It didn't take long.
Just over ten minutes—
And Arthur had returned.
Tap!
He landed on the deck of a pirate ship, glancing over the now-chaotic state of the Ferguson Empire. Quietly, he thought to himself:
"They've gone completely mad. There's no doubt—they're not going to retreat."
Arthur knew.
There was no way these people would retreat.
Retreat? From this?
What a joke.
With such a massive empire now ripe for the taking—who would back down? Close your eyes and even then you'd know:
Absolutely not. No chance. No retreat.
The Rocks Pirates were filled with lunatics—genuine monsters who'd joined for wealth and power. As long as the treasure was within reach, they feared nothing.
Splash, splash—
Splash, splash—
Suddenly—
Arthur sensed it. Ships were approaching from the distance.
"They're here."
He looked up. His pupils narrowed.
Ten warships.
They sped across the water, and these were no ordinary vessels—these were World Government battleships, top-of-the-line war machines unlike standard Marine ships.
Each one could carry over 1,000 troops. And their speed, firepower, and defenses were all elite.
The same kind of ships deployed during a Buster Call.
One of the many reasons the world feared the government.
"Tell everyone—retreat immediately!"
Arthur gave the order.
"Huh? Bro Arthur?"
"What did you say?"
"Retreat?!"
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
But when they looked again at the Ferguson Empire—engulfed in flames, a helpless lamb waiting for slaughter—they all made the same decision:
They ignored the command.
Retreat? Hell nah.
Arthur had already destroyed the royal palace and claimed a massive haul. He was full.
But they hadn't eaten yet.
They didn't care who those reinforcements were. In the eyes of these maniacs—
Nothing was enough to make them pull out now.
"Just as I thought."
Arthur shook his head and said quietly:
"Exactly what I expected. These people… they're never going to retreat. But that's fine."
Moments later—
A small submarine surfaced from below the waves.
Arthur stepped aboard—
And left.
What would happen to the rest of them?
It didn't matter.
Their only purpose now was to draw the World Government's attention.
Whatever came next… was irrelevant.
"Although…"
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he left, deep in thought:
"Those gray uniforms… just who exactly are they?"
Before leaving, he had clearly seen them. Thousands of soldiers, all clad in gray military uniforms. From their posture, aura, and discipline—he could tell:
These weren't ordinary troops.
And their commander?
Absolutely Admiral-level.
Arthur's instincts never lied.
Bubbling sounds…
The submarine dove into the deep sea, vanishing without a trace.
Arthur was gone.
And now—The outcome was no longer in question.
---
"Hmm?!"
A man around fifty stood at the edge of the battlefield.
He wore a gray military coat with the word "Justice" boldly emblazoned on the back. His expression was cold and unreadable.
"Have we located Arthur Pendragon's trail?" he asked flatly.
"Reporting in, Admiral Gray Rat—
No sign of the target!"
"…Understood."
Admiral Gray Rat nodded calmly, his tone still frigid:
"Eliminate every last one of the Rocks Pirates scum here. The Navy's failure to contain these oceanic trash has gone far enough."
"Yes, sir!"
The gray-clad troops moved out instantly.
Gray Rat stood with hands behind his back, staring at the smoldering remains of Ferguson's capital. He seemed… contemplative.
"Strange," he muttered.
His brow furrowed.
"Something doesn't add up… Jeremy! What's the status of the Ferguson Empire?"
Behind him stood a stern man with a sword at his hip—clearly of Vice Admiral rank.
Jeremy replied with precision:
"Minimal damage, sir. Aside from the complete destruction of the royal palace and the royal family's deaths, the empire remains 90% intact. The Rocks Pirates only sent around 1,000 men and a dozen minor captains—mostly affiliated pirate crews. No true elites."
"…What?"
Gray Rat's frown deepened.
"Arthur Pendragon led the raid? And he brought only that many troops?"
"Yes, sir," Jeremy confirmed.
"It's only because the Ferguson Empire was previously crushed by the Rocks Pirates that they were able to get this far. Otherwise, such small numbers would have been meaningless."
"No… something's wrong."
Gray Rat shook his head firmly.
"The situation doesn't make sense. The Rocks Pirates are clearly up to something else. What is it? What are they really trying to do? It's far too strange. If this was just about stealing treasure—they didn't need to do this."
He was right.
In the New World, the Rocks Pirates already ruled like warlords.
Most nations paid tribute just to keep them at bay.
There was no need for such a blatant act of destruction.
This was the equivalent of killing the golden goose.
"Could it be…"
Jeremy hesitated, then said:
"Sir… do you think this was all to lure us here? That they have another objective?"
"Check the other battlefields. Are any major Rocks Pirates commanders appearing elsewhere?"
"Yes, sir!"
Realizing the situation's gravity, Jeremy quickly got to work.
Gray Rat narrowed his eyes.
His voice a whisper:
"Just what are you plotting… Rocks Pirates?"
------------------///
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