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Arthur remained completely oblivious to the surging storms and turbulence raging in the outside world.
After being knocked into the Rainbow Mist by Garp, it felt as though he had been comatose for a million years—or perhaps just a fleeting instant. He had lost all concept of the quiet passage of time. Or rather, he had no way to gauge how much time had actually passed in the outside world. There was no frame of reference!
It was like passing through some indescribable "membrane." When he opened his eyes... he was still on Ruluka Island!
Arthur lay on the edge of a cliff that looked as if it had never seen a single second of battle. He stared up at the azure sky, inhaling the scent of wildflowers and grass beneath him, quietly recovering his physical strength.
His Observation Haki instantly expanded, mapping every single thing on the island into his mind!
There was no Kong, no Kizaru. No Sengoku, Garp, Akainu, Aokiji, or Fujitora. It was as if nothing had ever happened. All the buildings, flora, and fauna that should have been destroyed by the shockwaves of war were restored to their pristine state, perfectly intact.
Even the residents, who had been evacuated by the Navy beforehand, had returned, going about their daily lives.
There was only one exception—Stussy.
She sat beside him on the grass, resetting the arm that Garp's heavy punch had fractured. Her face was pale. She looked incredibly fragile—a stark contrast to the masked, artificial persona she wore before the battle.
Perhaps realizing she might never leave this place—this potential otherworld—she couldn't be bothered to keep up the act. She revealed her true self.
"Why didn't you kill me? I'm in no condition to fight back right now," Arthur asked indifferently, lying spread-eagle.
The gentle sea breeze was comforting; he felt lazy, with absolutely no desire to get up.
"We've already entered the Rainbow Mist, haven't we?" Stussy smiled, scanning the strange yet familiar scenery. Her beauty, unrivaled on the seas, blossomed into a genuine smile, amplifying her natural, seductive charm to its peak.
"I don't know if we can ever go back, so why kill you? Isn't it better to have company? Or perhaps... for the World Government, dragging the Thunder Emperor down to be 'buried' with me in this strange world is reward enough!"
"Besides... you didn't kill me either, did you? In a way, I've already killed the Thunder Emperor once."
Entering the Rainbow Mist meant arriving in the past, the future, or a completely new dimension. Regardless, they were no longer in their original world. To that world, they were effectively dead.
Stussy laughed softly for a long time, as if releasing all the suppressed emotions in her heart. After a while, she adjusted her angle and lay down just like Arthur, abandoning all etiquette. Their heads were close, both gazing up at the blue sky.
"The Thunder Emperor must have known long ago that facing a siege of so many powerhouses meant it was impossible to walk away unscathed. Why did you still come?" She asked this question for the second time, but the circumstances were now vastly different.
Arthur shook his head, lost in thought, avoiding a direct answer.
To him, if there weren't one or two things in life worth risking everything for, then what was the point of living?
To retreat before the strong, to shrink back from hardship—that was the path of trash.
The strong swing their blades at the stronger; the weak swing at the weaker!
Facing difficulties head-on, like Luffy and his crew... that was the most enviable path, always conquering oneself in the face of adversity.
Arthur smiled faintly. "Aren't you the same? Going to such lengths for the World Government!"
Perhaps sacrificing everything for the World Government was Stussy's meaning in life. Strictly speaking, there was no difference between them.
The true powerhouses of the sea all shared this mindset—they all had something they would risk their lives to complete.
"I was adopted by the World Government as a child. They gave me a life! So I joined the intelligence agency, endured brutal training... repaying them with my life now isn't wrong."
At this moment, Stussy seemed to have completely let go.
"So, that means you've officially paid back your life to the World Government?" Arthur sat up, rolling his shoulders, his tone laden with meaning.
"What? The Thunder Emperor wants to recruit the very culprit who trapped him in the Rainbow Mist?" Stussy looked incredulous, her expression surprised.
"Even without you, I would have walked into this trap voluntarily!" Arthur sneered dismissively. "Your abilities are outstanding. You managed the Pleasure Districts of the New World. Now that you've 'died' for the Government, why can't I recruit you?"
Back when he was conducting experiments with Vegapunk on Punk Hazard, there were constantly random, trivial matters that needed handling. He was fine with fighting, but dealing with administration was not his forte.
It was no wonder every pirate crew had a strategist or manager. The captains were usually hands-off leaders who served as spiritual pillars.
Although the Thunder God Pirates had a genius—Vegapunk—his intellect was dedicated to science. He had no energy to spare for trivial management.
"Hehehehe~ Thunder Emperor, you really are..." Stussy let out a bell-like laugh, rocking back and forth as she sat up.
"Do you really think we can get out of here? But... as long as we can get out, selling my life to you wouldn't be so bad!"
"Then follow me!" Arthur stood up, pulling a fresh greatcoat from his Castle Bracelet and draping it over his shoulders. He strode down the slope.
In the Rainbow Mist, no one knew the exit. The few in history who had escaped were vague about the details.
But if they could get out, it meant a way existed. And if a way existed, it could be found...
The two walked side by side, standing at the edge of the cliff and looking down. The cliff, which should have been shrouded in Rainbow Mist, overlooked nothing but a vast, empty ocean. The "Ship Graveyard" and the mist itself had vanished without a trace.
"It seems finding the way back through the mist is a no-go!" Arthur frowned, his heart sinking slightly.
"If finding the way back was easy, the countless people who entered throughout history wouldn't have disappeared..." Stussy seemed resigned, as if she had already given up hope.
Abandoning the idea of backtracking, Arthur walked thoughtfully down the slope, heading toward the populated area of Ruluka Island.
The sky gradually darkened. Smoke rose from chimneys as families on the island's edge began to cook dinner. Further away in the small town, residents emerged from their homes to start the nightlife. Squads of Marines returned to the branch base from their mechanical patrols, lowering their guard for the day.
Arthur and Stussy walked into the town. Immediately, gazes from both sides of the street locked onto them.
"Oh? Two more outsiders have arrived on Ruluka Island!" a bold resident greeted them with a beaming smile.
"That's a rare sight. No one has been to this island in years, right?" Others whispered, discussing among themselves...
In an instant, a wave of bone-chilling horror washed over Arthur!
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