Arthur.
Shiki.
Edward.
At this moment—
The battlefield had fallen silent.
As the various pirate crews gradually withdrew, only three remained, along with their forces: Britannia, the Flying Pirates, and the Whitebeard Pirates. Fighting had temporarily ceased, and the atmosphere between the three sides grew eerily quiet. No one dared make the first move.
After all—
As the number of participants dwindled, caution mixed with rising madness. A single spark could ignite the entire battlefield. And if that happened, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The three factions stood in tense silence, fully aware that the cost of reckless action might be more than any of them could bear.
"Sir Galahad…?" Gareth whispered quietly beside him.
Galahad stopped her with a small gesture.
"Stay prepared. The chances of war breaking out are low… but not zero."
And if war erupted now, it would be the most terrifying kind—
A battle with absolutely no mercy.
A breeze swept across the battlefield.
The stalemate shifted.
"Well then," Arthur spoke first. "Shiki, Edward—are we really going to keep standing here like this?"
"Tch!" Shiki clicked his tongue.
"I'm starting to dislike you more and more, brat. You always look like you see through everything. I hate people like you!"
Then he grinned wildly.
"But hey, Arthur—if you'd become my right-hand man, that'd be perfect! Jihahaha!"
He burst into manic laughter, waving his arms around like a lunatic. After years in the Rocks Pirates, everyone was used to Shiki's periodic fits.
Arthur refused without hesitation.
"Impossible. My people acknowledge me as their king. If I served someone else, what would become of them?"
"Tch. Boring."
Shiki suddenly bared his teeth.
"Then shall we fight?"
Since recruitment had failed, killing intent burst forth.
Arthur remained calm.
"Are you really prepared for war, Shiki?"
Shiki clicked his tongue again.
"You're such a buzzkill."
He hated dealing with thinkers like Arthur and Ochoku. Unless he possessed overwhelming power beyond calculation, he could never outmaneuver them.
And he didn't.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard laughed loudly.
"Shiki, you're actually thinking things through now? You've grown."
"Shut up!" Shiki snapped. "Why don't you try something, then?"
A triangular balance had formed—Arthur, Shiki, and Whitebeard.
Break it, and the one who did would be driven out first… then the remaining two would fight to the death.
Whitebeard shrugged.
"I'm not that interested. This treasure was an unexpected bonus anyway. Getting a portion is enough."
Whitebeard valued treasure mainly to protect his homeland and his sons. If he gained some, great. If not, it wasn't a big deal.
Shiki wanted everything.
Whitebeard was content with a share.
Arthur simply watched, already seeing the outcome.
"Tch! Fine," Shiki grumbled. "Let's dig it up."
Reluctantly, he compromised. He hated the idea of sharing Rocks' treasure—but facing Arthur and Whitebeard together would be suicide.
Arthur chuckled. Whitebeard laughed.
Shiki scowled harder.
"Go ahead and start digging," Arthur said. "But first… let's discuss how we divide it."
Whitebeard nodded calmly.
"No problem."
Shiki folded his arms.
"Fine."
Arthur spoke immediately:
"I want all the Devil Fruits."
"Impossible!"
"No way!"
Whitebeard and Shiki rejected the idea instantly.
They knew Arthur wanted Devil Fruits—but giving them away meant strengthening a rival.
Arthur only smiled.
"Then let's keep negotiating. Otherwise, the treasure won't be dug up at all."
His eyes narrowed.
No matter how many Devil Fruits lay inside, he intended to secure at least seventy percent of them.
Whitebeard and Shiki exchanged glances.
The treasure negotiations had reached a stalemate.
No one dared make the first move.
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