Silence descended upon the white stone overlook. The countless footsteps climbing the hill came to an abrupt halt.
Baccarat stood motionless, her breathing ragged as she stared at Vern. The older pirate remained standing for only a brief moment longer before his knees finally gave way.
Thud.
He collapsed onto one knee. The amber mist drifting around his body began to thin, dissolving into the afternoon breeze.
No one moved. For several long seconds, only the wind spoke.
"...So." Vern let out a tired laugh.
"You really did it." His golden eyes lifted toward Baccarat.
Baccarat's hands trembled. She had expected anger.
Resentment.
Hatred.
Instead... the old pirate simply smiled. A genuine smile. One completely free of regret.
"You made your own choice. And you were willing to bear the consequences." His voice had become noticeably weaker.
"...Good." He chuckled softly before lowering his head.
Arthur walked toward Baccarat, never taking his eyes off Vern.
"I suppose... I lost." Vern slowly turned toward him.
"You did." Arthur gave a small nod.
"And yet... I'm strangely relieved." Vern looked back toward the sprawling city below.
"I spent years believing people needed someone else to choose for them." The smile lingering on his face never disappeared.
"But today..." His eyes returned to Baccarat.
"...someone proved me wrong."
Baccarat's lips parted slightly. She wanted to say something, but countless words tangled inside her mind. But no words came.
"Don't look so guilty." Vern laughed quietly.
"I chose my own path. And now... I've reached its end."
A gentle breeze swept across the overlook. The invisible amber mist surrounding the city continued fading.
Below them... something changed.
One child suddenly stopped walking. His wooden toy slipped from his hand as his eyelids slowly closed.
A merchant carrying a crate staggered before collapsing harmlessly onto a nearby bench.
A fisherman slumped against his boat.
A violinist lowered his instrument before quietly falling asleep where he stood.
Then another.
And another.
Across the entire archipelago... people began collapsing one after another.
None of them screamed.
None of them struggled.
It resembled nothing more than thousands of exhausted travelers finally surrendering to sleep after drinking far too much. The synchronized footsteps came to an end. The unnatural smiles faded.
Within minutes... silence embraced the Drunken Sea. Only the sound of waves remained.
"...What happened?" Baccarat stared at the city in disbelief.
"The Devil Fruit's influence disappeared." Arthur looked toward the sleeping citizens.
"Their minds are reclaiming themselves." He sheathed Komainu completely.
Far below, the amber haze drifting above the rooftops dissolved into the open sky. Sunlight pierced through the remaining mist. The city looked different. Not because its streets had changed. But because, for the first time in years...
Nothing guided its rhythm.
No invisible will.
No borrowed peace.
Only silence.
"...I wonder..." Vern watched the city one last time.
"...what kind of tomorrow they'll choose." A faint smile touched his lips.
"Their own choice." Arthur answered quietly.
"...Good." Vern closed his eyes.
For several moments, he remained perfectly still. Then... his body slowly collapsed onto the stone beneath him.
This time... he did not rise again. The wind carried away the last traces of amber mist.
No dramatic farewell.
No final declaration.
Only silence.
Arthur stepped forward. He stood beside Vern without speaking.
"Captain..." Baccarat instinctively followed but stopped several steps behind.
Arthur didn't answer immediately.
"He wasn't evil." His crimson eyes rested upon the old pirate's peaceful expression. Baccarat looked surprised.
"He simply believed control was kinder than freedom." Arthur knelt beside the fallen pirate.
"He chose the wrong answer..."
"...for the right reason."
Silence lingered between them.
"I hated him." Baccarat slowly lowered her head.
"So did I." Arthur nodded.
"But I also respected him." His hand rested lightly upon Vern's shoulder.
"He carried the burden of his own choices until the very end." Arthur closed his eyes briefly.
" Every pirate deserves at least that much."
For a single quiet moment... neither of them spoke. It wasn't mourning. Nor celebration. Only respect between those who had walked different roads beneath the same sea.
"It's time." Then Arthur opened his eyes.
Soft white clouds drifted from his fingertips. The familiar power of the Art-Art Fruit spread gently across Vern's body. The clouds wrapped around him like delicate brushstrokes across an unfinished canvas.
Slowly... His body transformed. Color faded. Contours softened. Until the legendary pirate became nothing more than a beautifully painted portrait resting upon the white stone.
