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The West Blue, the home of the Seabury family. The island's name was a bit long: The God-Given Island of Sunlight and Hope.
This island wasn't very large. When the Seabury family was still around, it had been quite lively. But after the family left for the Grand Line to engage in trade, all contact was lost. The family's servants gradually left, and now it was deserted.
After traveling for days, flying halfway across the world, and following his hazy memories, Arthur finally returned to his "home."
Stepping onto the ground, overgrown with weeds and moss, he gazed into the distance at the dilapidated castle.
The iron gates were rusted beyond recognition. The once-clear windows were shattered. The flowers in the courtyard were all dead, overgrown with weeds. It was clear that no one had taken care of the place for a long time.
"Ruined or not, it doesn't matter. In this vast world, anywhere can be home." Memories stirred within Arthur, and he couldn't help but sigh.
The iron gate groaned, a long, drawn-out sound that was grating on the ears.
Arthur entered the castle and took out the blue sapphire necklace he had carried with him for many years.
His parents had given it to him, saying it was the key to the underground vault.
He had no interest in the vault's contents. He only wanted to see if there were any belongings of theirs that he could use to create a tomb.
He entered the vault and spent two hours searching. Finally, Arthur erected a tomb for his parents in the castle's backyard.
He made an offering of dirt in place of incense. After paying his respects, he stood up, ready to leave the island and embark on his journey to the Grand Line.
"Hmm? Someone's on the island?" Arthur's brow furrowed. His Observation Haki detected a large group of people landing on the island.
Mountains, rivers, plants, dewdrops, ants and insects beneath the earth, the sound of the wind - all were reflected in his mind.
"What are these people doing on the island...?"
Arthur's form flickered, and he flew towards the dilapidated dock, his speed so fast that he was practically teleporting. In just a second, he had closed the distance.
"Little Miss, Even the ship was destroyed by cannon fire. Where do you think you're going to run?"
The group consisted of two factions. In front was a young woman in a sorry state. Her fair face was smudged with soot, but her beauty was still apparent.
Behind the young woman were men dressed in black suits, black leather shoes, black hats, and black sunglasses, all carrying firearms - clearly members of the Mafia.
The Mafia members seemed to be playing a game of cat and mouse, casually tailing the young woman, hurling insults at her.
"Hey! Brothers—look at the way her hips sway. Once we catch her, we'll have some fun first, eh?"
"Don't screw up the boss's business!"
"Stop running. Just hand over what our boss wants."
This group looked like the elite of some underworld organization, but their words were no different from street thugs.
"Little Miss, just obediently hand over the whereabouts of the Castle-Castle Fruit, and we promise not to harm a hair on your head."
The leader of the Mafia members sped up, cornering the young woman. They surrounded her, grinning menacingly.
The young woman was fierce, showing no fear in the face of death. She shouted, "In your dreams! Capone Bege, that treacherous backstabber! My father promoted him, and this is how he repays us - by killing my father!"
Tears welled up in her eyes, streaking down her soot-covered face, leaving two clean lines.
"Winner takes all—Even if Boss Bege hadn't rebelled, someone else would have! The boss just expedited the process!" The leader knew they were in the wrong, so he didn't want to argue about this issue.
"The Castle-Castle Fruit is something Boss Bege has his eyes on. Just hand it over, or tell us its location, and we promise we won't make things difficult for you. We'll even give you a boat and let you leave. How about it?" He tried to coax her.
"Stop dreaming. Just kill me!" The young woman was resolute. She closed her eyes, ready to face whatever came next.
"Big brother, should we hand her over to the brothers? They have plenty of ways to make her talk..." Several of the men looked at the young woman's alluring figure, swallowing hard, their eyes filled with lust.
"Be careful. Don't kill her!" The leader adjusted his sunglasses and stepped aside, giving his men space.
The underlings, seeing this, eagerly pounced.
"Get away from me! Get away... I will kill you all!" The young woman, Aurora, was terrified. She screamed and backed up against a stone wall. Tears streamed down her face, washing away the soot and revealing her true appearance.
"Hehehe! Little Miss, just tell us, and you won't have to suffer. Otherwise, if the brothers accidentally scratch that pretty face of yours, it would be such a shame, wouldn't it?"
The underlings were eager to taste the beauty of the young woman, but they didn't forget their mission.
"The Street of Pleasure is still missing a beauty like our dear little lady. If we sell you there, business will surely boom, hahaha!"
They continued to intimidate her, describing scenes that made Aurora's face turn pale. She gritted her teeth, clearly terrified.
Just then, an out-of-place voice came from behind the stone wall.
"Um... Could you all wait a moment?" Arthur couldn't stand it any longer.
He had just heard something interesting. The Castle-Castle Fruit? Arthur's interest was piqued.
"Who is it? Get the hell out here!" The underlings' actions were interrupted. They were momentarily stunned.
The leader, who had turned away, was startled by the voice. He instantly pulled out a flintlock pistol and pointed it in the direction of the sound.
"I..." Arthur innocently squatted on the rock, scratching his head, like a pure, naive young man who had never seen the world. "I was sleeping here. You seem to be disturbing me. Could you—wait until I move to a different spot before you continue?"
He blinked at the group, looking utterly innocent!
"Hmph! Kill this nosy brat!" The leader's face darkened. He gave the order, and two of his underlings immediately charged at Arthur.
The two burly underlings, with fierce expressions, rushed forward with powerful strides. Their thick fingers, like carrots, formed claws, reaching for him from both sides.
They seemed to be experts in street brawls, blocking all of Arthur's escape routes, trapping him in a corner.
Aurora's face turned ashen. Seeing Arthur frozen, she thought he was scared witless. She felt a pang of guilt. "Why did he have to get involved in this mess?"
But in the next instant, the two underlings who had rushed Arthur screamed and were sent flying back like cannonballs.
They had been struck by some unknown force, dragging through the dirt for dozens of yards, plowing two long furrows. Their chests were caved in, their eyes wide, and they were spitting up dark red chunks of internal organs and blood.
They were clearly dead...
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