One Piece: Lightning Heir#208/209: Arthur, the Target of the New Era's Monsters, A Lesson in Cruelty!

2 Chps.

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The Great Age of Pirates had truly arrived. How many people were inspired to become pirates by Roger’s final words?

It was impossible to calculate... one could only estimate that their number surpassed the total strength of the entire Marine forces.

“Before long, people will forget how terrifying Captain Arthur is and will scramble to challenge him!”

“Overconfident fools! People playing at being pirates who haven't been baptized by the New World have no idea what true power is!”

“Murufufufu, isn’t it a good thing to let them learn how cruel the sea can be?”

“We’ll just kill them all...”

Aboard the [Thor], they sat and discussed, their contempt for the pirates of the new era absolute.

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The storm continued to rage, the tide never-ending!

The people, their desires unshackled, did everything they could to build, steal, or buy ships, all for that ethereal world’s greatest treasure—the One Piece!

No one knew just how many had been influenced by Roger’s words... Before long, the Grand Line would be flooded with these make-believe pirates. However, how many of them could truly stand out?

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In the waters outside Loguetown, aboard the Moby Dick.

“Pops, Roger’s body... what will happen to it?” Marco asked in a low voice.

Even as a former enemy, he didn’t want to see such a great man left without even a body to bury.

The man who had started a magnificent era... would there be no one to even collect his remains? Was this truly his tragic end?

Jozu, Vista, and the others were also concerned about this, gathering around Whitebeard.

Blackbeard Teach stood silently in a corner, feigning his simple and honest appearance. In his small eyes, hidden as he devoured a cherry pie, a shrewd light flashed...

'Zehahahaha! Roger is dead! Just let me get my hands on the most evil Devil Fruit in history, and the pinnacle will be mine! Whitebeard? Thunder Emperor Arthur? They can all go to hell!'

No one knew Blackbeard’s inner thoughts. They only thought he was a truly ambitionless member of the Fourth Division.

“Don’t worry. Roger’s body... someone will come to collect it,” Whitebeard said, putting down his wine gourd, a hint of sorrow in his heart.

Without realizing it, wrinkles had appeared at the corners of his eyes, and the pale golden hair under his hat was beginning to turn white. The men of his era... how many were left now?

“That’s good!” Marco and the others were relieved. Then, the conversation shifted.

“The era has gone wild. More and more people will be setting out to sea. Will people come to challenge you, Pops?”

“What are you talking about? Pops is the World’s Strongest Man!”

“Hahahaha, that’s true. I was just asking out of boredom.”

“Gurarararara! My foolish sons, the one you should be worried about is that lightning brat... That kid doesn’t even have a stable territory. It’s only a matter of time before he’s targeted.”

The atmosphere on the Whitebeard Pirates’ ship was joyous as they began a banquet to see Roger off.

At the same time, far away in the New World, the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates had encountered each other while fighting over territory.

Whitebeard had no interest in the territories left behind by Golden Lion Shiki and Roger. Arthur had not yet entered the New World. Only these two pirate crews were fighting over such a massive prize.

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Just as Whitebeard had said, on the very first day of the new era, pirates had already appeared targeting Arthur.

Doflamingo led his family’s army into the Grand Line. They knew how dangerous Arthur was, and Doflamingo was clear-headed enough to know that his current goal was to temporarily cooperate with an emperor.

The supreme throne was not yet something he could covet.

Mihawk, alone with his sword, had no interest in the so-called great treasure. His only pleasure was to challenge master swordsmen.

With Golden Lion Shiki captured, who were the remaining master swordsmen? Silvers Rayleigh? In any case, only by entering the New World could he find suitable opponents.

Sir Crocodile’s goal had always been one and only one: his sole target for entering the sea was the World’s Strongest Man—Whitebeard.

And the bizarrely-shaped Gecko Moria, leading his crew, was one of the countless pirates who had set his sights on Arthur.

Shanks was still far from being able to stand on his own. Roger’s death had thrown his world into chaos. However, he had his own plans: first, to increase his strength, then to recruit a crew, and finally, to return to the Grand Line and the New World.

“Treasure Hunter” Mad Treasure was a pirate who only knew how to search for treasure. What he pursued was the sense of accomplishment at the moment he found it.

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Chaos was erupting. In the four seas, countless people dreamed of taking the head of a New World emperor and using it to make a name for themselves.

