Driven by pure survival instinct, both men's potential suddenly exploded.
Crocodile, who had been barely able to block a single blow before, was now dodging two out of every ten.
Still a beating, but progress nonetheless.
He looked ragged, bruised, and exhausted, yet his pride refused to let him quit.
That suffocating feeling of helplessness had ignited something deep within him—
a fierce determination to get stronger, no matter what it took.
Hours passed.
By the time Carmen had finished cooking dinner, the deck still echoed with the clash of fists and roars of power.
Then, at last—
"Enough!"
CLANG!
Metal rang out as their auras collided.
At that instant, Crocodile's body shimmered with an unfamiliar black sheen.
He'd done it.
He'd finally touched the threshold of Armament Haki.
The coating flickered and vanished in an instant, but it was real.
Cheers erupted from the crew.
Carmen, always the first to catch the mood, emerged from the galley with a tray of drinks and a few towels.
"Good work, everyone! Wipe off that sweat and take a breather!"
"Dinner's almost ready—and congratulations, Crocodile."
She winked playfully as she handed him a drink.
Crocodile turned a bit red under his tan, clearly embarrassed by the attention.
Arthur downed his drink in one long gulp, savoring it before tossing the empty glass aside.
He sat beside Crocodile and clapped a firm hand on his shoulder.
"When your life's on the line, that's when people grow fastest.
You only awaken your true power when you're forced to survive."
Crocodile grinned broadly—his earlier frustration forgotten.
"I won't forget this, Captain. Thank you for pushing me."
"Good. If you're angry, speak it. If you're tired, say it.
Don't keep things bottled up. We're a crew—
we solve everything together."
"Aye!"
Then—
thunk, thunk.
Someone tapped his shoulder.
Arthur frowned and turned around.
"What? Something wrong?"
"Noffin… jush wanna ask… whay you beat me like dis too…?"
Arthur blinked—
then burst out laughing.
The whole crew joined in.
Waldo's face was swollen to twice its size, red and lumpy like he'd been headbutting a hornet's nest.
Carmen nearly dropped her tray, laughing through tears.
"Gahaha! Waldo, you look like a wild boar!
Someone grab a pot—we're having roast pork tonight!"
"Serves you right!" Crocodile smirked.
"This just proves—don't act cocky unless you're ready to pay for it."
"Shut your sand hole! If I could've beaten the captain, I'd have kicked your ass instead!"
"Oh, so it's not a pig—it's a stubborn mule!"
The laughter doubled.
Even Arthur couldn't hold back.
Dinner came and went.
Carmen tended to Waldo's bruises, while Crocodile secluded himself on deck, sweating through Haki drills long after dark.
Meanwhile, Arthur sat beside Redfield, speaking quietly with Jinlin.
"Jinlin, how long until we reach Dressrosa?"
"At full speed, Captain—two days, with Waldo's propulsion assist!"
"Excellent." Arthur smiled faintly. "Count, your wish is about to come true."
Redfield clenched his fists, trembling with anticipation.
"I've waited decades for this moment…"
"Then let's make it count." Arthur raised his hand.
"Jinlin—full throttle. No island stops."
"Understood!"
FWOOOM—!
The Jinlin roared to life, slicing through the waves like a streak of light, rocketing toward Dressrosa.
Hours turned into days.
When they passed the radiant beauty of Fish-Man Island, Carmen nearly leapt off the deck, eyes sparkling like gemstones.
"It's so beautiful! I want to go down there! Please, Captain, please!"
Arthur sighed, helpless against her enthusiasm.
"Alright, alright. After we're done in Dressrosa, I'll bring you here again."
It took a while to calm her down.
Then, through the Red Line, and back up into open sea—
A new scent filled the air.
Thick. Wild. Electric.
The New World.
"Finally," Arthur whispered, eyes gleaming.
"We've reached the New World."
The sea here was alive with chaos—storms, whirlpools, and sudden blizzards.
Unpredictable.
Unforgiving.
But thanks to Jinlin's advanced navigation system and log-coordination, the ship charted the optimal course automatically.
For a brief moment, all seemed calm.
Too calm.
"Captain!" Jinlin's voice cut through the air.
"A Marine battleship detected dead ahead!"
"Hmm?" Arthur sat up from his deck chair.
By his estimation, Marine Headquarters should be preoccupied preparing for the Portgas D. Ace execution.
They shouldn't have spare ships patrolling this region.
He stood and walked to the bow, joined by the others.
"Let's see which unlucky unit we're dealing with this time."
Meanwhile — Marine Headquarters.
Chaos. Absolute chaos.
"@#&$! $#*&$%!!!"
"You idiots!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku slammed his palms onto the table, eyes blazing.
"How the hell did you let them get away?!
Every single Marine in the Headquarters fleet deployed—and you STILL lost them?!
What are you, decorative furniture?!"
Three Admirals.
A dozen Vice Admirals.
Not a single one dared make a sound.
This loss was beyond humiliation—it was a historic disgrace.
Finally, Garp stepped forward, sighing.
"Enough. I'll take responsibility. Here's what happened…"
He summarized the battle:
The lightning, the Haki clashes, the devastating power Arthur had displayed.
Sengoku listened, his expression shifting from fury to disbelief.
When Garp raised his bandaged arm, Sengoku froze mid-breath.
"You're telling me that kid injured you?
You?!"
He could barely believe it.
If anyone else had said it, he'd have thrown them in the brig for lying.
But this was Garp.
And his wounds were real.
"He fought the Three Admirals and you… and still stood unscathed?"
"Not unscathed," Garp muttered grimly.
"But unbroken."
Sengoku slumped into his chair.
When he heard how Arthur had unleashed that monstrous thunder attack—threatening to wipe out soldiers and civilians alike—he understood.
That was their weakness.
The Marines weren't afraid of death.
They'd die for justice, gladly.
But risking the innocent lives behind them?
That was something they couldn't do.
That was what it meant to stand for "Justice."
The room fell silent—
until the door burst open.
A young Marine officer stumbled in, breathless, sweat streaming down his face.
"F-Fleet Admiral! Bad news!"
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