[47] : Clues to the Door-Door Fruit!

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The pirate ship drifted on the sea. Arthur, utterly bored, trained his body. At the same time, his Observation Haki spread out, searching for any ships that might cross his path.

Not having a helmsman was incredibly annoying. The "Ark Thor" was still under construction back on Skypiea. Once it was finished, he wouldn't need a helmsman.

"I've been waiting for hours. Finally!" Arthur wiped his body clean and put his greatcoat back on, his gaze fixed on the direction where his Observation Haki had detected a ship.

....

....

"Captain, there's a ship over there!"

On the open sea, under a clear sky, a pirate crew of no particular renown was sailing. The navigator, standing on the high crow's nest, spotted a ship approaching using his binoculars.

Because Arthur thought the Disco Barum pirates' flag was awful, he had taken it down after his fight with Kizaru. He hadn't replaced it with his own mark, so no one who saw the ship would know who it belonged to.

If there was a ship, it meant there was an opportunity for plunder. Where else would a pirate's expenses come from if not robbery?

"Captain, a ship has been sighted to the starboard bow! There are no identifying flags or markings. It might be a black market cargo ship. Should we approach?" After observing for a while, the navigator shouted down from the crow's nest.

"A ship?" On the deck, a group of pirates were partying, drinking and reveling. They all put down their drinks and stood up, excited.

"What are we waiting for?" The bearded captain waved his hand, drawing the long sword at his waist. "Men, set sail in that direction! We're going to rob them of treasure and women!"

The captain gave the order, and the helmsman immediately changed course, sailing towards Arthur.

"Ooh!!"

The pirate crew cheered.

"Have you finally shown yourselves? I've been waiting so long..." Arthur lay lazily on the deck, enjoying the breeze—his Haki monitoring their every move.

After a few more minutes, that pirate ship and Arthur's ship met. The pirates, looking like they were on drugs—quickly boarded.

"I've been waiting… you scum!" Arthur stood up slowly.

"Captain, there's someone here!" A pirate discovered Arthur's presence and immediately shouted, calling for the captain.

"Hmm?" This captain wasn't likely to be an unknown. Hearing that there was someone, he jumped directly from his ship to Arthur's.

Taking a closer look, he saw a teenager looking at them impatiently.

"Kid, are you alone on this ship?" the bearded captain asked. In his mind, this was a merchant ship that had already been plundered, and this teenager was probably a survivor who had been lucky enough to escape.

"Well, I'd like to ask you a question. Do you have a navigator in your pirate crew?" Arthur asked casually.

"Huh?"

The bearded captain was taken aback.

He thought, 'Isn't this guy a bit off? Shouldn't he be begging for his life after seeing pirates?'

"If you have a navigator, you can live. If not, you'll have to be thrown into the sea to feed the fish!"

The glint of lightning flickering in his hand as a nearly-formed Lightning Spear slowly took shape, crackling softly.

"..."

"Y-you are... the Lightning Master, Seabury D. Arthur? The one who destroyed an island?" The bearded captain saw the flickering electric arc. How could he not know who this was? He was immediately terrified and at a loss for words.

"We do! My pirate crew has a navigator..." He nodded repeatedly, fearing he'd be stabbed to death.

Right now, Arthur was the most unapproachable figure in the West Blue, far surpassing even the most powerful kingdom—the Kano Country.

"Very sensible," Arthur nodded. "Bring the navigator to my ship. You can go!"

"Yes!"

The bearded captain was drenched in cold sweat. He used the fastest speed of his life to return to his own ship and grab the stunned navigator from the crow's nest.

All the pirates holding swords were dumbfounded. They couldn't imagine why their captain would do this.

Arthur yawned, gesturing with his chin to the stunned navigator, telling him to steer the ship. He himself lay back down on the deck chair to sleep.

"...." The bearded pirate captain hadn't left yet. He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, as if he had made an important decision.

"Hmm? Why aren't you gone? Do you want to take a bath in the sea?" Arthur opened one eye, glancing at him, and asked impatiently.

"Sir, I have a request. I want you to help me!" He steeled himself and knelt on both knees, his forehead pressed firmly against the deck.

"I have access to information. I know that the reason Sir Arthur destroyed the Mafia Gang was because someone offered a Devil Fruit as payment. I also have a clue about a Devil Fruit!"

"Oh?" Arthur woke up from his lazy state, asking with interest, "A Devil Fruit? What does it look like?"

"I saw it clearly. It's a green fruit with a multifaceted shape." The bearded captain, fearing he wouldn't interest Arthur, was sweating nervously.

"A green, multifaceted fruit?" Arthur's pupils constricted. He stood up directly from the deck chair. "Are you sure you have a clue about this fruit? If you're lying to me... you know the consequences, right?"

Arthur had seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. That book was now in his arms, along with the Castle-Castle Fruit. With his memory, remembering those thousands of images was easy.

Among the Paramecia-type fruits, there were several that Arthur desired greatly. Ranking first was the Op-Op Fruit. Second—things like the Luck-Luck Fruit and the Door-Door Fruit were also must-haves.

This green—multifaceted fruit, strictly speaking, had eight sides, meaning interconnectedness in all directions. It was precisely the bug-level fruit Arthur wanted very much—Door-Door Fruit.

This was one of the fruits that involved the power of space. It could create doors on anything, and opening a door in the air would create a green space. Entering and exiting could achieve an effect like being within arm's reach of the ends of the earth.

It originally belonged to Blueno, a member of the World Government's direct intelligence agency, CP9. But right now, Blueno was only four or five years old.

Arthur didn't know if the fruit was in the hands of the World Government or if Blueno had found it himself. But now... it was being delivered to his door?

"—It doesn't matter if your information is true or false. I'll help you with this." Arthur had a feeling of looking up at the sky and laughing.

"I was originally the heir to a Kingdom in the West Blue. This fruit is in the kingdom's treasury!" The bearded man, Puros, said with hatred, likely having his own story.

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