West Blue was far quieter than the New World.
To avoid drawing unnecessary attention from the Marines, the Athena anchored at a small harbor on a remote island under a simple disguise. Its sails were lowered, and several sections of the ship were disguised beneath plain merchant tarps. At first glance, no one would mistake the vessel for the ship of one of the fastest-rising pirate crews in the world.
Arthur and the others purchased food, fresh water, medicine, and replacement supplies as efficiently as possible. No one wandered far from the harbor.
Even so...
News always traveled faster than ships. At a small tavern near the marketplace, the entire island was buzzing over a single shocking headline.
Sabo: "A Giant Island Vanishes Without a Trace! An entire island... disappeared?" Sabo lowered the newspaper.
Law: "No witnesses. No survivors. No explanation." Law accepted the paper and skimmed through the article.
Robin: "Interesting..." Robin quietly leaned over his shoulder to read the article.
According to the report, an enormous island located somewhere within West Blue had seemingly vanished overnight. Several merchant vessels claimed they had sailed through the area only days before, yet now there was nothing but empty sea.
Many believed it to be another strange phenomenon of the sea. Others whispered about ghosts... or an ancient curse.
Arthur: "Let's go." Arthur merely folded the newspaper before placing it on the table.
No one noticed the faint smile that crossed his face. He already had a rough idea of what had truly happened. Somewhere out there... Thriller Bark had begun its silent journey across the seas.
...
Within an hour, the crew returned to the Athena. The anchor was raised. The sails unfurled once more. The ship quietly departed before anyone on the island realized who had visited their harbor.
Inside the navigation room... Arthur spread several maps across the large wooden table. Robin placed copies of every Poneglyph they had discovered throughout West Blue beside them. Monet unfolded intelligence reports gathered from various underground organizations. Hancock leaned against the table with her arms folded, quietly observing Arthur's compass. The black needle rotated slowly. Unlike before... Arthur no longer searched for Poneglyphs.
Every historical Poneglyph, and ordinary ancient texts known to exist in West Blue had already been located and copied over the past six months. Half a year had passed almost without anyone noticing.
Robin: "West Blue is finished." Robin carefully rolled up the final copy.
Arthur: "Only one objective remains before we return to the Grand Line. The Devil Fruit."
Everyone's eyes shifted toward the compass. The needle slowly stopped, pointing northwest. Koala instinctively straightened. Although Arthur had never officially announced it... everyone already knew. The Acid-Acid Fruit had always been intended for her. A Devil Fruit capable of perfectly complementing her Fish-Man Karate.
Robin: "Then let's finish this journey."
Arthur: "Next island." Arthur quietly folded the map.
Nearly two weeks later... lonely island finally appeared on the horizon. Unlike most islands in West Blue, almost nothing grew there. The shoreline consisted entirely of black stone. White steam constantly drifted upward from countless cracks in the ground. The air itself carried a sharp, sour smell.
Koala: "Something smells strange..." Koala wrinkled her nose.
Monet: "The air is acidic." Monet glanced toward the rising steam.
Arthur: "We've arrived." Arthur looked down at the compass. The needle had stopped moving entirely. Its tip pointed directly toward the center of the island.
The island was almost completely silent. No villages. No animals. No signs of civilization. Only jagged rocks, steaming fissures, and pools of strangely colored liquid that hissed whenever raindrops touched their surfaces. As the group walked deeper inland, the steam gradually became thicker.
The compass never changed direction. Step after step... It continued pointing toward the same destination. Until... Arthur stopped.
Before him stood a collapsed stone shrine that had nearly been swallowed by time. Its entrance had long since caved in. Large cracks spread across every remaining wall. Through the cracks, they could see that a single ancient altar still stood intact at the center. Resting quietly upon it... lay a pale green Devil Fruit. Its spiral patterns resembled countless drops of liquid flowing endlessly across its surface. The compass in Arthur's hand immediately fell silent.
Arthur slowly exhaled.
