As Arthur continued swimming through the open sea, he eventually reached a point where the air began to change.
The once-still waters of the Calm Belt slowly gave way to movement — gentle ripples at first, then actual waves.
The sound of the wind began to hum faintly in his ears, and the surface of the water no longer felt like polished glass.
It was then that Arthur realized he had left the Calm Belt behind.
He glanced around curiously, noticing that the ocean currents were starting to grow stronger with every passing second.
The waves began to roll and twist, pulling and pushing as if something was stirring deep below.
A distant rumble echoed across the horizon, and before long, the sky darkened with thick clouds. The calm silence was replaced by the heavy rhythm of thunder.
A storm was forming, and it was not a small one.
Arthur slowed his strokes for a moment, raising his head above the water. In front of him, a massive wall of sea began to rise — a colossal wave that reached high into the clouds.
It was so enormous that it looked like something straight out of a movie, the kind of impossible wave that would usually wipe out an entire coastline in one hit.
Seeing this, Arthur stopped swimming completely. He inhaled deeply, steadying his breathing, his expression calm and almost excited. "Well," he muttered under his breath, "wherever this takes me, I'll just go with it."
The wave then began to collapse, and Arthur moved — his body cutting through the water with an explosive speed.
His movements were so fast that they could rival the fastest sea creatures and even the speed of ships in the New World.
'Ohhh, this is awesome,' Arthur thought as the massive current carried him forward. 'This must be what riding a speedboat feels like. Not that I'd ever know, I was too broke even to see one up close back then.'
Laughing to himself, Arthur leaned into the motion of the water, his body adapting naturally to the rhythm of the wave.
For several minutes, he "rode" the chaos like it was a game, letting the storm push him wherever it wanted.
Eventually, as the surge began to settle, the wave tossed him into calmer waters. Through the fading storm clouds, Arthur spotted land — a small island not too far from where he was drifting.
Without hesitation, he began swimming toward it, each stroke fueled by excitement and curiosity.
When he finally reached the shore, Arthur climbed out of the sea, dripping from head to toe.
He took a moment to shake off the water before pulling out his sword and transforming it into the dragon's head of Antares.
"Antares, could you dry my clothes?" Arthur asked casually.
He immediately felt a faint wave of irritation coming from the sword, as if the proud dragon spirit within was offended by being treated like a glorified drying tool.
Arthur chuckled nervously and quickly apologized.
"Sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head.
Antares responded with a low, annoyed growl before releasing a wave of hot steam. The heat enveloped Arthur, drying his entire body and clothes in seconds.
"Thanks," Arthur said sincerely, before Antares returned to its sword form. He then activated his Observation Haki, expanding it outward to sense his surroundings.
After a few moments of concentration, he detected the faint presence of a small civilization not far from where he was standing.
With his curiosity piqued, Arthur began walking through the forest path that led inland. The air smelled of damp earth and trees, and birds scattered as he passed.
After a few minutes, he began to hear something — a faint sound, distant but growing louder.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
It was a human voice, screaming. Arthur blinked and stopped in his tracks. The sound grew louder and louder, echoing through the trees.
Eventually, he saw a figure approaching — a small silhouette running at full speed.
As the shape grew clearer, Arthur noticed three things immediately. First, the person had a rope tied around both his body and mouth. Second, the other end of the rope was dragging a massive rock behind him, heavy enough that it carved lines in the dirt. And third, the most distinct feature — the kid had bright green hair.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, stepping aside to give the running figure space.
Moments later, the small boy stopped right in front of him, panting heavily. Arthur looked down and met the boy's eyes, while the boy glared back with confusion, as if trying to figure out who this stranger was. The size difference between them was noticeable — Arthur stood as tall as Luffy during the timeskip, while the boy barely reached his chest.
"Who are you?" the green-haired boy asked bluntly, his tone rough and impatient.
Arthur smirked slightly, amused by his attitude. "When you want to learn someone's name, don't you think it's proper manners to introduce yourself first?" he replied in a calm, serious voice.
The boy blinked, then nodded as if realizing his mistake. "Ah, that makes sense. My name is—"
Before he could finish, Arthur interrupted with a grin. "My name is Silvers Arthur, wandering swordsman, ten years old."
He said it in a way that reminded him of how Crocus once introduced himself, making him chuckle inwardly.
The green-haired kid frowned, clearly not amused. "Bastard, are you making fun of me?"
Arthur burst out laughing. The way the boy's face scrunched up only made him laugh harder.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Arthur said after catching his breath. "Can you tell me your name and what this place is called?"
The boy crossed his arms, still annoyed but answering anyway. "My name is Roronoa Zoro, and this is Shimotsuki Village."
Hearing that, Arthur's grin faded slightly, replaced by a thoughtful look. His suspicions were confirmed — the green-haired boy standing in front of him was indeed that Roronoa Zoro, though still young and training relentlessly.
Arthur looked around the peaceful forest surrounding the village and thought to himself, 'So I'm in the East Blue... the weakest sea in the world.'
He exhaled softly, smiling faintly. "Guess this is where my next chapter starts," he murmured, before glancing back at Zoro, who was already dragging his rock again with a determined scowl.