Baccarat watched in silence. Even after witnessing Arthur's abilities countless times... the sight never ceased to amaze her. The painting remained still for only a heartbeat.
Then—A faint pulse spread outward. The invisible cycle of the sea had begun.
Arthur extended one hand. A strange fruit suddenly materialized in his palm. The white clouds surrounding the painting expanded across the air like flowing ribbons. Rather than reaching randomly... they searched. Following an invisible connection that only Arthur could perceive.
Baccarat felt the air around them shift. The clouds suddenly surged toward a nearby grapevine growing along the edge of the overlook. One cluster of grapes shimmered. Its vibrant purple color slowly darkened. The entire cluster twisted unnaturally. Its smooth skin became covered with intricate spiral patterns. The stem thickened.
Within seconds... the ordinary grapes merged together, reshaping themselves into a single strange fruit unlike anything found in nature. Deep amber. Its surface resembled polished crystal infused with swirling currents of liquid gold.
The clouds disappeared. Silence returned once more.
"...Is that..." Baccarat stared at the object in Arthur's hand.
"The Logia Alcohol-Alcohol Fruit." Arthur nodded.
For a moment... neither of them moved. The fruit represented more than another powerful ability. It carried the legacy of the pirate who had protected this city for decades.
Arthur looked down at it briefly.
Then... without hesitation... he tossed it toward Baccarat.
"...Captain?" Instinctively, she caught it with both hands.
"I told you." Arthur smiled faintly.
"I've been looking for this fruit... for you."
Baccarat lowered her eyes toward the strange amber fruit resting in her palms. It felt surprisingly warm. For the first time since joining the ART Pirates... she wasn't receiving another miracle. She was receiving the reward for a battle she had won herself.
Far below... the first citizens slowly began opening their eyes, confused and disoriented. Parents searched for their children. Merchants looked around in bewilderment. Musicians picked up instruments they couldn't remember dropping. No one understood what had happened. But every one of them felt the same thing.
The invisible weight that had quietly rested upon their hearts for years...
Had finally disappeared.
The journey back to the Athena was unusually quiet. The streets of the Drunken Sea had begun to awaken. Confused voices echoed from every direction as citizens helped one another to their feet. Shopkeepers dusted themselves off while merchants exchanged puzzled glances, unable to remember why they had suddenly fallen asleep in the middle of the day.
Children laughed as though nothing had happened. Some believed they had simply taken an unexpected nap. Others joked that they had celebrated the island's famous liquor a little too enthusiastically.
Vern's name had already begun to fade from memory.
No one remembered the invisible dream that had quietly ruled their lives for years.
Perhaps... that was for the best.
Arthur walked at the front of the group in silence. Behind him, Baccarat carefully carried the strange amber Devil Fruit with both hands.
She still hadn't fully accepted that it belonged to her.
Robin noticed the way Baccarat occasionally glanced down at it, as though afraid it might suddenly disappear.
"You still don't believe it's real."
"...Honestly I keep expecting Captain to say he was joking." Baccarat smiled awkwardly.
"If I were joking... I'd have picked a much cheaper fruit." Arthur chuckled without looking back.
The crew laughed. Even Law allowed himself a faint smile.
"You've officially become the owner of the most expensive piece of fruit on this island," Sabo joked.
"I don't think I can even afford to hold it."
"You already are," Sugar grinned.
"So stop worrying."
Baccarat looked at the fruit once more. Then quietly nodded.
"...Right."
Before long, the familiar silhouette of the Athena came into view. The three Angeloids stood waiting patiently on deck.
"Master!" Astrea was the first to notice them.
She jumped from the railing and landed gracefully on the pier before rushing toward Arthur.
"Took you long enough." Nymph folded her arms.
"We were beginning to think you found another library instead of coming back."
"I did." Robin smiled.
"Of course you did."
Even Ikaros' normally expressionless face softened ever so slightly after confirming that everyone had returned safely.
"Everyone inside." Arthur stepped aboard first.
The crew immediately understood. The atmosphere shifted. This wasn't another ordinary gathering. It was another evolution of the ART Pirates.
...
Deep beneath the Athena... the laboratory glowed beneath dozens of crystal lamps. Shelves filled with research notes lined every wall. Ancient books lay open across several desks while countless strange instruments quietly hummed with stored energy.
Now... it was her turn. She slowly lay onto the platform. The amber Devil Fruit rested quietly in her hands. Her heartbeat gradually accelerated.
