island?"
Though this outcome was already expected, Neptune was still tense. If Arthur refused, everything would collapse.
Arthur didn't feign mystery. He smiled warmly.
"Of course, Neptune. I've said this before—so long as Fish-Man Island agrees, Britannia's banner may be raised."
"From today onward, Britannia shall protect Fish-Man Island."
"Thank you, Sir Arthur!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Everyone bowed deeply.
Fish-Man Island was finally safe.
"However," Arthur continued calmly, "King Neptune."
Neptune straightened immediately.
"Your Majesty. As Ryugu Kingdom is now a vassal of Britannia, you may simply call me Neptune."
Arthur nodded and continued.
"I will leave Gawain here to oversee Fish-Man Island's defense. From the remaining four thousand knights, all fish-man knights will be reorganized under Gawain's command and expanded to a total of ten thousand. What do you think?"
Neptune didn't hesitate.
"Your Majesty, that is entirely acceptable."
Then he asked cautiously,
"May Ryugu Kingdom retain its own military?"
Arthur laughed softly.
"Neptune, there's no need to be nervous. This is standard. Your military remains intact. Gawain will only recruit volunteers to form a ten-thousand-strong trainee knight corps, dedicated to defending Fish-Man Island."
Of course, Arthur was confident—once established, this fish-man knight corps would belong entirely to him in the future.
Fish-Man Island joining Britannia meant separation was impossible.
And this was the perfect opportunity.
With Neptune and Otohime's support, Meus's prestige, and Tiger's authority, Arthur could select the very best fish-men to become his knights.
This was what he valued most.
In fact, individuals like Tiger or Jinbe—if they proved exceptional—could even become candidate Round Table Knights.
Arthur would never let such talent slip away.
Neptune nodded firmly.
"Your Majesty, I fully agree."
He hesitated, then said,
"Every year… would fifteen billion Beri in tribute be acceptable?"
"…!"
Arthur was genuinely stunned.
For a brief moment, truly stunned.
At that instant, he finally understood why Ryugu Kingdom remained a World Government member despite being disliked.
They were absurdly rich.
Their Heavenly Tribute must have been astronomical.
Arthur smiled instead.
"Neptune, there's no rush. For now, stabilize your relationship with the World Government. When the time comes, gradually reduce the Heavenly Tribute."
The future was already taking shape.
Britannia's banner had been raised.
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