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"A Mythical Zoan, Nue?" A cruel smile played on Arthur's lips.
"Is that what gives you the confidence to challenge me?"
Mythical Zoans, rarer even than Logia types—only a handful were documented in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
The most famous was Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Human-Human Fruit, Model: Daibutsu—
—Then there was Marco, the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, with his Phoenix fruit—and there is also the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire...
The strongest, however, was likely the Dragon-Dragon Fruit—a Mythical Zoan that Vegapunk was rumored to be studying, delving into the secrets of Lineage Factors.
"So, that's why Kaido's crew wanted to recruit you... But, If that's all you've got—you're already dead," Arthur stated, his voice flat, devoid of emotion.
No one interrupted him on the verge of an advancement and lived to tell the tale.
"Don't talk big!" Dunlap and Prolden roared, their bodies tense, their weapons raised as they flanked Arthur, Birdpence hovering above, ready to strike.
Arthur scoffed, his feet already moving, a blur of motion.
"Kill him! We'll be famous! We'll be legends!" Prolden roared, his fist lashing out.
"Brat, If you want to kill us, you'll have to prove you're worthy of your reputation," Birdpence snarled, his Nue form wreathed in a strange, fiery aura, his tiger claws slicing through the air.
The three of them attacked simultaneously, with all their might.
Raijin Island crackled with a raw, untamed energy. The air was thick with electricity.
Any sudden burst of power could trigger a chain reaction, unleashing the full fury of the storm clouds above—just as LaBeouf's roar had done, getting him incinerated.
So, Arthur, still not at his peak, refrained from using his lightning—for now.
He moved forward, the three pirates closing in, their attacks a whirlwind of fury, reaching him in a heartbeat.
"Is this the dawn of a new era? Or the last gasp of the old? You pathetic fools."
Arthur's movements were fluid, his gaze cold, dismissive as he sidestepped their attacks, his eyes fixed on Birdpence, the Mythical Zoan user.
Their attacks—weak, pathetic, barely strong enough to scratch him. He could have stood there and let them hit him, and it would have done nothing.
Did they really think he'd made no progress in the past three months?
As he reached for Birdpence, Dunlap and Prolden's attacks slammed into him.
"You arrogant bastard! Die!" Prolden roared, his fury intensifying, seeing Arthur's casual disregard for his attack.
The sound of their fists hitting Arthur's body was like striking a solid steel wall. Arthur didn't even flinch, his forward momentum was unbroken.
Prolden and Dunlap stared, their minds reeling.
Their full-force attacks hadn't even fazed him...
They'd been sailing the Grand Line for a while now, fighting countless enemies—But they'd never encountered anyone who could take their attacks head-on without so much as a flinch, not even those who specialized in physical combat.
LaBeouf, a physical powerhouse in his own right, had been reduced to a smoldering husk by a single lightning bolt. He wouldn't have dared to take their attacks so casually. A direct hit would have seriously injured him.
They'd heard Arthur was a Logia user—but this monstrous durability?
Was he on the same level as Kaido?
His breathing hadn't even changed...
Big Mom's iron balloon defenses, Kaido's indestructible body, and now Arthur—his seemingly impenetrable physique...
"Are all the Emperors ?"
A chill washed over Dunlap and Prolden. If they couldn't even damage him, how could they hope to defeat him?
The most terrifying thing wasn't facing a stronger opponent—it was facing someone so overwhelmingly powerful that all your efforts were meaningless.
It was a feeling of utter helplessness, a despair that crushed the spirit, a realization of the insurmountable gap between them.
This was their baptism by fire, their first true taste of the New World's power.
As they stood there, stunned, Arthur's fist slammed into Birdpence's tiger claws.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The sound of shattering bone, followed by an agonized scream, echoed through the air as Birdpence was sent flying backwards.
Arthur, his movements like lightning, followed, his speed a blur.
He'd seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. He knew the Nue fruit granted not only a fiery aura, but also regenerative abilities rivaling the Phoenix Fruit. Broken bones would heal in seconds.
He reached Birdpence mid-air, another punch slamming into his chest.
Birdpence's ribs shattered, his body plummeting towards the ground.
Arthur's foot slammed into his face as he landed.
"Courageous—but foolish. You want to make a name for yourself in the New World? You want to take down an Emperor? You need more than just guts. You need strength!"
"Pirates are arrogant, I get it. But arrogance is a privilege of the strong. And you three...You're just weak."
Arthur retrieved his foot, crouching down, his hand patting Birdpence's face, his eyes cold, his tone condescending.
The remaining two pirates stood their ground, their spirits unbroken, despite their helplessness, their fear.
"Thunder God...What do you want?" Prolden's voice was low, his tone defiant.
"What do I want? You're kidding, right? Actions have consequences." Arthur's voice was cold, his expression ruthless.
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