Chapter 5
Monsters
Heavy breathing, blood flowing profusely, as two figures moved with heavy and unsteady steps.
The first was Zoro, carrying a massive iron cage with Luffy inside, while beside him Arthur walked with slightly greater weight, blood dripping from their mouths and sides.
After a swift escape and a short while later, they reached an empty house. Arthur was about to break the door down, but instead he opened it cautiously—only to find the old man they had seen earlier standing before them.
Arthur smiled, then collapsed to the ground from sheer exhaustion. Behind him, Zoro also fell to the floor. Both of them had drained much of their strength during the last battle.
Zoro was still relatively strong after the fight, but Arthur was not. He had been comparatively weakened by the repeated blows from the muscular man, the stab to his side, lifting the heavy cannon, and walking all the way here. All these factors had pushed him to the brink of collapse.
Yet Arthur had managed to win due to several factors:
His opponent had been a slow, muscular man, while Arthur's strikes were extremely fast. The blow Arthur delivered had targeted a critical point—the throat. No matter how strong your opponent is, vital points remain lethal if left unprotected. Arthur's opponent had been foolish and careless about defense, and that gave Arthur a golden opportunity.
...
Arthur awoke in a room, lying on a bed. He slowly raised himself, feeling strength returning to his side. The wound was no longer bleeding, though it still hurt terribly for his current weakened body.
He looked to his side and saw Zoro sleeping on a chair, while Luffy sat quietly, half-asleep and half-awake.
As Arthur moved from his bed, Luffy heard him and lifted his head.
"You're awake, Arthur. How are you?"
Luffy's eyes were red, as if he had not slept for a week.
Arthur smiled.
"I'm fine. How long have I been asleep, Luffy?"
Luffy replied,
"For about a day. Yes, it's been a day since we came to the old mayor's house."
Arthur furrowed his brows.
"First, who is this mayor? And second, how did you get out of the iron cage?"
Zoro woke at the sound of their conversation. Luffy smiled, reassured that Zoro was awake, and they all sat together.
Luffy explained that the old mayor was the head of the town. Since Buggy's pirates had arrived, the city had been nearly destroyed. Some residents had fled, while those without the strength or money to escape had remained. The mayor, a righteous man, had seen Arthur and Zoro covered in blood and brought them into his home to treat them.
Arthur smiled with gratitude and respect.
"We should thank him later. But you still haven't answered—how did you get out of the iron cage, Luffy?"
At that moment, the sound of a wooden door opening echoed. Everyone looked as an orange-haired girl entered, smiling proudly.
"I'm the one who saved him. I stole the key from Buggy and freed him!"
Luffy smiled.
"Guys, meet our crew's navigator, Nami!"
Luffy grinned foolishly with joy, while Zoro and Arthur exchanged fiery, angry glances.
Arthur stood, smiled, then stepped toward Nami before turning back to Luffy.
"Luffy, my dear captain, tell me—by all living beings—why do you want to recruit someone who nearly killed me and nearly killed your crew into the crew, by the Creator of the universe?"
Arthur repeated his words calmly, a faint smile on his face.
Luffy answered with a smile,
"She's a good girl. And our navigator."
Arthur shouted angrily,
"To hell with that, I'll kill you!"
He stepped toward Nami, moving his right hand at high speed, pressing his foot against the ground as a killing aura formed around his body—not overwhelmingly powerful, but impossible to ignore.
Arthur pushed off the ground and launched himself toward Nami with killing intent. Zoro sensed Arthur's murderous aura and dashed forward at incredible speed, grabbing Arthur's right hand—but Arthur swung his left hand even faster.
Luffy stretched his arm and caught Arthur's other hand.
"Arthur, calm down a little! Damn it, listen to me!"
Zoro shouted as he gripped Arthur's arm and pulled him back, standing in front of Nami.
"So, you want to save her, Zoro!"
Arthur glared at Zoro in anger. The latter did not answer, while Arthur thought more rationally for a moment, then sighed and withdrew his fists.
"Since it is an order from the captain, it will be carried out without question. But do not even think of betraying us, stealing from us, or doing anything foolish to our foolish captain.