"You already know the rules." Arthur walked toward her. She nodded.
"Three Devil Fruits. One soul. One body. One chance."
"I know." She smiled nervously.
"She'll be fine." Sugar leaned against the wall far enough not to disturb Arthur.
"You sound awfully confident," Law replied.
"I am."
"...Based on what?"
"Because Captain never failed."
No one argued. Not even Law. Arthur had chosen every Devil Fruit with extraordinary precision. Until now... he had never failed.
"Are you ready?" Arthur looked toward Baccarat.
She lowered her gaze to the fruit. Only a few days ago... she had doubted whether she truly belonged aboard this ship.
Now... she held the final piece Arthur had searched for since she joined the ART Pirates.
"...I've never been more ready." A slow smile appeared across her face.
"Then begin." Arthur nodded.
Baccarat lifted the fruit. Without hesitation... she bit into it.
Crunch.
"...That's..." Her expression froze instantly.
"...the worst thing I've ever tasted. I can't believe I had to eat that again." She forced herself to swallow.
Laughter erupted throughout the laboratory.
"I knew it!" Sugar nearly fell to the floor.
"Some things never change." Robin covered her smile with one hand.
"Congratulations. You've officially confirmed it's a real Devil Fruit." Even Arthur laughed quietly.
"...I'd rather have taken your word for it." She quickly finished the remaining bite before placing the half-eaten fruit aside.
For one heartbeat... nothing happened.
Arthur slowly raised one hand. Soft white clouds flowed from his fingertips, circling Baccarat like living brushstrokes.
"Heavenly ART."
The clouds expanded.
Not violently.
Gracefully.
Each ribbon of white light wrapped around Baccarat before dissolving into her body. The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
Robin instinctively held her breath.
Law carefully observed every fluctuation.
This process fascinated him every time. Energy gathered above the platform.
White.
Gold.
Silver.
Three colors intertwined before descending together like rays from the heavens.
Baccarat's scream echoed through the laboratory as every muscle in her body convulsed. Veins of white light spread beneath her skin while unbearable pain tore through every cell of her body, as though she were being ripped apart and rebuilt at the same time.
Baby-5 instinctively stepped forward.
"Captain!"
"Don't move," Arthur said firmly. "If the process is interrupted... she'll die."
Everyone froze.
Baccarat collapsed on the bed platform, trembling violently. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she clenched her teeth, refusing to lose consciousness.
The agony lasted only a few moments.
Then—
The white light vanished.
The clouds dissolved.
Silence returned.
Baccarat closed her eyes. She could feel them. Three completely different powers. The familiar warmth of her Luck-Luck Fruit. The wild vitality of her Cat Sith Mythical Zoan.
And now... a third presence.
Cool.
Fluid.
Boundless.
It spread throughout every part of her body.
Not invading.
Not overwhelming.
Completing.
The white light flared one final time.
For a brief moment... the laboratory disappeared inside a sea of white.
Then... everything became still. The clouds faded.
Silence returned.
"It worked." Arthur smiled.
"...I feel..." Baccarat slowly opened her eyes.
She stopped. Words failed her.
She felt lighter. Sharper.
As though every drop of liquid in her body had become part of something much greater.
"Show us." Arthur folded his arms.
"Already?" Baccarat blinked.
"The best way to understand a Devil Fruit... is to use it."
She took a slow breath. Then closed her eyes once more. Almost instinctively... her body dissolved. The crew watched in stunned silence. From her fingertips... to her arms. Then across her shoulders. Every part of her transformed into shimmering amber liquid.
Within seconds... the woman standing before them no longer existed. Only a human-shaped mass of translucent wine remained. Golden light passed effortlessly through her body.
"...A true Logia," Robin whispered.
Baccarat looked down at herself. She could still move.
Still think.
Still breathe.
"...Amazing." Her liquid form rippled gently before reforming into flesh.
"I actually did it!" She laughed.
"Again!" Sugar immediately pointed at her.
Baccarat grinned. This time she transformed almost instantly. One heartbeat.
Human.
The next... alcohol.
Then back again.
Faster.
Smoother.
Without hesitation.
" Sugar understood immediately, she arm her sniper rifle. Sugar understood immediately. She raised her sniper rifle.Excellent control. You've already synchronized with your element." Arthur observed.
"Her affinity is unusually high." Law adjusted his glasses.
"I expected as much." Arthur nodded.
