Round Table Knights.
Water Knight, Kay.
As one of the Knights of the Round Table—and Arthur's sworn elder brother, Kay often gave people the impression that he was more of an administrative official than a warrior.
But if anyone truly believed that, they would be gravely mistaken.
After all—
Kay had once accompanied Arthur when he obtained Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.
Arthur had received the blessing of the Lady of the Lake.
But Kay?
His situation was even stranger.
He had shown no interest in receiving the blessing at all—yet the Lady of the Lake forced the blessing upon him anyway.
As a result, Kay obtained the Blessing of Water, becoming the Water Knight.
Of course, it was well known that Britannia's so-called "civil officials" were hardly ordinary people.
Take Agravain, for example.
With the strange tools he possessed, he could even confront Lancelot head-on.
As for Kay?
Well…
Kay was hardly a normal person either.
In the legends, Kay was known as a warrior capable of fighting a hundred enemies alone. It was said that no one but a god could defeat him.
He had also personally slain nine witches.
Nine witches.
In the fading days of the Age of Myth, witches were terrifying figures—almost like walking anomalies.
Just look at Morgan.
Among witches, she was already one of the strongest.
Yet Kay had killed nine of them by himself.
He once wielded his knight's sword to slaughter entire groups of lions.
And these were not ordinary lions.
They were lions that lived in Britannia, the final refuge of the Age of Myth.
Even as the world declined toward the ordinary, those lions still carried traces of divine beast bloodlines.
But Kay's most famous feat came later.
After losing his beloved sword, he fought Cath Palug, the demonic beast that had slain nine legendary heroes.
Armed with nothing but a shield, Kay fought the creature head-on—and ultimately killed it.
In the legends, the event was softened to say he merely drove the beast away or knocked it down.
But the truth was simpler.
He had killed it.
The tale was simply too outrageous for later generations to believe.
After countless legends spread, Kay gradually took on the role of Britannia's chief administrator, managing the rear of the kingdom.
He was also the earliest civil official of Britannia, once serving as Agravain's senior.
His status as the Third Seat of the Round Table was proof enough of his importance.
In truth, Kay was a man who possessed both wisdom and strength.
He had once been Arthur's personal guard—a position later handed over to the Lamorak siblings.
He had once been Britannia's chief administrator—a role later given to Agravain.
Kay himself never cared much for titles.
When the time came, he simply stepped aside without hesitation.
For him, such matters were trivial.
Kay was the type of man who was sharp-tongued, carefree, and seemingly unserious—yet possessed both intelligence and incredible strength.
As long as Kay remained in Britannia, he was effectively the final defensive line of Camelot.
Indeed, Kay was one of the earliest Knights of the Round Table, which gave him a particularly unique position.
Even after stepping away from many of his responsibilities, he had never stopped training.
...
Step. Step.
Kay led the members of the Roger Pirates deeper into Volcano City.
Inside the city stood a castle.
Originally, this castle was meant to serve as the residence of the city's governor.
However, Kay usually managed the place himself.
Although Kay preferred slacking off whenever possible, Arthur had forcibly assigned him the role of administrator.
Thus, the castle within Volcano City was often used to receive important guests.
Normally, ordinary visitors would never warrant Arthur's personal presence.
But the Roger Pirates were clearly an exception.
"Alright, boys!"
Roger waved his hand casually.
"You guys go explore."
"Rayleigh, Gaban, and I will handle this."
"Hahaha!"
"No problem!"
"Captain, don't get yourself killed!"
The crew scattered without concern.
Were they worried about danger?
Not really.
They had absolute confidence in their captain.
Among the Roger Pirates, their three strongest fighters—Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban, were often jokingly called Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
Their strength alone was enough to handle most situations.
Kay chuckled.
"You three have quite the nerve."
"You realize this is Britannia, right? If something goes wrong, you might die here."
Roger shrugged casually.
"I trust Arthur."
"I've met the guy before. He's not the type to pull something like that."
Roger's confidence was absolute.
Even though they hadn't met many times, Roger believed his judgment was correct.
He was certain he hadn't misjudged Arthur.
"Hehehe…"
Kay laughed softly.
"That's some impressive confidence."
"Well then—this way, please."
Creak—
The castle doors opened.
Inside the main hall, Arthur stood waiting with a smile.
Behind him stood Lamorak.
Arthur greeted them warmly.
"Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban. Long time no see."
"What brings you to Britannia?"
"Shishishi!"
Roger laughed loudly.
"Arthur! Looks like you've gotten stronger in the last six months."
