—Haha...
With a wild, lion-like laugh, Shiki stepped into the cafeteria.
—Officer Shiki?
—Wait...
—Did Master Shiki really come to see Arthur?
The surrounding pirates whispered in disbelief.
They knew Arthur's strength as a trainee was terrifying, but none expected a high-ranking officer like Shiki to approach him directly.
Meanwhile, Dulu was ready to kill Arthur—the man who could one day threaten the Marines' sense of justice.
Arthur raised his hand and brought it down, slicing through Dulu's attack.
Ding!
At the same time, his raised palm—accompanied by a metallic clash—blocked Dulu's deadly finger strike.
Feeling a faint sting, Arthur realized that even with Armament Haki, his newly awakened Red Dragon Scales were still in their infancy.
If they were stronger, blocking that attack would've been easier.
Arthur looked at Dulu and asked:
—I'm curious. Did you really think that attack could kill me?
Dulu smiled.
—Of course not. But my plan worked. This strike only succeeds at close range.
—Secret Six Styles Technique: Six Kings Spear!
Dulu clenched his fists and pressed his palms together.
A terrifying shockwave erupted.
But—
In the next moment, the shockwave vanished without a trace.
—Wind King's Hammer!
A sudden burst of wind slammed Dulu into the deck, crushing him under its force.
—Hmm...
Watching Dulu collapse, Arthur thought to himself:
—With my Red Dragon bloodline now at 10%, the magical power in my body has likely tripled. Truly worthy of the dragon's legacy—this is terrifying.
The Wind King's Barrier, which cloaks the Sword of Victory, is essentially magical.
Wind King's Hammer.
Wind King's Iron Shield.
The first was once used by King Saber.
The second was developed by Arthur himself.
Both techniques are built around the Wind King's Barrier.
—Huh?
Kaido, seated nearby, narrowed his eyes.
—Arthur... has he gotten even stronger?
—Haha...
The battle was over.
Shiki laughed.
—Usher, you were ruthless. No mercy at all.
Arthur didn't care what Shiki called him.
After all, Shiki was at least thirty-five or thirty-six.
Arthur was only seventeen.
It was normal to be called "kid."
—As an opponent, it's best not to show mercy.
—Otherwise...
—The price is simply too high.
Arthur never believed in letting the tiger return to the mountain.
But unfortunately, killing the strongest was often the hardest task.
—Haha...
Shiki listened to Arthur and grinned.
—Usher! You're exactly my kind of guy. I've got a mission—interested?
…
—Master Shiki is inviting Arthur?
—No way!
—How is this even possible?
After a brief silence, the surrounding pirates gasped in disbelief.
Who was Shiki?
Golden Lion Shiki.
A legendary swordsman of the sea, even hailed as the greatest in the world.
Though many didn't recognize the title—
Shiki's unique abilities made him controversial.
But that didn't mean his swordsmanship was weak.
Throughout history, those who reached the rank of master swordsman were monsters.
His bounty? 1.53 billion berries.
In this era, anyone with a bounty over a billion was a monster among monsters.
For someone like him to personally approach Arthur—a mere trainee—was unimaginable.
Arthur looked at Shiki and immediately understood.
—And the reward?
—As far as I know, every Rocks Pirates mission comes with a bounty.
—Depends on your effort.
—Put in enough work...
—And the reward is high.
—Is there a Devil Fruit involved?
—Certainly.
—No problem.
After a few words, Arthur accepted Shiki's invitation.
As for the mission—he could probably guess what it was.
Seeing Arthur accept, Kaido stood up.
—Old Lion! I want in on this mission too!
Shiki didn't mind the nickname.
He smiled proudly.
—Of course. Arthur, Kaido—get ready. You two set out tomorrow.
---
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