Chapter 357: Fujitora Arrives, a Storm Approaches!

Several days later.

Within Camelot.

The ranking battles to determine the seats of the Round Table Knights had long concluded, yet the wave of discussion they ignited was only just beginning.

"The seats of the Round Table Knights have been decided!"

"Even Beville, the Hawk Knight who followed King Arthur from the start, ranks only fourth, and even then, he barely secured his footing after enduring several grueling battles."

"And ranked ahead of him are the three greatest monsters of the Round Table Knights!"

"Mad Bone Agin, Hundred Schemes Xiang Keluo, and... the Lionheart Knight, Gao Wen!"

Inside a tavern.

Countless drinkers, half-drunk, loudly discussed that internal ranking battle of the Round Table Knights.

When speaking to the point of excitement, some even jumped onto tables, faces flushed red, acting as though they themselves shared in the glory!

"With them holding the fort, whether it's the Four Emperors roaming the seas or the World Government, none dare to make a move against Britannias!"

"This nation has truly welcomed the light, rising from the ashes reborn!"

While everyone marveled at the terrifying combat power of the Round Table Knights, they also gradually developed a sense of belonging toward this newly built city.

After all, apart from Gao Wen and his group, there were no substantive nobles here.

Certain evils born of power could not be completely eradicated, for these things were rooted in the darkest corners of the human heart.

But sound laws could suppress them to a certain extent, at least achieving Gao Wen's initial and most original goal:

To give everyone a chance to survive.

This sentence had been carved onto the original Wang Zuo of Britannias.

It stood empty above, seeming to hold someone, yet seeming to hold no one.

Fujitora, holding his cane in one hand, sat in a corner of the tavern, listening quietly.

From time to time, he took a sip of the strong wine in his cup; that spicy, stimulating liquid flowed down his throat, rising as heat from his stomach until a layer of warm sweat broke out on his forehead.

He felt his entire body relax.

"Hoo~!"

Fujitora exhaled a long breath, his hand gripping the cup pausing slightly before he set it down gently; he lifted his head, facing Gao Wen sitting before him, and smiled:

"Saxi buli dana~"

"Gao Wen."

"Ah~"

Gao Wen responded with a sound, sizing up the friend he hadn't seen in two years.

Two years had passed.

Fujitora had aged considerably, truly taking on the appearance of a middle-aged man in his fifties, with even his waistline expanding significantly.

Yet the aura unintentionally radiating from his body was far stronger than during their first meeting.

He had truly crossed the threshold of the Legendary level, becoming one of the strongest on the seas.

It was only at this moment that Gao Wen realized:

During these two years, the battles Fujitora had experienced were far more numerous and far more brutal than his own, truly forging this man into one of the sharpest blades in the world!

Fujitora's expression carried a hint of sighing emotion:

"When we first met, it was also in a tavern, also listening to the comments people around us made about you."

"At that time, you told me your dream was to find a pure land and build your own utopia."

"And now?!"

"Has your dream not changed?!"

Fujitora turned his head toward the window.

His eyes had long lost their sight, so naturally, he could not see the scenery outside.

But the cool breeze blowing in still assured him that the direction he faced was toward Avalon Lake.

This massive lake, located in the central region of Britannias, was a huge wound left by the World Government and the Celestial Dragons upon Britannias.

It was also a sword hanging over Gao Wen's head.

Gao Wen remained silent, merely looking faintly at Fujitora; only after several breaths did he finally speak:

"Who can say clearly about such things?!"

Nowadays, almost all of the World Government's energy was focused on encircling and suppressing the Neo Marines.

For the World Government, rebel factions like the Neo Marines were a far greater calamity than the so-called Four Emperors or even the Pirate King; once they appeared, the government would inevitably exert its full strength to crush them!

Even though the Neo Marines included two Legendary powerhouses, Zephyr and Fujitora, compared to a colossal entity like the World Government, they still appeared far too insignificant.

That the Neo Marines could hold out until now was already a miracle.

Fujitora appearing in Britannias at this time...

Boom!

Gao Wen slowly set down the wine cup in his hand:

"And what about you?!"

"The second-in-command of the Neo Marines coming to my place surely isn't just simply to catch up with me, is it?!"

Hearing this, Fujitora wiped the expression from his face and said with a serious tone:

"Half a month ago, we received news that Portgas D. Ace, commander of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Blackbeard Teach and should now be imprisoned in Impel Down."

As he spoke, Fujitora took out the newspaper released just that morning from his bosom and placed it on the table.

Gao Wen reached out to open it, and the instant he saw the headline on the front page, his gaze contracted slightly.

What met his eyes was a tall man with a burly build, an arrogant posture, and a captain's hat; the headline of this newspaper marked his title.

Blackbeard—Marshall D. Teach.

Replacing Sea Knight Jinbe, he has become one of the current Seven Warlords of the Sea!

Fujitora continued:

"Blackbeard—Teach was originally a crew member of Whitebeard; now, stepping on the shoulders of Sea Knight Jinbe, he has become a Seven Warlord of the Sea."

"Combined with the matter of Fire Fist Ace, it is not difficult to infer that he must have reached some kind of deal with the Marines; the specific content is something we are temporarily unclear about."

"But there are rumors that Portgas D. Ace carries the bloodline of Roger!"

"Mr. Zephyr once said that, based on his understanding of Sengoku, at this current moment when the Marines' deterrent power is growing increasingly weak, he will definitely use this to do something."

"Even though Portgas D. Ace is also a grandson raised personally by Garp."

"A turmoil involving the entire world is imminent; the seas will boil because of it, and countless people will lose their lives as a result."

It was also at this moment that a chorus of drinkers' discussions reached Fujitora's ears.

"Lord Gao Wen has brought light to this country; as long as he is here for one day, we will not have any problems!"

"I heard he already plans to popularize education nationwide, allowing all children of appropriate age to attend school."

"My child will also be able to study, or learn a craft, ensuring they have food to eat in the future."

"Everything is developing in a positive direction; we have lost much, but we have also gained much."

"Hahahahaha~"

These fragmented words drifted into Fujitora's ears.

Facing the Marines' encirclement and suppression, the Neo-Marines have reached a critical moment of life and death; he came here originally intending to persuade Gao Wen to lend him a hand.

But during this period, as he traveled through and observed Britannias, this nation reborn from destruction has already taken on the appearance of an utopia; at the very least, the world he anticipated should look exactly like this.

Gao Wen is still pursuing the dream he once spoke of.

After falling silent for a few seconds, Fujitora tilted his head back, drained the wine in his cup, and swallowed the words he had originally intended to speak:

"You must make preparations early; the kind of days you anticipate have no possibility of realization, at least not in this world dominated by the Celestial Dragons."

"Mm."

Gao Wen nodded, picked up the wine pot on the table to refill Fujitora's cup, and then leaned back in his chair, momentarily sinking into deep thought.

As a friend, he naturally understood the words Fujitora had left unspoken, but the current World Government already holds an Ancient Weapon in its grasp.