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Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit could sink islands and continents. Given enough time, he could shatter the very tectonic plates of the planet, effectively destroying the world by breaking it apart.
Arthur's Positron Cannon, however, caused atomic structural collapse. It reduced matter back into its fundamental particles. It, too, possessed the power to destroy the world.
But there is a fundamental difference between shattering something into pieces and disintegrating it into atoms!
"Lord Thunder Emperor..."
Stussy quickly suppressed the lingering terror in her heart. She chose not to pry into the details of the Positron Cannon. Instead, she turned to him with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower.
"Why didn't you kill Kaido? A madman like that is nothing but a nuisance, isn't he? Besides, with your current abilities, you are likely the strongest man on the seas. Who could possibly block such an attack?"
Squinting at Kaido's rapidly retreating figure, Arthur felt a flicker of admiration internally. Vegapunk's development path was indeed the only way to push the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to its absolute zenith.
He glanced at Stussy, whose look of adoration was clearly manufactured. Arthur replied coldly, "Kill him? And save the World Government the headache?"
Keeping Kaido alive had its uses. There would be plenty of time to deal with him after securing the Op-Op Fruit.
Besides, Arthur already considered himself the world's strongest. Even if the title still technically belonged to Whitebeard in the eyes of the public, Arthur knew where he stood.
As for the claim that no one could block the Positron Cannon... that wasn't necessarily true.
Devil Fruit abilities were bizarre and defied logic; they often transcended imagination. There were likely several fruits capable of "Absolute Defense."
For instance, the Barrier-Barrier Fruit. The barriers it created were indestructible by conventional means; perhaps they could withstand even atomic disintegration.
Furthermore, beyond defensive fruits, there was a pinnacle application of Observation Haki known as "Future Sight."
To hit someone who can see the future, one needs extreme speed, a foresight superior to the opponent's, or an area-of-effect attack so vast it cannot be dodged.
If Katakuri hadn't acknowledged Luffy's will and chosen to clash head-on, Luffy's victory would have been realistically impossible.
Ironically, while Arthur possessed the widest range of Observation Haki in history (thanks to his electromagnetic waves), his development in depth was inferior to Katakuri's. The type of opponent he hated most was a Haki master who could predict the future.
He refused to believe that in this vast ocean of talent, only Katakuri and Issho (Fujitora) had unlocked Future Sight.
The Positron Cannon reacted with negative electrons in the atmosphere, creating a visible beam trajectory. It was highly effective at close to mid-range, but at long range, the probability of it being dodged by a top-tier combatant was high.
To achieve a hundred percent hit rate, he needed to unlock Future Sight himself—and develop it deeper than anyone else.
But Arthur was stuck. Despite having moments of hyper-awareness, he couldn't quite step over that threshold.
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Stussy, her figure graceful and alluring, led the way using Moonwalk. Arthur followed, his expression indifferent.
But beneath that mask of indifference burned an unparalleled heat and excitement.
A world-shaking battle likely awaited him. It might be even more dangerous than the siege at Sabaody Archipelago years ago. He was mentally adjusting his state, preparing to greet the coming storm in peak condition.
Arthur's passion for battle never faded. The stronger the enemy, the more exhilarating the high.
The World Government had seized upon his desire for the Op-Op Fruit to lay a trap. But they had miscalculated one thing: even without the bait of the fruit, the mere gathering of the sea's strongest fighters would have been enough to lure Arthur in.
A fight to the death, holding nothing back... that was the only time he truly felt alive.
Perhaps every human has a dormant gene for adventure and a lust for adrenaline. Arthur had simply maximized that gene.
"Is the Thunder Emperor not afraid? Aren't you worried that the powerhouse lineup ahead might exceed your imagination? Looking at your file, it seems you've never experienced the emotion of fear," Stussy asked. Her long skirt fluttered in the wind, revealing glimpses of her pale legs, but she didn't care. She was trying to engage him.
In truth, she desperately wanted to warn the Marine legends waiting on Ruluka Island that Arthur possessed a world-ending attack, but she had no way to transmit the intel.
Those who hadn't witnessed the Positron Cannon with their own eyes would never believe such a thing existed. It was incomprehensible.
Stussy asked herself honestly: in all her years with Cipher Pol, she had never seen a technique more terrifying than Arthur's Positron Cannon. Calling it a "God-tier Strike" was no exaggeration.
"Afraid? Hmph..."
Arthur sneered with disdain, not bothering to answer such a boring question.
He licked his lips, which were dry from the high-altitude wind. "I should be thanking you. You have the ability to make the World Government gather their best dogs to hunt me again. Even if the Op-Op Fruit turns out to be a fake, I'll accept the outcome just for the sport..."
"What a dangerous way of thinking," Stussy noted, looking at his arrogant profile. She couldn't quite understand him.
In reality, true pirates shared Arthur's mindset. Even knowing the path ahead was blocked by countless terrors, they still threw themselves toward the New World—the gathering place of the strong—without hesitation.
Danger didn't extinguish their fighting spirit; it ignited their blood.
To defeat the strongest enemies was the only way to justify the price paid for stepping onto the sea.
Once the heart is set, a hundred deaths bring no regret!
That is what it means to be a pirate.
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Seven Days Later.
The Grand Line, Paradise (First Half). The Fourth Magnetic Route: Ruluka Island.
On the towering cliffs overlooking the sea stood a lineup that could shake the world to its core.
Commander-in-Chief Kong. Fleet Admiral Sengoku. The Hero of the Marines, Garp.
Admiral Akainu. Admiral Kizaru. Admiral Aokiji. And the blind monster drafted a year ago to fill the power vacuum, Admiral Fujitora (Issho)!
Seven of the World Government's highest combat powers. A lineup this luxurious, assembled solely to deal with one man, was unprecedented in history.
They stood facing the Rainbow Mist swirling beneath the cliff, yet they looked at it with the caution one would reserve for a forbidden zone of death. They dared not take a step closer.
The Rainbow Mist of Ruluka Island had existed for ages. According to the World Government's limited records, when the mist was first discovered, countless Marines and pirates entered to explore. Only a handful ever returned.
Of those who returned, some had lost decades of their lives. Others remained unchanged. Some had even reverted to childhood. Their accounts were contradictory, bordering on madness.
Some claimed to have traveled to the past. Others said they went to the future. Some insisted time inside was frozen still... Theories abounded, but no consensus was reached.
Naturally, this only fueled curiosity.
Later, the World Government sent another expedition to uncover its secrets. Not a single soul returned.
Disbelieving pirates took their entire fleets into the mist, only to vanish from the seas forever. Over time, it became a forbidden zone.
It was now known as the "Graveyard of Ships."
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