Baccarat raised one hand. A small golden droplet formed above her palm. Then another.
And another.
Within seconds... a floating sphere of crystal-clear liquor hovered above her hand.
"I made this..." She stared at it in amazement.
"Logias don't simply become an element." Arthur nodded.
"They create it from nothing."
The floating sphere slowly grew larger.
Wine.
Then whiskey.
Then rum.
Each changed color with nothing more than a passing thought.
"Can you really change the type?" Baby-5 blinked.
"I..." Baccarat concentrated.
"...I think so." The amber liquor gradually became perfectly transparent.
"Alcohol itself is only the foundation. The variety depends on your understanding." Arthur smiled.
"In other words... the more she learns... the greater her control becomes." Robin's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Exactly."
Baccarat looked at the floating sphere with childlike wonder. There seemed to be no end to its possibilities.
"We're not finished." Arthur looked toward the open hatch leading to the upper deck.
"Let's see what your wine can do." He smiled.
The afternoon sun hung high above the Grand Line. The Athena drifted peacefully across calm waters while a gentle sea breeze carried the scent of salt through the open deck.
Every member of the ART Pirates had gathered outside.
"Now..." Arthur stood near the center of the deck with his arms folded.
"Let's see what your third Devil Fruit can really do." He looked toward Baccarat.
Baccarat nodded. She stepped toward the open deck and slowly exhaled.
Unlike before... she no longer felt nervous. She felt excited.
Arthur's words from earlier still echoed inside her mind.
"Your three Devil Fruits aren't separate powers."
"They're one power."
"Learn to use them to fight together."
She closed her eyes. Amber-colored mist slowly drifted from her fingertips. At first it spread lazily across the deck.
Then... it expanded into a thick golden fog that rolled across the ocean.
"The density is increasing." Robin quietly observed.
"Yet she's controlling every current." Law nodded.
The mist continued spreading until it surrounded the entire Athena.
From outside... the pirate ship disappeared completely.
Only a sea of golden vapor remained.
"I can feel everything inside it." Baccarat slowly opened her eyes.
"Every movement." She smiled.
"Excellent." Arthur nodded.
"A Logia user eventually stops relying only on sight."
"They fight through their element."
Baccarat inhaled once. The golden mist instantly flowed back toward her before gathering into dozens of floating spheres of alcohol.
She raised one hand. The spheres rotated around her body like miniature moons.
"Now... try combining your powers."
Arthur picked up a small wooden training target from the deck. He threw it high into the air. The target spun above the ship. Baccarat concentrated.
The floating spheres shot upward.
Before they reached the target— her eyes flashed.
The Luck-Luck Fruit quietly altered probability. Every sphere struck the exact same point.
Boom!
The wooden target exploded into countless fragments.
"...That was ridiculously accurate." Sugar whistled loudly.
"She didn't miss once." Bepo blinked.
"She never intended to." Arthur smiled.
"My Luck Fruit..." Baccarat murmured as she stared at her own hands.
Arthur finished her sentence.
"...doesn't simply make you fortunate. It quietly removes unnecessary failure."
"So probability itself favors her." Robin nodded thoughtfully.
"Exactly." Arthur picked up another training target.
"This time..."
He looked toward Sugar.
"A little fire."
Sugar understood immediately, she arm her sniper rifle. She loaded a single incendiary round.
"Ready."
Baccarat filled the air with another cloud of alcohol. The golden vapor spread farther than before.
"Now." Arthur calmly raised one hand.
Bang!
The bullet pierced the mist. For one silent heartbeat—
Nothing happened.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
A deafening explosion erupted above the ocean. A pillar of crimson fire shot hundreds of meters into the sky. The shockwave scattered clouds in every direction.
The Athena rocked violently before stabilizing.
Several nearby seabirds fled in terror.
Everyone stared upward.
"...That blast..." Even Law looked genuinely surprised.
"...would destroy an entire battleship." Robin narrowed her eyes.
The last flames slowly disappeared.
"I..." Baccarat remained frozen.
"I didn't expect..." She looked at Arthur.
"Alcohol vapor is extremely volatile. You now possess one of the most devastating Logias in the world."
Silence followed. The weight of those words settled over everyone.
"But raw power..." Arthur continued.
"...is only one possibility." He pointed toward the empty sky.
Baccarat understood. She raised both hands. This time she didn't create an explosion.
Instead... dark clouds slowly gathered overhead.
