Chapter 51
Drum Island (4)
End of Volume One
After Arthur finished Vivi's operation, Luffy broke the silence in a serious tone that the others were not used to hearing from him:
"Now… let's go and find a doctor to treat Nami and Vivi."
No one hesitated.
Luffy carried Nami on his back,
and Sanji carefully carried Vivi,
and the group set off into Drum Island through the heavy snow.
Zoro stayed behind them,
standing as a silent guardian of the ship.
---
With every step Arthur took deeper into the island,
he felt that something was wrong.
Pressure…
a hidden suffocation…
as if the air itself rejected his presence.
As if this world wanted to expel him.
'System… what is happening? Why do I feel like this?'
|You have become too powerful. This world has noticed your existence and can no longer endure you.
The world of One Piece is incapable of containing an entity at your level.
If you do not move to another world, your body will be torn apart by the pressure of this world… and you will die.|
Arthur's thoughts froze.
'Damn… didn't you say the world of One Piece is the primary world?
And through it I can go to and return from any world I want?
Why is this happening now?'
|For several reasons.
The most important is that you now carry a power far beyond this world… the power of Cthulhu.
Even if you do not use it, its mere existence is enough to destabilize the balance.
This is a world without rulers, and it cannot withstand the energy of a celestial entity.
Your personal power has also become extremely great.
You have two days left before you must move.|
'Damn… damn…'
Arthur took a deep breath.
'Fine… at least I still have two days.'
He forcibly shut down his thoughts,
and quickened his steps to catch up with the crew.
---
After passing through several dense snowy forests,
they finally arrived at a small village.
Luffy stepped forward to speak with the villagers,
and a slightly large, imposing man came out to meet them.
After a short conversation,
the crew discovered the truth:
The man Arthur had killed before they arrived…
had been the island's king.
A tyrant,
an oppressor,
who had fled when the island was attacked by pirates.
The villagers did not believe it at first,
but after the crew explained everything that had happened,
the shock turned into overwhelming joy.
The people of Drum Island celebrated the death of their wretched king.
Luffy stepped forward and asked with clear concern:
"Is there a doctor here who can help us?"
The man, who later introduced himself as Dalton, replied:
"Yes… but her place is far away.
And I cannot guarantee you'll reach it alive."
He explained everything about the old doctor who lived in the mountains.
Luffy did not hesitate for even a moment.
"We'll go."
Sanji and Arthur went with him.
---
After a long time,
the three of them stood before a towering mountain,
enormous,
covered in snow and ice.
"Damn… why does that old doctor live on top of a mountain like this?!"
Arthur muttered in irritation.
His time was running out.
He needed to cure Nami quickly…
so he could leave this world before it was too late.
Luffy carried Nami on his back,
Sanji carried Vivi,
and they began climbing.
---
An hour passed.
The cold grew so intense it felt like knives.
Wild animals began attacking.
Luffy and Sanji could not fight while carrying the injured.
Arthur alone faced the danger.
He drew his sword
and killed the animals with cold brutality
while Luffy and Sanji ran ahead.
---
After some more time,
they reached the base of the mountain.
Now they had to climb.
Because of an avalanche caused by the animals' attack,
Sanji was seriously injured.
With great difficulty,
Arthur managed to save him…
and save Vivi.
Arthur carried both Sanji and Vivi on his back,
while Luffy climbed first.
Arthur followed him.
---
The freezing cold gnawed at the bodies of Luffy and Arthur.
Arthur began to feel a sharp sting in his fingers.
He looked down…
they were bleeding.
Luffy's fingers were no better.
Both of them endured the pain
and continued forward with determination.
After more than half an hour…
they finally reached the top of the mountain.
Luffy collapsed into sleep from sheer exhaustion.
Arthur…
remained standing.
He carried Luffy,
carried Nami,
and headed toward the beautiful icy castle ahead.
---
With his first step,
he noticed a strange shadow approaching.
A wild shape,
covered in snow.
Arthur tried to raise his hand
and summon his sword…
but…
his hand did not move.
Only then did he realize that the freezing cold had numbed it.
His powerful body had reached its limit.
He had not used his magical energy…
in obedience to the system's warning.
|Using your magical energy in any form will accelerate your expulsion from this world.|
Arthur relied only on his physical strength.