And the current emperor-level existences in the New World were a full five people!

Whitebeard, the Red Count, Kaido, Big Mom, and the Thunder Emperor!

“Kishishishi, five heads. Who should I choose?” one voice after another began to sound.

People who had no idea what death was seemed to see themselves stepping on the body of a New World emperor and becoming famous throughout the world.

“Roger is dead, the Golden Lion has been captured, the Whitebeard Pirates are too massive, and the forces of Kaido and Big Mom are not to be trifled with. Then... that leaves only Red Count, Patrick Redfield, and the Thunder Emperor, Seabury D. Arthur!”

“The Red Count’s whereabouts are unknown, he’s not even in the news. Then the only target is—‘Thunder Emperor’ Arthur?”

“HAHAHAHAHA, if I take his head, I’ll shake the world and become a new emperor!!”

“Kishishishi!”

“...”

All sorts of strange laughter echoed across the four seas. The number of people who had set their sights on Arthur was simply countless...

They had even forgotten the scene of Arthur’s recent duel with the World’s Strongest Man, Whitebeard.

Events on the sea were like crashing waves. If there was no follow-up, they would immediately be erased by the next major event.

These people had, in such a short time, forgotten just how terrifying Arthur was, forgotten why he was called—the World’s Most Dangerous Man.

How many utter fools were there in the world? As many as the stars in the sky.

But were they really foolish? Don’t forget, a man’s obsession with wealth, fame, and power—these were things no one could resist.

Once you got a taste, you could never quit.

Ambition drives people forward, constantly climbing, never submitting!

Those blinded by ambition were like climbers in a thick fog, unable to see if a bottomless abyss lay ahead.

These hot-headed ambitious fools, without even thinking, just assumed that anyone could climb to the top and see the view, that they could take the heads of the emperors at any time. They never considered that the bodies of those who died on the way were ground to dust.

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The greatest tragedy is to have ambition without the power to achieve it. Even if you succeed in the end, your own weakness and incompetence will ensure you are replaced by another.

From the Four Blues and the Grand Line, the pirates with their sights set on Arthur’s head began their journey from every corner of the world.

From any angle, Arthur and Redfield—who had yet to form their own major factions, were the best candidates to challenge.

Redfield’s movements were enigmatic, no one could find him. That left the high-profile Arthur as the obvious target.

Those who were blindly confident in themselves, or those who truly had some skill, began to throw themselves into the Grand Line one after another.

The most exciting, most chaotic, and most evil of eras had arrived!

Just like in the future era of Luffy, all the Supernovas who entered the New World had to target the Four Emperors.

This wasn't just because defeating them would bring fame; their territories could be taken in the process.

Only by getting their heads bashed in could they learn just how vast the gap was between themselves and the pinnacle.

Those who understood the difference would either be defeated and retreat from the New World forever, be absorbed by their conquerors, or be forced to lick their wounds in the shadows, silently biding their time.

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Reverse Mountain, one of the world’s wonders, where the sea currents miraculously flowed uphill.

Without the Marines’ turbine propulsion systems or the ability to fly, pirates couldn't cross the Calm Belt. The only way to enter the Grand Line was through here.

The [Thor] arrived smoothly and landed on the Red Line.

Arthur’s crew successfully reunited with Sanjuan Wolf, who had been waiting for them.

His massive body stood in the seawater, trying to hide, thinking no one could see him. In reality, no matter how he hid, he was as conspicuous as a Sea King leaping from the depths.

“Captain, are we heading to the New World now?” Wolf asked dim-wittedly, still chewing on a fish that was about the same size as the [Thor].

“We wait here. After we clean up a batch of people, we’ll go to the New World and seize our territory,” Arthur said, stepping off the [Thor] and standing on the Red Line, gazing at the entrance from the Four Blues.

“Bararara, in that case, we should hurry up... The New World, it’s been a long time. I can’t wait!” Byrnndi World said with a cruel smile.

“Captain... sink them all?” Vasco Shot asked, bleary-eyed from his drink.

“Sink every ship that comes into view. Let them understand the cruelty of being a pirate...” Arthur said coldly.

“Murufufufu, pirates don’t need a reason to pillage and plunder!” Catarina Devon laughed, her hands on her hips.

“They’re here...” Shiryu, who had been quiet, lit a cigar and turned to look at the entrance, the blood-red light in his eyes gradually intensifying.

