Somewhere else, aboard a small sailing ship…
Teach—whom Ace was fretting over—was scrutinizing the latest newspaper with great interest.
"Zehahaha… The man standing at the top of the Seven Warlords was defeated, eh?
What a shame. If Arton had actually killed Hawkeye, I could've moved on to the second step of my plan. Still, this Arton is impressive—taking down both Shiki and Dracule Mihawk."
Blackbeard laughed boisterously as he pored over the pages.
"He's definitely a rookie worth keeping an eye on," said Laffitte, the navigator of the Blackbeard Pirates, quietly. "But if Arton had killed Mihawk, I bet the Navy would've handed him a Warlord invitation on the spot."
"That's true, zehahaha!" Blackbeard cackled.
"With Hawkeye's defeat, his reputation's bound to drop. Think the Navy and World Government might strip him of his Warlord title?"
Van Augur, the sniper, commented while maintaining his rifle.
"That could happen," rasped Doc Q, the crew's doctor. "And if they do kick Mihawk out, that would leave a vacancy. Captain Teach, that means we could move forward with the second step, yes?"
"Zehahaha!" Blackbeard shook his head. "If it were anyone else, maybe. But Mihawk is Dracule Mihawk—the World's Greatest Swordsman. Losing to Arton doesn't necessarily mean he's weak. He's still the target of every swordsman on the seas. Likewise, the Navy and World Government won't want him going rogue. That'd cause them even bigger headaches."
At that moment, helmsman Burgess spoke up.
"Captain, Arton's Devil Fruit power seems pretty strong, and his crewmates' abilities aren't half-bad either. Should we try to snag their fruits for ourselves?"
Before Burgess even finished, Doc Q nodded in agreement.
"The news said that during battle, that Kaya used some kind of miraculous medical ninjutsu that altered her appearance. She still looked human, but quite different from before. If that's tied to a Devil Fruit, I'd love to test that fruit for myself."
Van Augur, ever calm, added, "That Carina apparently commands lightning, and maybe can teleport? I'm somewhat interested in her power."
"Zehahaha! I wouldn't mind that song-based ability of Uta's," Burgess chimed in. "If I could add sonic strikes to my punches, that'd be interesting indeed."
Laffitte, the navigator, said, "But the most intriguing power of all is Arton's own. Not only can he summon those infinite blades, but he can fuse with his allies. If that's a real Devil Fruit… Captain Teach, you could theoretically hold Arton's power as your second fruit. And if it lets you merge with allies and use their abilities, you'd gain even more than just two fruits."
Hearing all this, Blackbeard threw his head back in a hearty laugh.
"Zehahaha! Seems you're all interested in the powers of Arton and his crew. Well, I'm curious about them, too. But let's not turn him into an enemy just yet—he's strong enough to beat Shiki and Hawkeye. We'll wait for the right timing. Then I'll snatch his Devil Fruit power, zehahaha!"
All of them erupted in laughter at Teach's words. Meanwhile, Arton, oblivious to Blackbeard's designs on his "Devil Fruit," was still luxuriating in the gentle company of Uta. Even if he had known, he would likely have just laughed it off. At this point, Blackbeard was hardly worthy of Arton's attention.
…
Several days later – Women Marines Group Chat
[Sadi]: Arton sure is taking life easy. These last few days, all he's done is enjoy playful moments with Uta and the others. Doesn't he need to train at all?
[Domino]: Given his abilities, he might not need formal training to grow stronger. If it weren't for Nami, Uta, and the others needing their own training time, I bet he'd spend all day frolicking with them.
[Kujaku]: Ugh, so envious. Besides Uta, who has the Sing-Sing Fruit, the others also have powers that can rival—or even surpass—Devil Fruits, yet they can still go play in the water together.
[Gion]: Indeed. It's yet another testament to the value of Arton's Character Template and the worth he brings.
[Hina]: One photo, two photos… Another set of pictures, huh? Arton's really enjoying taking shots of Uta these days.
[Kujaku]: Yes. Even though Uta's not giving out any fanservice, Arton's daily snapshots of her keep going up. At the same time, he's taking more pictures of Carina, Nami, and Kaya, too.
[Gion]: If this keeps up, those partners of Arton's will become unstoppable to normal opponents.
[Ain]: Uta's provided a great plan for earning points quickly. I'm a bit jealous…
[Sadi]: Oh? You mean offering one's body, right? How many people in this group are prepared for that? By the way, Ain, long time no see. Finally willing to speak up, hmm?
[Gion]: Ain, you're finally talking. How are things with you lately? You alright?
[Ain]: Thank you for asking, Vice Admiral Gion. I'm fine now. I've sorted out my thoughts about Zephyr-sensei.
[Gion]: That's good to hear… Don't worry. Our operation at Cocoyasi Village will definitely succeed.
[Ain]: I wish you all the best of luck.
[Doll]: Vice Admiral Gion, I just got some bad news. A moment ago, my contacts at the East Blue 16th Branch said they've been digging into why Captain Nezumi never returned. It turns out he and a Celestial Dragon are heading to the same island where Cocoyasi Village is located. And apparently, they're not far away.
The second Doll's message came through, the group chat went silent.
***
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