Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1485.
It had been a full year since that so-called "Three Million Allied Army" incident—a joke of a war that ended in complete annihilation.
Over this past year, the Rocks Pirates had waged countless battles, large and small, crushing all opposition and forcing every power in the New World to bow their heads.
They had learned their lesson. In blood and tears, the entire New World had come to understand the overwhelming strength of the Rocks Pirates. Resistance was no longer even a thought.
---
Tap. Tap.
Arthur stepped out from the ship's cabin.
A year had passed, but he looked almost exactly the same.
Not that it was surprising—going from seventeen to eighteen wasn't much of a change for someone like him.
Besides, Arthur no longer carried a sheath. He knew all too well—if he were to take one up now, that would mark the limit of his own growth. His body, his spirit, his sword—would never advance again.
"Bro Arthur!"
"Bro Arthur!"
The pirates on deck waved and called out to him with open smiles.
It had been a year.
Everyone had learned to show respect where it was due.
Arthur Pendragon, though still technically listed as a "trainee," was far from ordinary. His power was monstrous—his growth over this past year even more astonishing.
If not for the strict hierarchy among the original senior officers, Arthur would easily have qualified as a full officer, perhaps even a senior commander of the Rocks Pirates.
"Mm."
Arthur nodded, smiling gently. His golden hair caught the sunlight, giving him an almost regal air—warm and untouchable, like spring sunlight after a storm.
"Haah… haah…"
With a heavy splash, another figure was hauled from the sea, gasping for breath and collapsing onto the deck.
Douglas Bullet.
Unlike Arthur, Bullet had changed significantly over the past year. Though only a year older, he'd already grown into the frame of a teenager—his muscles defined, his eyes sharper, his spirit fiercer.
"Lord Arthur!"
Bullet rested for a moment before standing unsteadily. His body was still weak, his limbs trembling.
Arthur sighed lightly. "Bullet, fear of the sea is natural for Devil Fruit users. Trying to resist it is… impossible."
Indeed—two months ago, Bullet had suddenly decided to train his body to withstand seawater.
Arthur still didn't know what drove him to that idea, but it was futile. The sea's rejection of Devil Fruit users wasn't something that could be trained away—it was a curse. The ocean itself rejected those who defied nature.
"I know that," Bullet replied firmly. "But I'm not trying to resist the sea—I just want to learn how to survive in it. Even when submerged, we don't lose our powers immediately… we just lose all strength. So I'm experimenting—how to move, how to save myself before drowning."
Arthur nodded approvingly. "A useful line of thinking. Any Devil Fruit user worth his salt should learn how to rescue themselves when the sea takes them."
"Still," he added with a faint smile, "be cautious. The sea doesn't forgive arrogance."
Bullet thumped his chest proudly. "You can rest easy, Lor Arthur! I, Douglas Bullet, your knight, will never die to something so trivial!"
Arthur chuckled quietly.
A year had changed the boy completely.
Arthur's calm authority and quiet charisma had conquered Bullet's once-rebellious heart. He now carried himself with the dignity of a knight, learning etiquette and discipline directly from Arthur—an odd sight among pirates, but one Arthur found deeply satisfying.
Given time, this boy would far surpass the limits of the man he was destined to become.
"Bullet!"
"Let's go!"
"Huh?"
"Katakuri!"
"Come on—continue!"
A cheerful shout interrupted their conversation. Charlotte Katakuri vaulted across from the next ship, landing on Arthur's deck with excitement burning in his eyes.
"Bullet! Fight me again!"
Bullet grinned. "Gladly!"
Arthur watched the two clash, amused.
His very existence had already begun to change history—the flap of a butterfly's wings rewriting the fates of those around him.
In this version of events, Katakuri had not been forced to remain in Totto Land. He had followed Big Mom onto the Rocks Pirates' ship instead.
Without the traumatic event of Brûlée's injury, Katakuri retained his original hot-blooded, straightforward personality.
Arthur had met several of Big Mom's other children this year too… though one mystery still baffled him.
Why in the world did little Brûlée, so cute as a child, grow up to look like an old witch?
He honestly couldn't figure it out.
—
"Who are you calling weak, huh?"
"Marco! You sneaky little—!"
"Cheater!"
A flash of blue flames burst across the deck—Marco the Phoenix had joined the fight as well.
Because of Arthur's presence, Marco's fate had also shifted. He was far more disciplined now—training with fierce determination.
Whitebeard, no longer the overindulgent father of the old timeline, guided his son like a true mentor—protecting him, but allowing him to grow through hardship.
Arthur smiled faintly. "Heh… if one butterfly's wing can change this much, imagine what happens when I move."
He found the altered future fascinating.
