One Piece: Lightning's Heir

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Arthur's words hung in the air, cold and final.

These rookies—these wannabe pirates who had dreamed of making a name for themselves by taking down an Emperor—they had made a fatal mistake.

As Arthur had said, actions have consequences.

If you weren't willing to pay the price, you shouldn't have played the game. To mess up and then expect to walk away scot-free? The world doesn't offer such easy outs.

"There's no talking our way out of this. We fight—or we die!" Prolden, showing more guts than Arthur had expected, roared, his voice filled with a desperate courage as he charged forward.

This display made Arthur raise an eyebrow.

What kind of pirate sets sail without even considering they might die along the way? To encounter an unbeatable foe and do nothing but grovel?

That wasn't a true pirate.

Only by conquering the fear of death could one truly grow!

"KILL HIM!" Dunlap roared, his iron claws slashing at Arthur's face.

"You've wasted enough of my time. It's time to die."

Arthur, ignoring their desperate, frenzied attacks, lunged forward, his body a blur of motion, closing the distance in a heartbeat, his fist meeting Prolden's head-on.

He had no more time to waste. Every second was precious. He needed to unlock the true potential of his lightning, and these fools were standing in his way.

"DIE!"

As Arthur turned to face Dunlap and Prolden.

Birdpence—who had been feigning unconsciousness, erupted from the ground, his body wreathed in a strange, fiery aura, his roar like that of some monstrous beast—

—His snake-like tail whipped through the air, its fangs bared, the sheer force of its attack enough to give even Arthur pause.

Baaaaaaaaaaang!

Arthur's fist slammed into Birdpence's tiger-like claws, the fiery aura dissipating on impact, the sound of shattering bone echoing across the beach.

As Birdpence was sent flying backwards, Prolden and Dunlap's attacks landed.

Fighting for their lives—their every attack was filled with a desperate, frenzied power. They hadn't survived the Grand Line without a few tricks up their sleeves.

Arthur, for the first time since the fight began, felt a flicker of pressure.

But it was fleeting.

He caught Prolden's fist in his open hand, then, with a whip-like motion, kicked out, sending Dunlap flying.

As Dunlap crashed into the rocks, Arthur tightened his grip on Prolden's fist, his other hand slamming into the man's elbow joint.

Crack!

"AAAAAHHH!" Prolden screamed, his arm shattering.

Before Arthur could finish him, Birdpence, his hands already regenerated, lunged again, his body wreathed in what now looked like real flames.

His regenerative abilities—in a normal fight, against an evenly matched opponent—would be a significant advantage. But against Arthur—it was useless. This wasn't a fight. It was a slaughter.

A Devil Fruit user's abilities drained stamina. Birdpence's constant regeneration—it would eventually exhaust him.

"Hahahaha! Fighting you children—It's almost amusing. But playtime's over."

Arthur cracked his neck, his iron-hard frame letting out a series of pops. Muscles like steel bands rippled as he deliberately allowed Birdpence's immense, unstoppable force to crash against his body.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The shockwave rippled outwards. Arthur's hand shot out, clamping around Birdpence's neck. He wanted to see if that impressive regenerative ability could withstand a snapped neck.

Just as Arthur tightened his grip, ready to apply force—

"ROAR!"

Birdpence, his body wrapped around Arthur's, his snake-like tail coiled tightly, his jaws gaping, roared in defiance.

"Dunlap! What are you waiting for?! The special bullets! The ones that can hurt Devil Fruit users!"

"Bullets??" Arthur's eyes narrowed. He tried to break free, but Birdpence's grip was surprisingly strong.

There were plenty of ways to harm a Devil Fruit user, but they knew ordinary bullets were useless against him.

So what were they planning?

Could it be... Seastone bullets?

The kind even Marine HQ officers rarely possessed?

"Hahahaha! Found these in a lab in the North Blue. Killing Thunder God Arthur with them? It'll be worth it!"

Crack!

Dunlap, wiping blood from his lips, drew his flintlock and pulled the trigger.

Whoosh!

The bullet, streaking through the air, carried a palpable sense of danger—a threat Arthur hadn't felt since his clash with Garp.

Never underestimate your opponent. Even the weakest, most insignificant foe could land a killing blow. The thrill of it—the adrenaline, the feeling of being on the edge of life and death—it was intoxicating. He hadn't felt this alive since…well, since he'd been killed.

The bullet, aimed at his eye, his only vulnerability, was almost upon him.

"GET OFF ME!"

Arthur roared, his body exploding with a wave of pure, untamed power.

He had forsaken his Devil Fruit abilities—but his physical prowess was still monstrous.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

He ripped free from Birdpence's grasp, the force of his release sending the Mythical Zoan user flying.

Arthur's reflexes, his enhanced vision, his Observation Haki—even without the amplification of his lightning—they allowed him to see the Seastone bullet's trajectory, to react in the blink of an eye.

He tilted his head, the bullet grazing his cheek.

Then, with a burst of speed, he closed the distance, his fist slamming into Dunlap's chest before the pirate could even react.

Dunlap's body shot backward as if struck by a cannonball, crashing violently into the hard rock face in the distance.

Fragments of dark red internal organs spilled from his mouth. His head lolled to one side, and he died on the spot...

Arthur didn't spare him a second glance, his gaze already fixed on Prolden, his fist, a blur of motion, rocketing towards him.

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