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Arthur's ambition was immense. At least, that's how it appeared to his new subordinates.
In his heart, however, Arthur knew that only on the path to conquering the world could he find the ultimate thrill and excitement.
The World Government would never stand for it. The nascent Revolutionary Army would not sit idly by either. The moment he became a threat to them.
Both organizations would undoubtedly use their full power to assassinate him.
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Under Vegapunk's control—the [Thor] departed from Impel Down, flying towards the Calm Belt adjacent to the East Blue.
Along the way, Arthur was in no hurry. After all, the speed of a Marine warship was no match for the [Thor]. And even if the Marines reached Loguetown, they would need time to deploy their forces, to prevent Roger's crew from storming the execution.
Therefore, the exact time of Roger's execution was still a ways off.
Besides, the cataclysmic battle at Marineford had only been raging for a day. It wouldn't end for at least five days and five nights.
Plus, they still had to wait for Sanjuan Wolf, who was swimming his way through the sea.
"Vegapunk, reduce speed." Arthur lay on his golden chair, his eyes closed in rest, honing his physique while speaking, his Observation Haki constantly tracking Sanjuan Wolf's progress.
His control over lightning had long reached a state of extreme precision. He could even perform Electric Field Enhancement in the middle of a battle, with absolutely no fear of losing control.
"It'll still be a long time before we get to Loguetown. These few days should be enough for you all to recover your strength, right?"
Arthur opened his eyes and glanced at World, Naguri, and Shot, who were feasting ravenously.
He didn't expect them to reach their peak condition or become even stronger, but he at least needed them to recover their basic combat abilities. If he was ever challenged and didn't want to act himself, they could be of use.
"Murufufufu, CAPTAIN, recovering our strength is the easy part. We're planning to cause a huge scene in Loguetown!" Catarina Devon was even uglier now, holding a chicken leg, her mouth dripping with grease.
"Causing a scene... a fitting funeral for a great man like Roger," the taciturn Naguri said in agreement.
"Why don't we just sink Loguetown entirely... Let the Marines deal with the headache, eh? Barararararara!" Byrnndi World had always been tireless when it came to undermining the World Government's authority.
Although they said this, they all looked to Arthur. He was the captain. Only he could make the final decision.
"Don't be ridiculous, all of you." Arthur glanced indifferently at their expectant faces. "Roger is indeed great, no one denies that. But this is the path he has chosen for himself. All we have to do is watch quietly..."
As he spoke, Arthur slowly walked to the edge of the [Thor]'s deck—looking down from his high vantage point at the unparalleled beauty of the ocean below.
"I'm going to the East Blue to see him off, and at the same time, to see if the new era he's about to ignite with his own life is worth it!"
Passing on one's will to the next generation... would opening a new era be like injecting a fresh stream into a stagnant world, or would it pour in a wave of filthy trash?
It was easy to imagine that there would be countless bottom-feeders who chose to become pirates simply for the so-called "WORLD'S GREATEST TREASURE."
No dreams, no goals, not even knowing what they were doing. Pirates playing a make-believe game didn't deserve to enter the Grand Line.
That kind of trash—Arthur would kill every single one he saw.
You make me unhappy? I'll kill you first and we'll talk later. If I can't kill you, we'll talk then.
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"The new era Roger will ignite?" Naguri sensitively picked up on the meaning behind Arthur's words, his eyes widening to their limit.
"Captain, Roger... his capture was premeditated?"
"WHAT??"
"If you think about it, it makes sense. A man like him... how could he possibly be captured by the incompetent Marines??" Even World breathed a sigh of relief. His image of Roger in his heart had been preserved.
"Captain, what is Roger's purpose in doing this? What does it mean, the new era he will ignite?"
"The useless Marines, aside from twisting right and wrong and picking up scraps after pirates, have no real ability."
They all hated the Marines to the bone. They all looked at Arthur with expectant eyes, their ears perked, desperate to know the truth.
Only the tall and thin Vegapunk showed no interest in these matters, still engrossed in the blueprints for the Ark Maxim that Arthur had given him, unable to tear himself away.
"There's nothing that can't be said. Roger is dying. That's practically common knowledge in the New World. In order to complete a plan before he dies, he turned himself in to the Marines!" The calm words that came from Arthur's mouth were like an 18th-level earthquake in the ears of his subordinates.
"Roger is dying??"
"He turned himself in to the Marines... How is that possible??"
"If this bombshell news got out, the Marines would lose all face, wouldn't they?"
"What great plan would require him to sacrifice his own life?" Naguri asked expectantly, looking at Arthur, who seemed to know everything.
A man like Roger, choosing to pay with his life to ignite a so-called new era... what's the meaning of it all?
"A so-called... Great Age of Pirates," Arthur said without turning his head, but his voice was carried to everyone's ears by the wind.
"A plan that, for better or worse, I don't know if it will add any excitement to the world, but it's one Roger has bet his life on."
"Little pirates filled with dreams and ambitions, or perhaps just after Roger's treasure, will flock to the sea one after another..."
"The tide of the era is unavoidable. The wheel of history rolls forward. If nothing unexpected happens, the seas will gradually become more violent, powerhouses will appear one by one, and it should add some excitement and thrill to this boring ocean, right?" As he spoke, Arthur turned his head and said bluntly.
"And you lot, if your strength stagnates, you will inevitably be eliminated by the monsters of the new era!"
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"A NEW ERA!"
"THE GREAT AGE OF PIRATES..."
Just hearing the words made their blood boil.
At that time, as long as one had the excuse of chasing freedom and dreams, they could rampage across the seas without restraint. Countless people would be tempted.
However, these were just trash who called themselves pirates...
A true pirate—you could plunder and kill, you could act as you pleased, but you must enter the sea with a dream, dare to act on that dream, and have the highest level of conviction.
The flying ship [Thor] crossed the seven magnetic tracks of the Grand Line and gradually entered the Calm Belt. From their high altitude, they could see the massive shadows that appeared in the sea below from time to time.
Arthur had Vegapunk park the ship above the clouds, quietly waiting for Sanjuan Wolf, who had been left far behind.
Time passed. After waiting for several days, the Thunder God Pirates finally crossed the Calm Belt and descended upon the extremely lively East Blue.
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