The world tilted.
Arthur's vision blurred into a kaleidoscope of jagged red lines. The poison—a neurotoxin, cold and efficient—was already clawing at his nervous system.
[Warning: Host poisoned (Type: Viper-Nerve)]
Motor Skills: -40% and dropping.
Time to Cardiac Arrest: 180 Seconds.
"Arthur-san," Ren whispered.
The boy's face hadn't changed, but his eyes... they were empty. No, not empty. They were filled with the same obsidian glow as Arthur's System interface.
"You were a good host," Ren continued, his voice devoid of any human warmth. "But the System requires efficiency. A host who gets poisoned by a child is a 'Bad Asset'."
The Hawk's Gaze
Behind them, the dock creaked.
Dracule Mihawk hadn't moved a muscle, yet the air around him felt like it was being sliced by invisible razors. His hawk-like eyes weren't looking at Ren. They were locked on the "void" where Arthur's System screens floated.
"So," Mihawk spoke, his voice like a funeral bell. "The boy is the blade, and the man is the sheath. But the sheath is broken."
Mihawk began to unsheathe a smaller knife—the Kogatana. He didn't even deem Arthur worthy of the Black Blade.
[Probability of Survival: 0.001%]
[Emergency Protocol Suggested: Potential Burn?]
Shut up, Arthur snarled internally. Calculations... give me calculations!
Asset Liquidation
He ignored the burning in his veins. He looked at the boat, then at Ren, then at the shadow under the docks.
"Ren," Arthur coughed, blood flecking his lips. "If the System wants efficiency... it shouldn't have given me the power to reallocate."
Arthur lunged. Not at Mihawk. Not at Ren. He lunged at the two unconscious guards he had downed earlier.
[Action: Asset Liquidation]
[Harvesting Remaining Life Force from Targets: 741 & 743]
Arthur's hand touched the guard's throat. A dark mist was sucked into his palm.
[Processing... Success]
Gain: 15 Days of Life Span.
Temporary Buff: Adrenaline Surge (Neutralizes Poison for 60 Seconds).
Arthur's back straightened. The blur in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, predatory clarity.
The Glitch in the System
Clang!
He didn't use a sword. He used a heavy iron chain from the dock, swinging it with a vector-calculated precision that forced the approaching guards back.
"Mihawk!" Arthur shouted, not looking back. "You're looking for a challenge? The boy behind me isn't human. He's a 'Constraint'. If you want to see a God bleed, kill the boy!"
Mihawk's eyebrows arched. A flicker of genuine interest appeared in his eyes.
Ren's mechanical calm shattered. "Host interference detected! Initiating Purge—"
Ren's body blurred. He didn't move like a boy; he moved like a glitch in reality. He appeared in front of Arthur, his small hand aimed at Arthur's heart. But Arthur was faster—not because he was stronger, but because he had already seen the move three seconds ago.
He stepped aside by a mere inch.
"You're a program, Ren," Arthur hissed. "And programs have bugs."
Arthur grabbed Ren's wrist.
[Authority Action: Potential Feedback Loop]
[Targeting: System Fail-safe Protocol]
A massive explosion of obsidian energy erupted between them. The wooden dock disintegrated.
The Shadow of the Government
From the wreckage, a third presence finally stepped out of the fog. A man wearing a high-collared coat with a symbol that made Arthur's heart stop.
CP9. The World Government's secret assassins were already here.
"Target identified," the CP9 agent said, ignoring the collapsing dock. "The anomaly and the fail-safe. Eliminate both."
Arthur felt the floor give way. He was falling into the black, freezing water of the Grand Line. As he sank, the last thing he saw was Ren being grabbed by the CP9 agent, and Mihawk...
Mihawk was looking down into the water, right at Arthur. He didn't help. He didn't attack. He simply mouthed three words:
"Earn your future."
[System Error: Connection unstable]
Host status: Submerged.
[Notice: New 'Potential' unlocked through Betrayal...]
[TO BE CONTINUED]