The Grand Line never stopped producing fools.
The news of the Battle of Ohara had spread throughout Paradise, but not everyone believed what the newspapers claimed.
A pirate worth over four billion Berries. The man the world had begun calling the Fifth Emperor.
To many ambitious pirates, it sounded like nothing more than another exaggerated newspaper story.
And so...
Again and again...
They came.
Some challenged the Athena openly. Others attempted ambushes beneath the cover of night. Entire pirate fleets convinced themselves that defeating Arthur would make their own names famous across the Grand Line. They never lasted long.
One captain charged forward with a roar, convinced his Zoan Devil Fruit gave him the power to split mountains. Kuina defeated him before Arthur even stood up.
Another pirate fleet surrounded the Athena from every direction, believing victory was guaranteed through sheer numbers. Robin calmly immobilized their ships while Hancock shattered every mast with spears forged from thunder clouds.
A crew of bounty hunters proudly claimed they specialized in capturing Devil Fruit users. They never expected Law to dismantle their formation in seconds before Bepo swept through the battlefield like a bolt of blue lightning.
Some battles ended in minutes. Others ended before the enemy even realized they had begun. Arthur rarely drew Komainu anymore. Most opponents never reached him.
Eventually... the Grand Line learned a lesson it would never forget.
The safest way to survive an encounter with the ART Pirates...
Was not to challenge them at all.
The Marines learned a different lesson.
Far across the sea, a Marine patrol vessel spotted the white sails of the Athena approaching from the horizon.
"The ART Pirates!"
The lookout's voice immediately silenced the deck. The captain hurried onto the bridge and raised his binoculars. Even from that distance, he recognized the crimson-haired man standing calmly at the bow.
"Change course." His expression immediately stiffened.
"Sir... aren't we supposed to intercept pirates?" A young lieutenant blinked in disbelief.
"We are."
"Then why are we leaving?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku issued new standing orders after Ohara." The captain lowered his binoculars with a weary sigh.
"If Arthur is confirmed aboard..."
"...we are to avoid engagement." He looked toward the distant Athena one last time.
"Even if we're a Marine warship?" The lieutenant frowned.
"Especially if we're a Marine warship." The captain's voice carried no shame, only realism.
"The reports were clear. It now takes at least two Admirals operating together to reliably engage Arthur alone." He quietly folded his arms.
Silence spread across the bridge. No one argued. Every Marine stationed there had read the casualty reports from Ohara. None of them wished to become the next names added to those reports.
Without another word, the patrol ship altered its course. Far away aboard the Athena, none of the crew even noticed. The Marine vessel simply disappeared beyond the horizon.
As the weeks became months, encounters like these gradually became less frequent. Rumors spread faster than the Athena could sail. Pirates gradually stopped chasing them. Marine patrols quietly sailed in the opposite direction.
Only the strongest... or the most foolish...
Still dared to test the ART Pirates.
The quiet stretches between battles gradually grew longer. And without anyone saying it aloud, the crew naturally filled those quiet days with something far more valuable than victory.
Training.
As the first rays of dawn stretched across the endless sea, the crew had already begun moving. The rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed across the deck before breakfast was even prepared. Steel cut through the morning air. Haki flickered quietly. Devil Fruit abilities flashed only for an instant before disappearing again.
No one waited for Arthur to give orders.
No one needed to be reminded.
By now, training had become as natural as breathing.
Baby-5 would often be the first awake, preparing breakfast while quietly watching everyone from the galley window. As the aroma of fresh bread and grilled fish drifted across the deck, she could already hear Kuina's wooden practice sword striking against the training post.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Exactly one hundred strikes. Then another hundred.
Never fewer.
Never rushed.
Nearby, Bepo sprinted repeated laps around the ship, sweat dripping from his white fur despite the cool morning breeze. Tiny blue sparks of Electro danced across his arms and legs with every accelerating step, disappearing before they could spread uncontrollably.
At the stern, Koala practiced the flowing movements of Fish-Man Karate. Every motion was slow and deliberate, guiding the surrounding seawater into graceful spirals before releasing it back into the ocean without creating so much as a splash.
