As Jabra closed the distance, he noticed Arthur hadn't moved a muscle.
His lips curled into a grin.
"Heh… looks like I guessed right. The brat's frozen up!"
His confidence surged.
He quickened his pace, intending to take Arthur down before the boy even realized what hit him.
Thunderbolt speed — perfect sneak attack. This'll be over in a flash!
Well, maybe not "flash." He wasn't sure what "stealing a bell" had to do with anything, but whatever — the point was victory.
But just as that smug thought crossed his mind—
Jabra's vision flickered.
"Huh?"
The spot in front of him was empty.
No Arthur.
A chill crept up his spine.
Where did he—
Before the thought could finish, an indescribable killing intent crashed over him like a tidal wave.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
His instincts screamed a single truth—
He was about to die.
"Strongest Spear — Single-Finger Pierce!"
"Tekkai—!"
He tried to harden his body at the last second, but it was too late.
A cold, sharp pain bloomed through his chest.
His breath caught as the world turned white.
When he looked down, a single pitch-black finger had already pierced clean through his heart.
He turned, trembling, and saw Arthur standing behind him, his expression calm and faintly amused.
"Thunder, come."
Electricity flared from Arthur's fingertip.
Jabra's eyes went wide — and then the agony hit.
It felt as if a swarm of a million ants were eating him alive from the inside out. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably. The scent of charred flesh filled the air.
He was paralyzed with terror.
What kind of monster… is this kid!?
The rumors hadn't done him justice.
No — this wasn't a human being.
This was something straight out of a nightmare.
His voice trembled as he tried to form words, desperate to live just a few seconds longer.
"D-Don't… kill me! I—I'm actually Robin's long-lost brother! Back when we were kids by the sea—"
CRACK!
Arthur's finger twitched, discharging one final bolt of lightning.
The light in Jabra's eyes died instantly.
He slumped to the ground, lifeless.
"Tell your story to the King of Hell," Arthur said flatly, withdrawing his hand.
He wrinkled his nose.
"Lying even at death's door. Typical."
And just like that—
CP9 Agent Jabra, defeated.
Without wasting another second, Arthur turned and dashed toward the next battlefield, his body moving like a streak of blue lightning.
"Robin! Where are you? We're here to get you out!"
Meanwhile—
The Straw Hat crew had just finished knocking out Kumadori and Fukurou.
Charging through the shattered halls of the Tower of Justice, they searched frantically for Robin, but the building was empty.
What they did find was something else entirely—
A series of devastated battlefields.
Walls torn apart.
Floors scorched.
And the bodies of CP9 members lying everywhere—some unconscious, some… maybe worse.
The Straw Hats froze.
"What the hell… happened here?"
Zoro's expression darkened. Sanji's cigarette trembled slightly between his lips.
"No way…" Usopp muttered. "These CP9 guys are supposed to be monsters! We were nearly killed just fighting two of them!"
"Yeah!" Chopper squeaked. "We worked together just to beat those owl and door guys!"
"Then who could've done this…?" Nami asked, wide-eyed.
They didn't need to ask for long.
When they spotted the faint, charred outlines of lightning on the ground — and the deep holes bored straight through stone walls — they all had the same thought.
"No… it couldn't be…"
Before they could say more, three figures appeared at the end of the corridor.
Redfield. Crocodile. Bundy World.
They looked utterly unfazed — irritated, even.
"Tch. Seems the boss already handled everything," Bundy muttered, cracking his knuckles.
"Hmph," Crocodile snorted. "Should've left us someone worth fighting."
"Youth these days," Redfield said quietly, "never let the elders have any fun."
The Straw Hats instinctively stepped back, sweat trickling down their temples.
Even Luffy, still smoldering with determination to save Robin, frowned.
He didn't like this.
These three weren't enemies right now… but they weren't allies either.
"We're not here for you," Crocodile said coldly, brushing past them. "Our captain's already gone ahead. To the Gate of Justice."
Hearing that, Luffy's eyes widened.
"The Gate of Justice!? Then Robin—!"
"If you want her back, move it," Bundy snapped. "We're following him."
The Straw Hats exchanged a look. They didn't trust these monsters — but they didn't have a choice.
"Fine," Luffy said at last, clenching his fists. "Let's go."
And so, the unlikely group — pirates, monsters, and former Warlords — charged toward the underground passage leading to the Bridge of Hesitation, where destiny waited.
Meanwhile, Arthur had already arrived at the far side of the bridge.
He sat casually on the cracked stone railing, watching the horizon with a faint smirk.
"Any minute now…"
And right on cue—
"Hahaha! Robin, you really think your little friends will save you? What a joke!"
The grating voice came before the man himself — Spandam, swaggering out of the shadows with Robin and his guards in tow.
Arthur's eyes twitched in irritation.
"Ugh. I already hate him."
Spandam stepped into the light, squinting against the glare as he raised a hand to shield his eyes—
Then froze.
"Y-y-y-you…!!"
He stared, slack-jawed.
For a moment, he thought it was a hallucination.
But no — the lightning crackling faintly in the air said otherwise.
Behind him, Franky tensed. Robin's eyes widened in shock.
Lucci's face, however, darkened like a stormcloud.
If Arthur was here… it meant his entire CP9 unit had already been crushed.
"Headquarters!" Lucci barked. "Call for reinforcements immediately!"
Spandam, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation, fumbled for his golden Den Den Mushi.
"Yes, yes, of course! The World Government will reward me for this!"
Click.
The Marines' faces paled instantly.
"Sir—wait!"
"Don't—!"
"That's the wrong—!"
"What? What's everyone panicking for—"
Spandam looked down.
And froze.
The Den Den Mushi in his hand wasn't white.
It was gold.
His blood ran cold.
"Oh… oh no."
"You didn't," Lucci muttered, his voice barely above a growl.
Spandam's hand trembled.
"I—I activated… the Buster Call."
A long, horrified silence followed.
Then Spandam swallowed hard, forcing a twisted grin.
"Heh… s-so what? Once the island's destroyed, the Straw Hats, CP9, all of you—gone! And I'll still be the hero who wiped out the pirates!"
Arthur rose slowly, his gaze cold as steel.
"You really are scum."
Spandam smirked, emboldened by his own delusion.
"Scum? Don't lecture me, convict! Lucci—kill him already, before he ruins my promotion!"
Lucci exhaled, long and tired, eyes flicking between his superior and the monster before him.
"...You have no idea what you've just done, sir."
He tightened his gloves, jaw set.
Because he knew —
the real battle was about to begin.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/FicHaven786