Arthur flipped through the intelligence reports in his hands, his expression calm and composed.
Soon after, he set the thick stack of documents down on the table and rubbed his temples lightly.
"Your Majesty?" Gareth asked curiously. "Is something wrong?"
"There is a problem," Arthur replied thoughtfully. "Ochoku's strength has surged dramatically in a very short time. In just three months, his combat power has risen to the point where it rivals the Flying Pirates."
Gareth paused, then asked, "You mean the pirate crew that once attacked Britannia?"
"Yes," Arthur nodded. "That crew. The strange part is this—after the Rocks Pirates disbanded, only about a hundred people followed Ochoku. And now…"
He continued calmly:
"His numbers have grown to nearly two thousand, and he has seven or eight core officers. That's extremely abnormal."
Two thousand didn't sound like much at first.
But in reality, it was terrifying.
Unlike Arthur's knight order—trained from the ground up—Ochoku's men were hardened New World veterans.
For that many experienced pirates to submit so quickly could only mean one thing:
Ochoku's methods were frighteningly effective.
Gareth frowned slightly. "Then… our chances?"
Arthur replied evenly, "Seventy percent. And our task is to turn that seventy percent into an absolute certainty. Gareth—this time, you, Gawain, and Galahad will need to show your true strength."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Gareth answered without hesitation, her eyes burning with resolve.
For strategy or administration, Gareth knew she fell short.
Gawain was brilliant and well-rounded.
Agravain excelled in governance.
Mordred was a monster.
Gaheris was ferocious yet precise.
Gareth, by contrast, excelled at only one thing.
Battle.
And so she pushed that one path to its extreme.
She trained under Lancelot, honed her martial skill and strength relentlessly, earned the Wolf God's blessing, and received the sacred spear bestowed by that deity.
Her Noble Armament—Ira Lupus (Rampaging Maiden Wolf)—was the embodiment of her combat prowess.
She wielded the holy spear Gun Lance, granted after defeating the Black Knight, Green Knight, Blue Knight, Brown Knight, and Red Knight alone.
Gareth knew herself well.
If she lacked talent elsewhere, then she would dominate the battlefield.
And in pure martial skill, none of her siblings could surpass her.
Arthur murmured softly, "Ochoku…"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued calculating.
---
At the Five Peaks Pirates...
Bubbles rose slowly through the deep sea.
Five massive pirate ships surfaced together—each bearing a skull emblem formed of five peaks.
The Five Peaks Pirates.
Once a core officer of the Rocks Pirates, Ochoku had formed his own crew after Rocks' fall, steadily expanding it to its current terrifying scale.
In truth, there were almost no pirate crews on the seas stronger than the Five Peaks Pirates.
Their growth over just three months was nothing short of explosive.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
Ochoku sat casually upon a throne on the deck, stroking his chin, utterly unconcerned about Fish-Man Island.
Then—
A pirate rushed forward urgently.
"Captain! We've received word from Fish-Man Island—Arthur Pendragon has arrived with a force of five thousand. They're stationed at the New World entrance to the island. Any attempt to enter Fish-Man Island will inevitably clash with them."
Ochoku narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So that brat Arthur wants to protect Fish-Man Island?"
A man standing behind him—both hands fitted with hooked claws—spoke calmly.
"Our intel says an old Fish-Man named Max joined Arthur's faction. That's likely why Arthur stepped in."
Ochoku chuckled softly.
"That does sound like Arthur."
He snorted dismissively.
"Overestimating himself."
Though Arthur had repelled Shiki and defeated Kaido—earning fame across the seas—Ochoku found it laughable.
Ochoku, John, and Silver Axe all knew their strength only fell slightly short of Whitebeard, Shiki, and Big Mom.
Did that mean they were helpless?
Of course not.
As for Shiki's retreat? Meaningless.
Kaido's defeat? A former apprentice's failure—hardly impressive.
Still, Ochoku ordered calmly:
"Have our agents continue gathering intelligence on Arthur. He's not weak. I don't want any surprises."
"Yes, Captain!"
That was Ochoku's nature.
Never careless. Never arrogant.
Underestimating an enemy was equivalent to suicide.
...
Behind him, a seductive woman with white wings reclined lazily—one of the Sky People.
Technically, they were moon-descended races, mislabeled as "Winged Folk" after arriving in this world.
They were distant kin to the Lunarians, though far weaker.
"Captain~"
She laughed sweetly. "Once we take Fish-Man Island, could I… borrow a few mermaids for fun?"
Ochoku snorted.
"You really are twisted. Do whatever you want—Fish-Man Island means nothing to me."
She smiled delightedly. "Thank you, Captain."
As she left, Ochoku stroked his chin again.
"Arthur isn't reckless. If he came here, he must have confidence."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Time to prepare the backup plan."
He always did ofcourse.
---
Fish-Man Island
A blur shot out of the deep sea like lightning.
It was Fisher Tiger, soaked and breathing heavily.
"Sir Gawain!"
"Five ships total! Numbers unknown—I didn't get closer. At most three hours until they reach Fish-Man Island!"
"They're here."
"The Five Peaks Pirates."
Every presence instantly sharpened.
The pirate crews born from Rocks' fall—the Six Great Pirate Crews—were universally feared.
And Arthur's rise had only been possible because he repelled the Flying Pirates.
"Sir Gawain?"
"Master…"
Tiger looked at Gawain and Max, tense.
Max chuckled softly.
"Calm yourself, Tiger. You must learn composure, or you'll never grow further."
"Yes, Master."
Gawain smiled faintly.
"Notify His Majesty. Galahad—are all knights ready?"
Galahad nodded.
Gawain declared proudly:
"This is your first battle. I don't know who will live, and who will die—but today, I will stand before you."
"Yes!"
Every knight's aura erupted at once.
Tiger felt as though a terrifying knight stood before him.
This was no ceremonial force.
This was an elite army.
They feared death no longer.
Orphans. Outcasts. Warriors of other races.
All they wanted was to follow the king who gave them a home.
Tiger felt his blood boil—and smiled.
---
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed.
Arthur approached calmly, Gareth at his side.
At the same time, five massive pirate ships surged closer.
A former Rocks Pirate officer.
A former Rocks apprentice.
Today—
Ochoku and Arthur Pendragon would clash head-on.
Whatever the outcome, the world would undoubtedly be shaken once again.
------------------------------///
Advance Chapters on Patreon!
p(a)treon(.)com/HudaLin
-Remove the parenthesis to access patreon normally
Thanks for the Support!