The Marines eventually learned that the Art Pirates had arrived at Gran Tesoro. Within just a few hours, the report had reached Marine Headquarters. Unfortunately for them... Gran Tesoro was no ordinary island.
It was an independent entertainment nation officially recognized by the World Government. More importantly, Gild Tesoro maintained a cooperative relationship with the Government itself. Deploying a large Marine force into Gran Tesoro without undeniable justification would create unnecessary political complications.
Inside Marine Headquarters... Several senior officers silently read the latest intelligence report.
Vice Admiral: "The Art Pirates stayed there for several days. What are your orders, Fleet Admiral?" One of the Vice Admirals finally broke the silence.
Sengoku: "Leave them. Gran Tesoro is outside our authority. But the moment they leave... continue tracking every movement they make." His gaze shifted toward the massive map hanging on the wall.
Marine: "Yes, Sir!"
The following morning... the Athena quietly departed from Gran Tesoro. The luxurious city gradually disappeared behind them as the ship sailed once more across the sea. Standing at the harbor... Tesoro and Stella silently watched the vessel grow smaller. Neither of them spoke, Stella stood beside Tesoro with a gentle smile. They simply watched until the Athena vanished beyond the horizon.
Days passed peacefully. The route toward West Blue required crossing dangerous waters that very few pirates dared to challenge. Occasionally... pirate ships appeared on the horizon. Bounties ranging between one hundred million and three hundred million Belly. Ordinarily... such crews would have been enough to terrify entire kingdoms. But against the current Art Pirates... they were little more than training partners.
Arthur: "Sabo." Arthur didn't even bother looking at the enemy as he gave the order.
Sabo: "Got it." Sabo grinned.
He jumped from the railings before landing directly onto the enemy flagship.
BOOOOOM!!
Not long afterward... Law appeared beside him. Various Devil Fruit abilities exploded across the battlefield, the battle barely lasted several minutes. On another occasion... Kuina and Koala defeated an entire pirate crew together. Kuina's sword cut down every approaching opponent with flawless precision, while Koala's Fish-Man Karate shattered both shields and weapons before they could even reach Kuina.
Elsewhere... Bepo and Sugar handled another enemy fleet. Metal weapons floated into the air. Electro lightning illuminated the sea. Within moments... the pirates had been completely wiped out. Little by little... The younger members of the Art Pirates were beginning to stand on their own. Arthur smiled every time he witnessed it.
Several days later...
Baccarat finally gathered enough courage to ask the question that had been bothering her ever since joining the crew. Everyone was enjoying lunch together. The atmosphere remained lively as usual. Baccarat looked around the table. Then... she looked toward Sugar.
Baccarat: "Captain..." Baccarat hesitated for a moment.
Arthur: "Hmm?" Arthur looked up.
Baccarat: "How... can Sugar possess three Devil Fruits?"
The dining room instantly became quiet. Sugar laughed awkwardly and Monet smiled knowingly. Baby-5 simply continued eating as though the question were perfectly ordinary. Arthur remained silent for several seconds.
Arthur: " So... you finally decided to ask, there's no reason to hide it actually." He smiled faintly.
Baccarat only blinked when Arthur calmly explained everything. From the Art-Art Fruit... to the Heavenly Art... to the DNA reconstruction that allowed multiple Devil Fruits to coexist inside a single body. The more Baccarat listened... the wider her eyes became.
Baccarat: "That's... incredible." She struggled to find the words.
Robin: "Normally... it's impossible without Arthur." Robin closed her book.
Arthur: "Fortunately...I've never liked the word 'impossible.'" Arthur chuckled softly.
Baccarat stared at every member seated around the table. Sugar possessed three Devil Fruits. Monet possessed three Devil Fruits. Arthur himself possessed two. None of them showed any signs of instability. For the first time... For the first time... Baccarat understood what the World Government would one day have to face once the Art Pirates reached their full potential.
Arthur then looked toward the small wooden chest beside his chair. Inside... Rested the Mythical Zoan that Tesoro had entrusted to him. Arthur picked it up. The Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Cat Sith.
Arthur: " Actually... I intended this fruit for you from the moment I obtained it." Baccarat froze.
Arthur: "Luck-Luck Fruit and Mythical Zoan Cat-Cat Fruit Mode: Cat Sith complement each other perfectly." He gently placed the fruit back into the chest.
Arthur: "When you're ready... I'll give it to you." Baccarat nodded quietly. She understood if she still lacked both experience and strength.
Baccarat: " I won't disappoint you." Baccarat lowered her head.
