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After his clash with Kaido and his attempt to ignite the dormant ambition within Katakuri, Arthur returned to Punk Hazard.
There, he immersed himself in research alongside Dr. Vegapunk while simultaneously accelerating the construction of the Thunder God War Fortress.
The Thunder God Pirates, having ended their period of dormancy, finally bared their fangs. They began an aggressive recruitment campaign, absorbing the most promising crews emerging from the first half of the Grand Line, all in preparation for a deeper incursions into the New World.
The once calm waters of the New World were now thoroughly roiled—
The Whitebeard Pirates remained content with the status quo.
Whitebeard—his burning ambition long since cooled—lost himself in the joys of family life, sailing the Moby Dick to every corner of the New World simply to roam.
Kaido and his Beasts Pirates had gone silent.
After taking that plasma cannon shot to the gut, the King of the Beasts spent a full six months recovering. He hadn't sought out Arthur since, appearing uncharacteristically quiet.
However, his military expansion hadn't slowed—his subordinates were scouring the seas for Zoan-type Devil Fruits with frantic urgency.
Big Mom got married again. She popped out two more children without much fuss and spent her days screaming for sweets. However, her territory, Totland, was steadily absorbing more and more islands.
As for Katakuri, it seemed Arthur's words had fallen on deaf ears—he remained the stoic backbone of the crew, dutifully serving as one of the Sweet Commanders.
Following Shiki's brazen assault on the World Government, countless lunatics saw him as an idol. The quality of pirates setting sail had improved exponentially compared to the rabble at the start of the Great Pirate Era.
A thousand sails raced across the Grand Line, and countless strong rookies emerged from the chaos. However, upon entering the New World, these arrogant "Supernovas" were quickly introduced to the cruelty of the true sea.
They were either crippled and forced to flee, licking their wounds in regret—charmed by Whitebeard's charisma and adopting the title of "son"—or absorbed into the ranks of the other three overlords.
Not a single newcomer managed to stand on equal footing with the four ruling powers.
In the New World, no one knew who started it, but the term "Yonko"—the Four Emperors—began to circulate to describe these four rival powers. As the name gained traction, the balance of power seemed to calcify.
Perhaps the only thing missing to cement the title forever was a super-war that would force every pirate on the seas to acknowledge their dominion.
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Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, it was the middle of Sea Calendar 1507.
In the original history, this was the year Fisher Tiger should have climbed the Red Line to liberate the slaves. However, Shiki's attack on the World Government in 1506 had triggered a massive security overhaul, effectively pre-empting the event.
Thus, the legendary raid never came to pass.
Arthur was hopelessly addicted to learning.
He spent his days conducting manic experiments with Vegapunk, unable to pull himself away. He couldn't be bothered with the storms brewing in the outside world. Aside from handling issues his Division Captains couldn't resolve, he spent every waking moment in the laboratory.
Meanwhile, Byrnndi World was growing stronger by the day. His power had completely surpassed his peak from the previous era before he was frozen. He had become a monster on par with Shiryu, even fighting Admiral Akainu to a draw in a recent skirmish.
The overwhelming power of the More-More Fruit inflated his ego to dangerous levels. He began ignoring orders, plotting to break away and stage a rebellion.
Then, he heard the news: Arthur had nearly killed Kaido with a single strike.
It was like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head. The flames of his ambition were instantly snuffed out. The idea of rebelling against Arthur while he was away at Punk Hazard suddenly seemed suicidal. Byrnndi World immediately fell back in line, awaiting orders like a loyal soldier.
It was a farcical situation—like a court jester trying to trip a giant, only to realize the giant could crush him with a pinky finger.
Even Redfield was visibly shaken when he heard the report. He knew exactly how monstrous Kaido was.
He hadn't expected Arthur to have grown to such a terrifying level. In the months that followed, Redfield became noticeably more diligent in assisting the crew.
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Sanjuan Wolf returned. And he didn't come alone.
He brought with him a legion of giants, officially forming the 8th Division of the Thunder God Pirates—the Giant Warrior Pirates.
Wolf had spent two whole years in Little Garden, the prehistoric island in the first half of the Grand Line. There, he learned the combat arts of Elbaf from the legendary captains Dorry the Blue Ogre and Brogy the Red Ogre. Combined with his own colossal size advantage, he eventually defeated both captains.
Remembering Arthur's instructions, Wolf led Dorry and Brogy to attack Enies Lobby. In the process, they "liberated" the two gatekeeper giants, Oimo and Kashii, who had been deceived by the World Government for decades.
The result was catastrophic: Sanjuan Wolf reduced the judicial island to rubble, destroying the face of the World Government and slaughtering hundreds of Marines and officials.
The news of the Giant Warrior Pirates' reformation spread like wildfire. As the new captain, Sanjuan Wolf was immediately slapped with a bounty of 1,000,000,000 Berries.
Hearing that the legendary pirate crew had been reborn, Prince Loki of Elbaf, along with Hajrudin, Panzn Fry, Lily Enstomach, and other notable giants, rushed to join the banner, integrating into the Thunder God Grand Fleet.
The Thunder God Pirates were now unprecedentedly powerful.
They were, without dispute, the number one pirate crew in the world!!
To streamline management, Arthur ordered Sanjuan Wolf to use his massive strength and the giant crew to begin a massive relocation project.
Using a method similar to Big Mom's Totland, they began moving islands.
Any territory fully occupied by the Thunder God Pirates was dragged from the corners of the New World and clustered together. Raijin Island and Punk Hazard served as the dual cores.
Dozens of massive islands were arranged in concentric circles around this center. The more vital the island, the closer it was placed to the core. Divided into three defensive rings, this new territory was christened the "Thunder God Sea."
Although the total surface area of ocean they controlled had shrunk significantly, their cohesion and defensive capability had leveled up.
The entire Thunder God Grand Fleet was concentrated within the Thunder God Sea.
Tens of thousands of pirates were stationed across dozens of islands. The civilians living under their banner felt a newfound sense of security—they no longer had to worry about being attacked in remote territories with reinforcements days away.
Whether for patrols or supply lines, the efficiency of the pirate crew increased tenfold.
The Thunder God Sea was like a strictly ordered nation, radiating an aura of prosperity and power.
However, a comfortable environment breeds complacency. It makes men soft, willing to trade the perilous life at sea for safety and pleasure.
Arthur understood this danger deeply. To combat it, he personally led Sanjuan Wolf and the Giant Warrior Pirates on a long-distance expedition. Their target: the phantom island wandering the seas, the massive elephant, "Zou."
It was a brutal, decisive campaign. Arthur effortlessly suppressed the Mink Tribe of the Mokomo Dukedom, crushing both Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi. Even when Kozuki Oden personally stepped forward to intervene, it was useless.
Arthur forcibly extracted the Road Poneglyph—one of the four red coordinates leading to Laugh Tale—hidden within the Whale Tree in the Whale Forest.
This act of daylight robbery let the entire world know that one of the four keys to the Pirate King's throne was now in the hands of the Thunder God Pirates.
Any pirate with dreams of reaching the final island would have to challenge Arthur to get it. This painted a massive target on their backs, ensuring that the pirates guarding the Thunder God Sea would always remain sharp, ready for war.
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Sea Calendar 1508, February.
Arthur emerged from Vegapunk's laboratory and sat in the Thunder God Palace, enjoying a meal prepared by Jessica. Suddenly, a subordinate arrived with an ornate invitation.
The Queen of the Pleasure District wanted to open a branch within the Thunder God Sea.
The invitation came from a woman whose beauty was said to rival even the Pirate Empress herself—
Stussy!
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