Robin usually occupied the quietest corner of the deck. A book rested open upon her lap. Another lay beside her. A third remained tucked beneath one arm. She studied history with the same dedication others devoted to combat. Every forgotten kingdom she studied, every ancient civilization, every fragment of knowledge became another weapon she could one day use to protect the people she cared about.
Not all strength was measured by physical power.
Law rarely joined the others during these early hours. Instead, he transformed one of the Athena's lower cabins into his personal laboratory. Medical journals, anatomical sketches, handwritten notes, and experimental diagrams covered nearly every available surface. Every discovery led to another question. Every answer revealed another mystery.
Sugar absolutely hated waking up early.
She complained about it every single morning.
"...Just five more minutes."
"You said that ten minutes ago," Baby-5 called from the kitchen.
"I meant another five."
"You always do."
Grumbling to herself, Sugar eventually dragged herself onto the deck with messy hair and half-open eyes. Only to begin shooting targets moments later with absolute concentration. Even Arthur occasionally wondered how she changed so quickly.
Laughter often echoed between training sessions. Bepo accidentally slipped across the wet deck more than once. Sabo laughed every time. Then slipped even harder himself.
Soon both of them were sprawled across the deck while Sugar laughed so loudly she nearly dropped her rifle.
"You call that balance?" she teased.
"I was... testing gravity," Sabo replied with complete confidence.
"It won."
"It usually does."
Even Kuina couldn't suppress a faint smile. The Athena never felt like a military vessel or normal pirates. It simply felt like home.
By afternoon, the atmosphere changed. Individual practice became sparring. The deck transformed into a battlefield where every member of the crew challenged one another without hesitation. Winning meant nothing. Defeats meant even less.
Every exchange existed for one purpose: growth. Arthur watched every spar from wherever he happened to be sitting.
Sometimes he sketched.
Sometimes he painted.
Sometimes he simply leaned against the railing with his arms folded.
He rarely interrupted.
He rarely offered advice.
He believed experience taught lessons no lecture ever could.
Only when someone repeated the same mistake again and again would he quietly speak, one sentence. Sometimes only a single word. Yet somehow, that was always enough.
No one aboard the Athena trained because they were weak. They trained because they understood something far more important. The enemies waiting beyond the horizon would never stop growing stronger, and neither could they.
The Marines.
The Admirals.
The Holy Knights.
The Emperors.
The countless monsters hidden throughout the Grand Line and beyond. One day, they would stand against all of them. And when that day finally arrived, hesitation would cost lives.
Not the lives of strangers, but family members.
As the afternoon sun slowly descended toward the western sea, Arthur quietly closed the sketchbook resting upon his lap. His crimson eyes drifted across the deck.
Kuina continued swinging her sword without slowing.
Law remained buried beneath another mountain of research.
Robin turned another page.
Koala practiced the same movement for what seemed like the thousandth time.
Bepo ran until his legs trembled.
Sugar refused to stop shooting until every target had fallen.
No one complained.
No one asked how much longer they would need to train.
Because every one of them already knew the answer. Tomorrow, and the day after that, for as long as it took.
Not because they had become strong, but because none of them believed they were strong enough. That quiet determination was the greatest strength of all.
The crew rarely trained alone anymore. Strength could be polished in solitude. But true growth only revealed itself against someone else.
Every afternoon, after lunch, the deck of the Athena transformed into an improvised arena. Wooden barriers were moved aside, furniture secured below deck, and a broad circle was left open beneath the endless sky.
There were no referees.
No prizes.
No rankings.
Only one rule.
No one held back their determination.
...
Baccarat stood opposite Sabo, tightening her claws. A few months ago, simply standing across from him would have made her knees tremble. Now, she met his gaze without looking away.
"Ready?" Sabo rested his iron pipe across one shoulder before flashing his usual carefree grin.
"I won't lose as easily this time." Baccarat took a slow breath.
"That's what I wanted to hear."
Arthur sat quietly near the mast, sketchbook resting on one knee. He didn't announce the start. He simply nodded once, that was enough.
