Mussolini's expectation of a short war still brings Italy into the conflict

Would several earlier King George V-class battleships keep Italy out of the war?

Probably not: Mussolini expects a short war and wants Italy to share in the victory settlement.

Italy probably still enters the war even if Britain completes its battleships earlier. Mussolini expects the fighting to end soon and wants a share of the settlement. In this interpretation, his decision rests on the prospect of easy gains. A stronger Royal Navy does not remove that political motive.