Roger possessed an extraordinary form of Observation Haki known as the Voice of All Things.
Because of this, he could clearly sense it.
Arthur had become far more terrifying.
It was like facing a red dragon.
If the Arthur he once knew had been a young dragon still growing, then the Arthur before him now was a dragon entering its prime, ready to spread its wings and reveal its true power.
Arthur chuckled.
"And you've gotten stronger too, Roger."
"But let's skip the pleasantries."
"I doubt you came all the way here just to visit."
"You can probably tell that Britannia is about to face some trouble."
"Staying here might not be a wise choice."
"Hehehe."
Roger grinned.
"I can help you."
Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ochoku and Silver Axe had been making more and more moves across the seas lately.
It was obvious what they were preparing for.
A war against Britannia.
Most factions were staying neutral, waiting to see how things unfolded.
But now—
Roger was offering to join the conflict.
That was interesting.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"You want to help me?"
Roger nodded confidently.
"Of course."
"I came here because I need something."
"And if you're willing to help me… I'll help you."
Arthur leaned back slightly.
"Let's hear it."
Roger replied simply:
"I want to build a ship."
"A ship?"
Arthur blinked in surprise.
Then realization dawned on him.
"I see."
"You want Tom to build it for you, don't you?"
Roger grinned widely.
"That's right!"
"A ship built by Tom is a truly legendary ship."
"That's the kind of ship I need to sail these seas."
Arthur fell silent in thought.
If Tom were still in Water 7, Roger could probably convince him to help.
After all, they had shared drinks before.
But now Tom was part of Britannia.
Things were different.
Arthur tapped his chair lightly, thinking.
Rayleigh spoke up at that moment.
"Arthur."
"Ochoku and Silver Axe won't attack with just two people."
"They must have more allies."
"If something unexpected happens, the situation could become troublesome."
"You should consider our offer."
Arthur laughed softly.
"You've convinced me."
"Very well."
"I'll have Tom build your ship."
"I'll even provide all the materials."
"But until the war ends…"
"You'll help me guard a place."
Roger tilted his head.
"The Visma Region?"
"Exactly."
Roger grinned.
"Deal."
Arthur, Roger, and Rayleigh exchanged glances—and smiled.
Arthur stood up.
"Come on."
"Let's go meet Tom."
Roger laughed excitedly.
"Looks like I'm the first outsider to step onto Britannia's main island!"
Arthur paused.
"Well… plenty of people live there."
"But as an outsider?"
"Yes. You're the first."
Arthur then turned to Kay.
"Brother Kay, I'll leave things here to you."
"And try not to slack off so much."
"You spend eight out of every ten days back in White Chalk Castle flirting with girls."
Kay didn't even look embarrassed.
"Arthur, don't expose me like that."
"I'm just bored!"
"And besides, nothing's going to happen to Britannia."
Arthur ignored him.
He left with Lamorak and the Roger Pirates.
Soon they stepped onto a simple elevator platform hidden behind the waterfall.
Through Morgan's control over Britannia's waters, a narrow passage had been carved behind the waterfall.
The elevator wasn't meant for large-scale transport.
But for quick travel, it worked perfectly.
Before long, they arrived on the Mountain Island above.
Roger's eyes widened.
"Wow!"
"This place is incredible!"
All the islands of Britannia spread out before them in breathtaking beauty.
Even Rayleigh and Gaban were stunned.
It truly was magnificent.
Arthur explained as they walked deeper into the island.
"Tom set up the main craftsmen's headquarters here."
"Most shipbuilding happens here."
Soon they reached a massive workshop.
"Hahaha!"
"Your Majesty!"
Tom stepped out of the workshop with a booming laugh.
"Roger too?!"
"You two came together?"
Arthur smiled.
"How have you been, Tom?"
Tom thumped his chest proudly.
"I'm doing great!"
"Everything's progressing smoothly."
"Our shipbuilding speed keeps improving."
"But Roger coming here? That's surprising."
After all, outsiders were rarely allowed onto Britannia's main island.
Arthur explained simply:
"Roger and I made a deal."
"He needs a ship."
"And in exchange, he'll help Britannia with something."
Tom immediately understood.
Britannia's upcoming war was no secret to him.
"Your Majesty," Tom asked,
"Are we supplying the materials?"
Arthur nodded.
"Yes."
"All materials will come from Britannia."
"Build the Roger Pirates a ship."
Tom laughed loudly.
"No problem!"
"I'll build them a truly legendary ship!"
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