Arthur: "At last... the final one."Slowly carefully stepped forward.
Robin smiled warmly. Koala stared at the fruit without blinking. There were no traps. No guardians. No puzzles. Only silence. Almost as though the island itself had waited countless years for someone to finally claim the treasure resting upon that forgotten altar.
Arthur gently lifted the Devil Fruit with both hands. The moment it left the altar... A powerful gust of wind swept across the island. The thick acidic mist slowly began to fade. The endless hissing gradually disappeared. As if the island had finally fulfilled its final purpose.
Arthur: " After everything we've been through... I expected someone to be guarding it. Let's go back." A faint smile appeared on his face.
Arthur looked at the fruit for several long seconds before turning toward Koala. For the first time since beginning their long search... Every Devil Fruit Arthur had set out to obtain... Had finally been found.
Arthur looked quietly at the pale green Devil Fruit resting in his hand. The swirling patterns resembled streams of corrosive liquid flowing endlessly beneath its surface. There was no doubt, The final Logia Devil Fruit destined for one of his crewmates...The Acid-Acid Fruit.
Arthur: "We finally found it." A faint smile appeared on his face.
Six months. An entire journey across the West Blue. Countless islands. Ancient ruins. Hidden kingdoms. Poneglyphs buried beneath forgotten civilizations. Everything had led to this single moment. Arthur carefully placed the Acid-Acid Fruit inside the chest before closing the lid.
He immediately took out his Den Den Mushi.
**Gatcha...**
Koala: "Captain?" Koala's cheerful voice answered almost instantly.
Arthur: "Come back to the Athena."
Koala: "Already?" Koala tilted her head.
Arthur: "I found your Devil Fruit." Silence for several seconds... Koala couldn't say a single word.
Koala: "...Really?"
Arthur: "Yeah. Really." Arthur chuckled softly.
Only a short while later... Koala arrived aboard the Athena almost running. Her breathing was still uneven from the rush. Arthur was already waiting beside the laboratory door beneath the deck. The wooden chest rested quietly in his hands. Koala looked at it. Then looked at Arthur. She already knew what was inside. Arthur slowly opened the lid. The pale green fruit reflected the laboratory lights. Koala unconsciously covered her mouth.
Koala: "...It's beautiful."
Arthur: "From today onward...this belongs to you."
Koala carefully accepted the Devil Fruit with both hands. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly. She wasn't afraid. She was excited. This would become her second Devil Fruit. The power Arthur had prepared specifically for her fighting style. Acid, a perfect complement to Fish-Man Karate. A power capable of turning every strike into something even more devastating.
Arthur: "Ready?" Arthur looked directly into her eyes.
Koala: "I've been ready for a long time." Koala smiled brightly.
Arthur smiled back. Without another word... the two of them entered the laboratory together. The heavy steel door slowly closed behind them. Once again... Arthur would use **[Heavenly Art]** to rewrite another companion's DNA. Another impossible miracle. Another member of the Art Pirates would transcend the limits of the world.
Outside... the Athena quietly raised its anchor. Its sails slowly unfolded beneath the afternoon wind. The journey across the West Blue... was finally nearing its end. Only one destination remained. A place Robin had never imagined she would one day return to.
Arthur unfolded the navigation map once more. His finger slowly came to rest upon a single island. Robin quietly walked beside him. The moment she saw the name... her footsteps stopped. Her eyes widened. For a long moment... she simply stared at the map.
Arthur: "Ready?" Arthur gently folded the map closed.
Robin: "Yes." Robin lowered her gaze. A faint smile appeared on her face. One filled with nostalgia... And sorrow.
She looked toward the endless sea stretching before them. Toward the island where everything had begun. The place she had lost... And the place she had longed to see again.
Far beyond the horizon... one island silently awaited them. Ohara.
The Athena quietly changed its course. Its bow pointed toward the final destination of the West Blue. Far beyond the horizon... The island of scholars patiently awaited its only surviving child.