The death of the Iron, Silver, and Gold brothers sent a clear message to the entire Rocks Pirates.
These four brats weren't some weaklings to be bullied.
Quite the opposite.
They were monsters—especially Arthur and Kaido, monsters among monsters.
As trainee crew members, they had defeated regular crewmen and now stood at officer-level strength.
As for the outcome?
Rocks didn't care about the deaths of those so-called minor officers or other pirates.
That night, a large number of new crew members were added.
The 200 newcomers returned to the pirate ship.
Though unofficial, Arthur, Kaido, Shaki, and Dulu were now recognized as trainee crew.
Power.
The Rocks Pirates were a place where the strong devoured the weak, and strength earned respect.
Naturally, the newcomers were considered junior members.
Arthur wasn't interested in them.
Xia Qi didn't care.
Dulu wasn't strong enough.
And Kaido took control.
In just one day, Arthur had risen from trainee to a position equivalent to an officer.
Though still labeled a trainee, aside from the elites and the six true officers, no one dared provoke him.
Creaaak!
A cabin door opened.
Arthur and the other three entered.
—Whoa...
Whistling, Dulu joked:
—What a fortune!
Inside the room was a mountain of gold, silver, and treasure, along with countless weapons.
Though none were famed blades, they were far stronger than ordinary arms.
But the most valuable items were the three Devil Fruits placed on the table.
Arthur said:
—I only want these three Devil Fruits. I'm not interested in the rest.
—Tch...
Kaido snorted coldly, but didn't object.
Since Kaido had no complaints, Xia Qi and Dulu didn't either.
After all, among the four, Arthur was clearly the strongest.
Even if he kept everything for himself, no one would argue.
The fact that he was willing to share was already generous.
Arthur placed the three fruits into a treasure chest and left with it.
—I'm going to rest.
—Take your time choosing.
He left with a smile.
As for the rest of the loot, Arthur had no interest.
The Devil Fruits were all that mattered.
Back in his room—
—Mmm...
Arthur set the chest aside and collapsed lazily onto the bed.
—A lot's happened... but as expected from the Rocks Pirates. In such a short time, I've already collected six Devil Fruits.
—And more...
Arthur pulled four more Devil Fruits from his system storage.
That's right.
Since leaving his hometown, Arthur had endured countless hardships and managed to collect four Devil Fruits.
Adding the six he'd just obtained, the total was now ten.
—It's not time to rest yet.
—Let's see...
—Ten Devil Fruits. What can I upgrade?
Arthur sat up, placed the ten fruits before him, and whispered:
—Devour them.
Roar!
A faint roar and hiss echoed from within Arthur.
In the next moment, the shadow of a red dragon emerged and swallowed all ten fruits in a single gulp.
—Tch...
Arthur howled in pain, dropping to one knee.
His body instantly heated up, radiating an intense, scorching heat.
But—
The heat affected only Arthur.
The floor remained untouched.
—Damn it...
Arthur cursed inwardly.
—This is even worse than when I first awakened the Red Dragon bloodline!
—Haa...
—Haa...
He breathed deeply, trying to calm his burning head.
The Arthurian System was a "Three-No" system.
No system assistant.
No quests.
No achievements.
Simple and brutal.
By consuming Devil Fruits, Arthur gained energy.
He could use it to upgrade weapons, summon the Knights of the Round Table, create the British Isles, or invoke the Cretaceous City.
In short—
Everything that once belonged to King Arthur could be summoned or inherited through the system.
Why was it called the "Three-No" system?
That's the catch.
If Arthur had a clear idea before absorbing energy, it would be stored.
If not enough, it would accumulate until ready.
If no idea at all, the energy would be used passively to awaken the Red Dragon bloodline.
This system wasn't human at all.
Hiss...
Hiss...
Sweat began to pour from Arthur's body, but evaporated instantly into steam due to the extreme heat.
Enduring temperatures that could kill a man, Arthur's mind began to blur.
He had no idea how long the state lasted.
Eventually—
His brain relaxed.
He recovered instantly.
—Huh?!
He was back to normal, free from pain and discomfort.
Arthur stood and muttered:
—Seriously... that was brutal. Awakening the Red Dragon bloodline is no joke.
He felt the changes in his body.
Though his overall strength hadn't increased much, his physical condition had clearly improved.
Thinking this through, Arthur opened his status panel:
Arthur Pendragon
Sacred Sword: Sword of Victory (Thirteen Seals)
Sacred Spear: Unlocked
Red Dragon Bloodline: 10% (Unlocked: Red Dragon Scale)
Knights of the Round Table: Unlocked
British Isles: Unlocked
Cretaceous City: Unlocked
Haki: Conqueror's Haki (basic), Armament Haki (basic), Observation Haki (basic)