That same afternoon... Arthur descended alone into the laboratory beneath the Athena. Only one person followed him. Baccarat, she quietly stood beside the entrance while Arthur opened another reinforced chest. Inside... Rested the Devil Fruit she herself had discovered on Forgotten Island. The Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire.
Arthur gently lifted it, for a long moment... he simply stared at it. Baccarat could clearly see the faint smile on his face.
Arthur: "I've waited a long time... for this one." Without another word... Arthur took a bite.
Arthur: "Still disgusting..." The familiar bitter taste spread through his mouth even Arthur frowned slightly.
Baccarat couldn't help laughing. Arthur finished the final bite before raising one hand. A gentle white light enveloped his body. Like the previous procedures... Arthur activeted [Heavenly Art]. This process was far more difficult than when he modified the bodies of his crewmates. Arthur had to maintain absolute concentration while enduring the unbearable pain of rewriting his own DNA to allow devil fruit power merge with other devil fruit.
Several moments later... The white light faded. Arthur slowly opened his eyes. For an instant...His crimson pupils narrowed vertically like those of a nocturnal predator, Instead... his irises had become completely white, giving him a far more terrifying appearance. His skin became slightly paler. Two elegant black wings briefly unfolded behind his back before disappearing again.
Arthur: "Success." Closed his eyes then smiled.
Baccarat: "You seem... happier than when you found the Devil Fruit." Baccarat tilted her head.
Arthur: "Because now... the people I love can remain with me forever." Arthur looked toward the ceiling while his expression became unusually gentle.
Baccarat remained silent. The moment she realized what ability Arthur had gained... she understood everything. The Vampire Mythical Zoan granted extraordinary longevity. Perhaps... even immortality through the endless passage of time. For Arthur... that mattered more than any increase in combat strength.
Arthur: "Your turn." Arthur then turned toward Baccarat.
Baccarat: "Are you alright after performing the procedure on yourself? " Baccarat blinked.
Arthur retrieved another Devil Fruit, The Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Cat Sith. He handed the fruit to her. Baccarat stared at it and reciveed it with both hands.
Arthur: "No problem. Eat it when you're ready. One warning, It won't take long... but the pain will be beyond anything you've ever experienced before you got the power." Without hesitation... Baccarat obeyed. The bitter taste almost made her collapse.
Arthur: "[Heavenly Art.]" Arthur immediately activated his ability.
Soft white light filled the laboratory. Once again... Arthur carefully rewrote another person's DNA. Luck-Luck Fruit... and now... The Mythical Zoan Cat-Cat Fruit Model: Cat Sith. The process was painful. Baccarat clenched her teeth. Sweat covered her forehead. Her entire body trembled violently.
Yet, she endured every second without screaming. Several moments later... the light finally disappeared. Baccarat slowly opened her eyes. For a brief instant... golden cat-like pupils flashed across her irises before returning to normal.
Arthur: "Congratulations. You're now the newest dual Devil Fruit user." A faint smile appeared on Arthur's face.
Baccarat looked at both of her hands. She could already feel it, Luck-Luck Fruit and... Mythical Zoan Cat-Cat Fruit Model: Cat Sith. Two extraordinary powers... now existed within her body.
From that day onward... Baccarat joined the younger members' daily training. She quickly discovered an unfortunate truth. She was... by far... the weakest member of the Art Pirates. Every sparring session ended with her lying flat on the deck.
Sabo laughed every time while Law calmly pointed out her mistakes. Kuina relentlessly corrected her stance. Koala patiently taught her movement. Sugar helped her understand how to balance multiple Devil Fruit abilities. Even Bepo enthusiastically volunteered as her training partner.
Day after day... Bruises gradually replaced the hesitation. Confidence slowly replaced fear. And little by little... Baccarat began transforming into a true member of the Art Pirates.
Weeks later... The Athena finally approached one of the most dangerous seas in the world. The Calm Belt. Sea Kings appeared beneath the surface. Enormous shadows moved silently beneath the ship. No one panicked. The Athena quietly continued forward. Thanks to Arthur's engineering... Combined with the abilities of the crew... The voyage proceeded without major incident.
At long last... The sea changed. The wind became gentler. The waves calmer.
Robin: "We've crossed." Robin slowly closed her book.
Arthur: "Welcome back... to West Blue."
Arthur looked toward the distant horizon. A faint smile appeared once more. Far ahead... a new sea. New islands. New mysteries. Somewhere beyond that endless horizon... the final unclaimed Devil Fruits and the remaining Poneglyphs were still waiting for him.