One Piece: The True Codex

Due to Andre's vomit polluting the hall, William's knighting ceremony was shortened. After going through a series of tedious and meaningless rituals, Norton I finally lifted his ceremonial sword from William's shoulder, officially making him a knight of the Navia Kingdom. However, this lower-tier noble title was not even hereditary.

The ceremony proceeded without any major interruptions until, just before the official appointment decree was announced, Andre suddenly spoke up:

"Your Majesty, the kingdom's army is a formal military force under your command. It undergoes rigorous training, adheres to strict discipline, and is known for its bravery. While civilian militias may have enthusiasm, we should not discourage such emotions, but there must be a clear distinction between them and the regular army. Otherwise, if drunken sailors and commoners are allowed to mix with our soldiers, and more people follow suit in the future, it could turn our kingdom's army into nothing more than a rabble!"

William turned his head slightly, glancing at Andre, who maintained a neutral expression, as if merely fulfilling his duty. This muscle-bound man possessed a sharp tongue that contrasted with his appearance. If one ignored his looks, one might mistake him for a seasoned bureaucrat skilled in rhetoric.

"And what exactly do you mean by that, Captain?" Arcadio frowned as he looked at Andre.

"Since they are civilian forces, let them form a separate militia unit to distinguish them from the regular army," Andre suggested, casting a sidelong glance at William before turning to Norton I. "They can assist the regular army during peacetime, handle local defense in areas beyond the army's reach, or maintain public order. Their treatment should also differ from that of the regular army. Otherwise, if any civilian group can stand on equal footing with our well-trained soldiers, how would our troops feel about that?"

Arcadio looked toward William, only to see him touching the shoulder where Norton I's ceremonial sword had just rested, seemingly lost in the satisfaction of becoming a noble.

Seeing William in such a state, Arcadio had no interest in speaking up for him further.

Thus, when William received his appointment decree, his title became "Captain of the Navia Kingdom Militia."

As they left the palace, William finally thought to ask Arcadio, "What did you mean earlier when you spoke to me before the duel?"

"Andre is one of His Majesty's personal guards and enjoys his trust, but he is narrow-minded. I was worried that after you defeated him, he would hold a grudge and speak ill of you to His Majesty in the future as a form of revenge," Arcadio shook his head and pointed to the appointment decree in William's hand. "But it's too late to talk about that now. His revenge has already begun."

"Still, you've achieved your goal of becoming a noble. This minor setback shouldn't matter much to you," Arcadio stroked his beard. "Besides, His Majesty wouldn't completely believe everything Andre says. Otherwise, he wouldn't have granted you a noble title at all."

At that moment, Andre and a few of his close allies among the ministers happened to walk past the two men. William smiled warmly at Andre, but the latter responded with a forced and insincere grin before walking away without looking back.

"See what I mean?" Arcadio remarked upon witnessing this. "Your approach of constantly signaling peace is the right one. Although he is narrow-minded, he can't possibly target you all the time. Even His Majesty would grow tired of that. Be patient, let him vent his anger, and once he finds it pointless, he'll likely give up."

William nodded with a smile, agreeing with Arcadio's opinion and expressing his desire to avoid unnecessary trouble.

...

That night, in a private room at one of Dampier's restaurants, William and Sherlock were drinking and chatting.

Sherlock had arrived in Kalmar City that afternoon, sneaking into the restaurant. When he first arrived, several officers of the Morgan Pirates were still present, but now he was alone with William.

Reflecting on William's account of the events in the palace earlier and the instructions he had just given to helmsman Diego and others, Sherlock couldn't help but ask, "Won't taking action now cause complications?"

"What complications? I've already received both the noble title and the militia appointment," William said, slowly rubbing his hand against his wine glass. "Besides, my performance in the palace today was witnessed by everyone. Who would associate the death of the 'Kingdom's Strongest Warrior' with me?"

As a pirate captain for so long, William had grown increasingly ruthless. While he had appeared humble and submissive in front of Andre during the day, by the afternoon, he was already instructing the officers of his pirate crew to plan Andre's assassination.

This kind of behavior was something he could never have done in his previous life.

"Is it because his remarks caused your status to be downgraded from the regular army to the militia?" Sherlock speculated about the reason behind William's intent to kill Andre.

"No, it's simply because I'm petty," William replied half-jokingly before explaining, "In fact, becoming a militia unit is actually a good thing. It creates an entirely new and independent force outside the kingdom's existing military structure, making it more autonomous and less conspicuous. This suits me perfectly."

William's purpose in joining the kingdom's military was never about serving the nation. He was merely using the official title to support his own private army. His claim that all his pirate crew members would join the military was just a ploy to deceive Arcadio and others. They would only don the guise of soldiers during inspections. If the infamous Germa 66, which even Roy feared, truly invaded the Navia Kingdom, William would be the first to pack up and flee with his subordinates.

Moreover, his earlier declaration to Arcadio about being self-sufficient and not requiring military funding was not to curry favor with the greedy old man but to ensure that the financial control of his new army remained firmly in his own hands.

Now, with the establishment of the militia, William had created an entirely new and independent unit. Personnel decisions were directly under his control, something that wouldn't have been possible with the regular army.

In this way, within the new army he was about to form, William held both personnel and financial authority. In this world with its rudimentary military system, this militia might bear the name of the Navia Kingdom, but in reality, it would belong solely to "Morgan."

The militia's primary responsibilities were to assist the regular army and handle other inconspicuous tasks, making it easier for William to conceal his plans.

"Then it must be because of his position," Sherlock concluded after some thought.

"This is a rare opportunity. If we succeed, we'll have the freedom to soar across the East Blue. That's why my tolerance for hidden threats is zero," William said flatly, acknowledging Sherlock's guess. "Andre's title as the 'Kingdom's Strongest Warrior' is now a joke, but his role as one of Norton I's trusted confidants is not. He often stays by the king's side. Arcadio managed to persuade Norton I to issue a prohibition order with just a few words. If Andre remains alive, who knows when he might say something to ruin my plans? Rather than letting our feud escalate to the point where everyone knows about it, it's better to eliminate him now. No one will believe I would do such a thing over a minor conflict."

"Besides, his death won't be in vain."

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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