One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

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

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The sixth rocky mountain had been completely flattened by Arthur.

Feeling the changes in himself, Arthur realized his efforts were worth it.

As expected, if you want to grow stronger, talent is important, but hard work is the key to truly becoming powerful in this world.

There were still four rocky mountains left to deal with, meaning it would take another year to finish them all.

Arthur estimated that once these remaining mountains were leveled, they wouldn't help him improve much more. Having already reached the level of the world's strongest, he had overcome most of his weaknesses, and further progress was becoming harder to achieve.

With nothing urgent to do, Arthur didn't make any special plans. He spent one night with Boa Hancock on Amazon Lily, then returned to Skypiea to spend some time with Nami and her friends before heading out on his own again.

He figured Luffy was just entering the Grand Line at this point, so there was no need to rush. Arthur decided to take his time and meet up with Luffy when he reached Alabasta.

At the entrance to the Grand Line, near Twin Cape, a pirate ship had just entered these dangerous waters.

After nearly colliding with the massive whale, Laboon, the pirates immediately understood the danger and chose not to attack.

Laboon's enormous size made it clear that any attempt to fight him without overwhelming power would lead to their destruction.

Capone Bege, aboard the ship, stared at Laboon, who looked like a gigantic black mountain, in shock. For the first time, he truly felt the danger of the Grand Line.

Although his collected intelligence had warned him about such threats, he hadn't expected something this massive. At first glance, he thought Laboon was a literal mountain.

If Bege hadn't reacted quickly and ordered his crew to steer the ship away, they might've been sunk then and there.

He glanced at the towering cliffs of the Red Line nearby and spotted the lighthouse standing at the edge.

Thanks to his careful preparations, Bege knew about this lighthouse and the giant whale guarding the entrance to the Grand Line.

Using the special Log Pose they had prepared in advance, Bege didn't linger. He ordered his navigator to set sail immediately.

But as they headed out into the vast, unpredictable ocean, Bege frowned. The calm waters suddenly shifted, and powerful winds and waves surged around them.

"This is the Grand Line... Why do I feel this strange sense of unease?"

Three days later, on Fish-Man Island, along the fourth route:

"Godfather, we've gathered all the supplies. Are we ready to leave?" one of the Flame Tank Pirates asked respectfully.

Clink.

Bege set down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin, and calmly wiped his mouth. He looked at the crewmember who had spoken.

"Now that we're ready, gather everyone and prepare to depart. This island is dull."

Unlike Luffy's adventurous spirit, Bege was eager to head to the New World as quickly as possible. He wanted to feel the thrill of battle and take down powerful enemies.

Above all, Bege dreamed of meeting the man he admired most—Whitebeard—in the New World.

"Yes, Godfather!" The crewmember nodded and quickly left to rally the crew scattered across the island.

With a cigar in his mouth, Capone Bege strode toward his ship.

Half an hour later, under Bege's command, the pirate ship departed from the port, following the Log Pose to the next island.

The magnetic field of Fish-Man Island was unusually strong, allowing the Log Pose to set its course in less than a day. As a result, the crew only stayed on the island for a single day.

In the luxurious captain's quarters, Capone Bege puffed out smoke from his cigar, his brows furrowed. "What's going on? Why do I keep feeling like danger is following me? Is the Grand Line really this dangerous?"

Trying to calm the uneasy feeling in his heart, Bege stood up, opened his wine cabinet, and poured himself a glass of red wine. He sipped it slowly, hoping it would soothe his nerves.

Despite his ruthless nature—Capone Bege wouldn't hesitate to kill even his own subordinates if they disobeyed him—he carried himself like an aristocrat. Whether it was his dining habits or behavior, he exuded refinement. If not for his short, chubby frame, rough appearance, and merciless reputation, many might mistake him for a nobleman.

As he drank, Bege decided to lie down, thinking the red wine might help him sleep.

Bang!

A loud thud echoed from somewhere near his cabin door.