Sabo vanished first. His body blurred forward with explosive speed, his pipe descending toward Baccarat's shoulder.
She vanished—not backward, but forward.
"...Faster." Sabo's eyes widened slightly.
Baccarat had already slipped beneath his guard, her Cat Sith instincts allowing her body to react almost before she consciously decided to move. Her claws struck toward his ribs. Sabo twisted away just in time. The impact grazed his coat instead.
"Nice." He spun his pipe into a wide arc.
Baccarat's body dissolved into shimmering amber liquid. The weapon passed harmlessly through her Logia form. The scattered alcohol immediately gathered behind Sabo.
She reformed.
One kick.
One punch.
A burst of dense alcoholic mist.
Sabo leaped backward.
The fog swallowed half the deck.
Visibility vanished.
"I can't see anything." Sugar leaned over the railing.
"You aren't supposed to," Robin answered calmly.
Inside the mist, everything became silent.
Then—Clang! Metal struck metal.
A heartbeat later— Boom! A burst of flame erupted inside the cloud.
The suspended alcohol ignited instantly, producing a controlled explosion that forced Sabo to retreat through the smoke. When the mist finally cleared... both pirates remained standing. Neither had landed a decisive blow.
"You've improved." Sabo laughed.
"So have you." Baccarat smiled.
Arthur quietly turned another page in his sketchbook.
No praise.
No criticism.
Only another note.
Baccarat noticed it anyway.
That was enough.
...
Below deck, Law stood inside a perfectly spherical ROOM. Medical instruments floated weightlessly around him. Sheets of handwritten notes covered the walls. At the center of the room rested a thick slab of fresh animal tissue obtained from the previous island.
Law placed one hand upon it, his Unicorn Fruit activated. A soft silver glow spread through the damaged flesh. The torn tissue slowly began knitting itself together.
Cells multiplied.
Muscle fibers reconnected.
Blood vessels regenerated.
Within moments... the wound disappeared completely. Law watched without expression.
Then... the repaired tissue suddenly swelled. Cracks spread across its surface.
A second later... the regenerated cells ruptured all at once.
"...Again."
He calmly wrote another note. Rapid regeneration remained unstable under excessive stress. He crossed out one equation, added another one. Adjusted the timing.
Healing wasn't difficult. Healing correctly... that was the challenge. Arthur had once told him something he never forgot.
"A doctor doesn't defeat death by moving faster."
"He defeats it by making fewer mistakes."
Law quietly repeated those words to himself before expanding another ROOM.
...
Near the bow, Sabo continued training alone after his match with Baccarat. Five identical Monkey Kings surrounded him. Every clone carried an iron pipe. Every clone moved differently. One attacked too early, another reacted too slowly. And a third one seemed to hesitate.
"...Again." Sabo frowned.
The clones disappeared. Then appeared again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Hundreds of repetitions. Every failure taught another adjustment. Every adjustment brought the clones closer to moving as one. Finally—All five charged simultaneously. Five pipes descended from different angles at exactly the same instant.
Arthur glanced up from his sketchbook. For only a moment. Then he smiled almost imperceptibly before returning to his drawing.
"...Guess that one's finally right." Sabo's shoulders relaxed.
...
Bepo's training looked nothing like everyone else's. There were no elegant techniques, no complicated strategy.
Only speed.
He sprinted across the deck until even the wind struggled to keep pace. Blue-white Electro danced wildly through his fur, wrapping around every muscle instead of gathering only around his claws.
Again. Faster.
Again. Faster.
His footsteps became lighter.
His breathing steadier.
Suddenly—He vanished. Only a crackle of electricity remained where he had been standing.
"...Where did he go?" Sugar blinked.
"Here." A cheerful voice answered from directly behind her.
"When did you get there?!" She jumped nearly a meter into the air.
"I... actually don't know. I just kept running." Bepo scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"...Interesting." Even Law looked up from his notes.
Arthur smiled quietly. Bepo had stopped trying to make Electro stronger.
Instead... he had begun allowing Electro to make him stronger.
