Their return journey was swift.
Bathed in moonlight, the group traveled in heavy silence.
Before long, they were back on Hachinosu (Pirate Island). Even under the shroud of night, the island was brilliantly lit. Thanks to the rapid expansion of the Rocks Pirates, Hachinosu was quickly becoming the third major trading hub of the sea, following Sabaody Archipelago and Trading City.
Of course, it was still developing. Whether it could truly rise to that level would take ti.
"Hnn..."
Arthur arrived at a bar and collapsed into a couch, half-reclining with a deep exhale.
The entire mission—from the assault on the Ferguson Empire, to the Red Line incursion, and now back—had spanned barely over ten hours in total.
For soone like Arthur—who could brawl with Kaido for a full day and night—that was nothing.
But this mission wasn't about duration.
It was about risk.
This whole operation had been like walking on a razor's edge. Whether it was Arthur, Edward, Shiki, Ochoku, John, or Silver Axe—
Any misstep would've ant instant death.
One mistake. That's all it would've taken.
"Huuuhhh..."
Arthur downed a mug of beer in one go, then exhaled sharply.
"Bring another round."
"Right away, Bro Arthur!"
The bartender, a mber of the Rocks crew, scurried off. Though Arthur was still technically just a trainee, his reputation within the crew was enough to make even senior mbers treat him with caution.
They all knew how terrifying he was.
Gulp... Gulp...
One bottle.
Then two.
Then seven or eight more.
Only after that did Arthur begin to relax, just slightly.
Truth be told—
That kind of tension... that life-on-the-line fatigue wasn't sothing you could just shake off with a deep breath.
It left a shadow on your soul.
"Gurararara!"
Just then, Edward swaggered into the bar, laughing boisterously.
"Arthur! You actually know how to unwind?"
Arthur shook his head and replied tiredly:
"We're not made of steel. Even the toughest need to decompress."
"That mission... was brutal."
He leaned back deeper into the couch, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.
"Yeah..."
Edward sat across from him, his smile fading into solemnity.
"Even though we pulled it off, if any one of us slipped up, we wouldn't be sitting here right now."
Arthur nodded in agreent. He didn't need to add anything.
The two sat in silence, quietly drinking.
And Arthur finally understood—why pirates loved parties so much.
It wasn't about being rowdy or drunk.
It was because no one knew if they'd live to see tomorrow.
If you had treasure, you spent it.
If you survived, you celebrated.
Because if you didn't, what was the point?
This was a pirate's life.
Your head always hanging by a thread.
"Bro Edward?"
"Bro Arthur!"
The bar door burst open. A panicked crewman rushed in.
"Captain Rocks is back—he wants you both at the ship imdiately!"
"Got it."
"Mm."
Arthur and Edward stood up and headed out without hesitation.
Only then did the rest of the pirates start trickling into the bar—
Because truthfully, no one wanted to share space with either of them.
Despite Arthur only being at sea for a few short months, his deeds had already built him a fearso reputation among the Rocks Pirates.
And anyone who rose within Rocks' crew wasn't so lucky fool—they were cold-blooded killers.
As for Edward...
His na alone—Whitebeard—already echoed across the Grand Line.
---
The two arrived at the shore.
The Rocks Pirates' flagship had docked.
And on its deck stood Rocks D. Xebec himself.
"Ohohohoho!"
Rocks laughed thunderously.
"Edward! Arthur! You two made it back alive—impressive!"
SWOOSH!
Arthur jumped aboard and landed on the deck.
"Captain Rocks... we barely made it out alive this ti."
"Ohohohoho~!"
Rocks laughed again.
"Relax! With your strength, even if people die, the mission will always succeed. As long as you bring what I want, that's all that matters."
Arthur didn't reply. He simply shook his head.
He knew—just like Rocks said—
Success was never the issue.
What mattered was whether you had the ability to seize it.
If you lived,
You'd be rewarded with unimaginable treasure.
If you died?
Heh...
This was the Rocks Pirates.
There were no funerals.
No sympathy.
No emotion.
Just the next replacent waiting in line.
This was a crew made of nothing but monsters.
And this was a world without rcy.
This... was the Rocks Pirates.
A crew that felt colder than an iceberg.
---------------------------///
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