"So that means…"
Arthur slowly rubbed the Ninjutsu Scroll in his hand, a thoughtful look appearing on his face as he fell into deep contemplation.
To be honest, he had initially felt somewhat disappointed after drawing what seemed like a completely useless reward.
But after thinking it through just now, Arthur suddenly realized—
This scroll might not be useless at all.
What if he made use of it?
What if he established a Ninja Academy within the kingdom?
Currently, the ANBU had only 104 members in total.
Although each of them possessed formidable individual combat power, their overall numbers were undeniably small.
But what if a ninja academy existed?
Not the kind of basic academy found in the Naruto world that only taught beginner skills—
Instead, an elite academy focused on real combat from the very beginning, teaching advanced ninjutsu.
Such a school would surely produce a large number of powerful ninjas.
Arthur had always been clear about the role of the ANBU.
Once suitable frontline military legions appeared, the ANBU would step back into the shadows.
Aside from protecting the royal palace, their primary responsibilities would be:
Intelligence gathering
Assassinations
Special operations
However, in the vast world of pirates, the current size of the ANBU was clearly far from sufficient.
"A ninja academy…"
The more Arthur thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed.
Excitement flickered briefly in his eyes before fading back into calm.
With a thought, the Ninjutsu Scroll disappeared from his hand and returned to the system space.
The little maid behind him widened her eyes in shock at the sight.
"Next… I'll relax for a few days."
Arthur leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle massage from Xixi.
He didn't plan to immediately start building the ninja academy.
After all, it was a massive project that required careful planning.
For example—
If such an academy were created, how would loyalty be ensured?
Arthur had no intention of training powerful ninjas only for them to one day betray him and become enemies.
Besides—
Now was hardly the right time to start such a project.
After all, he had recently annihilated an entire Marine force.
There was no way the Marines would simply ignore that.
Two days passed quickly.
Not only had the fall of the Kingdom of Ruse not faded from public attention—
It had grown into an even greater sensation across the West Blue.
Newspapers rushed to publish detailed reports about the entire incident.
Papers spread everywhere like snowflakes.
The news even began reaching other seas.
In a very short time, Zephir Kingdom became widely known throughout the West Blue.
All kinds of forces secretly dispatched spies to investigate the kingdom.
But the biggest topic of discussion remained something else—
The fact that Zephir Arthur had single-handedly annihilated a Marine force.
At this point, it was no longer a secret.
Because of this, Arthur's name rapidly spread among the strong figures of the West Blue.
But what people were even more curious about was something else.
Two days had already passed since the destruction of the Marines.
So when…
Would the Marines retaliate?
The entire West Blue was discussing it.
Most people were watching with excitement, waiting to see the inevitable clash between Zephir Kingdom and the Marines.
Of course—
In the eyes of the majority, the final outcome was obvious.
Zephir Kingdom would inevitably lose.
After all…
The Marines were the most powerful force on the seas.
However, the reaction inside Zephir Kingdom was completely different from what outsiders expected.
The entire country was filled with support and cheers.
Despite the possibility of a Marine invasion at any moment—
Almost no one felt fear.
For the citizens now, their trust in Arthur had become almost blind faith.
Back when the Gambino Family threatened them, everyone believed Zephir Kingdom would be destroyed.
But what happened?
The Gambino Family was wiped out.
When Arthur declared war on the Kingdom of Ruse, people believed it was suicide.
But what happened?
Ruse was conquered.
Every time—
Victory belonged to Zephir Kingdom.
So this time as well, nearly all citizens believed that even if the Marines arrived—
Their all-powerful king would protect them.
Besides, for many years, Zephir Kingdom had been constantly attacked by pirates and dark forces simply because it was not a World Government member state.
Meanwhile, the Marines—who claimed to uphold justice—had ignored their suffering.
In the eyes of the citizens, the Marines had already lost the respect they once held.
Because of this, countless passionate young people flooded the military recruitment stations, eager to fight for their nation.
Thus, Zephir Kingdom and the outside world held completely opposite attitudes.
Then—
On the third morning.
A Marine warship slowly sailed toward Zephir Kingdom.
In that instant, the entire West Blue fell silent.
Nearly every major force turned their attention to the same place.
Because everyone knew—
A spectacular confrontation…
Was about to begin.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
To Read Advance Chapters, Head over to my Patreon
patreon.com/AnimeVerseTL