Chapter 45
Arthur's Return (3)
"And here we are now…
Tell me, where did you go? And why did you take so long to come back? Why didn't you say anything?"
Luffy looked at the dancing flames in front of him as he spoke in an unusually calm manner, his voice steady and free of its usual shouting.
But Arthur noticed something deeper than the words.
Luffy's expression was far from reassuring.
His face was tense and confused, as if he did not know exactly what he was supposed to feel.
Broken trust, and questions without answers.
Arthur smiled softly, a faint smile carrying a silent apology.
"I'm sorry, Luffy… truly.
Something happened that forced me to go alone.
I dealt with the problem, and now I'm back."
Arthur couldn't tell the truth.
Even if he wanted to… what could he possibly say?
That he came from another world?
That he died and was then transported into this one?
That there was a system granting him power and sending him between worlds to complete impossible missions?
Any of those words would sound like absolute nonsense to Luffy.
So Arthur chose the easier path…
he made excuses, and told a small lie.
He didn't like lying, and he wasn't good at it, but in this moment he had no choice.
Because the truth… might have been far harsher than a simple lie.
Luffy wasn't stupid enough to believe everything so easily, but in the end, he chose to believe his crewmate.
And that alone was enough.
Everyone smiled, and they began eating quietly while the fire cast warm shadows across their faces.
Arthur's gaze drifted toward Vivi.
She was still tense, her body stiff, her eyes watching him with unmistakable caution.
Arthur spoke to Luffy.
"Why is Vivi still with you?
Didn't you say you would drop her off at Whiskey Peak Island?"
Luffy swallowed a large bite of meat and began explaining what had happened.
He told him how they had discovered Vivi's true identity, how she had been working undercover within the organization to save her country, and how she wasn't evil as they had originally believed.
He explained everything, then said enthusiastically:
"We're going to Alabasta to save her from Crocodile's rule!"
Arthur sighed quietly and began thinking.
Ever since he had learned that Vivi was a princess, he had connected many dots in his mind, and one of his old assumptions had now become a confirmed truth.
He accepted the situation.
He no longer wanted to kill Vivi, especially after Crox had decided to forgive her, but the fear in her eyes had not disappeared yet.
Arthur spoke while looking directly at her.
"I apologize for frightening you that day… truly.
But I did what I believed was right at the time.
Even so, I'd like to apologize…
and I hope we can have another chance to be friends."
His words were sincere, free of any manipulation.
After hearing her story, his heart had softened slightly.
It was true that her previous actions still bothered him, but this was not the time for stubbornness or foolish behavior.
First: Crox had forgiven her.
Second: the crew had accepted her.
If he continued opposing her now, he would simply be a fool.
Vivi lowered her head slightly and gave a shy smile.
As for Luffy, he smiled with obvious happiness.
"Oy, Luffy…
Where's the rest of the crew?"
"Oh, Usopp and Nami are with the other giant, just like Mr. Giant said before you arrived.
As for Sanji and Zoro… I honestly don't know.
Maybe they're guarding the ship, or wandering around the island."
Arthur thought for a moment, but suddenly—
One of the island's volcanoes shook violently… then erupted.
The giant stood up with a smile, as though he had been waiting for this moment.
"Oh… it seems the time has come."
He grabbed his sword and shield and rushed off.
Arthur wanted to ask what he meant, but before he could, he heard the clash of swords and shields.
The ground pressed beneath his feet as he launched himself into the air at great speed and looked.
There was another giant.
A massive one—fat-bodied, carrying a shield and an axe—fighting the tall giant.
Arthur lowered his gaze and noticed Luffy had climbed up a tall tree, watching the battle with intense excitement.
Arthur understood they were friends or something similar, so he did not interfere.
He looked at Luffy.
"Luffy, I'm going to wander around the island for a while.
When I'm done, I'll come back here, alright?"
"Alright, Arthur…
but don't take too long, and don't run away."
Arthur smiled at his words, then landed once more and began walking around the island.
The island was filled with ancient creatures, both large and small.
Some he avoided…
others attacked him.
Arthur defeated every creature that attacked him without hesitation, then absorbed their life force using the Blood Demon Technique.
The Blood Demon Technique was capable of absorbing power from any creature.
Even Cthulhu—the great entity, the mysterious ruler—had not escaped it.
Now Arthur possessed three pieces of Cthulhu's body pulsing with power:
two fingers, a foot, and a hand.
Previously, he had not been able to place the Inscription Stone inside the storage because it contained Cthulhu's pure power.
But after transforming into a Celestial being, and after the system had been repaired, it had become possible.
The mysterious shadow had also reduced the pieces of Cthulhu's body to human size.
If Cthulhu's foot had emerged in its original size, it could have shattered the entire One Piece planet.
Thanks to the shadow's intervention, the storage could now preserve Cthulhu's power without any loss or evaporation.
Arthur wanted to refine these parts and turn them into preservation vials, but he didn't have enough points.
He remembered the vials the system had given him before, and how he had feared complete bankruptcy if he calculated their true cost.
So he decided to keep the matter hidden… for now.
Arthur smiled and began filling an empty vial with all the power he had managed to absorb.
At that moment…
He felt someone watching him.
He immediately turned and prepared for battle.
But the closer the figure came, the clearer its shape became.
And when it was about ten steps away…
Arthur smiled happily.
It was Zoro.
Arthur approached him, wanting to speak, but before he could say a word…
The smiling Zoro stepped forward and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
And Arthur did not know…
that this was not Zoro.
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