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He actually smashed the flag of the World Government…
Brilliant. Now they were enemies of the entire world.
Only Arthur could do something so insane—
and still look so damn relaxed about it.
But Arthur didn't bother explaining himself.
He knew these three—Waldo, Redfield, and Crocodile—only complained with their mouths.
When it came time to fight, each of them was ruthless, decisive, and terrifyingly efficient.
With Waldo's Speed-Speed Fruit enhancing their ship,
the Going Merry shot forward like a golden comet cutting through the sea spray.
Before long, they arrived at the massive vessel that Iceburg had brought to rescue the others.
"Merry!"
Luffy, already aboard the big ship, spotted the familiar little caravel in the distance.
His eyes widened, voice breaking with emotion.
The rest of the Straw Hat crew turned at once, stunned,
watching in disbelief as the Going Merry sailed toward them.
Even Iceburg—who had spent his whole life building ships—was struck speechless.
"Impossible… I examined that ship myself," he muttered, trembling.
"Her keel was shattered. She shouldn't have been able to sail at all."
Yet here it was—
a ship long declared dead,
defying logic and storm alike,
crossing the Aqua Laguna to bring Arthur and the others home.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.
As the Merry drew close, Arthur and his companions quietly leapt onto the larger ship,
leaving the heart-wrenching farewell to the Straw Hats alone.
"Merry… I'm sorry," Luffy whispered hoarsely.
"I wanted to sail with you just a little longer… but we were too late."
Crack… crack…
The Merry shuddered softly.
It was as if she had used the last bit of her strength just to say—
"I'm happy… I got to carry you all this far."
Then, with one final groan,
the ship's hull split down the middle,
and the Going Merry fell silent forever.
"Merry! We're sorry!"
"We should've taken better care of you!"
"Please… forgive us!"
Tears streamed down their faces as the Straw Hats cried out one after another.
"Being able to sail with you all… made me happy. Thank you."
"Merry!!"
Their voices echoed across the waves,
blending with the sound of the sea breeze and crackling fire.
It took a long time before Luffy, his eyes red and voice hoarse,
finally lit the fire that sent the Going Merry to her rest.
Though their beloved ship was gone,
their spirits burned brighter than ever.
Watching the scene unfold, Arthur felt his chest tighten.
A quiet sadness flickered in his eyes—
but soon, that melancholy gave way to something else.
Expectation.
"What will my ship be like?"
"Will my crew share bonds as deep as theirs?"
"And what kind of legend will we leave behind?"
Standing at the bow, Arthur looked toward the endless horizon.
The sea stretched infinitely before him—vast, wild, brimming with miracles.
His expression was calm as always,
but in his eyes shone a fierce, restless longing—
the spark of adventure.
"To be reborn in such a colorful world… feels incredible."
The Enies Lobby Incident—Concluded!
The great battle had ended.
The pirates triumphed. The Marines were utterly defeated.
Under Arthur's command, his four-man crew had—
Crushed countless Marine soldiers.
Killed Kaku, Jabra, and Spandam of CP9.
Severely injured Rob Lucci, Kalifa, and Fukurou.
They fought two Marine Admirals and five Vice Admirals to a standstill—
and came out unscathed!
They destroyed the flag of the World Government,
rescued Nico Robin, the "Demon Child,"
and Franky, the man who held the blueprints to the ancient weapon Pluton.
After Impel Down,
this was Arthur's second earth-shattering strike—
a feat that stunned the world.
The World Government and the Marines could no longer ignore them.
Their names had become a beacon of rebellion.
Sharp as lightning—famous in one battle!
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters…
Inside the grand meeting room, the air was thick with fury.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood trembling with rage,
his fists slamming the desk so hard it cracked.
"Utter humiliation!"
"Since Shiki the Golden Lion's escape from Impel Down,
the Navy has never suffered such disgrace—
and this time, it's a hundred times worse!"
He paced furiously, golden Buddha cloak rippling.
"They wrecked Impel Down—
killed the Warden, crippled the Chief Guard,
and even two Vice Admirals went down!
Then they stormed Enies Lobby, annihilated CP9,
flattened an entire island—
and the culprits? They walked away without a scratch!
Two Admirals, six Vice Admirals, twenty warships—
all failed to stop them!"
"What the hell is this?! Are we a circus?!"
Sengoku's veins bulged as he glared at the three culprits before him—
Garp, Aokiji, and Kizaru.
Garp scratched his head awkwardly.
"I—I was chasing the Straw Hat crew at the time,
so, uh, I'm not too clear on what happened over there."
Sengoku's eyes went wide.
"Ah! No wonder you weren't helping—
your damn grandson was involved, wasn't he?!"
Garp whistled innocently, looking away.
Sengoku exhaled slowly, forcing himself not to explode.
He turned to the two Admirals instead.
"Fine. Then you two—explain!"
In perfect unison, they pointed at each other.
"Ask him."
"Ask him."
Sengoku's temple twitched violently.
"Aokiji. You talk first."
Aokiji sighed, standing lazily.
"The Vice Admirals had Waldo and Crocodile cornered.
But this old man here—" (he jabbed a thumb toward Kizaru)
"—kicked Redfield straight at them, giving the pirates a perfect opening.
I froze the sea with Ice Age, about to trap them all.
Then this idiot shattered my ice with Yasakani no Magatama.
Waldo accelerated the ship—and poof, they were gone."
Kizaru immediately stood up, his drawling tone sharp.
"Now, now, that's not fair, young man~
You're strong and lazy, and you send old bones like me to fight Redfield?
That's like licking the edge of a knife!
I was lucky to kick him away at all!"
"And your ice—tsk, you froze the whole ship!
I had to break it before it sank!
Four Devil Fruit users in the sea? They'd be fish food!
I was thinking ahead, you see~"
For a moment, Sengoku almost found himself agreeing.
It did make a certain twisted sense.
He rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh.
"Enough. Sit down, both of you.
We'll call this… bad luck."
"They had the Going Merry—
a ship with a spirit of its own.
There was no stopping that."
He straightened, regaining his composure.
"What's done is done.
Issue new bounties.
You two fought them directly—how strong are they?"
Aokiji's tone turned serious.
"Extremely strong.
Apart from Crocodile, who only has Observation Haki,
Arthur and Redfield both fight at Admiral level.
Waldo isn't far behind—at least Vice Admiral elite or higher."
Kizaru, for once, nodded in agreement.
"And more importantly—
they all follow that kid's lead.
Even Redfield, a man who's never obeyed anyone,
defers to him."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"That means… that boy's strength may be above Redfield's."
Sengoku's face darkened.
For a long moment, the room was silent except for the sound of the sea outside.
"Above Redfield…?" he muttered at last.
"A new monster has risen in this era."
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