One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

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Crocodile died, and no one would ever know the true cause of his death.

Under the rubble of the ruins, Arthur used the ring to make it float beside Crocodile.

A small black cloud emerged from the ring, growing larger and larger until it covered most of Crocodile's body.

Inside the ring, Nuoqi screamed as a black hole-like force was activated, starting to strip Crocodile of his Sand-Sand Fruit abilities.

In less than two minutes, a light brown Devil Fruit appeared in Nuoqi's hands.

The Sand-Sand Fruit had been reborn into the world!

Unless Arthur decided to reveal the truth, no one would know that the fruit had secretly fallen into his hands.

With Crocodile dead, Arthur, aware of the bomb hidden in the bell tower, hurled it into the sky.

The massive explosion stopped everyone in their tracks as they stared in shock at the dark smoke spreading high above.

Taking advantage of this moment, Vivi used a Den Den Mushi to broadcast the truth about what had happened in Alubarna.

Hearing her words, the rebel leader, Koza, decided to pause the uprising to investigate her claims. He believed that Vivi might be telling the truth, and even if she wasn't, he was willing to sacrifice himself for the chance to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.

Eventually, the rebellion ended after Koza learned the truth.

The Straw Hat Crew, each nursing different injuries, were quietly taken into the palace by King Cobra. Despite them being pirates, Cobra couldn't forget how they fought Crocodile to save Vivi and his kingdom. He felt deeply grateful to them, even though he couldn't fully repay their kindness.

Meanwhile, Smoker, who had been chasing the Straw Hats since Loguetown, followed them to Alabasta. However, after witnessing Luffy's fight with Crocodile and learning the truth, he hesitated.

Like future Admiral Fujitora, Smoker's sense of justice didn't always align with the Marine's strict orders.

After news of Crocodile's defeat and death was published, Fleet Admiral Sengoku issued an order to capture the Straw Hat Crew. But since they were still in the palace, Smoker waited.

In truth, his "waiting" was also an excuse to let Luffy and his crew recover and leave Alabasta before pursuing them again.

The next day, Crocodile's conspiracy was exposed across Alabasta, and the scattered rebel forces finally stood down.

Starting with Mr. 1, the top ten officers of Baroque Works were captured one by one.

The reveal of Mr. 2's Clone-Clone Fruit abilities has made the truth behind Crocodile's plans even more questionable.

Now, everyone knows Crocodile's true identity and why King Cobra purchased the forbidden Dance Powder.

After resting in the palace overnight, Luffy was back on his feet. His incredible resilience never fails to amaze—give him some food, and he's good as new.

Arthur sat at the dining table, eyeing the spread of delicious food and picking out what he wanted to try.

During his last trip to Alabasta, he didn't stay long enough to enjoy the local cuisine. While some Alabasta-style food was available in the Sky Kingdom, Arthur rarely had time to savor it.

As he ate, Arthur noticed a young man dressed like a fisherman. Unlike the rest of Luffy's crew, this person seemed different from the original group.

"Huh?" The young man, Locke, felt Arthur's gaze and turned to look at him.

Locke wasn't one of Luffy's original companions, but he recognized Arthur's status immediately. Arthur smiled faintly and looked away.

It seemed Locke was the crew's new navigator, and from the way he carried himself, he didn't appear weak. Luffy's group, originally known for its three strongest fighters, now seemed to have gained a fourth.

"Uncle, thanks a lot for helping me develop Second and Third Gear!" Luffy said suddenly, biting into a piece of meat.

Arthur almost choked. He shot Luffy a glare and replied, "Don't call me uncle! I'm only a few years older than you. My name is God Arthur."

Luffy grinned and said, "Alright, Arthur! Thanks for your help!" It seemed this guy either called people by their names or gave them nicknames on the spot.

Arthur nodded without saying much. If things went as expected, Robin would soon join the Straw Hat Pirates. Beyond that, they were bound to head for Water 7. Without upgrading their ship, they wouldn't make it to the end of the Grand Line.

"Arthur, why can your chair float in the air?" Luffy asked curiously while chewing on his food.

The rest of the crew perked up. Ever since meeting Arthur, some of them knew about his reputation, while others didn't. Either way, they were all intrigued by his floating chair.

Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper stared with wide eyes, practically sparkling with excitement.

"This is an ability I developed using my Devil Fruit powers. I can control the chair to float in the air," Arthur explained.

"That's incredible! What kind of fruit is it? I kind of want it!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes shining as he ate and drank enthusiastically.

"King Arthur is one of the world's strongest fighters. He's a Logia user with the power of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit," Vivi explained with a smile.

"The world's strongest? That's amazing! A Logia user? Like Ace and Crocodile?" Luffy said, his excitement growing.

Among the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy and Chopper were the only ones unfamiliar with Arthur.

"Exactly! King Arthur is incredibly powerful, on par with the Marines' three Admirals and even the Four Emperors of the New World. He has the power of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit and is also part of the Angel race," Vivi added, her eyes sparkling as she glanced at Arthur.

"Thunder-Thunder Fruit? That sounds amazing! Wait—Angel?!" Luffy paused, suddenly remembering Vivi's last comment. He was so shocked he forgot to eat the meat in his hand.

"Yes, King Arthur is the king of the Angels."

"I've seen pictures of the Sky Kingdom in the newspapers. It looks like a beautiful place," Luffy said, awe-struck.

"Miss Angel, wow~ I want to meet her so badly! Luffy, we have to go there! And I heard Fish-Man Island is nearby too—that's another place we need to visit!" Sanji said, already imagining the possibilities.

Sanji, who knew about Arthur's identity, was practically giddy. The mention of angels had him excited, and he couldn't contain himself.

"Angels and mermaids! Angels and mermaids!" Sanji chanted, steam shooting from his nose like a train engine.

"What's so fun about that?" Luffy asked, frowning as he ate.

"You don't get it, Luffy! I'll never regret going there, and I have to see it for myself!" Sanji said, completely fired up.

The crew continued to talk about the Sky Kingdom and Fish-Man Island. Arthur mostly stayed quiet, speaking in low tones with Cobra.

After the meal, Arthur prepared to leave. Cobra tried to persuade him to stay longer, but Arthur reminded him that half the time he had allotted—about two weeks—had already passed. His trip to the North Blue was approaching, and there wasn't much time left.

The reason for going to the North Blue involved the mysterious ring Arthur carried. With its unique ability to bond with his mind, it allowed him to develop Devil Fruit powers in inanimate objects. This groundbreaking technique was a huge advantage, one that Arthur considered a revolutionary discovery.

This new application for Devil Fruit abilities had sparked a brilliant idea in Arthur's mind.