One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

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It had been over two weeks since the trip to the North Blue.

Vinsmoke Judge, despite his reluctance, was forced to hand over all the information to Arthur.

This was because Arthur's accidental release of Conqueror's Haki was overwhelmingly powerful. When caught within its range, everyone felt a suffocating pressure that left them stunned.

Interestingly, the three Vinsmoke brothers, due to their genetic modifications, showed no emotions.

They briefly considered taking action while Arthur pressured Judge but ultimately didn't act on those thoughts.

However, their intent alone was enough for Arthur to unleash his Conqueror's Haki, knocking them out cold.

The feeling of helplessness, as though facing a natural predator, was something Judge never wanted to experience again. Despite this, he managed to secure something valuable: a promise from Arthur.

If the Vinsmoke family ever provoked the Four Emperors or any other top-tier powerhouses, Arthur vowed to step in and protect them.

Judge knew the value of this promise. With his keen mind, he could see Arthur's limitless potential. At just 21 years old, Arthur's future as one of the strongest in the world seemed inevitable.

Judge believed that once Whitebeard passed, this era would belong to Arthur—an era that could last for decades.

Arthur spent an entire day in the Vinsmoke family's territory, organizing the vast amount of data on battle suits and bloodline factors.

Once everything was collected, he left the Germa Kingdom. However, instead of returning to Sky Island, Arthur headed straight to the moon.

Over the past two years, Arthur had quietly been recruiting scientists. While none were as brilliant as Vegapunk, over 200 skilled minds had joined him.

Their expertise proved invaluable to his plans.

Once back on the moon, Arthur handed over the bloodline factor research to Tom and the battle suit data to Eddy.

He then assembled a dedicated team of 30 scientists to focus solely on battle suit development. Eddy, a top expert in mechanics and AI, led the team, with Tom, a specialist in Devil Fruits, as his deputy.

This group's mission was clear: create a specialized suit of armor tailored to enhance Arthur's Thunder Fruit abilities and their extensions.

Unlike the Vinsmoke combat suits, which provided various unique powers, Arthur wanted a suit designed purely to complement his existing abilities.

On Ruskaina Island, Arthur continued his intense training.

Meanwhile, the secret operations to capture Devil Fruits persisted, though at a much lower frequency. Most of the essential fruits had already been secured, so there was no need to risk drawing unnecessary attention.

This matter was not easy to uncover. After all, the Arthur family's influence was vast and deeply rooted in the world. Unlike Blackbeard, who acted recklessly, Arthur had the means to remain discreet.

Time passed steadily, like a flowing river. Aside from reading the news, visiting the palace on Amazon Lily, or returning to the palace on the Isle of Gods, Arthur rarely left Ruskaina Island.

Currently, the island was nearly deserted, with only Arthur, Nojiko, and Boa Hancock (who occasionally visited) remaining.

The training of the ten major legions on this island had concluded. With most of the soldiers reaching their potential limits, there was no longer any reason for them to stay.

The ten legions, comprising a total of 1,130 members, included over 400 individuals ranked as major generals, while the remaining soldiers were classified as elite major generals. Each legion was led by a squad leader, all of whom possessed the combat strength of lower-level vice admirals.

Among the legions, 23 individuals displayed exceptional talent, achieving the strength of ordinary vice admirals. In total, Arthur now commanded nearly 120 vice admirals across the ten legions.

At the elite vice admiral level, 30 leaders had reached this point, with four squad leaders barely surpassing that threshold due to their enhanced mastery of Haki.

However, the true number of elite-level commanders stood at 29.

This was because Enel, Urouge, and Wyper had already advanced to admiral-level strength. Yana, one of the most talented members of the legions, had also risen to a near-admiral level, despite the physical limitations of her gender.

Another standout was Raki, who had consumed the special Paramecia Laser-Laser Fruit. Her fruit abilities had pushed her to a near-admiral level as well. In terms of combat difficulty, she could be considered a true admiral-level powerhouse.

Additionally, Rafi, who had the Heat-Heat Fruit, was steadily progressing toward the near-admiral level. Meanwhile, Naz, who possessed the Speed-Speed Fruit, lagged slightly behind.

Despite being the weakest of the group, his unparalleled speed made him nearly unbeatable in battle unless Raki actively used her fruit powers.

z's primary weakness was his lack of offensive power, but if that were to improve, he could also reach near-admiral strength.

Arthur was thrilled with the ten legions' progress, as it validated his efforts. He was beginning to strategize ways to establish closer ties with the Marines.

Currently, the Angel Legion boasted three admiral-level fighters. While they weren't yet on par with the Marine Admirals, their potential remained untapped. Once Raki and Yana achieved full admiral-level strength, the Angel Legion would have five powerhouse fighters at that level.

Meanwhile, Jessica, a Marine officer and user of the Lion Fruit, was steadily improving. Though her original potential capped at near-admiral strength, she had begun consuming IQ grass—a substance that enhanced life potential. This allowed her to evolve beyond her natural limits.

The Arthur family had quietly incorporated IQ grass into their regimen, with members consuming it every three days.

Over time, this miraculous plant strengthened their bones' durability and toughness, as well as the flexibility and resilience of their muscles.

In short, the effects of the IQ grass were gradual but profound. It enhanced the bones, muscles, meridians, blood vessels, internal organs, and skin, resulting in an all-around evolution of the body.

However, this evolutionary process had significantly slowed down over time. Initially, the effects were noticeable and dramatic, but now progress was so subtle that it was barely perceptible—though it still existed.

Arthur remained firm in his commitment to this method. For ordinary humans, IQ grass represented the hope of transcending their natural limitations.

This form of evolution was far more significant than Arthur's own self-healing ability, which relied on extreme physical endurance and pushing his body to its limits.

Three months passed swiftly. Arthur had been keeping an eye on the Straw Hat Crew. Although their path had changed slightly, their overall trajectory remained consistent.

Just two days ago, the Straw Hat Crew destroyed Enies Lobby, the island of justice, and rescued Nico Robin, the Devil Child. They even went as far as burning the flag of the World Government, directly challenging its authority.

As a result, the bounties of the Straw Hat Crew skyrocketed, with their total now reaching an astonishing 350 million berries. This made them the highest-ranking crew among the Worst Generation.

Several other powerful individuals had also caught the World Government's attention. These included Zoro, the Pirate Hunter with a bounty of 200 million berries, Sanji, known as Black Leg, with 180 million, and Jimbe, the Knight of the Sea, with 230 million.

Nico Robin, following the destruction of Enies Lobby, now had a bounty of 120 million.

Altogether, the Straw Hat Crew now boasted five pirates with bounties over 100 million berries, solidifying their position as one of the most dangerous crews in the Worst Generation.

This also brought the total number of Supernovas in the Worst Generation to fourteen.

"BrubruBrubru"

The Den Den Mushi began to ring. Arthur picked up the receiver attached to the armrest of his throne.

"God, the battle armor you requested has been successfully developed after nearly four months of focused research!" A young voice came through the line.

Arthur's eyes lit up, and a smile crept onto his face.

Above, the sky was still and silent, with no wind to disturb the clouds. Yet the figure seated on the throne, along with the throne itself, vanished in an instant.

On the moon, within a research lab, dozens of scientists had gathered. Their focus was on a sleek, black belt resting on the table before them.

"God's idea is truly remarkable. Embedding the Barrier-Barrier Fruit into the belt and using its powers, controlled by AI, to create a massive, highly durable barrier giant… It's genius."

"Yes, and the name fits perfectly."

"Indeed, it's inspired by the gods of Wano Country's myths and legends."

"Susanoo… What a fitting name."