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As Arthur boarded the Oro Jackson, Oden, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi, who had been guarding the ship, breathed a sigh of relief, rushing to greet their returning captain.
"Captain Roger!" Oden, dressed in his samurai garb, his topknot secured, his swords at his side, called out.
"Get Arthur a room—" Roger said, his voice still weak from his battle with Arthur.
Arthur, following behind Roger, said nothing, accepting the offer and following a crew member into the ship's interior.
He wasn't worried about being attacked—
—Roger's crew were fiercely loyal. They wouldn't betray their captain's trust. And a true strong person wouldn't resort to cheap tactics like a sneak attack. It was a matter of pride.
He slept soundly for three days.
——
"Arthur! Wake up! You've been sleeping for three days! Trying to hibernate or something?" Roger's booming voice echoed through the ship, jolting Arthur awake.
He sat up, rubbing his temples, Roger's trademark mustache the first thing he saw.
"Die? I'm just getting started. You, on the other hand, old man…You'd better rest up. You're not far from hell yourself," Arthur retorted.
"Wahahaha! You and your smart mouth, kid…I told you—I'm not dying!"
"So, where are you headed?"
"Headed?" Arthur stretched, his joints popping. "If it's not too much trouble, drop me off at Raijin Island. I'm claiming that territory. It'll be my base of operations."
He didn't bother hiding his intentions. He'd set his sights on Raijin Island the moment he'd heard of it. It was his—whether they liked it or not.
Stealth and subterfuge weren't his style.
And every inch of the New World was claimed by some Emperor or other. Unclaimed territory was rare. His conquest of Raijin Island wouldn't go unnoticed. There was no point in hiding his intentions.
"Raijin Island? That's quite a detour." Roger stroked his mustache. "We're currently in the middle of the New World. Turning back now would waste valuable time."
Roger's time was limited. He couldn't afford to waste it on detours.
His trip to Risky Red Island, after leaving Whitebeard's territory, had already been a significant detour.
He'd only agreed to meet Arthur to prevent further conflict in the New World before he set his plan in motion.
"Just drop me off at the nearest island, then. I'm not interested in joining your little Poneglyph treasure hunt." Arthur waved his hand dismissively as they walked out of his cabin.
"Laugh Tale isn't my goal."
Roger's quest for the Road Poneglyphs, the coordinates to Laugh Tale—it was no secret in the New World. He'd already found two. Two more remained elusive.
Once he found them, and defeated the other Emperors, he would be the undisputed King of the Pirates.
Shiki was already weakened. Whitebeard had no interest in Laugh Tale. Redfield roamed the seas, a lone wolf—as for Kaido, Big Mom—Roger likely saw them as children playing pretend.
None of them posed a real threat. Roger's path to becoming Pirate King was clear.
——
On deck, the Roger Pirates were celebrating, the air filled with music and laughter, tables laden with food and drink.
Arthur, his values—his pursuits—so different from theirs, couldn't quite understand their simple joy, their camaraderie. They celebrated together, mourned together, their bond unbreakable.
Arthur found joy in the thrill of the chase, the excitement of battle, the freedom to do as he pleased.
That thrill didn't always come from fighting. It could be found in unexpected places, in quiet moments of contemplation, a drink in hand, alone under the vast, indifferent sky.
"You don't get many chances to relax and enjoy a feast like this, do you, Arthur?" Roger, holding a large barrel of sake, approached, taking a swig.
He paused, his gaze meeting Arthur's...
"You're too reckless, Arthur. That kind of life…it only leads to one place—Death."
"I'm not saying you should change. A man chooses his own path. But think carefully before you act. There are some decisions you can't take back."
Arthur accepted the offered sake and meat, devouring it hungrily. He looked up at Roger, his voice thoughtful. "You don't know me, Roger. Very few people do."
"Consequences? I don't care about consequences. The only consequence I care about is death. And just like you, Roger—I've accepted that."
"A man needs a reason to live, Roger. I might die. But I'll die without regrets."
He'd said those words before, but perhaps only Roger truly understood. They were both walking a dangerous path, their choices leading to uncertain futures.
One—looking for destruction to ignite a new era. The other—embracing destruction to find his own freedom.
"Wahahaha! That's what I like about you, Arthur! You're the only one among these rookies who can speak to me as an equal!"
Equality—It had to be earned. Shanks and Buggy, despite their loyalty, their contributions to the crew—they were still just apprentices in Roger's eyes.
Roger's laughter faded, his expression turning serious as he spoke, his voice low.
"Seabury D. Arthur—won't you join me? Come to Laugh Tale. Discover the truth." He emphasized the 'D' in Arthur's name, the significance of the initial not lost on either of them.
"The truth?" Arthur looked up at the sky. "I'm curious—sure. But you'll find it, won't you, Roger?"
Roger, the man who would ignite the Great Pirate Era—perhaps he knew the truth was too dangerous, too world-shattering, even for the Pirate King to bear.
He wouldn't be believed. He had to show them, lead them to the truth themselves.
Arthur was also curious. But his curiosity didn't outweigh his own ambitions, his own pursuit of thrills and freedom.
Perhaps, one day, when he'd grown tired of his own adventures—he would follow in Roger's footsteps, seek out the truth—and find his own final resting place.
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