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Whoosh!
With a single sweeping motion, Waldo slammed his palm down on the deck.
"Twenty-times acceleration—activate!"
The Golden Scaled ship—Jinlin—blazed forward like a bolt of lightning, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Behind them, Iceburg and the shipwrights stood frozen, watching as that magnificent golden vessel—its hull carved with a lifelike dragon that seemed ready to soar—disappeared over the horizon.
For a long while, no one spoke.
Their emotions were mixed, but one thought was the same in everyone's heart:
Just what kind of storm will that purple-haired man bring to the world?
The thought alone was enough to make them tremble with anticipation.
And somewhere, aboard the Thousand Sunny, the Straw Hat Crew felt the same.
To them, a powerful opponent wasn't something to fear—it was a challenge to overcome.
They couldn't wait to grow stronger, to train harder—
so that the next time they crossed paths with Arthur's crew, they'd be able to fight them on equal ground.
If Arthur knew what they were thinking, he would have smiled faintly and said:
"No matter how hard you work… it'll still be pointless.
This era's protagonist—is me."
The New World — Sabaody Archipelago
"I, Arthur, have arrived!"
The Golden Scaled ship gleamed like sunlight as it sliced through the azure sea.
Inside, Arthur gathered his crewmates—who were currently running around the deck like overexcited kittens—before the ship's main helm.
There, beside the giant steering wheel, stood a strange crystal device.
It looked a bit like an oversized Log Pose, except the glass sphere glowed faintly, as though something alive were inside.
Upon closer look, everyone could see—
it was displaying a world map.
A tiny glowing dot marked their position, moving slowly away from the green patch labeled Water 7, heading toward a cluster of small islands labeled Sabaody Archipelago.
"Whoa… what the hell is that?" Waldo asked, wide-eyed.
"It's got a whole world map in there—and it even tracks where we are!"
Arthur smiled.
"That's the Omniscient Recorder.
It doesn't just show the world—it navigates it.
It can track our location, show our destination, predict weather changes, and even mark potential dangers along our route."
Carmen leaned forward, her pink hair brushing against the glass, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"That's amazing! Like it's alive!"
Arthur chuckled.
"It kind of is. But to make full use of it, we'll need the help of our newest companion."
"Eh? Me?" Carmen blinked, pointing at herself.
"I don't know a thing about navigation!"
"No, not you," Arthur said with a teasing grin.
"This new member's even newer than you."
The crew exchanged confused looks.
"New… member?"
Arthur didn't make them wait.
"Come out, Jinlin!"
The name hung in the air.
At first, everyone thought he was just referring to the ship itself.
But then—
A glowing ball of light materialized near the doorway, taking on the faint outline of a child.
The light shimmered and shifted until a small, radiant boy stood before them—his form translucent, his golden aura dancing like sunlight on water.
Waldo's jaw dropped.
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
The others weren't any calmer.
Even Redfield, who had seen more of the seas than anyone alive, stared in awe.
"That's… a Ship Spirit?" he said quietly.
"I've sailed for decades and never seen one with my own eyes."
Arthur smiled.
"Yes—and no. Jinlin's a little different."
Crocodile, for the first time, actually spoke up.
"Different how?"
Arthur turned toward him, pleased.
"Good question, old sandman."
Crocodile realized he'd just initiated conversation and gave a small cough, pretending it hadn't happened.
Arthur hid his grin.
Progress was progress.
"A normal Ship Spirit is born from a vessel's will—the soul of the ship itself.
But Jinlin is unique. He comes from the World Tree—the material I used to build this ship.
He's not just a spirit; he's a guardian."
Everyone listened, still half in disbelief.
"In short," Arthur continued, "Jinlin can appear in human form, move freely throughout the ship, and control every part of it.
He can repair any damage instantly, and together with the Omniscient Recorder, he serves as our helmsman, shipwright, and navigator all in one."
Carmen gasped.
"That's incredible!"
Arthur nodded toward the glowing boy.
"Introduce yourself, Jinlin."
The little figure smiled shyly.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Jinlin.
I'm happy to be your companion. Please take care of me!"
The crew stared at him for a moment—
and then, one by one, they laughed.
Within minutes, Jinlin was accepted as part of the family.
That night, on the deck of the Golden Scaled, Arthur called everyone together.
He took out a bottle of fine wine—the gift from Iceburg—and poured a cup for each of them.
Six companions gathered in a circle, glasses raised under the moonlight.
"From Impel Down to Enies Lobby, through fire and blood—we've survived everything thrown at us," Arthur said, his voice steady and proud.
"And today, we finally set sail for real."
The others smiled faintly, memories flickering in their eyes.
For all the chaos and danger, this was the life they had chosen—
the life of freedom.
A life where no one told them what to do.
Where they could fight the Marines, defy the World Government, and carve their own legend across the Grand Line.
Arthur raised his glass higher.
"From this moment, our crew has a name—the Dawn Pirates!
From today onward, we sail for a brighter tomorrow!
Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Hahaha!"
Carmen clapped her hands, bringing out a tray of freshly cooked food, her bright smile adding warmth to the night.
Music, laughter, and the smell of roasted meat filled the air.
And at the helm, the glowing figure of Jinlin quietly guided their ship forward, his golden light merging with the starlit sea.
Assignments
Later that night, Arthur began dividing up duties.
Crocodile, now under Redfield's tutelage, would train in Haki.
Natural-type Devil Fruit users often relied too heavily on their abilities and neglected their Haki.
That wouldn't fly in the New World—where Haki ruled supreme.
"Without mastering it," Arthur warned, "you'll get beaten senseless out there."
Waldo, meanwhile, was tasked with designing their crew flag.
A grinning skull overlaid with thunderbolts and lightning—
simple, but striking.
"Not bad," Arthur admitted. "It'll look good flying above the sea."
Finally, as the others settled into their tasks, Arthur turned to Carmen, who was tidying up the dinner mess.
"Carmen, come with me," he said.
He took her hand gently, leading her toward his cabin.
The girl's cheeks flushed instantly.
"W-what are you—?"
Her heart raced.
And as the door closed behind them, her face turned bright red, the faint sound of her heartbeat almost louder than the waves outside.
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