The evening rain had finally begun to fade.
Only a light drizzle remained, falling silently over the rocky canyon where the battle had ended moments before. Small streams of water trickled through the cracks in the stone, washing away blood and footprints alike.
Silence lingered across the valley, broken only by the gentle patter of rain against the stone.
Kuina slowly exhaled before guiding Wado Ichimonji back into its scabbard.
Click.
Her breathing remained steady, though the battle had left several shallow cuts across her clothes. She glanced once toward the motionless figure lying several meters away before turning back to Arthur.
"The fight is over."
"Well done." Arthur gave a single nod.
Those two words were enough.
A faint smile appeared on Kuina's face before she quietly stepped aside.
Ahead of them, Daz Bones remained sprawled across the rain-soaked ground. His chest rose only slightly with each strained breath. Blood seeped through the tear running across his coat, while the strength that had once supported the strongest officer of Baroque Works continued slipping away.
After several attempts, he finally managed to lift his head.
"So..." His gaze settled upon Arthur.
"...this is the crew of an Emperor." A weak chuckle escaped him.
"No." Arthur met his eyes without changing expression.
"You're looking at the crew that will change this world." He took one slow step forward.
Daz laughed again, though the sound was much quieter this time.
There was no anger, no regret, only acceptance.
"I suppose..." His body refused to move any farther.
"...that's enough of an answer."
For the first time since becoming Mr. 1, Daz Bones understood there would be no escape. He had survived countless assassinations. Endured impossible battles.
Climbed to the very top of Baroque Works through nothing but discipline and strength.
Now...
His journey ended here.
"I respect those who face death without fear." Arthur rested one hand upon the hilt of his sword.
"Make it quick." Daz closed his eyes.
A cold breeze swept through the canyon.
Arthur drew his blade in one smooth motion.
SHHK—
The flash of steel vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. For an instant, nothing changed. Then Daz Bones' body slowly collapsed against the rain-soaked earth. The canyon fell silent once more.
No one celebrated.
No one spoke.
Even Sugar, who normally found excitement in almost everything, without a word lowered her head.
"Baroque Works is truly finished." Robin closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"Not yet." Arthur returned his sword to its scabbard.
The answer surprised everyone.
"What do you mean?" Law looked toward him.
Instead of replying, Arthur walked toward Daz Bones's lifeless body. From his storage ring, he retrieved an ordinary fruit and held it steady in his palm. It looked completely ordinary.
"...Captain?" Sugar tilted her head.
Arthur ignored the question.
Instead, he raised his free hand.
A thin white cloud drifted from his fingertips before expanding into a soft veil that slowly descended over Daz Bones' body.
It floated without a sound.
Gentle.
Weightless.
Beautiful.
Like a painter's final brushstroke upon a finished canvas.
The white mist lingered over the fallen assassin for several seconds before gradually lifting into the air.
It carried something unseen.
An invisible presence no one else could perceive.
The cloud drifted toward the fruit resting in Arthur's palm.
The moment it touched...
The fruit trembled.
Koala instinctively took one step forward.
"...It's starting to change."
Tiny ripples spread across its surface.
Its bright color slowly faded before deep violet patterns began emerging beneath the skin. The shape itself started twisting, each curve reforming little by little until familiar spiral markings covered the entire fruit.
The entire crew stood frozen.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed upon Arthur's hand.
Even Law forgot to blink.
The transformation continued for several more seconds.
A heartbeat later...
The cloud quietly dissolved into the evening air.
What rested in Arthur's palm no longer resembled the ordinary fruit he had picked from the tree.
It had become...
The Dice-Dice Fruit.
No one spoke.
Even the rain seemed to stop.
"No matter how many times I witness it... you never cease to amaze me." Robin stared at it in disbelief.
"You didn't wait for it to reincarnate. You forced it." Law finished, unable to hide the fascination in his voice.
"When a Devil Fruit user dies, the ability seeks another vessel." Arthur nodded once.
"It doesn't choose a destination." He slowly turned the fruit between his fingers.
"It simply follows the nearest suitable one."
"And your cloud..." Robin's expression gradually changed. "...gave it one."
"I merely redirected its path." A faint smile crossed Arthur's face.
Time itself seemed to pause.Robin had spent years searching for forbidden knowledge.
Law had studied medicine his entire life.
Yet neither of them had ever imagined witnessing the rebirth of a Devil Fruit with their own eyes.
The realization settled over everyone in silence.
"So that's how Captain obtains Devil Fruits?" Bepo scratched the side of his head.
"In a way," Arthur answered.
"It only works if I'm present before the previous user completely dies."
"Otherwise..."
"...the fruit is reborn somewhere else in the world."