...
At the stern, Koala stood ankle-deep in a large training pool the crew had built for her aboard the Athena. Her movements remained smooth, gentle and flowing.
Fish-Man Karate emphasized control above everything else. Her Acid Fruit demanded destruction. Combining the two had once seemed impossible.
Koala exhaled slowly. Water spiraled around her arms. Moments later, the clear water shifted into a translucent emerald hue. Not all of it, only the current she controlled. She thrust one palm forward. The acidic stream shot across the pool, striking a thick steel target.
There was no explosion.
No violent splash.
Only a quiet hiss.
The steel slowly separated into two perfectly smooth halves before collapsing into the water.
"...Much cleaner." Koala smiled.
Law walked past a few moments later. He looked at the dissolved target. Then immediately took three careful steps backward.
"I'd appreciate it..."
"...if you warned us before melting the ship."
Koala covered her mouth as she laughed.
"Sorry."
"I mean it."
"I know."
The laughter that followed spread naturally across the deck.
Another ordinary afternoon.
Another ordinary day.
Yet every person aboard the Athena had become just a little stronger than they had been yesterday.
And tomorrow... they would begin again.
As the months passed, the crew gradually realized something. Becoming stronger wasn't about learning more techniques. It was about discovering which techniques truly belonged to them.
Arthur had never asked anyone to imitate someone else's fighting style. Instead, he encouraged each of them to become the strongest version of themselves.
...
Sugar stood alone at the far end of the deck, dozens of targets floating across the sea behind the Athena.
Wooden barrels.
Broken crates.
Tiny glass bottles drifting with the waves. Some remained nearly invisible against the horizon. She slowly loaded another round into her rifle.
"You've barely touched your Metal Fruit lately." Arthur approached quietly.
"You told me not to rely on it." Sugar didn't lower her weapon.
"I did."
"So I'm not." She squeezed the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet streaked across the ocean. Halfway to its target, it suddenly accelerated. Then accelerated again. The More-More Fruit multiplied its speed several times over before the projectile curved sharply through the air. Only then did a thin strand of metal emerge from the bullet itself, subtly correcting its trajectory.
Crack!
The tiny bottle shattered nearly a kilometer away. Sugar lowered her rifle with a satisfied grin.
"I only use metal at the very end."
"And your Gryphon?" Arthur nodded.
"My eyesight keeps getting better." Sugar smiled wider.
"I can already see fish jumping three islands away." She pointed toward the distant horizon.
"Show-off." Arthur chuckled.
"Someone has to."
She proudly rested the rifle over her shoulder. Her Metal Fruit no longer defined her fighting style. It simply supported it. She had become a true sniper.
...
A short distance away, the rhythmic sound of steel echoed across the deck. Kuina practiced alone. As always, thousands of sword swings every day. No shortcuts, no need for spectators. Her breathing remained perfectly steady as Wado Ichimonji carved silent arcs through the air.
Again.
Again.
Again.
"You've improved." Arthur stopped beside her.
"I know." Kuina didn't stop swinging.
"So what's still bothering you?" Arthur smiled.
"...The sound." For the first time, her blade paused.
"You're getting closer." Arthur folded his arms.
"I don't understand." She frowned.
"A perfect strike doesn't announce itself." He pointed toward her sword.
Kuina looked down at the blade, then slowly closed her eyes. She swung again.
This time, the sword barely made a sound. Only the faint whisper of air followed its path.
"Better." Arthur nodded once.
No further explanation was necessary, Kuina understood. True mastery wasn't louder, it was quieter.
...
Baby-5 had transformed one corner of the ship into what looked like a miniature garden.
Flowers.
Medicinal herbs.
Drying leaves.
Tiny bottles filled with colorful liquids.
A gentle mist drifted through the plants as glowing fairy wings shimmered behind her back.
"I thought you were making medicine." Robin watched with quiet curiosity.
"I am." Baby-5 smiled.
The mist slowly surrounded a small wilted flower resting on the table. Moments later, its drooping petals straightened. Its faded color returned, the flower bloomed once more.
