When the chaos finally subsided, Sanji—who had been hiding in a shadowy corner of the ruined dock—was drenched in sweat. His cigarette slipped from his mouth, falling unlit to the ground.
"W–what kind of monsters are these…?!"
That was Crocodile, right?
And those others—they looked even stronger?!
The sheer power and destruction left him frozen in place. For a long moment, Sanji completely forgot about the train he'd been chasing. When he finally regained his senses, only an unconscious Usopp remained. Even Franky had been taken away.
Pulling himself together, Sanji hefted Usopp onto his shoulder and rushed off in search of his crewmates.
Meanwhile, at Galley-La Company…
Arthur stepped lightly into Iceburg's office, navigating the wreckage as if he already knew every corner of the place.
Of course, he did. His "spoiler" advantage gave him total knowledge of what was happening here.
The office was a mess, papers scattered and furniture overturned. Iceburg himself was slumped behind his desk, covered in bruises.
"You're…?" Iceburg muttered, exasperated. Another visitor already? The day couldn't possibly get worse.
"Relax. I'm not with the World Government." Arthur smiled disarmingly. "I came to commission a ship."
Iceburg's expression darkened immediately. Now?
When the whole city's in turmoil, this guy wants to build a ship?
"Sorry, but shipbuilding's suspended for the foreseeable future. You'll have to find someone else."
He hadn't even finished the sentence before his eyes widened sharply.
Behind Arthur stood Crocodile and Bundy World.
"The former Warlord Crocodile… and the madman Bundy World… What in the world…?"
He didn't recognize Redfield or Arthur, but these two alone were infamous enough.
For a man like Iceburg—the mayor of Water Seven—it was shocking to see them working together, let alone following a young stranger's lead.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"We won't ask you to work for free. In exchange, I'll grant you one request. Anything within my power, I'll make happen."
Iceburg froze.
"I… I have no such request. Please, just leave."
"No need to hide it," Arthur said casually. "I know everything. Even about Franky."
That made Iceburg stiffen. His breath caught in his throat.
"Who are you? What do you want from us?"
"You don't need to know that. Just the deal: you build my ship, and I'll fulfill your request. That's all."
Iceburg's gaze flickered between the three silent figures behind Arthur. These men were monsters—yet the way they deferred to the youth in front was… unsettling.
After a long pause, he sighed, shoulders slumping in resignation.
"Fine. I'll build your ship. But on one condition—help me bring Franky back alive."
"Done."
Arthur's answer came so smoothly it left Iceburg speechless.
The shipwright stared at him again—this time with a flicker of newfound respect.
He'd known exactly what Iceburg would ask, and accepted without hesitation.
Maybe… just maybe, this man could actually do it.
Finally, Iceburg exhaled deeply and nodded.
"Very well. Follow me."
He led Arthur and his crew through the quiet backstreets, toward an abandoned factory shrouded in dust and silence.
Inside, the decades-old frame of a sea train sat waiting—its rusted exterior still faintly bearing the name Rocketman.
Without another word, Iceburg rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
Meanwhile, the three behind Arthur exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of disbelief and resignation.
"...What kind of captain did we end up with?" Crocodile muttered.
"Where there's trouble, he runs toward it," Bundy groaned.
"This guy's going to get us all killed," Redfield sighed.
Still, none of them objected.
They were starting to realize something: this man didn't fear danger—he thrived in it.
As Arthur had predicted, Granny Kokoro soon arrived with the Straw Hat Pirates, their expressions grim but determined.
The moment Luffy and his crew stepped inside and saw Arthur's group, their faces went pale.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Zoro's hand immediately went to his swords. His sharp instincts had already felt it—the monstrous, almost sentient aura of the blade Raiju in Redfield's hand.
It pulsed like a living thing, hungry for battle.
The old swordsman himself turned slightly, meeting Zoro's gaze for a brief instant. The weight of that single glance made Zoro's pulse race.
That man… he's on another level.
Then Zoro noticed Crocodile—and so did Luffy.
"Crocodile! You're supposed to be locked up! What are you doing here?!"
Crocodile's jaw tightened. His hands trembled with the urge to strike, memories of his defeat still bitter on his tongue.
But Arthur hadn't given the order.
And Crocodile, for all his pride, knew when to follow his captain's rules.
So he endured.
Unfortunately, that restraint didn't last long—because Monkey D. Luffy had already lunged forward.
"JET ROCKET—!"
He didn't even let Arthur speak.
The youth's smile faded.
Attacking my crew… in front of me?
Lightning crackled.
Whoosh—BOOM!
A single blow.
Arthur's fist moved faster than the eye could follow, and Luffy's body vanished into the air, rocketing out through the wall.
A splash echoed outside.
Luffy had been punched clear into the sea.
For a full three seconds, no one moved.
Then Usopp screamed.
Zoro dove straight into the water after him.
It took them half a minute to haul a half-drowned, dazed Luffy back onto the dock.
The Straw Hats stared in horror.
Luffy was strong—reckless, yes, but rarely ever one-shotted.
Yet this stranger had done it casually, with a single punch.
One. Punch.
The air went silent.
Every member of the crew dropped into a fighting stance, faces pale and wary.
Crocodile finally couldn't hold it in anymore. His rage burst forth.
"Captain, let me—"
Arthur raised a hand, stopping him cold.
"Enough. We have business to handle."
He glanced at the Straw Hats, unimpressed.
"These aren't worth wasting time on. Even my lightning armor isn't necessary for them."
He turned away, voice calm but edged with quiet authority.
"With the body of the Third Raikage… flesh alone is enough."
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