Crash—
Crash—
Amid the sound of churning waves, massive ships swept in one after another.
"Hahaha!"
"Brothers, this feels great!"
"But honestly… these countries are really poor!"
"Yeah!"
The pirates laughed as they plundered the three nations collectively known as the Visma Region. Their individual names hardly mattered. The three islands were arranged in a triangular formation, closely linked and unable to destroy one another. In the end, they had been forced to coexist.
They were truly weak—painfully weak.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have sought Britannia's protection and asked to become its vassal states.
"Sigh…"
"Big brother… second brother… do you think Britannia will really accept our request? The tribute we can offer is too small."
What few people knew was that the kings of the three Visma nations were actually brothers. Now they gathered together with troubled expressions. If they could stop the pirates' looting and slaughter, they would—but they simply didn't have the strength.
"I'm worried too," the eldest said helplessly. "But Britannia's Round Table Knight Gawain went on a killing spree at Fish-Man Island these past three months. Rough estimates say at least a million invaders died there."
"That terrifying?"
"That's insane!"
The two younger brothers were stunned. A million deaths in roughly a hundred days—over ten thousand per day. The scale left them speechless.
Just then, a minister rushed in breathlessly.
"Your Majesties! They've arrived! Britannia's army is here! Ten thousand knights led by Round Table Knight Gareth herself!"
"Wonderful!"
The three kings leapt to their feet. Would Britannia seize their countries outright? Of course not. Britannia hadn't even done that to the Ryugu Kingdom—why would it care about these small nations?
"Fifteen hundred million Berries… big brother, that's the most we can offer."
"It's fine. Britannia isn't protecting us only for money," the eldest replied calmly. "Our region constantly faces pirate attacks. It's the perfect training ground. That's probably what they want."
The others nodded in agreement.
Soon, ten massive warships approached the shore—new vessels built by Tom. With ample time and resources, the legendary shipwright had created fully integrated warships capable of rest, training, and combat. Each ship carried 1,000 knights and 200 support personnel.
A fleet of 12,000 people.
"Gentlemen."
Gareth stepped ashore, calm and composed, belying her youthful appearance.
"Lady Gareth!"
"I am Jean!"
"Jorn!"
"Kern!"
"Welcome!"
The three kings bowed respectfully without hesitation. Pride meant nothing when survival was at stake.
Gareth spoke evenly.
"Do you accept Britannia's protection as vassal states, providing an annual tribute of 1.5 billion Berries? If so, the Visma Region will be under Britannia's banner from today onward."
"Of course! Of course!"
They agreed instantly. Endless pirate raids had pushed them to their limits.
"Then from this day forward, the Visma Region is under Britannia's protection."
Their joy was immense. With pirates gone, their resource-rich lands could finally prosper.
"Attack!"
At Gareth's command, the knights launched their assault. Riding a silver wolf king, she charged straight into the pirates.
Slaughter began immediately.
Unlike Fish-Man Island, the New World pirates here were reckless and unafraid of Britannia's reputation—but they were also weaker. Arthur had sent Gareth to gain real combat experience. The Visma Region was her proving ground.
Within months, Britannia's reputation spread across the seas. The world began taking them seriously.
---
Sengoku flipped through intelligence reports.
"Arthur Pendragon's growth is astonishing. But what concerns me most is the hidden strength of the Pendragon family."
Arthur alone wasn't the issue. Even top-tier strength couldn't subdue the world single-handedly. What truly mattered was Britannia's foundation: the Round Table Knights, Morgan le Fay, and whatever else remained hidden.
Tsuru nodded.
"The Pendragon family's hidden power is the real threat."
Sengoku continued.
"We can't move against Britannia recklessly. If we label them pirates, the Ryugu Kingdom could erupt."
Arthur's bounty of 550 million Berries had become almost laughable. The Marines couldn't act freely without risking Fish-Man Island's backlash.
The Ryugu Kingdom was no longer weak. Under Britannia's protection, it now had wealth, military backing, and elite knights trained by Gawain and Galahad.
Its status had risen dramatically.
Sengoku sighed, massaging his temples.
"Britannia is a problem… and our workload just keeps growing."
The era was changing—and Britannia had firmly taken its place on the world stage.
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