"You've combined them." Robin's eyes softened.
Baby-5 nodded happily.
"The Mist Fruit spreads."
"The Fairy Fruit nurtures."
"Separately, they're useful."
"But together..."
She looked at the blooming flower.
"...they can protect everyone."
"A beautiful power." Robin smiled.
"I hope it stays that way." Baby-5 gently touched the flower.
...
Not far away, Hancock stood alone above the sea on a staircase woven from clouds. The afternoon breeze carried her long black hair behind her as dozens of white clouds floated silently around her.
She extended one graceful hand, the clouds condensed into elegant spears.
With another gesture...
Every spear disappeared.
Not destroyed, but hidden. Even Observation Haki struggled to distinguish them from the surrounding sky.
"You've stopped acting like a berserker, and started thinking like a hunter." Arthur watched from below, Hancock descended one step.
"My opponents can't defend against what they never realize exists." She smiled knowingly.
"The Succubus Fruit's abilities wasn't meant to overpower enemies." Hancock looked toward the horizon.
"It was meant to create a single opening." She raised one finger.
One invisible spear instantly appeared with its tip resting against a distant training target. A heartbeat later—The target split cleanly in half.
No warning.
No visible attack.
Only the result remained.
Arthur smiled.
"One mistake."
"...is all you'll ever need."
...
Near the mast, countless sheets of paper fluttered through the air like snow. Monet stood quietly at their center. One moment she remained standing before the crew. The next moment, she disappeared.
A paper clone dissolved into countless white fragments. The real Monet stepped out from behind Robin, then vanished again.
Another illusion.
Another paper body.
Another teleport.
Even Robin briefly looked in the wrong direction.
"Did I finally fool you?" Monet covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
"For a moment." Robin smiled.
"I'll take that as progress."
Behind them, nine translucent fox tails gently swayed behind Monet before disappearing once more. Her Nine-Tailed Fox abilities no longer created simple illusions, they created doubt. And in battle, doubt could be deadlier than any weapon.
...
Robin preferred training after sunset. When the sea became calm, and the world finally grew quiet. She stood alone at the bow of the Athena with her eyes closed.
Hands gently folded before her.
She didn't summon giant limbs.
She didn't create countless hands.
Instead...
She sang, softly. Almost too softly to hear. The melody drifted across the sleeping ocean. Moments later, the seabirds circling above the ship gradually descended.
One by one, they landed silently along the railings.
None appeared frightened.
None attempted to fly away.
Even the restless waves seemed calmer.
"You've learned control." Arthur quietly approached from behind.
"I'm still learning." Robin opened her eyes.
"You always will."
"So will you." She smiled gently.
"I certainly hope so." Arthur laughed quietly.
Robin looked toward the birds resting peacefully around her. Power wasn't measured only by destruction. Sometimes, the greatest strength was the ability to bring silence to a restless world. And aboard the Athena, every member of the crew had begun walking a path that belonged to no one else but themselves.
...
Long after the laughter had faded...
Long after the final spar had ended...
Long after the rest of the crew had disappeared below deck...
Arthur remained alone.
The Athena drifted peacefully beneath a sky overflowing with stars. Moonlight painted silver trails across the calm sea, while the gentle creaking of the ship blended with the endless rhythm of the waves. This was the only time Arthur truly considered his own.
No distractions.
No conversations.
No responsibilities.
Only himself and the strength he had yet to master. He stepped quietly to the center of the deck, then closed his eyes. A single drop of crimson blood slipped from the tip of his finger. It floated into the air and another followed, then another. Soon dozens of tiny droplets hovered around him like scarlet stars suspended beneath the night sky.
Arthur slowly raised one hand. The droplets began to move, they merged together and separated again.
One became a needle.
Another stretched into a razor-thin thread.
Several fused into a crimson spear before dissolving once more into countless smaller droplets.
Every transformation happened without wasted movement. Without hesitation and without losing control. He wasn't practicing destruction. He was practicing precision.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each movement became smaller than the last, a mistake measured by a single millimeter. A correction measured by less than that. Eventually, thousands of droplets floated around him. Each moved independently and obeyed a different command. Some became shields and another transformed into blades. Several circled silently around him like protective satellites.
