Two months had passed.
Arthur had just finished his daily training when a pirate came running toward him, shouting,
"Bro Arthur! Bro Arthur! Captain Rocks is looking for you—there's a new mission!"
"Mm."
Arthur nodded calmly.
Two months.
The mission was finally about to begin.
At first, Arthur thought the mission would start soon after being summoned to the crew. He never expected it would take this long.
Soon enough, he arrived on the main ship—only to find it crowded with people.
"Hm?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow but said nothing, simply waiting silently.
Edward, Shiki, Ochoku, Silver Axe, John...
Five of the six top officers of the Rocks Pirates were already here.
For a crew that only had six elite officers total, having five gathered in one place was highly unusual.
At that moment, Rocks himself appeared.
"Wahahahaha!"
With a booming laugh, Rocks strode forward boldly and said,
"Since everyone's here, let's skip the chatter and get straight to the mission. I'll be giving each of you a Vivre Card. Follow it to the Red Line, find the person it leads to, and steal the Eternal Pose in their possession!"
"…"
No one voiced any doubts, but everyone's expression grew more solemn.
The Red Line.
Anyone with half a brain knew: the Red Line was the heart of the world—the very center of the World Government's power.
Mary Geoise was located there, known as the core of the world.
And now, the Rocks Pirates were being sent on a mission there?
"Gehahahaha!"
Shiki grinned maniacally. "Now this is exciting! But Captain Rocks, are you seriously sending just the six of us? That's the Red Line we're talking about!"
"Indeed."
"That's right!"
The others murmured in agreement.
This wasn't a joke.
Going to the Red Line, finding someone, and stealing something? That was insane. Even if they succeeded, could they really escape?
Even with someone like Shiki who could fly, it was uncertain whether they'd be able to get away once the mission was done. Worst case, it could turn into a free-for-all where everyone looked out for themselves.
Arthur frowned and asked thoughtfully,
"Captain Rocks, this mission is… truly insane."
"But!"
"Do you have any guarantee of success?"
Everyone turned to look at Rocks.
Undeniably, this was the most critical question.
They were all lunatics in their own way, but that didn't mean they wanted to throw their lives away for nothing.
No—this mission sounded like a guaranteed death trap.
Who didn't know the World Government had been sitting atop the Red Line for centuries? Even if they didn't flex their power often, just the presence of the Navy made it clear they weren't weak. No idiot would believe the World Government lacked force.
Right?
There couldn't possibly be someone dumb enough to believe that… right?
Arthur certainly didn't think so.
Rocks clearly had a larger, crazier plan in mind—he wouldn't just send his top officers out to die.
"Wahahahaha!"
Rocks laughed again and said,
"Arthur, aren't you the one most interested in the rewards?"
Arthur shrugged. "Sure, Captain. I'm obsessed with Devil Fruits. But that doesn't mean I'm suicidal. Even with just the six of us—hell, even if the entire Rocks crew attacked the Red Line—it'd still be a one-way trip."
Though Arthur had joined the Rocks Pirates for personal gain, and the reward promised now was obviously huge, that didn't mean he wanted to die for it. That would just be idiocy.
Edward stood calmly to the side and said flatly,
"Captain Rocks, I have no interest in a suicide mission."
Shiki, Ochoku, Silver Axe, and John all voiced similar sentiments.
Sending them off to die? That was pushing it.
"Relax!"
Rocks waved his hand and said with a wicked grin,
"I've planned everything out."
"Remember—your only opponents will be from the CP Organization. No other forces will intervene. The Five Elders and anyone above them won't make a move. If you can't succeed even under those conditions…"
"Then you die."
His voice was chilling—cruel and cold-blooded—but utterly calm.
He had already accounted for everything.
And if they couldn't even defeat CP agents?
Then death was a fitting outcome.
"..."
Everyone fell silent, deep in thought.
It was true.
The reward would be massive—but only if they had the strength to take it.
Their opponents would be members of CP, not the Marine Admirals or the Five Elders.
"No problem," Edward said with a nod.
Shiki grinned. "I'm interested."
"Yeah."
Ochoku, Silver Axe, and John all agreed as well.
"Hehehe."
Arthur chuckled lightly. "Well, that would make me the only one refusing—and I can't have that now, can I?"
"No problem, Captain Rocks."
"But…"
Arthur asked curiously,
"Captain Rocks, with my current strength… do I even qualify for this mission?"
He was being honest.
His strength had grown considerably, but compared to those five monsters, he was still a level below.
This mission should be handled by someone like Big Mom—not him.
Rocks' mouth curled into a twisted grin.
"Because you're greedy! Succeed, and I'll give you twenty Devil Fruits."
"Deal."
Arthur agreed without hesitation.
Fortune favors the bold.
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