"...Rain?" Koala blinked.
The first drop fell onto the deck.
Then another.
Within seconds... a steady shower covered the Athena.
"It actually rained!" Bepo laughed.
"...Wait." Then he paused.
"...Captain." He sniffed the air.
"It's alcohol." Arthur smiled.
"She actually made alcohol rain?" Bepo's eyes widened.
"I condensed the alcohol vapor into droplets before letting them fall." Baccarat nodded excitedly.
Tiny golden droplets continued pouring from the clouds. The entire sea around the Athena gradually shimmered with floating layers of alcohol.
"Excellent." Arthur looked pleased.
"Now..." Arthur walked beside her.
"Let's talk about your future." He spoke quietly enough that only she could hear.
The others instinctively gave them space. Arthur folded his arms.
"Your first Devil Fruit..." He raised one finger.
"The Luck-Luck Fruit. It quietly increases the probability of success. It reduces unnecessary risk. It creates opportunities where none should exist."
"Your Mythical Zoan..." A second finger.
"The Cat Sith. It elevates everything. Your physical strength. Your reflexes. Your senses. Your speed. Even your instincts. The Cat Sith also carries its own unique gift. It brings misfortune to anyone who faces you while masking your presence almost completely." Baccarat nodded silently.
"And your Alcohol Logia..." Arthur raised a third finger.
"It completes the foundation. You now possess offense. Defense. Mobility. Area control. Long-range attacks. Close combat. Environmental manipulation. The ability to weaken your opponents."
"A true all-round fighter." He smiled.
"I finally understand..." Baccarat looked down at her hands.
Arthur continued.
"Alcohol itself weakens judgment."
"It slows reactions."
"It disrupts coordination."
"You don't need to overpower stronger enemies."
"You make them weaker."
"So..." Realization slowly spread across her face.
"My opponents become slower..."
"...while my Luck Fruit keeps improving my chances..."
"...and my Zoan keeps improving me."
"Exactly." Arthur nodded.
"The three abilities support one another."
"They aren't three separate Devil Fruits."
"They're one complete fighting style."
Robin quietly smiled. No wonder Arthur had searched for this fruit for her. It wasn't just powerful. It was perfect for her. Baccarat slowly looked toward the horizon.
Only a few weeks ago... she had questioned whether she truly deserved a place aboard the Athena.
Whether she was contributing enough.
Whether she belonged.
Now... those doubts had vanished. She turned toward the crew. Everyone smiled back.
"You look way cooler now!" Sugar waved enthusiastically.
"I think Captain just created another monster." Baby-5 laughed.
"Good. We'll need all the monsters we can get." Sabo grinned.
"Congratulations." Even Hancock smiled faintly.
Baccarat's eyes gradually became misty. She laughed softly before wiping them away.
"...Thank you." She looked around the deck. Not at pirates. Not at powerful warriors.
At family.
For the first time since leaving her lonely home... she truly felt she had earned her place among them. Not because Arthur had protected her. Not because luck had favored her. But because she had become strong enough to stand beside them.
"The Grand Line won't become any easier." Arthur looked toward the horizon.
"No. It'll become much worse."
The crew smiled. No one looked frightened. They were ready.
Above them... the sails of the Athena caught the evening wind.
The magnificent ship slowly departed the Drunken Sea, leaving behind a kingdom that had finally reclaimed its freedom.
Far beyond the horizon... another ship floated silently among distant clouds.
It bore no pirate flag. No Marine insignia. A man lowered the brass telescope from his eye.
"So..." He quietly watched the Athena disappear into the distance.
"The Fifth Emperor has acquired another Logia for her crew." Without another word, he opened a small Den Den Mushi.
"The report is confirmed."
"The ART Pirates have departed."
A brief silence answered him.
Then a cold voice echoed from the receiver.
"Do not engage."
"Continue observing."
"We want to know..."
"...every island they visit."
The transmission ended. The observer remained motionless as the evening sun slowly disappeared beyond the sea.
Far away... the Athena sailed onward. Laughter echoed across her deck. The crew celebrated Baccarat's growth while planning tomorrow's journey.
None of them realized...
That from this day forward... every step they took across the Grand Line would be quietly recorded. The World had finally stopped treating the ART Pirates as an unpredictable group of pirates.
Now... they had become a global threat worthy of constant surveillance.
Somewhere beyond the endless sea... destiny was already waiting for them.