Chapter 37– Reckless Ideas
Arthur and the remaining clones were sitting around, waiting for the clone who had gone to obtain Jumper's powers to return. The goal was simple but ambitious: once they had that power, they could finally begin their search for the Devil Fruits.
While they waited, Arthur was lying comfortably with his head resting on Black Maria's lap. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, and he let out a relaxed sigh. Meanwhile, his clones stood nearby, glaring at him with obvious envy.
"None of you have any bright ideas to improve the plan?" Arthur asked lazily, his eyes half-open and his tone calm, almost sleepy.
Clone 5 suddenly raised his hand with enthusiasm, as if struck by a burst of inspiration.
"What if we went after Chaos Magic from Wanda? Or the Phoenix Force from Jean Grey?"
Arthur shot up into a sitting position so fast it startled everyone, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"If you want me dead, just say it directly! No need to suggest collective suicide!"
Clone 5 looked confused, glancing at the others for support. But every clone was staring at him like he had just declared himself the king of stupidity.
Clone 1 stepped forward, rolling his eyes.
"Listen here, you my friend … First of all, we don't even know if our 'Devour' power works on purely energy-based abilities. Those powers aren't tied to genetics in any way. So even if we somehow manage to try it, there's a much bigger issue here."
Arthur took over the explanation, with a calm tone in his voice
"How, exactly, do you plan to defeat Jean Grey with the Phoenix Force? Or Wanda wielding Chaos Magic? They're not just strong — they're cosmic-level threats. Either one of them could erase an entire planet just by blinking and the weaker version doesn't do us much good, other than coming into contact with such special Marvel powers could attract the attention of some powerful being to us.
He continued to say with a serious face explaining how this plan is not worth it for them.
"And let me guess… you were gonna say, 'Let's just wait until we're strong enough to beat them,' right? But if I'm already strong enough to beat those two… why would I even need their powers anymore? At that point, I'd be creating my own multiverse from scratch!"
Finally understanding the sheer absurdity of his own suggestion, Clone 5 slowly nodded and fell silent, avoiding everyone's eyes.
At that moment, Clone 1's face lit up with excitement, as if he'd just had a stroke of genius.
"Main body! I just remembered something that could actually work in this world — and help us a lot!"
All the other clones turned toward him with interest. Even Arthur was curious now.
"What is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Clone 1 grinned and spoke confidently.
"Jack Sparrow's compass — from Pirates of the Caribbean! If that thing works in our world, it could lead us straight to the Devil Fruits… or even to pure gold!"
Arthur's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't thought of that.
"That… might actually work," he said slowly. "If it really points to what the heart desires the most, it could be incredibly useful."
Without wasting another second, Arthur opened a dimensional portal that led directly to the Pirates of the Caribbean universe. A swirling vortex appeared, pulsing with faint golden light. He turned toward his clones.
"Alright, one of you, go through and fetch that compass. And don't cause any unnecessary trouble!"
Before he could finish speaking, one of the clones had already sprinted past him and dove into the portal like a madman, shouting:
"Later, losers! I'm off to find treasure and women!"
"You bastard!" Clone 1 shouted after him. "You always steal the fun missions!"
"He's totally going to overdo it again," Clone 3 muttered with a laugh.
Arthur could only sigh in resignation as the portal closed.
"This has to be karma… I used to laugh at how Naruto's clones would troll him. Now it's me in the exact same situation."
Black Maria giggled behind him, clearly amused by the ongoing chaos his clones always brought with them.
Just then, another clone returned from a different mission, holding a vial of blood.
"This is it," he said, handing the container over.
Arthur took it carefully and stared at the red liquid inside. It was the blood of David Rice — the Jumper. Without wasting time, he activated his Devour ability.
A glow surrounded his body as the blood's power was absorbed. For a moment, the air shimmered around him. Then, in a blink, he vanished… only to reappear on the far side of the room instantly.
"It worked…" he whispered, grinning. "We really have the power of teleportation now."
Now fully equipped, Arthur looked ready for the next step. The clones cheered, some punching the air, while others danced in celebration.
"We're finally ready to scour the world for those Devil Fruits," he declared. "No more limits."
But until the clone with the compass returned, there was still time to relax. Arthur once again lay back in Black Maria's lap, letting her fingers drift across his hair. The room was peaceful… for now.
Little did they know, the chaos that would soon follow was only just beginning.
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