Splash—
As the warship cut through the sea, a Marine vessel sped straight toward Britannia.
Standing on the deck was a sharp-eyed man with a scarred face and a perpetually serious look.
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Hm?"
That man was none other than Garp. Standing beside him was a calm young man, perhaps in his late teens, his expression composed and cold.
"Yes?" Garp replied casually. "Bogard, are you sure the Roger Pirates entered Britannia?"
Bogard answered seriously, "Yes, Vice Admiral Garp. They entered Britannian waters and have already landed on the volcanic island. Shall we make our move in Britannia?"
Garp shook his head.
"Forget it. We can't start anything in Britannia—that'll just cause trouble. Let's treat this like a little trip. We'll rest a bit in Britannia."
"Yes, sir."
Bogard nodded.
Splash—
Before long, the warship docked.
And with Garp's arrival, the people on the island grew even more confused.
Good grief—what kind of day was this?
First Roger arrived, and now Garp had shown up too?
That was interesting.
Very interesting.
Of course, what interested people the most was whether the two of them would actually fight. If they did, that would be quite the spectacle.
Roger hardly needed any introduction.
As for Garp—although he wasn't a Marine Admiral, nor one of the current three Admirals, no one dared underestimate him.
No. No.
No one would be that foolish.
If anything, the fact that Garp wasn't an Admiral made him even more troublesome. As a Vice Admiral, he wasn't shackled by the same political burdens, yet his strength was terrifying. If Garp set his sights on you, your life became miserable.
And Roger… had indeed been targeted by Garp.
For the past six months, Garp had been chasing Roger all over the seas. Now the chase had led all the way to Britannia.
What everyone truly wanted to know was this:
Did Garp dare to make a move inside Britannia?
"Hehehe…"
With a light laugh, Kay approached from not far away, smiling faintly.
"Vice Admiral Garp. Welcome."
"And you are?"
Garp looked at Kay with some surprise. He was certain he had never seen this man before.
And yet, he was strong.
Very strong.
Kay smiled and replied, "One of the Knights of the Round Table. Kay. Welcome. This way, please."
With that, Kay gestured politely.
Garp did not hesitate. He followed him openly into Volcano City.
Soon enough, they entered the city proper.
"Ah!"
"Garp?!"
"You damned old mutt, you chased us all the way here too?"
"What the hell, do you ever quit?"
Scopper Gaban and Sunbell had just been wandering the streets when they suddenly noticed Garp. Instantly, their expressions changed.
"Tch!"
Garp glared at them.
"You Roger Pirates bastards! If this weren't Britannia, I'd arrest you on the spot."
"Haa…"
The two visibly relaxed.
Right. Right.
This was Britannia.
Garp couldn't just act however he wanted here.
It wasn't merely about Britannia's status—it was about Britannia's power.
At the very least, if Garp dared to make a move here, Arthur absolutely would not hold back. Arthur would kill him without hesitation.
There was no doubt about it.
And that was precisely why Britannia had become so peaceful.
To put it plainly, everything else was false.
Only your own strength truly mattered.
Everything else?
Meaningless.
"Well then…"
"See you later!"
Sunbell and Gaban left calmly. They had known Garp for years already. There was no need to make a big deal out of it.
"Damn it!"
Watching them stroll away so casually, Garp's teeth ground together in frustration. If he had the chance, he would absolutely arrest the Roger Pirates.
Unfortunately—
Here in Britannia, he could not do that.
"Hehehe…"
Kay laughed lightly.
"Vice Admiral Garp, it seems catching the Roger Pirates will still take some time."
Garp, however, didn't get angry. He answered casually, "It doesn't matter. I'll catch the Roger Pirates eventually. Bogard, keep everyone under control."
"Yes, sir."
Bogard saluted slightly, then led the Marines away.
Here in Britannia, he knew perfectly well that the chance of an accident was almost nonexistent. After all, if something did go wrong here, the consequences would be truly troublesome.
Britannia possessed enough power to sweep everything aside.
That was the truth.
You could provoke Britannia. You could challenge it in words.
But if you started a war inside Britannia itself, then all that could be said was this:
Something was seriously wrong with your head.
Anyone with a functioning brain would never do something so idiotic.
Kay led Garp toward the castle in Volcano City.
"Hehehe…"
The moment they stepped into the castle, Arthur smiled as he looked at Garp.
"Garp, honestly, what sort of day is this? First Roger comes here, and now you too?"
Arthur's smile held clear amusement.
After all, Roger and Garp were not just old enemies—they were bitter rivals in every sense. And now both had come to Britannia.
To be frank, they were like two ticking bombs. One misstep and the whole place might explode.
Of course—
Arthur had absolute confidence.