But even Arthur…
was human in the end.
The fear of the world tearing him apart.
The worry for his companions.
The danger from the animals.
The snow.
The exhaustion.
Everything piled up.
Arthur smiled faintly as he looked at the shadow.
"Is there… a doctor here?
My friends need treatment."
Then…
he fell.
---
After a full day,
Arthur woke with a start.
He turned his head,
and Sanji was the closest person to him.
"How… how long?
How long have I been asleep?"
Sanji answered calmly:
"A day and a half.
Everyone has been treated.
And I heard what happened after you collapsed."
Sanji was silent for a moment,
then looked at Arthur with sincere seriousness.
"Arthur… thank you.
Really.
I'm sorry…
I was rude to you the whole time.
It's true that we think differently,
but that doesn't justify what I did."
Sanji took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry… truly."
Arthur smiled with quiet exhaustion.
"Don't worry, Sanji.
That's your personality…
and it isn't a fault.
There's no need to apologize."
Then he asked calmly:
"Tell me… how are the others?"
Sanji smiled.
"Nami has been treated, and she insisted on getting up immediately.
Vivi only needed some simple treatment.
As for me and Luffy, our injuries weren't serious.
Zoro and Usopp arrived too.
It turns out there was an elevator or something similar, but it had been broken for a long time.
No one knew how to fix it…
except Usopp.
He repaired it,
and they all came up here."
Arthur smiled quietly, then slowly stood up.
His eyes stopped at the transparent blue window that showed the time.
Three hours.
Only three hours before his body would be torn apart by the pressure of this world.
Arthur left the room after thanking Sanji,
and went to change his clothes.
He took out some new clothes,
put them on,
tied his hair firmly,
then paused for a moment.
'I really don't want to do this…
but I have no choice.'
'If I disappear without a word…
their pain will be even greater.'
He smiled faintly,
then went out to find the crew.
---
After some time,
he found them all gathered together,
eating noisily and laughing.
Arthur stood at a distance,
watching them silently.
At that moment…
he felt something strange.
As if his presence among them had never truly been right from the beginning.
As if his place was not here…
but somewhere else,
a place that defied the world itself.
'Perhaps…
I was never meant to join them.'
'Perhaps our meeting…
was a mistake.'
He shut down those thoughts firmly.
Then he walked in.
Before he could say a word,
Luffy shouted excitedly:
"Heyyy Arthur!
Come here!
Say hello to our new crewmate… Chopper!"
Arthur looked at the small talking reindeer
and smiled gently at him.
Then he said:
"Guys…
there's something I need to tell you."
Silence fell.
Everyone stopped eating,
laughing,
moving.
They looked at him.
"There are many things you don't know about me…
One of them is that I have a family…
waiting for me somewhere in this world."
They were words…
not real.
A lie.
Nonsense.
But he could not tell them the truth.
Arthur spoke for a long time,
weaving an imaginary story
to justify his departure.
When he finished,
he said calmly and firmly:
"So, everyone…
I'm leaving the crew."
Faces froze.
No one could speak.
Luffy was the first to say anything.
"…Why?"
His voice was shocked.
Disbelieving.
Zoro sighed and said coldly:
"Didn't he just tell us the reason?
Were you even listening?"
Arthur smiled slightly at his captain's stupidity.
"Are you sure about this, Arthur?"
Zoro asked.
"Yes."
"Do you want our help?"
Sanji said.
"Thank you…
but this is something I must do alone."
"I… apologize."
Usopp said.
"Don't apologize.
I'm the one who should apologize…
because I did bad things after joining."
"Can we change your mind?"
Nami said.
"No…
I'm sorry."
"We'll miss you."
Vivi said.
"Thank you."
Arthur spoke with the crew for a while…
final words,
silent looks.
He raised his head.
Time remaining:
Five minutes.
Arthur stood at the edge of the mountain,
with everyone behind him.
Nami said they could leave with him if he wished.
Luffy said he would help him no matter what.
Arthur gently refused.
Then he turned,
and looked at all of them.
He smiled.
"It was…
truly a wonderful journey."
He jumped.
And vanished into the void.
Arthur left the world of One Piece…
perhaps forever.
---
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