If you do, I swear, I will torture you with something worse than death."
Arthur finished his threat, then a small, gentle smile formed on his face.
"And now, welcome to our crew, Nami."
Nami's body shivered with fear, and she quietly sat on a chair beside Luffy. Arthur and Zoro also sat down, calm after the violent battle they had fought.
Arthur asked, looking at Luffy,
"So, what will we do now?"
Luffy smiled.
"Of course, we'll go kick that big-nosed clown's butt!"
Arthur hummed thoughtfully.
"Alright, we attack now."
Zoro asked,
"Are we ready?"
Luffy answered enthusiastically,
"Of course! Let's go!"
Arthur and Zoro quickly put on their clothes and headed toward the empty, quiet street.
Luffy walked on the right, Zoro on his left, Arthur behind Luffy, and Nami walking slightly behind them, a little tense but cautious.
Personal Window:
|Name: Arthur Narin
Age: 18
Level: 25
Strength: 200
Agility: 100
Endurance: 165
Intelligence: 70
Devil Fruit: None
Haki: None|
'It seems my reputation has risen after fighting Buggy's men. I must distribute my points carefully before the battle begins.'
|Name: Arthur Narin
Age: 18
Level: 25
Strength: 250
Agility: 125
Endurance: 190
Intelligence: 70
Devil Fruit: None
Haki: None|
Personal Points: 0
After a short while, they reached Buggy's location, which he had previously changed. But Nami, from her earlier observation, guided them to his new position: the middle of the village, where the street was surrounded by houses—clearly a well-prepared trap.
Buggy stood, ready for Luffy's attack. Arthur wondered to himself:
'Why does he look prepared for battle? Did Nami deceive us again?'
Buggy laughed arrogantly.
"It seems that whore was useful for something—she brought you to me, you bastards. I knew beforehand that she was spying on me, so I did nothing. I was waiting for you, you damned Straw Hat."
Many of Buggy's men emerged from the surrounding houses, brimming with overconfidence in their numbers and their captain's strength.
Arthur cracked his knuckles.
"Hmm, looks like about two hundred, right, Zoro?"
Zoro smiled, tightening the green band around his head.
"That's what it looks like. About 200 bastards."
Arthur smiled at Zoro.
"Okay, Zoro, let's make a simple bet: whoever kills more wins."
Zoro gripped his swords, one in his mouth, ready.
"Fine, let's do this. Luffy, we'll leave Buggy to you. We'll handle the rest."
Nami had already disappeared from everyone's sight, slipping away quietly and leaving the battlefield to them.
Two hundred pirates launched into a collective assault. Arthur pressed against the ground and surged forward with immense speed and overwhelming force. Zoro moved at the same time.
Within mere seconds, blood splattered everywhere. Zoro cut men down with astonishing precision, while Arthur's strikes were lethal, aimed at vital points—the heart, throat, eye, head, stomach. Bodies were soaked in blood, each blow harsh and fatal.
No one could stop them. It was as if they were furious lords of hell, killing without distinction.
Meanwhile, Luffy engaged in battle with Buggy. Shortly after, Luffy struck Buggy and sent him flying into the air. Nami tied his chest to his thighs and legs, and Luffy grabbed them and launched them far away. Buggy's head remained on the ground, unmoving for the moment.
The fight paused briefly. Arthur and Zoro looked at each other and smiled: each had killed exactly 100 men.
Luffy smiled at them proudly. Their success pleased Nami as well, though she was more interested in the treasure she had seized from Buggy, so her focus was not entirely on the bloodshed.
Luffy, Zoro, and Nami moved to depart, while Arthur did not move at first. He stepped toward Buggy's head, which was still alive but with its mouth sealed.
Arthur smiled and bent down calmly, placing his hand on Buggy's head. A white energy emerged from his hand, enveloping the head—then it vanished.
Arthur opened his storage, and Buggy's head was there.
He smiled wickedly.
'Perhaps I'll benefit from him in the future—his fruit, his position, or maybe I'll simply kill him and be done with it.'
Arthur smiled and quickly set off to catch up with his companions, challenging every new danger looming on the horizon.
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