One Piece: Lightning's Heir

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The insolent old man was lifted into the air by Arthur, a slap sending several teeth flying. Only two remained, dangling precariously in his mouth.

Meeting Arthur's icy gaze, the old man's bravado evaporated. He—almost pissed himself in fear.

"Speak! Where on Birka do they carry out the executions—the Cloud Drifting? Tell me everything, and you might live!"

"P-please—Mercy!" The old man stammered, his body trembling uncontrollably. "Cloud Drifting is usually performed on this beach. The village chief gives the order, and the whole village votes—"

He was desperate to reveal everything he knew. He even confessed to peeking at the village chief's wife bathing when he was a boy. He spilled his guts, fearing another beating.

"Oh? You're being cooperative." A cold smile touched Arthur's lips.

Some people were like this. Polite words were wasted on them. Only when they were truly terrified would they reveal everything they knew.

In this world where might makes right and laws were nonexistent, violence couldn't solve every problem. But without violence, no problem could be solved.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll spare your pathetic life. But if you dare to reveal that I asked you about this—you know the consequences." Arthur sneered.

Arthur is in a good mood today. He didn't want to jinx it by killing. So he spared the old man.

If he found the Rumble-Rumble Fruit on this trip, everyone would be happy. If he didn't? He would need lives to quell his fury.

"Yes, yes, yes!" The old man nodded repeatedly. He scrambled away, running faster than many young men could manage.

Ignoring the fleeing old man, who wished he had an extra pair of legs, Arthur moved like a phantom, returning from the edge of Birka to where he had stored the Waver.

This wasn't a search of the shallows. He was heading into the depths of the White-White Sea. He needed something to conserve his stamina.

...

Boarding the Waver—Arthur immediately pushed it to maximum speed, heading deep into the White-White Sea.

His heart pounded intensely at that moment. It was a strange premonition, making him feel that something significant would happen on this trip.

His—Observation Haki was growing stronger, and he trusted his instincts.

"My deduction can't be wrong. Enel destroyed Birka before going to Angel Island. That means he must have found the—Rumble-Rumble Fruit in the White-White Sea!"

Arthur narrowed his eyes, letting the sea breeze buffet him. The Waver cut through the waves, leaving Birka further and further behind.

"Enel is only about seven years old now. If I wait for him to go out to sea himself or get punished for some transgression, who knows how long that will take? I don't have that much time to waste here."

His heart raced. His blood felt like it was boiling. Arthur's premonition grew stronger.

Away from Birka, the Waver's speed began to decrease. He scanned his surroundings. Although it was misty and visibility wasn't great, he could see that there were no ships in sight.

Arthur wasn't discouraged. He took off his shirt, took a deep breath, and jumped directly into the White-White Sea.

If it wasn't on the surface, it had to be below, or hidden in the mist where his eyes couldn't reach.

Arthur searched meticulously, almost inch by inch, not letting any place go unexamined. If he missed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit due to a moment of carelessness, he would regret it forever.

Individual power was insignificant. Moreover, Observation Haki couldn't be used to its full potential underwater. In the past year, he had consciously trained his ability to discern underwater currents. The results weren't remarkable, but they were better than nothing.

Whenever the seawater flowed past an obstacle, Arthur would notice, then take a look, checking if it was the fruit.

When immersed in a task, time often flew by.

The sun set, and night fell.

Arthur had been searching all day and still found nothing. But he wasn't discouraged. He was certain the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was, as he had deduced, hidden in some corner of the White-White Sea, waiting for him.

Because the more he searched, the faster his heart beat. He considered this a—rudimentary form of Observation Haki's ability to foresee the future.

One day, the seed would sprout, and his Observation Haki would reach its peak.

...

Further away from Birka, the Sea Beasts in the White-White Sea grew larger, comparable in size to the Sea Kings of the Blue Sea. But Arthur wasn't fazed. He didn't even bother with them.

A year ago, when Arthur was training in the sea, their sudden appearance had startled him. Later, he discovered that these Sea Beasts were all bark and no bite.

They were like balloons, easily popped with a little force. Their actual bodies were only the size of a palm, not even enough for a mouthful.

Ignoring the fierce roars of the Sea Beasts, Arthur lay on the Waver, resting for three hours. Then he continued his search for the fruit.

One day, two days, three days! Three days in a row, and he still came up empty-handed.

At noon on the third day, the sun hung directly overhead. Sunlight pierced the mist rising from the cloudy sea.

After three fruitless days of searching, Arthur suddenly noticed something. In the sea about a thousand yards ahead, a huge—multi-story ship had appeared without warning.

This ship was enormous—with several levels, stretching hundreds of yards long. It was bigger than any ship Arthur had ever seen.

He couldn't imagine how such a great feat of shipbuilding could be achieved in this world, especially considering it was made of wood.

The sudden appearance of the ship was dilapidated, filled with a decaying aura, etched with the marks of time, and covered in green moss.

It was silent, like a ghost ship.

Arthur's breathing quickened instantly. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. His blood rushed to his head.

"It has to be here, it has to be here—"

He roared in his mind. A possessiveness he couldn't explain rose within him. His almost crazed desire for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit made him nearly lose his senses.

His thirst for power had transformed him from a commoner into a—Calculating schemer.

Eagerly, he jumped from the Waver onto the deck of the thirty-foot-tall ship. Pushing open the decaying wooden door, Arthur quickly entered the ship's interior.

...

The inside of the ship was, as expected, enormous. It could hold thousands of people, like a cruise ship from his—past life.

With the door open, light flooded in, revealing a scene of utter carnage. Skeletons littered the floor, making it difficult to find a place to step.

The clothes and fine jewelry that hadn't turned to dust indicated that these dead people were wealthy and powerful when they were alive.

Arthur couldn't care less. His eyes were drawn to the chests of gold and jewels at the far end of the hold.

It wasn't greed that attracted him. It was the half-opened small wooden box in the center of the gold and jewels. It emitted a dazzling blue light that captivated his soul, like the glow of—lightning itself!

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