Arthur had no interest in exploiting "plot knowledge" for power or wealth. Instead, he reveled in the freedom of the unknown.
After all, he understood something most didn't—the story of the world wasn't just about pirates. Beyond the seas and adventures, countless nations and hidden powers existed, shaping history in ways unseen.
There were no "protagonists" in this world.
Only the strong—and the free.
And that truth thrilled him.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard's laughter boomed nearby.
"Arthur! Watching these kids grow, it's something special, isn't it?"
Arthur glanced at him and smirked. "You're only thirty-something, Whitebeard. You planning to retire already?"
"Huh? Gurararara!"
Whitebeard blinked, then roared with laughter. "You brat! I'm nowhere near done! The seas are still full of sons and daughters waiting for me. My journey's far from over!"
Arthur tilted his head. "You sure you're not a bit… weird? Big Mom keeps having kids nonstop, and you keep collecting sons and daughters like treasure. You two aren't so different, are you?"
Big Mom, unbelievably, had already given birth again within the same year. Her efficiency defied all logic.
And Whitebeard? He'd somehow found over a dozen new orphans to adopt—and every one of them was talented.
"Talent…" Arthur mused. "Most people don't believe it exists—but it does."
Bullet, Katakuri, Marco—all proof of that.
They trained the same hours as everyone else, but their progress was tenfold, their endurance unmatched. Some were simply born for greatness.
That, too, was a form of destiny.
Still, it puzzled Arthur—Big Mom's kids had strong bloodlines, sure. But Whitebeard's random orphans? All gifted? That couldn't be coincidence.
"Fufufu…"
Beside him, Shakky laughed softly. "Arthur, you look like you're overthinking it again."
Arthur shrugged. "Can you blame me? It doesn't make sense. How are all of Whitebeard's adopted brats so gifted?"
Shakky hesitated, lips twitching. "Honestly? No one knows. Even Shiki tried finding his own 'genius crew' after that—and found nothing. Whitebeard mocked him for months. They fought over it at least three times."
Arthur chuckled quietly. "Sounds about right."
Whitebeard overheard and laughed heartily. "Gurararara! That's because I treat those brats like family! That's what makes them strong!"
"Maybe…" Arthur replied, amused.
---
Meanwhile, Bullet, Katakuri, and Marco's sparring intensified—three young monsters clashing under the blazing sun.
They were still only seven or eight years old. The true differences between them hadn't yet emerged—but in time, when they reached their twenties, Barrett would inevitably pull ahead.
BOOM!
A massive wave exploded across the sea, spraying foam high into the air. The three boys stood firm, eyes sharp, spirits burning.
The fight ended there. They had learned enough from each other for today.
"Pops!"
Marco landed beside Whitebeard, smiling confidently. Over the past year, he had grown immensely—honing his Armament and Observation Haki to compensate for his lack of Conqueror's Haki.
The Phoenix Fruit was one of the rarest Mythical Zoans, granting phenomenal regeneration.
Marco had pushed his limits daily, training to the brink of death—his relentless regimen forging strength that bordered on madness.
Bullet and Katakuri weren't far behind, though they had to temper their training without such regenerative power.
"Tch!"
Kaido scoffed from the sidelines. "Just a bunch of brats!"
But his eyes never left Marco.
As someone obsessed with collecting Zoan-type Devil Fruits for his future Beasts Pirates, Kaido was deeply intrigued—not just by Marco's fruit, but by Marco himself.
Unfortunately for him, Marco's loyalty to Whitebeard was absolute. And if Kaido ever tried to take one of Whitebeard's "sons," even that easygoing giant would crush him without hesitation.
"Kaido," Arthur teased, "try not to sound so jealous."
"Tch! Who's jealous?" Kaido growled. "I've got my eyes on a Mythical Zoan myself—top tier, unmatched!"
"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "When do you plan to act? Want a hand?"
"Get lost!" Kaido roared. "Arthur, you bastard! You've stolen half my Devil Fruits this year! Every time, I have to trade you ten just to get one back! You're the real bastard here!"
Arthur smirked silently. He wasn't denying it. This past year, he'd made quite a fortune—courtesy of Kaido's frustration.
—
"Brothers!"
A panting pirate rushed up. "Captain Rocks wants to see you all—right now!"
"Hm?"
Arthur, Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and Shakky all turned toward the messenger in surprise.
"Uh—" The pirate swallowed nervously under their combined stares. "I don't know the details, but Captain Rocks said tonight marks the biggest operation in the history of the Rocks Pirates!"
Arthur's eyes sharpened. "Understood."
The pirate exhaled in relief and fled.
The others exchanged uncertain glances, but Arthur already knew.
The God Valley Incident.
The place where everything would begin… and end.
It was finally time.
--------------------------///
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