From dawn till dusk.
From morning's first light to sunset's dying rays—
The bloodbath raged on.
The slaughter had continued for a full day.
And now—
Very few remained alive on Hachinosu Island.
---
"Hahh... Hahh..."
A towering pirate knelt on one knee, gasping heavily, drenched in sweat and blood, utterly exhausted.
Staring ahead, he looked at the two figures still cutting down enemies like demons incarnate and murmured in disbelief:
"These brats... They're a beast."
—
Shing!
Arthur strode forward, striking down pirate after pirate with calculated precision.
Though he was isekai'd, Arthur hadn't inherited a body—he was born into this world. A reincarnator from birth.
An orphan raised in hardship, he had trained tirelessly since childhood. And it was by chance that he found two Devil Fruits, which triggered the awakening of Arthurian System.
His power today wasn't just handed to him by a cheat—it was built on a rock-solid foundation.
---
BOOM!
Across the battlefield, another hulking figure wielded a kanabō, wreaking havoc with raw, overwhelming force.
Unlike Arthur's elegance, this one fought with pure brutality.
His body was massive. Twin horns curled from his head.
And now, with a beastly grin, he turned toward Arthur and began striding forward.
"Oh."
Arthur raised a brow, smiling with interest.
"Setting your sights on me, are you?"
He stepped forward as well.
All the pirates between them either lay unconscious… or wisely moved out of the way.
No one dared interfere.
These two brats were monsters—
Terrifying monsters beyond comprehension.
"Hey, kid… you're strong."
The horned man sneered with excitement, hefting his spiked club over his shoulder.
Arthur smiled back, calm and unbothered.
"Maybe just a little stronger than your backup dancers."
"What a cocky bastard."
"Who knows?"
"I'm gonna crush you!"
"Same."
The two stopped.
Ten meters apart.
Neither flinched. Neither blinked.
Though their heights differed, their aura was equally terrifying.
For a moment, it was as if a roaring beast and a raging demon stood face-to-face.
The horned man growled:
"Name's Kaido. And you, brat?"
Arthur replied evenly:
"Arthur Pendragon."
—
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Hammer of the Wind King!"
BOOOOM!!!
Kaido lunged first.
His kanabō was wreathed in Advanced Armament Haki, swinging with devastating speed toward Arthur's head.
Arthur didn't dare underestimate him.
This may have been young Kaido, perhaps still in his twenties—but even now, he couldn't be taken lightly.
Arthur unleashed a surge of invisible wind, conjuring a pale green warhammer that crashed down like a tempest.
A violent shockwave burst outward, flipping nearby pirates into the air like rag dolls.
"These two… they're monsters!"
"They can't be older than twenty, right?!"
—
"Hey!"
"Where the hell do you think you're looking?! The test isn't over yet!"
"Bastard!!"
While Arthur and Kaido were clashing, the rest of the battlefield erupted again—only 30 to 50 pirates remained.
And only five could survive.
To claim those spots, they would have to kill.
---
Clang!
After a brief clash, Arthur and Kaido collided again.
The invisible sword and iron club clashed repeatedly, sparks and wind exploding with each strike.
Crack!
Boom!
Their bodies—both physically monstrous—were pushed to the limit, fully on display.
Then—BANG!
Both were knocked backward, their feet gouging deep trenches into the ground as they slid.
"Whew…"
Arthur exhaled slowly, thinking to himself:
"What incredible durability. Kaido doesn't rely on just his Mythical Zoan powers—his physical body alone is monstrous."
—
"Wororororo~~~!"
Kaido laughed, ecstatic.
"That's more like it! Arthur! Why don't you join my crew?! A guy like you—I'd love to have you under me!"
Arthur blinked, then shook his head.
"I refuse. I have no interest in serving anyone."
So even back then…
Kaido was already trying to collect monsters like Pokémon.
"Tch. What a shame."
"Then, I need to take you down."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
BOOM!
The two smiled—
And then the sky exploded.
A massive burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from both of them at once.
Dark purple shockwaves clashed violently in the air, forming tendrils of solid lightning that crackled and slammed into the earth.
—
"Conqueror's Haki?!"
"These two brats—!!"
Gasps rang out across the battlefield.
It was absurd.
Conqueror's Haki, said to manifest in only one in a million, was appearing in not one, but two young monsters.
None could believe it.
Even the Rocks Pirates themselves now paid closer attention.
Sure, within the Rocks crew, Conqueror's Haki was almost common—
But that didn't mean it was meaningless.
Having Conqueror's Haki wasn't just about charisma.
It meant innate talent of the highest order.
Not everyone without it was weak.
But everyone who had it… was terrifying.
—
"Arthur!!" Kaido roared with glee.
"Let's keep going!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Hammer of the Wind King!"
Kaido charged in again, unleashing a devastating roar.
Arthur met him head-on, a swirling hammer of pale wind spiraling in his palm.
Notably—
Even now, Arthur did not reveal his Holy Sword.
Some things…
Weren't ready to be exposed yet.