"Huh?" Bege frowned and glanced in the direction of the noise. Suddenly, his heart started pounding violently, and a powerful sense of danger washed over him.

"What's going on!?" Bege exclaimed, startled.

This feeling wasn't new to him. Back in the West Blue, during his rise to power as a mafia boss ruling the underground world of an island, he had experienced it many times.

Each time, it signaled a life-or-death crisis.

But this time felt different. The intensity of the danger was overwhelming, so much so that even Bege—hardened by years of surviving countless deadly situations—felt a chill of fear.

Gulp.

Swallowing nervously, Bege's eyes narrowed. He refused to let fear paralyze him. After all, he had faced countless challenges to become a mafia boss. He wasn't about to cower now.

Crunch.

He opened the door and stepped into the corridor, sniffing the air instinctively. There was a faint metallic scent—like blood.

"This smell..." As Bege stepped onto the deck and looked around, his eyes widened in horror.

His entire crew was dead.

"For those who wield the powers of the Castle-Castle Fruit," a young voice rang out, "their body is like a fortress. Anything within their range can shrink and fit inside the 'castle.' Once it leaves the range, it returns to normal size."

The voice continued, "The developer's strength determines the castle's capacity. Right now, I can hold over a thousand people in my body."

Capone Bege spun around in shock, his heart pounding harder than ever. He spotted the speaker—a young man standing on the balcony above, next to a bloodied corpse.

Bege's pupils narrowed to pinpoints, his mind racing. In that moment, he finally understood the source of his overwhelming sense of crisis.

"Why… why are you on my ship?" Capone Bege stammered, his face pale as he looked at the hundreds of dead crewmates scattered across the deck. "Why did you kill my men? With your status… your power..."

Arthur smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he replied, "Because your Devil Fruit... I really need it."

For Arthur, the allure of storage powers was irresistible. In countless works of fiction, especially online novels, storage abilities were often represented by items like space rings, storage bags, and portable dimensions.

Now, Arthur finally had the chance to claim a similar ability. While Bege's Castle-Castle Fruit (Shiro Shiro no Mi) didn't preserve food perfectly, its ability to store living things made it invaluable.

Based on Bege's display during the events at Sabaody Archipelago in the original story, Arthur knew the fruit could store over a thousand people. That was a conservative estimate, and Arthur saw its true potential for his plans.

"My fruit… you mean you want me to join you?" Bege asked nervously, trying to hide his fear.

"No," Arthur said calmly, shaking his head. "I don't need you. I only need your fruit's power."

Before Bege could fully process Arthur's words, the man vanished from his sight and reappeared right beside him.

What does he mean? Bege thought frantically. The fruit's power… but isn't the power tied to me?

He didn't have time to voice his confusion. Arthur struck in an instant, knocking Bege unconscious. Against Arthur's overwhelming strength, the gang leader who had just ventured into the Grand Line stood no chance.

With a faint pull of gravity, Arthur lifted Bege's unconscious body and ascended into the sky as if weightless.

Above, a magnificent throne floated in midair.

Arthur had created the throne after his last journey. He found it inconvenient to hover aimlessly, so he fashioned the throne to add both comfort and a touch of grandeur. Floating it, even with its weight, was effortless for someone with his powers—it was as natural as breathing.

Arthur had come here because his intelligence network reported Capone Bege's location. Since Bege's Castle-Castle Fruit was vital to Arthur's future plans, he decided to take no risks and capture the man personally.

Sitting on his floating throne with Bege hovering beside him, Arthur flew toward Skypiea, the Island of God.

Meanwhile, back on the island, Nojiko had grown proficient with her Dark-Dark Fruit (Yami Yami no Mi). Her progress had plateaued, so she had returned to Skypiea a week earlier to rest and regroup.

Boom!

Elsewhere on the sea, a massive bolt of lightning struck from the heavens. A large ship, nearly 100 meters long, was obliterated in an instant. Only smoldering debris remained, floating briefly before the waves swallowed it.

A pirate crew with the potential to become future supernovas was destroyed before they even realized what happened.