**Sea Circle Calendar — August, Year 1471**
Time.
It slipped away faster than you realized—especially when you were busy.
**Jingle—!**
Argus had been very busy lately.
By day, he oversaw the colossal transformation of the Totto Land sea zone.
By night, he was equally busy… repopulating the world, so to speak.
In the blink of an eye, five months had vanished.
But not without results.
Letters had been sent to Ohara—more precisely, offers masked as demands.
A formal invitation to join Totto Land's grand educational renaissance.
And behind it… the sigil of Edward Argus.
At first, the scholars laughed. Some thought it a prank.
Then they saw the seal. A few paled. A few screamed.
A few tore the letters apart.
But others hesitated. The Edward family had wealth. Territory. Influence.
More importantly… they had *stability*.
Some began to whisper: *Is this the new power of the seas?*
And Ohara—once aloof—was now faced with the question:
**Refuse, and risk obscurity? Or adapt, and influence the future?**
---
"Hah!"
"Drink!"
"Hah!"
Today was rare.
Argus, who was never idle, had carved out a sliver of time to accompany his eldest daughter to Cake Island's newly established dojo.
**Kazan-no-Miya (Flame-Sword Shrine).**
A temple of swordsmanship, built to forge the next generation.
Its instructor: **Busujima Hayato**, a man whose bloodline whispered of Wano Country—land of master swordsmen.
In the sword world, there were three sacred realms:
* **Instinct and Steel**, the domain of Swordsmen.
* **Flow and Will**, the mastery of Great Swordsmen.
* **King and Black Blade**, the path of the True Master.
Hayato had achieved "Steel"—solid, respectable. Not a monster, but a craftsman.
The perfect teacher for beginners.
And yet…
In just a few months, **Artoria**—barely a year old—had obliterated the beginner phase.
Physically resembling a three- or four-year-old, she moved with frightening grace.
Her wooden sword, **Tiger's Wind**, danced like a living thing, each stroke blisteringly fast and terrifyingly precise.
By technical skill alone, Hayato estimated her at 60-70 percent of his own level.
After a brief spar, the instructor simply stood there, stunned.
"Miss… You… You're extraordinary."
He exhaled, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I have taught dozens of disciples. None of them—not one—comes close. At this rate… within a few more months, I'll have nothing left to teach her."
Artoria bowed politely, showing a level of decorum that seemed surreal for her age.
"You flatter me, Teacher."
Argus chuckled.
"Hayato, in your opinion—what path should Lily pursue once she finishes the Busujima style?"
Hayato did not answer immediately.
He thought seriously, then bowed with uncommon sincerity.
"My lord," he said gravely, "Miss Lily must leave the path of rigid forms. Styles and schools create servants, not masters."
"The greatest swordsmen—forged their own way. Created their own styles."
"Miss Lily is beyond formal education. She is not a student anymore.
She is a **prodigy**."
Serena, watching from the side, let out a soft laugh.
Pride, warm and fierce, gleamed in her eyes.
Argus smiled.
This was exactly the outcome he had hoped for.
---
**Earlier that day…**
The sun bathed the newly completed administrative spires of Totto Land's capital in golden light.
Inside, behind a desk buried in maps, policies, and reports, Argus sighed heavily.
"Stop scowling," Serena murmured as she walked in, carrying fresh tea.
She moved behind him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.
"You've been at this for seven hours, love."
Argus grunted. "Someone has to hold this place together. New islands. Supply chains. Civil codes. And I'm not even touching the mercenary contracts yet."
"Then delegate. Or better—go spar with your cousin. He's been itching for it."
He leaned back, half-smiling. "Newgate? Hah. That brute will break my bones just for a warmup."
Serena walked around the table and perched on his lap. He blinked.
She cupped his face.
"I mean it. You're a father. A husband. Not a machine."
He sighed again, softer this time. "I know."
"Then act like it." She pecked his forehead. "I'll help handle the proposals. And if your pride lets you, call in Newgate for the pirate negotiations. He's terrifying when he's sober."
"…Fair."
She grinned. "Now come. Lily's waiting."
---
**Back at the dojo…**
"Father!"
"Mother!"
Artoria ran over, glowing with excitement, her energy almost tangible.
Argus caught her easily, hoisting her into his arms.
"Tired, Lily?"
"Not at all!" she beamed. "In fact—Father! I've learned something very interesting!"
"Oh?" Argus raised an eyebrow. "Show me."
Artoria stepped back.
She clenched her tiny fists.
Her expression sharpened.
The air shifted.
**Crack—!!**
A sudden wave of raw, oppressive pressure exploded outward.
The atmosphere hardened.
Several maids collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Hayato staggered, wide-eyed, nearly falling to his knees.
"Th-That's… **Conqueror's Haki?!**"
Silence fell.
Dead, absolute silence.
Even Argus and Serena were frozen for a breath.
Hayato looked ready to weep.
"Just a year old…?! She awakened Conqueror's Haki ?! Even with talent—this is absurd! What even are you?!"
But Artoria wasn't finished.
She smiled sweetly, closed her eyes, and pointed toward her father.
"I can see everything," she said calmly. "Before Father moves—I know what he's going to do."
Argus's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Observation Haki too?"
Before he could finish the thought, a dark shimmer began flowing over Artoria's tiny fists.
Not mere entanglement.
**Full Armament Haki attachment.**
Argus went silent.
Utterly, completely silent.
Then, he sighed, deeply.
"…Lily, are you sure you're my daughter? I'm starting to feel insecure."
The gap between them wasn't just large.
It was **humiliating**.
---
**Later that evening…**
In the royal garden, the trio strolled under the twilight sky.
Artoria skipped ahead, occasionally practicing footwork between the flowerbeds.
Serena and Argus walked hand in hand.
"She's going to surpass us both," Serena said softly.
Argus exhaled. "She already has."
They reached the newly established Learning Pavilion—a center for both swordplay and civil arts.
Artoria bounded up the steps, turning back.
"Father, Mother! Can we inspect the training hall next?"
Serena smiled. "After dinner. And later, I'll show you how to treat your retainers properly."
She placed a gentle hand on her daughter's head. "Strength matters. But so does grace."
Artoria nodded solemnly. "Yes, Mother."
Argus glanced at the horizon.
And for a moment—just a moment—he let himself believe that maybe, just maybe, he could build something lasting.
---
(CHAPTER END)