MARINES - A ONE PIECE story (ENGLISH) - Part I

CHAPTER CLX - King D. Utyr, Emperor of the sea

The massive, fierce mountains of Gallos were piercing through the clouds, like spears pointing at the sky. Grey and hard as steel, they seemed ready to tear the skins of the gods themselves. Instead of the sand beaches, the island was surrounded by steep cliffs that were leaving little chance for those who would slip. Dense forests were growing here and there, adding a bit of green to the grayish picture of this unwelcoming kingdom. On the north side, where the Falcon was arriving on this cold morning, a port was built. Dozens of ships, from fast frigates to sturdy dreadnought, seemed ready to set sail at the first command of their captain. As soon as the Falcon appeared in their sights, whistles were heard, then alarms and bells. The din echoed for a few minutes as the members of Justice were exchanging worried looks, but Arthur remained stoic. Their veil was fluttering in the wind, revealing their Jolly Roger : a golden blade surrounded by the turquoise wings of freedom. This distinctive sign was erected for Morgan. They all hoped she would recognize it and give her instructions. No shots were fired in their direction, nor did the fleet move.

The Falcon made its way through the ships as if asleep. On their decks, men were looking at the crew with astonishment or suspicion, but remained silent as dead. Almost timidly, Jorge dropped anchor in the harbor, and when they disembarked, they saw that they were expected : a delegation had gathered at the bottom of the cliffs, near the wooden and steel pontoons where everyone had stopped their activity to observe the arrival of these strange guests.

The delegation was composed of about twenty soldiers, covered with thick steel armor and white capes often stained or holed, a sword attached to their waist. They seemed ready to fight at the first command. But one man made his way among them. His armor was lighter, brighter, and his cloak was shining with a pure, flaming red color. With a delicate movement of his hand, he threw back his hair and gave a discreet bow.

- Lord Arthur, be welcomed.

Arthur gave his crew a surprised look, but the stranger answered before he could ask any questions.

- Your sister has sent me to welcome you, my lord.

- My sister ? Was she expecting us ?

- She had not told your father, the Emperor, of the visit she paid you. But she finally told him, saying that she was sure you would come. She calculated the precise time it would take you to sail from your island, and sent me to welcome you some hours ago, to lead you to the palace. If you would follow me, my lord.

- My origins do not make me your lord. You serve my father, but I am just a guest.

- Your sister, sir, the strange knight corrected him. I serve your sister.

Jane let out a chuckle.

- I thought he looked familiar ! This guy is the 'Knight of Roses', Bedivere, a member of the second division of the Knights of the Round Table.

She approached Arthur and whispered in his ear :

- The division led by your sister, in fact. He serves directly in her unit.

- Very true, Bedivere replied with an impressed expression.

Then he turned towards the high cliffs, from which he had descended by a long stone staircase.

- The carriages are waiting for us up there, dear guests. It will take us a good hour to reach your father's estate, which lies further south, in the heart of the island.

Arthur nodded, and as Bedivere was starting to climb the steps, Jane slipped behind her captain once more to whisper in his ear :

- Let's be careful with him, though. This guy is far from being a simple lackey : he is wanted for no less than 80,000,000 bellies. He is a very powerful fighter, who could stand up to Jun or Jorge without any problem.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. If this powerful man was only a mere officer in the hierarchy, the Emperor's closest lieutenants must be terrible. He promised himself to be vigilant in this island where all seemed to be formidable warriors and felt his friends tensing up behind him.

...

The fortress of Brocelott was sitting in the heart of the Gallos mountains. Visible from the beach, it could be reached in less than an hour thanks to a network of stone and brick roads. During the trip, Arthur did not take his eyes off the fortress, nor did his comrades : pointed, sharp and grey, it seemed to be shaped like an army of spears pointing towards the sky, ready to pierce it. Its roof tiles were of shiny black slate, and its crenellated walls were constantly traversed by dozens of armed soldiers. Hard and cold, the estate was that of warriors, not noble courtiers. When the carriages arrived, a bugle sounded three times and the knight Bedivere had to get out to signal the guards. They immediately activated and, under their impulse, the heavy doors opened. The carriages moved forward to the central square, where dozens of soldiers were gathered in hedges. Jun swallowed loudly when she saw them, for it occurred to her that they could capture and murder their guests without the slightest harm if they were feeling like it, or if the order was given to them : was it a trap ?

A blond lightning bolt shot through the crowd and slid in front of the guests. At once, they recognized the young woman and Bedivere bowed to her mistress.

- So you came, Morgan whispered with a satisfied smile. I knew you would do the right thing, brother.

He wanted to explain his approach, that this action was the result of a collective vote, but Morgana had already stopped listening to him : grabbing her brother's hand, she pulled him to the doors of the great hall and helped him to make his way among the soldiers. At the end of this great room, Arthur could discern the outlines of a gigantic throne of which he could only see the top behind the wall of heads that were jostling before him. But as he entered the heart of their fortress, as he saw the young Morgan advancing into the assembly, all moved aside and soon there was no visual barrier between Arthur and the throne.

There he was sitting, like a conqueror.

King D. Utyr, Emperor of the Ocean.

His father.

It took the Golden Knight a moment to realize who was facing him and their eyes locked together. Their ravenous eyes were the same, intense and penetrating, so much that Arthur felt like he was facing an older version of himself. Utyr's face was cold and closed like a stone with the marks of time and war. Yet, he retained remnants of his youth in his massive build and in the golden sheen of his long hair and beard. Under his iron armor, he was far from crushed and his regal stature forced Arthur to look down. A gigantic sword was lying at his side in a black leather scabbard. Another was hanging in his back, simply wrapped in a strip of white cloth, like a mummified weapon. His charisma was shining so brightly that no one could ignore him, but they could not look him in the eye either. And before the herald could even call out the identity of the guests, Morgan planted herself in front of her father with a big smile and exclaimed :

- Father, this is Arthur. My brother, your son.

Utyr bent slightly to get a better look at him and, without even wanting to, Arthur's gaze was forced to meet his own again. He could see nothing but contempt and disappointment in the Emperor's eyes.