"So that's why you never bother hunting Devil Fruits while their users are still alive." Sugar slowly walked around Arthur, examining the fruit from every angle.
Arthur didn't deny it.
"No wonder Captain never wastes time searching." Baby-5 folded her arms, smiling knowingly.
"So even death..." Robin looked back toward Daz Bones one last time.
"...can be guided."
Arthur calmly closed his hand around the fruit.
"Everything follows a path. Few people ever understand where it leads." His gaze shifted toward Koala.
Arthur walked over and held the Devil Fruit out before her.
"This belongs to you."
She froze for a heartbeat.
Koala looked from the fruit to Arthur, unable to hide the surprise in her eyes.
"...Me?" She hesitated.
"You've earned it. There are stronger Devil Fruits in this world. But very few are as easy to master while complementing your fighting style as perfectly as this one."
The strange fruit rested only inches from her fingertips, yet it felt impossibly heavy. Not because of its weight. Because she understood exactly what Arthur was entrusting to her.
Slowly...
Koala reached out.
The moment her fingers closed around the Dice-Dice Fruit, every member of the crew smiled.
No one said a word.
They all knew this was more than another Devil Fruit.
It was the birth of a new future.
...
With Daz Bones laid to rest and the Dice-Dice Fruit secured, there was nothing left for them to do in the canyon.
Before long, the ART Pirates departed the battlefield and returned to the Athena anchored off the coast.
The sea breeze greeted them the moment Arthur stepped back onto the deck of the Athena. The desert heat faded behind them, replaced by the familiar scent of salt and polished wood.
Before anyone could relax— Three small figures sprinted across the deck.
"Father!!"
"Oof..." Arthur barely had time to turn before all three crashed into him at once.
Lancelot wrapped both arms around Arthur's waist.
Arthoria clung tightly to one of his sleeves.
Merlin simply hugged one of Arthur's legs while grinning from ear to ear.
"You came back!"
"We waited!"
"It was soooo boring!"
"I wasn't gone that long." Arthur smiled helplessly before patting each of their heads.
"It felt forever!" Merlin protested.
Waiting nearby, four familiar faces approached with noticeably different reactions.
"I told them you'd be back before sunset." Nymph sighed in relief.
"They asked every ten minutes." Astrea crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
"I counted." Chaos tilted her head innocently.
"There were... two hundred eighty-three questions."
Everyone stared at her.
"...You actually counted?"
"I was curious." Chaos nodded.
Even Robin couldn't stop herself from smiling.
Sugar burst into laughter.
"Captain."
"I think the kids suffered more than we did."
"They nearly mutinied."
"I heard that!" Lancelot protested.
"I'll make it up to all of you." Arthur chuckled.
"Can we have dessert?" Merlin immediately raised both hands.
"Yes!" Astrea instantly joined him.
"They inherited your priorities." Nymph pinched the bridge of her nose.
"...Fair enough." Arthur pretended to think seriously. "Extra dessert tonight."
Three loud cheers echoed across the ship.
Meanwhile, Hancock leaned slightly toward Robin.
"...I missed this."
"So did I." Robin nodded.
After days surrounded by war...
The ordinary warmth aboard the Athena felt strangely precious.
Arthur's smile gradually faded as he looked toward Koala.
"Come."
"We still have one thing left to do."
"I understand." Koala nodded with calm composure.
Without another word, they descended into the hidden laboratory beneath the ship.
...
The laboratory remained exactly as Koala remembered. Rows of crystal capsules lined both walls. Countless strange instruments hummed softly beneath the ceiling. Blue light flowed through transparent tubes connecting every machine together.
At the center of the laboratory stood the largest capsule, its transparent chamber standing open as though waiting for her.
Then he turned toward Koala.
"Lie down. Then eat it."
She took a slow breath before stepping inside the capsule.
The transparent door closed behind her with a gentle hiss.
Arthur walked toward the main control console.
"Same procedure?" Law folded his arms beside him.
"The same." Arthur nodded.
"No shortcuts?" Robin without a word observed the machinery.
"There aren't any." Arthur's answer came without hesitation.
Arthur activated the system. Low vibrations spread throughout the laboratory. The capsule slowly filled with pale blue light. Koala instinctively clenched her fists. She had experienced this twice already. She knew what was coming.
Arthur's voice echoed calmly through the communication speaker.
"Relax."
"The process only lasts a few seconds."
"I'm ready." Koala gave a small nod and raised the fruit to her mouth.
"Ugh..." Koala forced herself not to spit it out.
Arthur raised one hand above the capsule. Countless invisible threads of cloud drifted into the chamber.
"[Heavenly Art]."
Moments later...
The glowing clouds flowed directly toward Koala's body.
