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Inside the Rainbow Mist.
Leaving Ruluka Island behind, Arthur took Stussy and soared through the sky, tracking the path of the Seabury family merchant ship. After several hours of flight, they finally caught up.
Night had completely swallowed the starlight, leaving the sky an inky abyss. The wind howled, thunder roared, and violent waves battered the hull, tossing the merchant ship about like a toy on the precipice of being swallowed by the sea!
RUMBLE—
Lightning accumulated within the dark clouds began to vent its fury, illuminating the pitch-black night sky in jagged flashes.
The humidity in the air spiked dramatically, and the massive storm showed no signs of weakness. The ship drifted like a helpless leaf on the tumultuous ocean.
Even someone with only a rudimentary understanding of meteorology like Arthur could see that a terrifying storm was imminent.
"The year 1488. The Seabury Family... A child just recovered from a serious illness. Is this your childhood, Lord Thunder Emperor? Do you intend to interfere with established history and force it off its original trajectory?" Stussy asked, her long dress fluttering in the gale, a mesmerizing smile playing on her lips.
"I just want to see if a person will make different choices due to external influences!" Arthur remained silent for a moment before making his decision.
"Perhaps if the original course of history is altered and the future is prevented from repeating itself... the Rainbow Mist will collapse?"
None of the previous explorers who entered the Rainbow Mist possessed the power to alter the flow of history like Arthur did.
If this place was indeed a mirror dimension reflecting the past, then changing the events might just tear the mist apart.
Besides, he clearly remembered the meticulous care his parents had given him when he first arrived in this world.
Since the moment to change fate was in his hands, why not make up for those regrets?
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"Furl the sails! Drop the anchor! Hurry!!"
The navigator on the merchant ship screamed in desperation, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. If they didn't weather this storm immediately, the consequences would be fatal!
The weather on the Grand Line was notoriously erratic. Without sufficient meteorological knowledge, it was impossible to predict the changing winds and clouds in advance.
That was why an excellent navigator was indispensable for sailing these seas.
Inside the cabin, everyone braced for the worst. Arthur's parents from his childhood were pale, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness in the face of this natural disaster.
BOOM!!!
CRASH—
With a deafening thunderclap, the lightning turned the night as bright as day.
As if on signal, the torrential rain poured down, and the hurricane swept across the sea, gathering into a monstrous tsunami...
Arthur hovered in the sky. Through his Observation Haki, he clearly saw his parents remove a gemstone necklace they wore and place it around the neck of his younger self. Then, they held him close, kissing his forehead repeatedly.
Perhaps they had already heard from the navigator that the chances of surviving this disaster were slim. The servants in the cabin were praying, crying, or wearing expressions of utter despair...
Sorrow permeated the entire ship.
The storm was simply too massive. The pouring rain and the wind-whipped waves caused the swaying ship to creak and groan, sounding as if it would disintegrate at any moment.
Everyone huddled together, praying for divine protection or whispering their last words.
Suddenly... just as the ship was on the verge of breaking apart!
BOOM—
A violent tremor shook the island. A light brighter than the terrifying lightning—shining like the sun itself—beamed through the cabin windows, compelling everyone to look outside.
It was as if their prayers had worked. The gods had responded!
The thick clouds covering the sky, the torrential rain, and the gale-force winds were forcibly blasted away by a powerful, unknown force!
Miraculous moonlight spilled down from the starry sky, turning the sea a shimmering silver!
The waves calmed, the storm dispersed, the rain stopped abruptly, and the clouds vanished...
And the merchant ship, unbeknownst to anyone, had somehow arrived at Jaya Island!
"Oh, God..."
Even those who never believed in deities bowed their heads before this display of divine power, hugging their loved ones and weeping on their knees.
"This is Jaya Island! We're safe!!"
"Get off the ship! Restock supplies! Repair the hull..."
They cheered and jumped for joy, the relief of surviving a catastrophe written all over their faces. Everyone, that is, except for the young Arthur. Upon hearing the words "Jaya Island," a look of extreme excitement crossed his face. He rushed out of the cabin and looked up at the sky.
In that instant, he made a decision that would change his life—exactly the same decision the original Arthur had made after waking up on Jaya in the original timeline!
Even with his parents still alive, young Arthur made the exact same choice!
Different circumstances, yet the same destination. Perhaps this was the wonder of fate, or perhaps...
This was the true nature of Arthur, unchanged from the moment he arrived in this world.
No matter what changes occurred, no matter what hardships or obstacles were encountered.
The thirst for power stems from the heart!
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Three Days Later.
The merchant ship prepared to set sail again, ready to return to the West Blue!
As expected, young Arthur chose to stay behind. Though his voice was childish, he looked straight into his parents' eyes and spoke with utter seriousness.
"I want to stay here and wait for power!"
"This is Mock Town, a gathering place for pirates! It's very dangerous! You don't have to become a pirate to gain power; you could join the Navy or hire a tutor!" His mother was frantic, thinking Arthur wanted to stay to become a pirate.
However, his father's silence was unexpected. He interrupted the mother and looked at Arthur with extreme calm.
"Joining the Navy is impossible. The blood of sin flowing through your veins is innate... Are you sure you want to do this?"
The definition of "sin" comes from the World Government!
However, Arthur's "evil" was natural. The dream hanging over Jaya Island allowed him to release the beast from the cage in his heart!!
Those who try to fit in get their edges ground down; they blend into the masses and are ruined. The strong are always lonely or mavericks. They don't cling to the crowd, and they don't care how the world views them. Only by enduring loneliness can one achieve greatness!
Arthur's innate nature was that of a king; he only needed one opportunity to soar into the island.
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"Your father was not a simple man! He had no power, yet he possessed such awareness... It's a pity he led you astray!" Stussy, having watched everything unfold, suddenly turned her head and spoke.
"Who defines what is 'astray'? It's not the guide, but you yourself!" Arthur replied coldly. His super-sensory perception instantly detected movement from all directions—up and down.
"Make your decision. Die here in the Rainbow Mist, or return to the Thunder God Pirates with me..."
He felt the entire world shaking violently, as if an irresistible force was about to tear this reality to pieces.
"I've already paid back my life to the World Government. What's the harm in following you?"
CRACK—
Her voice was drowned out by the sound of shattering glass. A torrent of energy broke through the misty world, pressing in on them from every corner.
An irresistible, terrifying force caused Arthur to lose consciousness instantly!
In the next moment, he felt that same chaotic sensation of traveling through space-time again!
When he opened his eyes, he was surrounded on all sides by dazzling, golden mirrors!
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