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“Splash~”

“Splash~ Splash~”

The sound of ships parting the waves came continuously from the entrance of Reverse Mountain, faintly mixed with the clamor of countless pirates.

“CHARGE!!”

“INTO THE GRAND LINE! THE ONE PIECE IS MINE!”

“GOLD, SILVER, TREASURE! STRONG LIQUOR AND BEAUTIFUL WOMEN! THAT’S WHAT THE SEA IS ALL ABOUT!!”

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

“...”

The reverse-flowing sea currents began to converge. Pirates from the four seas arrived at Reverse Mountain at top speed, dreaming their wonderful daydreams.

“Truly... pathetic,” Naguri sighed, his entire aura suddenly intensifying.

Even with his personality, he couldn't stand to watch this group of pirates.

“There are so many of them, meow!” Avalo Pizarro’s cat-like eyes widened. He looked at the dozens, even hundreds of ships arriving from the four seas, and found it somewhat unbelievable.

One could see just what kind of turmoil Roger’s words had caused. And this was only the first day of the Great Age of Pirates!

In the future, an endless stream of people would continue to pour into the sea...

The number of pirates would continue to rise with the passage of time. Perhaps this would last for several years...

Only after a few years, when countless pirates had grown disillusioned with the One Piece and despaired at the monsters of the New World, would this trend gradually come to a halt.

From a pirate’s perspective, Roger was indeed great. He had single-handedly pushed forward a brand-new era.

However, his words had left the entire sea scarred and broken. Countless ordinary civilians were harmed by his indirect influence, and too many places suffered persecution.

This was the true nature of pirates... always heinous, their crimes unforgivable.

As the crew of the Thunder God Pirates looked at the numerous ships arriving from the four seas, the people scrambling to enter Reverse Mountain also saw the [Thor] docked on the Red Line, the colossal giant Sanjuan Wolf, and the flag fluttering in the wind!

And in front of Sanjuan Wolf stood Arthur and his fearsome crew!

On the crow’s nest of the lead pirate ship, the lookout with the binoculars saw this combination in an instant.

“CAPTAIN, BAD NEWS!!”

“WE’VE SPOTTED THE THUNDER GOD PIRATES UP AHEAD!”

The reconnaissance pirate roared in a panic, reminding his captain.

Arthur’s current fame was off the charts. Especially after daring to open fire on the highest powers of Marine Headquarters during Roger’s execution, his and his crew’s reputation had been pushed to its peak.

So the pirates who saw them recognized them immediately.

“HAHAHAHA, WHAT BAD NEWS, YOU IDIOT!!” The captain snatched the binoculars, confirmed it was them, and was instantly overcome with excitement.

“If we crush the Thunder God Pirates, we’ll be famous across the seas in an instant!”

“ADJUST THE CANNONS... KILL THEM!!”

“YES, CAPTAIN!!”

Under their captain’s command, the crew’s morale soared. Their blood boiled, clouding their judgment.

The roar of this pirate crew naturally alerted the other crews just a step behind them.

“KILL!! DON’T LET THEM GET THERE FIRST! THUNDER EMPEROR ARTHUR’S HEAD IS MINE!”

“HAHAHAHA, WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPOUTING?? THAT’S MY PREY!”

One ship after another accelerated their advance...

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“I’m about to laugh my teeth out, meow!” Pizarro opened his ferocious mouth, revealing a set of uneven teeth, his front teeth missing.

“Captain, give the order! I can’t wait to kill these people who don’t know their place!” Byrnndi World weighed a rock in his hand.

“My command?” Arthur had no intention of doing it himself. If he had to personally deal with these small-fry, then what was the point of building a crew?

“Then... SINK THEM ALL. LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE!!”

“BARARARARARA! LEARN THE CRUELTY OF THE SEA, YOU LITTLE MAKE-BELIEVE PIRATES!” Byrnndi World heard Arthur’s words and laughed wildly.

He stretched out his hands, making a launching gesture, and let out a furious roar.

“More More—Fifty-Fold Cannon!!”

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!”

The rock shot out, and under the influence of his Devil Fruit, it suddenly expanded by fifty times. Both its size and speed increased, delivering a head-on blow to the lead pirate ship.

“BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!”

“CLANG!!”

Gunshots rang out, and sharp swords were unsheathed.

Vasco Shot, Shiryu, Pizarro, and the others charged forward all at once.