They entered through her skin.
Her bloodstream.
Her bones.
Her very cells.
The laboratory monitors erupted with activity.
DNA patterns unfolded across every screen.
Genetic sequences began rearranging themselves once again.
Without warning—
Koala's eyes widened.
"AAAHHHH!!"
Pain exploded throughout her body. Every muscle tightened violently. Her fingers curled uncontrollably. Veins surfaced beneath her skin before disappearing again.
The capsule trembled under the force of her convulsions.
Outside...
Everyone watched without saying a word.
Even after witnessing this process several times before...
Watching it never became easier.
Baby-5 instinctively took one step forward.
"Wait." Arthur quietly raised his hand.
"It's almost over."
Koala screamed once more. The sound echoed through the laboratory.
For one agonizing moment...
It felt as though every bone in her body was being dismantled and rebuilt.
An instant later—
The atmosphere grew heavy.
The blue light gradually faded.
Koala's breathing slowed.
The violent trembling stopped.
The monitors stabilized one after another.
"...Successful." Arthur calmly studied the final readings.
"Cellular adaptation complete." Law glanced at the data. "No rejection."
The capsule door slowly opened. A cloud of cool vapor drifted across the laboratory floor.
Koala stepped out.
Her breathing remained uneven. Drops of sweat rolled down her forehead. But she was standing.
Completely unharmed.
"...It feels different." She slowly looked down at both of her hands.
"Because it is." Arthur nodded.
Koala flexed her fingers.
Nothing happened.
"...Did it fail?" She frowned.
"No." A small smile appeared on Arthur's face. "You simply haven't learned how to use it yet."
He walked toward one side of the laboratory. There stood an enormous block of reinforced stone used for combat testing.
Arthur stopped beside it.
"Come."
Koala followed. The others gathered behind them. Arthur rested one hand against the massive stone.
"You've spent years mastering Fish-Man Karate."
"Yes." Koala nodded.
"What gives Fish-Man Karate its power?"
She answered without hesitation.
"The body."
"My stance."
"My fists."
"My control over force."
"Exactly." Satisfaction flickered across Arthur's expression.
"A swordsman strengthens a blade." He looked directly into her eyes.
"A gunman perfects a firearm."
"But Fish-Man Karate..."
"...needs neither." He gently tapped the stone.
"It only requires one weapon."
"...The body." Koala slowly lowered her gaze.
"And now..." Arthur nodded once.
"...your own flesh itself can become steel." He raised Koala's right hand slightly.
He paused, letting the implication settle.
Then he added,
"Unlike ordinary weapons, those blades can continue evolving."
"A Supreme Grade Sword is forged through countless battles and years of Haki until it awakens as a Black Blade."
His eyes remained fixed on Koala.
"The Dice-Dice Fruit gives you something no swordsman has."
"Every part of your body has become a blade waiting to be forged."
"If each of those blades reaches the level of a Black Blade..." Arthur smiled faintly.
"...what kind of monster do you think you'll become?"
Silence filled the laboratory.
At that moment...
Koala truly understood why Arthur had chosen this fruit for her. It had never been about turning her skin into steel. It had been about transforming every strike of Fish-Man Karate into the equivalent of a living Supreme Grade Blade.
She slowly looked at her own hands again.
This time...
Her expression was no longer confusion.
It was anticipation.
Arthur folded his arms.
"Go on."
"Try it."
Koala took a deep breath.
Then slowly stepped toward the enormous testing stone.
Behind her...
The entire crew of the ART Pirates watched in complete silence.
Every eye in the room remained fixed on her.
Koala slowly raised her fist.
The first strike of her new life...
Was only moments away.
Koala inhaled slowly.
She closed her eyes.
For a brief moment...
She recalled All the lessons Arthur had ever taught her.
Fish-Man Karate was never about brute force.
It was about transmitting power.
Guiding it.
Controlling it.
Her stance lowered naturally.
Her right fist drew back.
Arthur remained perfectly still.
"Don't think about the fruit."
"Fight the way you always have."
"...Right." Koala nodded.
A faint metallic sheen spread across her forearm.
Not bright.
Not flashy.
Simply solid.
As though flesh itself had become forged steel.
Her eyes opened.
She stepped forward.
One punch.
Nothing more.
"Fish-Man Karate..." The air trembled.
"...Arabesque Brick Fist!"
BOOOOOOM!!
Her fist struck the enormous stone block.
For a heartbeat...
For an instant, the laboratory remained perfectly still.
Suddenly—
CRAAAAAAASH!!
The impact echoed throughout the laboratory. The massive boulder didn't merely crack. It fragmented into thousands of perfect cubes. Each fragment remained suspended in the air for an instant before slowly softening.
