One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

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

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While Arthur was in the North Blue for a day or so, news of Crocodile's death had captured the attention of the entire world.

As expected, Crocodile's real goal had been Pluton, the ancient weapon that no one truly understood. Most people only thought he was trying to take over Alabasta.

The fact that a group of rookie pirates helped Alabasta, one of the World Government's oldest allied nations, was something that couldn't be made public. How could they admit that pirates had done a good deed?

Wouldn't that embarrass the Marines? And wouldn't it humiliate the World Government? After all, the Seven Warlords of the Sea were created by the World Government, and now this system had become a threat to their allied nations. It was already a major blow to their reputation. Of course, they had to spin the situation in their favor.

So, the Marines credited Smoker for the victory. As a result, Smoker was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. If things continued smoothly, he was even expected to become a vice admiral by the end of the year. Despite the Moku Moku no Mi lacking strong offensive abilities, it was still a Logia-type Devil Fruit.

However, even though the newspapers framed it that way, the truth was Crocodile had been defeated by Luffy. Because of this, Luffy's bounty increased significantly.

In the original story, Luffy's defeat of Crocodile raised his bounty by 70 million, bringing it to 100 million, earning him the title of a rising Pirate Nova. But this time, things were different. Everyone believed Luffy had killed Crocodile.

As a result, Luffy's bounty jumped by 110 million, making it 150 million. He became one of the most infamous pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, surpassing the 100 million mark. He now held the highest bounty among the new generation of pirates.

Zoro's bounty also increased, from the original 60 million to 80 million. Meanwhile, Sanji, who previously didn't have a bounty, now received one—even though the poster lacked his picture. His bounty was set at 50 million.

There was also a new addition to the crew, the navigator Rock, who earned a bounty of 45 million.

With these changes, four members of the Straw Hat Pirates now had bounties, solidifying their reputation as one of the top rookie pirate crews of the year.

But all of this happened while Arthur was traveling in the North Blue. Arthur wasn't aware of these events, nor did he need to be.

In a certain part of the North Blue, a massive sea snail slowly moved across the water. The two large "66" markings on its shell made it clear—this was the base of the Germa Kingdom, home of the Vinsmoke family.

Arthur had only taken a little over an hour to travel from Alabasta to the North Blue, but finding the Vinsmoke family took him four to five hours. The world of One Piece was vast, and even with Arthur's abilities, it took time to locate them.

Arthur's observation and sensory abilities now covered a radius of over 500 kilometers, a testament to his strength.

On the snail's back and within its shell, Germa's clone soldiers were patrolling and standing guard.

The four Vinsmoke siblings—three sons and one daughter—were busy with their own tasks. But suddenly, all of them stopped what they were doing at the same time, their expressions changing as they turned their attention to the sky.

Even through the many layers of ceilings, the Vinsmoke siblings sensed the presence of an uninvited guest.

As the finest creations of Vinsmoke Judge, Reiju and her three brothers possessed excellent combat instincts. They reacted instantly, rushing out of their rooms and heading toward the source of the disturbance.

In the air, Arthur floated above the massive snail and sensed the quickly approaching presences. He smiled faintly and said to himself, "Finally found it. Let's see if my plan will work."

Arthur had to admit that when he first watched One Piece, the Vinsmoke family's modifications were impressive but unsettling. If not for their strength, they would have been little more than flashy appearances.

Yet, with his current power and the potential of the technology, Arthur decided this was worth the effort. Besides, the research on lineage factors that Judge had developed over the years was too valuable to ignore.

For those who don't know, lineage factors may seem trivial. But for those aware of their potential, they hold immense importance, even if their value isn't immediately apparent.

"That's..." Judge and his four children, now gathered on the rooftop, stared in shock.

"Arthur, the Angel King," Judge muttered, his face tense and his heart filled with a sense of foreboding.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Judge spoke firmly. "What brings King Arthur to the Germa Kingdom?"

Arthur didn't answer right away. Instead, his gaze swept over Reiju and the three brothers. Even without their Raid Suits, their strength was passable, just about reaching the level of a Marine vice admiral. Arthur wondered if they could reach the power of an elite vice admiral when using their battle suits.

Judge's technological prowess was undeniable. To create such advanced battle suits and manipulate lineage factors for combat enhancements was no small feat.

Arthur's throne, floating high in the sky, slowly descended and stopped about a meter above the ground, five meters in front of the group.

The Vinsmoke family stood tense, as if ready for battle, but Arthur's faint smile showed he was unconcerned.

Frankly, Arthur considered them no threat. With his strength, dealing with them would take only a few minutes. No matter how advanced their technology was, it relied on external tools, which always came with limitations.

Breaking the silence, Arthur finally spoke. "As far as I know, you've developed transforming battle suits. They're quite fascinating. I wonder... would you be willing to part with them?"

Judge's face darkened at Arthur's words. Even though Arthur wasn't releasing any overwhelming aura, Judge couldn't shake the feeling that he was standing before a colossal demon god, radiating an air of dominance.

"King Arthur," Judge began, his voice strained, "the Raid Suits are one of Germa Kingdom's top secrets. I'm sorry, but we cannot give them to you." He gritted his teeth, refusing firmly.

Arthur chuckled, the playful smile on his lips growing. "Is that so? Alright then... I'll just take them by force. Hand over all the data on the battle suits, as well as everything you've researched on lineage factors."

Judge's expression turned grim as the weight of Arthur's words hung in the air like a storm about to strike.

"What?!" Judge's face twisted in shock. He hadn't expected Arthur to push back so decisively.

"Damn it!" Except for Reiju, Judge's three sons gritted their teeth, glaring at Arthur. Each of them held a cylindrical device with a number engraved on it. It was slim, about twenty centimeters thick, and clearly prepared for use.

"Is that the Raid Suit transformation device?" Arthur's eyes gleamed with interest.

The design of the Raid Suit device was indeed fascinating. It was compact, portable, and its transformation method was reminiscent of an armored warrior. Small, efficient, and undeniably stylish—Arthur couldn't deny its appeal.

"Vinsmoke Judge," Arthur began, his tone calm but firm, "I think you understand exactly what it means to face one of the world's top powers."

"Let me be clear—killing all of you would be effortless for me. You might be powerful against ordinary opponents, but at best, your strength only matches that of an elite Marine vice admiral."

"And someone at that level?" Arthur smirked. "I can take them out with a single move. Eliminating the Germa Kingdom would be no challenge at all."

He paused, his tone shifting slightly. "You've heard the saying, 'A wise man adapts to the times,' haven't you? Even if you haven't, I'm sure you understand its meaning."

"In the face of overwhelming power, give me what I want. If you do, I'll offer you a promise: this time, hand over what I'm asking for, and in the future, if you find yourself in danger, I'll protect you once."

"It won't matter who the enemy is!" Arthur's gaze locked onto Judge as he delivered the final words with absolute confidence.

A year ago, Arthur wouldn't have been able to say this with such certainty. But now, he was confident in his claim to be the strongest individual in the world.

The changes brought about by the ten stone mountains had been immense, granting him a level of power he couldn't have imagined before.

Arthur had deliberately spoken at length to ensure that Judge wouldn't try to deceive him by withholding critical information. While Judge wasn't on the same level as Vegapunk, his expertise as a top-tier scientist was undeniable.

If Judge concealed something important, even Arthur's allies among the best researchers couldn't guarantee they'd uncover it, especially since their fields of study differed so greatly.

"So," Arthur asked again, his voice cutting through the tension, "what's your decision?"

Judge's expression darkened, his eyes flickering with indecision. This was, without a doubt, the hardest choice he had ever faced.