Arthur exhaled slowly and released his control. The entire formation instantly collapsed and every single droplet returned to one.
"...Too slow." He frowned.
No one had witnessed the performance. No applause followed nor praise. Only another quiet attempt. He raised his hand once more, dividing the single droplet again.
One.
Ten.
One hundred.
One thousand.
This time they moved faster.
Sharper.
Cleaner.
Yet Arthur still wasn't satisfied, even when his Blood Logia had already awakened. Most people would have considered that the pinnacle of power, but Arthur didn't.
To him...
Awakening was never the destination.
It was simply the beginning.
...
"You're still awake." A quiet voice drifted across the deck making Arthur opened his eyes.
Robin stood near the main mast, a closed book tucked beneath one arm. Her long black hair swayed gently in the night breeze as she walked toward him.
"I thought everyone was asleep."
"I was. Then I heard the waves stop." She smiled softly.
Arthur looked toward the sea, only then did he notice. The water surrounding the Athena had become perfectly still, not because of the weather. Because every movement aboard the ship had unconsciously begun matching his own breathing. Even nature seemed to pause whenever he entered complete concentration.
"You've been doing this every night." Robin looked at the lone crimson droplet still floating before him.
"I have." Arthur smiled faintly.
"You never miss a day."
"No."
"You've already become one of the strongest people in the world." Robin tilted her head.
"I haven't." Arthur quietly looked up at the stars.
"You defeated an Emperor."
"I survived."
"You've awakened two Devil Fruits."
"I'm still learning them."
"People already call you the Fifth Emperor."
"I've never cared what they call me." Arthur laughed quietly.
Robin studied him for several moments. Then she asked the question she had wondered about for a long time.
"...When will you finally believe you're strong enough?"
Arthur remained silent. The crimson droplet slowly descended into the palm of his hand, he closed his fingers around it.
When he finally answered, his voice was almost lost beneath the sound of the waves.
"The day..."
"...I no longer lose anyone."
Robin's expression softened, she understood immediately. Arthur wasn't chasing strength because he loved fighting. He wasn't chasing power because he desired authority. He was chasing strength because he remembered every person he had failed to protect.
Every grave.
Every farewell.
Every promise he could no longer keep.
Those memories had never left him, they had simply become quieter.
Robin stepped beside him. Together, they looked across the endless sea. Neither spoke, neither needed to.
...
The following morning... the first rays of sunlight spread across the horizon. One by one, the crew emerged onto the deck.
Kuina was already carrying her sword.
Law held another notebook filled with fresh observations.
Sugar yawned while carrying her rifle over one shoulder.
Bepo stretched before immediately beginning his morning run.
Baby-5 stepped out of the galley carrying breakfast.
Koala greeted everyone with her usual bright smile.
Hancock quietly placed a cup of tea beside Arthur before taking her own seat.
Monet opened her journal.
Baccarat leaned comfortably against the railing, no longer carrying the uncertainty she once had.
Sabo glanced around the deck before grinning.
"...Morning."
The greeting was answered from every direction. The atmosphere felt exactly the same as always, comfortable and ordinary, like a real family.
Arthur looked at each of them in silence. Not one of them resembled the people who had first gathered aboard the Athena. Each had grown and changed. Not only in strength, but in confidence, in purpose, and in trust.
"We're getting stronger." A quiet smile appeared on Arthur's face.
No one answered immediately, they simply looked at one another. Then... almost simultaneously, they smiled. Because they all knew it was true, not strong enough to challenge the world yet. But stronger than yesterday and tomorrow... they would become stronger still.
The Athena sailed steadily toward the endless horizon, its white sails billowing proudly beneath the morning sky.
Beyond the sea...
New islands awaited.
New allies.
New enemies.
New mysteries.
The Grand Line never stopped testing those who sailed its waters.
Neither would the ART Pirates.
Their five-year voyage had only just begun... and destiny had begun moving with them.