Whether it was Roger or Garp, if either of them caused trouble here, Arthur didn't mind teaching them exactly what sort of price needed to be paid in Britannia.
As for whether he had the confidence to do so?
Of course he did.
Arthur could state that with certainty.
Facing these people, he would make them understand just how terrifying he truly was.
"Well, well."
Garp replied casually, "Arthur, it's been about a year since we last met, huh?"
Arthur nodded.
"Yes. We haven't seen each other since the God Valley Incident ended. And yet, after all this time, we meet again here."
One year had passed.
And yet, here they were again.
But the way Garp looked at Arthur was sharp—sharp enough to carry hatred.
Vice Admiral Vixon.
He had once been Garp's teacher. He had taught Garp many things.
And that man had died at Arthur's hands.
Arthur asked calmly, "Garp, are you planning to attack me?"
Arthur's gaze did not change in the slightest.
Although it would be inconvenient for conflict to erupt right now, that didn't mean Arthur feared Garp. If Garp made even the slightest move, Arthur had no issue with killing him.
You want trouble with me?
Then I'll kill you.
That was simply the kind of man Arthur was.
Here in Britannia, Arthur had absolute confidence. Unless his opponent was a monster on the level of Captain Rocks himself, Arthur had nothing to fear.
And Garp—
Strong as he was—
Had not yet reached that level.
"Hahaha!"
Garp laughed loudly.
"Arthur, I'm not stupid enough to attack you here. This is Britannia. Who doesn't know how dangerous Britannia is? If I attacked here, I'd just be asking to die."
"Tch!"
Picking his nose casually, Garp added, "You want to kill me too, don't you? Same thing. We both know it. We just both have reasons to hold back."
That was the truth.
Arthur was about to face war in Britannia. If he killed Garp now and dragged the Marines into the coming conflict, things would become far more complicated.
After all—
If the Marines attacked Arthur first, the Ryugu Kingdom could exert pressure.
But if Arthur attacked Garp first, then things changed completely. At that point, even the Ryugu Kingdom couldn't help him.
The reverse was true for Garp as well.
That was why neither of them would move now.
Of course, it was mostly Garp who truly wanted the other dead. Arthur, to be honest, didn't have any deep personal hatred toward Garp himself. It was only because Vixon had died by Arthur's hand that enmity existed between them.
"Well then."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"It doesn't matter. Actually, I'd quite welcome it if you made a move, Garp. Then I'd have every reason to kill you."
"Tch!"
Garp clicked his tongue and said calmly, "Arthur, do I look like an idiot? I'm not stupid enough to do that."
As much as Garp appeared rough and carefree, he was actually a very careful man beneath the surface. To be precise, most people in this world were like that.
They were not fools.
Arthur replied evenly, "Then all the better. But Garp, you'd best not stay in Britannia too long. Anyone with eyes can see that something troublesome is about to happen here."
"If you get caught in the crossfire, that would be unfortunate."
Although it sounded like a warning, Arthur's meaning was obvious:
If you stay here and die along with everyone else, don't blame me.
"Hahaha!"
Garp laughed heartily.
"I'm not that fragile, Arthur. Don't worry—I won't die so easily."
"Well then."
Arthur said calmly, "That's your choice."
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"By the way, there'll be a banquet here tonight—for Roger, and to celebrate a few things. Want to attend?"
"Of course!"
Garp answered without hesitation.
"I'm very interested in that kind of banquet."
"Good."
"Tonight."
"Here."
"Fine by me."
Garp left openly.
Kay chuckled in amusement.
"Arthur, Vice Admiral Garp seems like quite an interesting person. Honestly, that kind of man really is interesting."
In some ways, Kay and Garp were rather alike.
Both were carefree and seemingly casual most of the time—but when it truly mattered, both became completely serious.
They were very similar in that regard.
Arthur laughed softly.
"Brother Kay, you'd better behave. Otherwise Big Sister will deal with you again."
"Tch!"
Kay scoffed.
"I'm right here, so what can she possibly—"
Boom!
In the next instant, the ground shattered beneath him, swallowing Kay whole.
Arthur looked at the scene and shook his head with a sigh.
"Really, Brother Kay. You stay here."
"And remember, if Big Sister doesn't release you, and you dare sneak out on your own…"
"You know the consequences."
With a teasing smile, Arthur turned and left.
To be honest, Arthur had wanted to get back at this sharp-tongued elder brother for a long time. He simply had never had the right chance.
"Arthur!"
Kay gnashed his teeth in rage.
You shameless bastard!
You're the great King Arthur, and this is how you play?
But then again—
Perhaps that was proof of how much everything had changed.
This world had changed them all.
Otherwise, none of this would have happened.
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