While they were talking.
A pirate ship flying a black skull flag suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.
Alfred, with his excellent eyesight, spotted it immediately.
Of course, Arthur spotted it at the same time.
"How many waves has it been now? Those guys really are lining up to get themselves killed..." Alfred could not help saying.
Ever since Diamante had posted the bounty in the underworld.
Arthur and Alfred had been sought out several times.
But all those who came looking were small fry.
Arthur barely even needed to act himself; Alfred alone had dealt with several groups who wanted to kill them and claim the bounty.
The vessel beneath their feet,
too, had changed again and again, from their original little wooden boat to the large ship they now sailed.
As time passed.
The pirate ship that had appeared drew closer and closer.
Alfred also prepared for battle.
This time, however, Arthur swept his Observation Haki over the approaching pirate ship and sensed someone aboard whose strength was out of the ordinary.
Arthur frowned slightly.
"Alfred, I'll handle this one myself."
He spoke.
He was not sure whether the fellow who had appeared this time
would be easy for Alfred to handle.
Besides,
he himself wanted to warm up a little and stretch his limbs before reaching Diamante's stronghold, so he could fight at full strength...
Alfred immediately wanted to dissuade Arthur.
But Arthur had made up his mind.
Naturally, another person's wishes would not change it.
Soon, the two ships drew alongside each other.
Looking past the railing,
Arthur and Alfred saw the people aboard the pirate ship opposite them.
Likewise, the people aboard that pirate ship saw Arthur and Alfred.
"You there! Our boss Drake has come to take your head for the bounty!!"
"Give yourself up now! You're no match for our boss!"
"Our boss Drake is a great pirate with a bounty of over seventy million Beli! Hearing that bounty must have scared you stupid, brat!"
"Standing before you is the famous 'Red Flag Drake,' known as the 'fallen Navy rear admiral'!"
Right from the start.
Drake's underlings began shouting.
Hearing those words.
Even Drake could not help feeling speechless.
But when he remembered his undercover identity,
he endured it!
He looked fiercely at Arthur across from him and said:
"Brat, you have only yourself to blame!"
"If you joined the Navy, perhaps you could avoid the death that's about to befall you."
The moment Drake opened his mouth, he exposed his intentions.
That was right!
According to the Navy's instructions.
If he could get Arthur to choose to join the Navy, his mission would be complete.
After all, a brat capable of enraging Diamante might have the potential to become a powerful marine.
Unfortunately,
when Arthur heard Drake's words.
Had he not read the original Pirate King,
he would certainly have been taken in by Drake, that Navy double agent.
Of course, Arthur had no other thoughts about it.
At least,
judging by his conduct in the original Pirate King storyline, Drake, the Navy spy, was on the side of the good guys, so he was different from those other corrupt marines.
That was why Arthur would not kill this "pirate," Drake.
Otherwise, whenever he encountered other pirates, he chose to kill every last one.
Pirates
were vermin destroying this sea.
He, Arthur, would kill one whenever he saw one, and two whenever he saw a pair!
"You want my head?"
"Then come take it yourself."
Arthur looked at Drake and said calmly.
Although those were his thoughts, this fight with Drake was unavoidable, and if it did not happen,
then Arthur would make it happen himself.
After all, Arthur wanted to see.
His Zoan Godzilla Fruit,
pitted against a Zoan Devil Fruit from the original story, an Ancient Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit at that-just what kind of situation and outcome would that produce?
Arthur's words fell.
They immediately stirred the fighting spirit of Drake's underlings opposite him.
They were, after all, subordinates of their boss, "Red Flag Drake."
Yet a brat like Arthur was looking down on them!
Hearing this,
Drake understood as well.
The next instant, neither side said another word!
Arthur faced Drake.
Alfred took on every underling aboard Drake's ship alone.
Boom!
Arthur and Drake leaped into the air at the same time.
Their first clash took place in midair!
The powerful blast of air from their collision
immediately blew the sails of both ships taut, making them flap loudly.
Fortunately, both ships had dropped anchor,
holding them in place on this stretch of sea.
Such strength... After their first clash of fists, Drake could not help being secretly shocked by Arthur's physical strength, because it had only been a single probing exchange.
Yet he had already sensed
that this brat named Arthur before him
had physical strength
that might surpass his own!
And that was what surprised Drake even more.
Because he was a user of the Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit, an Ancient Zoan.
An ordinary Zoan Devil Fruit already enhanced the human body's strength to an astonishing degree.
And the rare Ancient Zoans among them
easily surpassed ordinary Zoan Devil Fruits.
In terms of physical strength alone, Drake could confidently say that even a great pirate with a bounty exceeding three hundred million could not contend with him.
Yet,
Arthur, right before him, could actually do it?
Drake was inwardly shocked.
And while he was marveling,
Arthur and Drake had already exchanged over a dozen rounds!
Their fists collided again and again.
Every collision sent powerful gusts sweeping in all directions.
The wind from their punches even made it impossible for those around them to keep their footing.
"So strong!"
"Something's wrong! That brat can actually fight Boss Drake to a draw???"
"What's with that brat??"
Drake's underlings were also quite shocked.
Alfred, however, showed these pirates no mercy whatsoever.
With the most ordinary saber,
he took down Drake's men, one with each stroke.
During a lull in the fighting,
Arthur saw this and paid it no mind.
Drake was a Navy spy, but that did not mean his pirate underlings were Navy spies too, so he had no reservations whatsoever.
At this point.
After exchanging over a dozen rounds with Drake.
Arthur had determined the difference between himself and an Ancient Zoan user.
Perhaps Drake had not yet developed his abilities to their limits.
But he had not developed the Godzilla Fruit to its limits either.
Yet,
in his exchanges with Drake just now, Arthur had used less than half his strength and had already gained a slight upper hand over Drake.
From this, he could conclude.
An Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit
was no match at all for Godzilla's power.
Perhaps only a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit
could rival Godzilla.
With that thought,
Arthur prepared to end the battle.
After all, he still had to hurry off and storm Diamante's stronghold!
Before you continue