Arthur.
Shiki.
Kaido.
None of them were the type to waste time.
The very next morning, the three were already prepared. Arthur and Kaido boarded Shiki's personal ship—the Lionhead.
"Jihahahahaha~~~"
Shiki laughed heartily. "You two brats better watch yourselves. One careless move out there and you won't even know how you died."
Arthur replied evenly: "The G-1 Branch, right? We'll definitely need to be careful. As the Marines' stronghold in the New World, no one can predict what kind of monsters might show up there."
"Hm?"
Kaido blinked in surprise.
Shiki raised an eyebrow, amused. "Arthur, brat—you already know what our mission is?"
Arthur smiled faintly and explained: "Since Duru's identity as a Marine spy has been exposed, knowing Captain Rocks' personality, there's no way he'll let that slide. Retaliation is inevitable."
"Jihahahahaha~~~"
Shiki roared with laughter. "Arthur, brat! You're sharp, damn sharp! I like it—I'm getting more and more interested in you!"
He hadn't known Arthur long, but Shiki's interest was growing. A man this clever—if he could bring him under his wing, it would be a huge asset. But… it wasn't the right time yet.
Shiki turned to his men and bellowed: "All hands! Set sail for the Marines' G-1 Branch! They dared to provoke the Rocks Pirates—flatten the place and let the whole world know the price of crossing us!"
"ROAR!"
A hundred of Shiki's elite crew answered with bloodcurdling shouts, springing into action.
The sails unfurled.
The ship surged forward.
The Lionhead cut swiftly through the seas.
"Marine G1 Branch…" Arthur leaned against the railing, a smile tugging at his lips. "What kind of strong opponents will we find there, I wonder? I can't wait."
He was truly looking forward to it.
Arthur's Red Dragon bloodline gave him more than a monstrous physique, magical power, and an endless appetite—it also gave him a dragon's nature: a love for battle tempered with a streak of laziness. Odd, perhaps, but that was Arthur. He longed for strong opponents, even as he exuded nonchalance.
"Arthur!"
Kaido strode over. "What's going through that head of yours?"
Arthur replied: "Just thinking about what kind of powerful Marines the G-1 Branch has… and what their strength might be."
Kaido grinned. "Yeah… that's something to look forward to!"
Both of them were battle maniacs in their own right—kindred spirits in that way.
Arthur added with a chuckle: "Aside from that, I'm curious if we might pick up a few Devil Fruits at G-1."
"Hah?!"
Kaido looked at him strangely. "Arthur, why are you so obsessed with Devil Fruits? I heard you're just some orphan with nothing."
Arthur didn't mind the question. "And? Is that so strange? Who would ever complain about having too many Devil Fruits?"
Kaido snorted. "If you're that interested, I've got two Fruits I don't care about. I can sell them to you. I only want Zoan-types. If you get any in the future, sell them to me."
"One for two?" Arthur asked slyly.
"Yeah."
To Arthur's surprise, Kaido agreed instantly. "No problem!"
Arthur laughed inwardly. Good grief! As expected of the future Beast, Kaido's obsession with Zoan Fruits really is insane.
But he didn't press it further. It was a minor matter. From his own research, Arthur had learned that all Devil Fruits contained tremendous energy. There were no "weak" fruits—only weak users. Even the most overlooked abilities could be developed into monstrous powers.
That was why, at their core, all Devil Fruits carried equivalent energy.
"Jihahahahaha~~~"
Shiki wandered over, laughing. "Arthur, brat, Kaido, brat—this little trade of yours is interesting!"
Arthur didn't care that Shiki overheard. Instead, he asked: "What about you, Shiki? Want to join in the deal?"
"Hm?"
Shiki shook his head. "Not interested. If I get my hands on a Devil Fruit, I'm keeping it. No way I'd trade one away."
Arthur sighed. "What a shame. But I suppose that's only natural. The Rocks Pirates get more Fruits than anyone. That's exactly why I chose to join anyway."
"Jihahahahaha~~~ That's right."
"Other than Captain Rocks, no one in this sea has such wealth. Not even the Marines!"
Arthur nodded. "Joining pirates complicate my long-term plans… but in the end, it's a small matter. As long as I grow strong enough, none of that will matter."
"Damn right!"
Shiki clenched a fist, eyes gleaming. "In this world, strength is everything. With enough power, you can do whatever you want, and no one can stop you."
Arthur agreed: "Mhm."
Kaido added firmly: "Power over anything!"
As the three conversed, the Lionhead surged across the waves, racing straight toward the Marines' G-1 Branch.