Huuu—
The sea breeze drifted slowly across the waves.
It should be said that the victory at Fish-Man Island was only the beginning—and merely the calmest part of what was to come. Arthur defeating Ochoku was not something worth celebrating in itself. More importantly, that victory belonged to overall strength; Ochoku had not truly lost to Arthur alone.
And—
At this very moment, the battlefield was entering its most dangerous phase.
Crash—!
Crash—!
Just then, pirate ships surged in from the distance. Driven by the sea wind, towering waves rose into the sky.
A tall figure stood amid the raging sea, clad in heavy armor, a silver battle axe in hand. His eyes brimmed with ferocity as he sneered cruelly:
"Who knows how things turned out for Ochoku? Hah—doesn't matter. As long as I take control of the entire Britannia Sea, that's all that counts. What a perfect territory this will be!"
Greed burned unmistakably in his gaze.
Not just for him—but for the sea as a whole—the Britannia Sea was an object of covetous desire.
Its geography was simply too good: easy to defend, hard to assault. Whoever controlled the Britain Sea would gain exactly what countless pirates dreamed of.
---
At this moment—
Britannia's main island.
White Chalk City.
Tap.
Tap.
A tall woman slowly lifted her head, as though gazing into the distance—watching the enemy's approach in silence.
"Mother."
A respectful voice sounded as a knight stepped up behind her, bowing deeply.
The woman spoke calmly, "The enemy has arrived. What a nuisance… Arthur really did leave all the trouble to me."
The knight replied reverently, "Mother, to you, such enemies are hardly worth mentioning."
"Hmph."
She gave a soft snort, said nothing further, and rose to her feet. Then she asked lightly,
"What do you think, in this brand-new world where everything has begun again?"
The knight answered without hesitation, "Mother, the past has already ended. Haven't you known that all along?"
"Such an unlikable child."
With that remark, the woman turned and left.
Yet the faint smile at the corner of her lips revealed her true mood.
"King…"
"Mother…"
Watching her depart, the knight murmured softly,
"King… I never imagined that one day you and Mother would truly reconcile. For us, this is the best possible outcome."
Even a knight as stern as iron allowed a fleeting smile to appear.
But it vanished just as quickly.
He still had much work ahead of him. As the minister assisting the King in governance, his responsibilities were immense.
Once, for Britannia's survival, he had chosen the King over his own mother.
That had always been his greatest regret.
But now—
With everything starting anew in this world, he no longer needed to agonize over such choices. All he had to do was move forward step by step—meeting the King's expectations, earning his mother's recognition.
That was enough.
Because—
The past had already become history.
Everything was beginning again.
Tap.
Tap.
High heels echoed softly along the road.
The golden-haired woman moved like a dream. People passed by her—humans and non-humans alike—yet it was as though she didn't exist, their bodies passing straight through her without notice.
She walked calmly through the streets, watching the joyful smiles on every face. Whether they were humans or other races, everyone radiated happiness, savoring the peace of this moment.
"Father…"
"You weren't wrong."
Standing atop the high island, gazing out over the distant sea glowing under the sun, she murmured softly,
"You made the right choice. As a king, Arthur truly is more suitable than I am. I was never meant to be king… There may be no one more fitting for the throne than Arthur."
As she stared into the distance, memories of Arthur's birth surfaced unbidden.
According to legend—
Two dragons once existed in Britannia: Uther Pendragon, the Red Dragon, and Vortigern, the White Dragon. Brothers who clashed time and again, battling for the right to rule Britannia.
In the end—
One decisive battle settled everything. Vortigern was defeated, but Uther himself reached the end of his life. The age of myth had come to its limit.
Uther knew that his next generation would no longer possess the full power of myth.
And that was unacceptable.
Britannia would become truly weak.
Compared to Arthur, Uther was not perfect—but he was a true king. He thought as a king must, not as a flawless ideal being who never had to make such choices.
Together with a nightmare-born power, Uther created a child who could perfectly inherit the Red Dragon bloodline, allowing myth to continue.
That child was Arthur.
Arthur Pendragon.
But—
Accidents always happen.
Or rather, this was an anomaly born from the world's own interference.
She was born.
Arthur's elder sister.
She inherited Britannia itself.
To be precise—
She was the mistress of the British Isles, the Queen of Britannia.
