The deaths of the Iron-Silver-Gold brothers sent a clear ssage to everyone in the Rocks Pirates: these four brats were no pushovers.
On the contrary—each of them was a monster. Especially Arthur and Kaido, who stood out as monsters among monsters. Despite being re trainee crewn, they had defeated official mbers, and not just anyone, but officer-level ones.
And what of the outco? Rocks couldn't care less about the deaths of so-called petty officers or expendable pirates.
That very night, the losses were already replaced. Two hundred fresh recruits boarded the ship. Though Arthur, Kaido, Shakky, and Duru were still officially listed as trainees, within the Rocks Pirates—where only strength decides status—they were already regarded as leaders.
Arthur showed no interest in commanding followers. Shakky was indifferent. Duru lacked the strength. In the end, Kaido naturally took them under his wing.
In just a single day, they had leapt from ordinary trainees to sothing close to officer status. Nominally, they were still apprentices, but aside from the elite mbers and the six official officers, no one dared provoke them now.
Creak!
A door in the ship's cabin swung open. The four entered.
"Phew~~" Duru whistled, teasing as he looked around. "That's so fortune sitting here."
The room was stacked with gold and silver treasures, weapons of all kinds—many not fad blades, but still far superior to ordinary arms. Yet the true prizes were placed carefully upon a pedestal: three Devil Fruits.
Arthur spoke firmly: "I only want these three Devil Fruits. The rest doesn't interest ."
"Hmph." Kaido snorted but voiced no objection. With him silent, Shakky and Dulu had even less reason to protest.
After all, among the four of them, Arthur was unquestionably the strongest. Even if he claid them all outright, no one could argue. Since he was willing to share the rest, who would complain?
Arthur stored the three fruits in a chest and carried it away.
"I'm going back to rest. You can take your ti picking through the rest."
With a smile, he left the room.
Arthur cared for nothing else. His sole interest lay with Devil Fruits.
Back in his quarters, he set the chest down and sprawled lazily across his bed, murmuring:
"So much has happened… but truly, this is the Rocks Pirates. In such a short span, I've already gathered six Devil Fruits."
"Plus these…"
He reached into his system's storage space, retrieving four more Devil Fruits.
Yes. From the day he first set out to sea, Arthur had struggled endlessly, finally managing to collect four fruits on his own. With today's haul of six, his total now reached ten.
"It's not ti to rest yet. Let's see… what kind of boost can ten Devil Fruits bring ?"
Sitting upright, Arthur lined up all ten fruits before him. His voice dropped to a command:
"Devour."
ROAR!
A dragon's cry reverberated faintly from within his body.
The next instant, the spectral image of a crimson dragon appeared, swallowing all ten Devil Fruits in one bite.
"Ugh—!"
Arthur scread, pain wracking his body. He collapsed to one knee, his entire form burning hot, radiating searing heat. Yet strangely, the heat affected only him—the floor beneath remained untouched.
"Damn it!" he cursed inwardly. "This hurts worse than when I first awakened my Red Dragon bloodline!"
His breathing grew ragged as he fought to steady his blazing mind.
Arthur's "Arthurian System" was, at its core, a barebones construct.
No guiding spirit.
No missions.
No achievents.
Only one rule: devour Devil Fruits to gain energy. That energy could then be directed into different cores—strengthening weapons, summoning Knights of the Round, recreating Britannia, or even conjuring the White Cliffs City.
In short, everything once tied to King Arthur could be inherited or summoned through the system.
Yet here lay the flaw: if Arthur had no clear intent when absorbing energy, it would automatically be consud to awaken further aspects of the Red Dragon bloodline.
No convenience, no choices—utterly rciless.
Ssshh! Ssshh!
Sweat poured from his body, but each droplet instantly vaporized into steam against his scorching heat. The burning agony threatened to consu him whole, and soon his mind grew hazy.
He didn't know how long it lasted.
Finally, relief washed over him. His head cleared, his strength returned.
"…Hah?" Arthur blinked, startled. The unbearable tornt had vanished. Rising to his feet, he muttered: "Damn it… awakening the Red Dragon bloodline really is torture."
Examining himself, he could feel his body transford—his physique had strengthened significantly, even if his combat ability hadn't skyrocketed.
With that thought, he opened his status panel.
[Arthur Pendragon]
[Holy Sword: Excalibur (13 Seals)]
[Holy Spear: Locked]
[Bloodline of the Red Dragon: 10% (Unlocked: Red Dragon's Scales)]
[Knights of the Round Table: Locked]
[Island of Britannia: Locked]
[Castle of White Chalk: Locked]
[Haki: Conqueror's Haki (Beginner), Armant Haki (Beginner), Observation Haki (Beginner)]
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