Glub glub…
The submarine slowly surfaced from the depths of the sea.
Arthur stepped out, shaking his head.
"This feeling of not having full control over my own life… is really damn frustrating."
He wasn't wrong.
Arthur was strong—but in the deep sea, that terrifying watery prison, any unexpected incident meant certain death.
Maybe one day, when the Lion King reached full strength, he'd have the power to stand against the raw fury of nature.
But right now?
He definitely couldn't.
"Jihahahaha!"
"Arthur, you brat!"
"That's exactly why I never go to Fish-Man Island!"
From above, Shiki descended through the air, laughing wildly as he dropped a small boat onto the sea's surface.
Arthur leapt from the sub and landed on the boat.
But first—he looked around warily.
"Shiki… you're sure this spot's safe, right?"
"Gurararara~!"
That booming laugh came from Edward, emerging from another submarine.
"Shiki, you bastard! You better not have picked a dumb spot again."
"Tch!"
Shiki rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Shut up, you two idiots! I know what I'm doing! This location is a dead zone—no surveillance, no patrols. We'll be fine."
"It's almost sundown. Based on timing, it'll take everyone else at least six hours to return to base."
"That's enough."
Arthur nodded after a moment of thought.
Six hours.
If they couldn't pull it off in that time…
They might as well find a rock and smash their heads against it.
Of course—if some monstrous force emerged from the Red Line itself, then… all bets were off.
Glub… glub…
Submarines continued surfacing—
Ochoku, Silver Axe, and Captain John had all arrived.
"Hehehe."
John, already half-drunk, grinned:
"Damn, that felt good! These arrogant member nations—I've been itching to educate them."
Silver Axe raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't go light on the looting, did you?"
"Pfft! Like you're one to talk!" John shot back.
"HAHAHA!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
Why had they all made such bold moves?
Yes—to lure the Red Line's elite forces away.
But also—to cash in hard.
They weren't fools.
Every single one of them saw it.
Captain Rocks was acting strange.
Something was off. His recent moves were cryptic. Clearly, he was planning something insane.
So what was their best bet?
Use the Rocks Pirates' name as a banner—
And get rich while they still could.
This might be their last clean chance.
Later on? Opportunities like this might never come again.
...
"Speaking of…"
Shiki smirked at Arthur.
"You, kid—Ferguson's a Nation of War. You must've raked in a fortune, huh?"
Arthur didn't hide it.
"About 4 billion Berries in gold, silver, and treasure. If you're interested, I can trade you Devil Fruits for a cut."
"Forget it."
"Get lost, brat!"
"Hell nah!"
They all jeered and cursed him with laughter.
They weren't handing over any of their Devil Fruits—not a chance.
After all, they'd been gathering them for years.
Their goal?
To form their own pirate crews once they left Rocks.
And the Devil Fruits?
They were their lives.
Arthur laughed softly to himself.
He understood.
In the future, these men would build legendary crews.
Those Fruits—they were weapons, fate-defining tools.
Phoenix Fruit.
Shine-Shine Fruit.
Pocket-Pocket Fruit…
Edward wasn't particularly obsessed with Devil Fruits—he already had plenty of top-tier private resources.
But the rest?
They had even more.
Even Kaido's subordinates—most of them wielded Ancient Zoan Fruits.
Where did those come from?
From the Rocks Pirates' vaults, of course.
"Speaking of which…"
Silver Axe looked up at the towering Red Line that pierced the sky.
"So… when do we make our move?"
Arthur glanced at the time.
"From the moment the Red Line's forces deployed to when they return, we have about nine hours.
In three hours, the sun sets.
Once it's dark—we strike."
And then—
Arthur looked toward Ochoku.
"Mmm…"
The towering man stroked his beard thoughtfully.
As someone who prided himself on strategy, Ochoku had always been sharp.
He spoke flatly:
"Captain Rocks says we're only up against Cipher Pol.
But we all know…
If something goes wrong—
We're screwed."
Silence.
Everyone fell quiet.
This wasn't a joke.
If things went sideways—
They wouldn't just die.
They'd be wiped out.
Completely.
Never forget—
The World Government had ruled the seas for 800 years.
Its power and secrets ran deeper than anyone dared to imagine.
"So…"
Ochoku's eyes narrowed.
"The best move… is to plunge the Red Line into chaos."
"We've already made it this far."
"So why not go all in?"
Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide—
Insanity burned within them.
If they were going to be here…
Then no more hesitation.
Let the world burn.
"Let's see what they'll do to stop us."
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