As the island's embodiment, the inheritor of the power of the land, she was—by status—more suited to rule than her younger brother.
And yet…
Their father chose Arthur.
That was something she could never understand.
Because of that, she challenged her brother again and again, trying repeatedly to defeat him.
In truth—
She was never truly his enemy.
She only wanted to prove that she was not inferior, that she too was worthy of the throne.
Why?
Why did their father never choose her?
That was what she, as the elder sister, could never accept.
They were both children. She possessed immense power as well—Arthur bore the Red Dragon's blood, while she was the incarnation of the Isles themselves.
So why?
Was she truly inferior to her brother?
That was the one thing she could never come to terms with.
But—
Time passed.
When everything had already happened, and they arrived in this new world, she finally realized—
She never truly hated her brother.
Watching his confident, radiant smile, she understood:
The past was already over.
"Heh-heh…"
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
She slowly rose into the air, curling one finger. A massive staff appeared in her hand as powerful magic surged outward.
She whispered coldly,
"Whoever dares lay a hand on Britannia… is my enemy."
"Arthur."
"You little brat…"
"I'll admit it—you are more suited to be the ruler."
"But—"
"The master of the British Isles will only ever be me."
Whoosh—
Crash—!
She raised her staff, and endless waves churned violently below. Floating in midair, she waited calmly for the enemy's arrival.
Perhaps she understood—
Arthur had never wanted to compete with her for ownership of the Isles, just as she had never sought the throne itself.
They were simply fulfilling different roles.
Destiny had placed them on opposing paths.
But now—
With a fresh beginning, everything had changed.
Crash—!
Crash—!
Waves roared as massive pirate ships surged forward, the towering British Isles now clearly visible ahead.
"Oh?"
"So Arthur's done a fine job managing this sea… But now, it's mine."
A grin spread across the man's face as he clenched his fist, confidence and madness blazing in his eyes.
The Battle-Axe Knight.
Silver Axe.
Once an officer of the Rocks Pirates, Silver Axe had formed his own crew after their disbandment—the Silver Axe Pirates. His strength was unquestionable.
In just three months, though his crew didn't rival Ochoku's Five Peaks Pirates, it was still formidable: several officers, over a thousand men.
Most importantly—
Silver Axe enforced strict military-style discipline. His pirates obeyed orders like soldiers, making their combat effectiveness vastly superior to ordinary pirate crews.
Standing on the deck, Silver Axe mused,
"Has the intel been confirmed? Arthur took all his forces away from Britain?"
"Captain!"
A towering giant in silver knight armor replied solemnly,
"Yes. Reports from Fish-Man Island confirm it. Arthur himself, three Round Table Knights, six non-human officers, and five thousand knights have all left."
"Excellent."
Silver Axe nodded in satisfaction.
With that, the island was as good as his. An island without defenders couldn't possibly resist him—it was laughable.
At that moment, when Ochoku learned Arthur had aided Fish-Man Island, this very plan had taken shape: Ochoku would face Arthur, while Silver Axe seized the Britannia Sea.
Later, they could even share control of the region, combining forces to stabilize it.
Neither was thrilled about cooperation—but both knew that no single power could hold the Britannia Sea alone.
As for Arthur?
Others hesitated only because Shiki had been used as a measuring stick. Until Arthur's true strength was clear, no one wanted unnecessary losses or grudges.
But if Arthur proved weak?
No one would hold back.
The Britannia Sea was simply too important.
"By the way," Silver Axe suddenly asked, "did our people manage to infiltrate the British Isles?"
"Captain… total failure."
The giant shook his head. "No one can enter. It's as if the Isles are completely sealed—any outsider who tries immediately encounters problems."
"I see."
Silver Axe committed this to memory. It was critical. If the issue couldn't be resolved, controlling the Isles would be impossible.
After all, destruction wasn't the goal—control was.
Crash—!
As the ships pressed onward, the giant suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"Captain! Someone's ahead—someone floating in midair!"
"What?!"
Silver Axe snapped his head up, his gaze sharpening.
In the distance—
A golden-haired woman hovered in the sky.
At the sight of her, Silver Axe froze.
She looked far too similar to Arthur.
Anyone with eyes could tell—they were related.
The Queen of Britain.
The Elder Sister.
The Witch.
The Enchantress.
Morgan le Fay.
--------------------------------///
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