The razor-sharp edges rounded away.
The cubes collapsed into metallic gray sand that poured across the floor like liquid.
Not a single voice broke the stillness.
"...What..." Koala stared at her own fist.
"I didn't..." She slowly opened and closed her fingers.
"...I wasn't even using my full strength."
"They were sliced..." Law crouched beside the remains.
"...and crushed at the same time." His fingers sifted through the strange metallic fragments.
"The shockwave shattered the stone... but those cuts are impossible." Robin looked thoughtfully at the scattered debris.
"The shockwave from Fish-Man Karate shattered the stone."
"The shockwave shattered the stone... but the cuts are far too clean."
"The steel created by the Dice-Dice Fruit focused that force into a cutting edge."
"The two abilities amplified one another ...even without using her other two Devil Fruit abilities."
"Exactly." Arthur's lips curved slightly.
"Most people think the Dice-Dice Fruit only hardens the body." Arthur folded his arms.
"They're wrong." He picked up one of the metallic cubes.
"It changes the nature of the body itself."
"It isn't armor." He crushed the fragment between two fingers.
"It is a weapon."
He let the powder fall through his hand.
"Your Fish-Man Karate already attacks through armor."
"Now..."
"...every strike you throw carries the durability and cutting potential of living steel."
Koala stared at the steel sheen fading from her knuckles.
"And when your Armament Haki reaches its peak..."
"...those living blades can become Black Blades."
Even Law raised an eyebrow.
Robin's eyes widened slightly.
"You mean..."
Arthur nodded.
"Yes."
"A swordsman can create one Black Blade."
He looked at Koala.
"You can create two."
He paused.
"Ten or a hundred."
He let the words sink in before speaking again.
"Even your entire body."
The realization left the laboratory completely silent and settled like thunder.
"...That's terrifying." Hancock crossed her arms.
"I almost feel sorry for whoever fights her." Baby-5 laughed nervously.
"So..." Sugar tilted her head.
"If she punches someone..."
"...does that count as getting cut?"
"It counts as both." Arthur smiled.
"...That's cheating." Sugar blinked.
Everyone laughed, even Koala. The tension that had filled the laboratory finally disappeared.
Arthur walked toward her.
"Congratulations." He rested one hand gently on her shoulder.
"You've just become the close-range combatant with the greatest potential in this crew."
"...I'll live up to it." She looked up.
"I know."
...
That evening...
Golden sunlight painted Alubarna in warm colors. The streets that had once echoed with gunfire were now alive with laughter. Smoke no longer came from burning homes.
Instead...
It rose from kitchens preparing the largest celebration the kingdom had held in years. Across the capital, banners bearing the royal crest fluttered proudly in the wind.
Children ran through puddles left by the rain.
Merchants reopened their shops.
Families embraced relatives they had feared were lost forever.
For the first time in years...
Alabasta looked alive.
...
Inside the royal palace...
Servants hurried through enormous banquet halls.
Long tables disappeared beneath mountains of food.
Fresh fruit.
Roasted meat.
Seafood.
Desserts.
Barrels of wine lined the walls.
Musicians tuned their instruments.
Royal chefs shouted instructions across the kitchens.
Everything had to be perfect.
King Cobra smiled quietly as he watched the preparations.
"This kingdom has waited a long time for tonight."
Beside him, Vivi nodded.
"They've waited just as long."
A servant approached and bowed.
"Your Majesty."
"The Straw Hat Pirates have arrived."
Cobra smiled.
"Please escort them inside."
...
Outside the party hall...
"I'M STARVING!!" Luffy stretched both arms high into the air.
"I knew you'd say that." Usopp laughed.
"You've been saying it for the last hour." Sanji sighed dramatically.
"I'm just here for the booze." Zoro yawned.
"It finally feels like it's over." Nami smiled.
Behind them...
Chopper stared in amazement at the brightly decorated palace.
"It's beautiful..."
"Welcome." Vivi smiled warmly.
"This banquet is for all of you."
The Straw Hats followed her through the palace corridors.
None of them noticed another group approaching from the opposite side.
...
Far across the courtyard...
Arthur and the ART Pirates walked with calm composure toward the palace.
No dramatic entrance.
No Emperor's procession.
No flags.
Twelve figures walked calmly beneath the evening sky.
Arthur looked toward the brightly lit banquet hall.
A faint smile appeared.
"So..." Robin followed his gaze.
"Our paths cross again."
"At last." Arthur nodded.
Ahead of them...
Laughter echoed from within the palace.
Plates clinked.
Music began to play.
Outside...
Arthur rested one hand on the massive palace door.
He smiled.
"Let's go."
The door slowly opened.