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Elbak Island, Central Street, inside the Flaming Tank Bar.
Scantily clad dancers moved provocatively, while waiters carrying trays weaved through the crowd. Pirates, bounty hunters, and mafiosi rubbed shoulders, drinking and shouting, occasionally whistling at passing women.
In a private booth overlooking the entire bar, Arthur held a bottle of wine, taking large gulps. He watched the debauchery below with a cold, sharp gaze.
These people may have once had dreams, but they had been crushed by harsh realities. Or perhaps they had ambition but lacked the strength, sinking into a life of indulgence.
"If I hadn't gambled with my life on the rising current, would I have ended up like them in a few years, lost and unaware of the true wonders of the world?"
Arthur sighed. High-proof rum flowed into his mouth like water, some spilling from the corners of his lips and running down his exposed, muscular chest.
"You're here. So why haven't you done anything about Gotti yet?" Aurora's voice was laced with barely suppressed anger.
Before arriving at Elbak Island, they had encountered a Sea King at sea. But before it could even surface, it was charred to a crisp by a bolt of lightning that appeared out of nowhere.
Learning that Arthur was the rare Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, Aurora was deeply shocked. After all, she was the daughter of a former Mafia boss. She had more knowledge than the average person. Of course, she understood what a Logia-type meant.
It meant being impervious to ordinary firearms, swords, and other weapons—True Invincibility.
Back then, upon hearing of her understanding, Arthur merely scoffed inwardly. In the Four Blues, those who knew Armament Haki were few and far between. It was normal for her not to know about it—
"Bringing you to this bar was already a huge risk. I might even expose the undercover agents I planted in the gang. Do you even understand?" Aurora huffed coldly.
Her father's influence in the former Mafia was deeply rooted. Even though he had been killed, some remained loyal.
"Do you think the loyalists your father left behind are loyal to you? Wake up to reality. If they were all loyal, they would have been killed long ago! We came here openly, without any concealment. This information has probably already fallen into the hands of those with ulterior motives. Someone will likely come looking for us soon." Arthur said nonchalantly
"!!!" Aurora was flustered by his words. She had already begun to believe him a little.
As soon as she spoke...
The bar's doors were pushed open forcefully. A large group of Mafia members swarmed in, instantly filling the remaining empty space in the bar.
The Mafia underlings quickly parted, making way as if waiting for someone.
"The gang is taking action. Please excuse any inconvenience. Drinks are on the house tonight!"
A muffled voice came from the entrance. The figure of the person gradually appeared, blocking the light from outside as he squeezed through the doorway.
The newcomer was fierce-looking and already balding despite his young age. Most importantly, his right hand was equipped with a massive, heavy machine gun, its caliber thick, its power undeniable. This was Capone Bege's trusted subordinate—Gotti!
"Walloon! Can you confirm that Young Miss Aurora and the guy who killed my men are here?" Gotti asked fiercely.
"They're here. Our spy just saw them enter the bar. They haven't left!" The man named Walloon was the small-time leader who had escaped from the Island of Hope and Sunlight.
The bar suddenly fell silent. Only these two voices could be heard!
"He's here. The Assassin Gotti!" Aurora's eyes filled with fear. Her body trembled slightly. Even though she knew Arthur's power was extraordinary, she still couldn't help but feel frightened by Gotti's infamous reputation.
Gotti led the way, followed by Walloon and a group of underlings. They walked towards the upper-level booth.
Seemingly sensing Aurora's gaze, Gotti looked up, his fierce eyes meeting her beautiful ones.
"!!!" Aurora subconsciously leaned towards Arthur, seeking a sense of security.
"Gotti's nickname is 'The Assassin.' He does all of Capone Bege's dirty work. Who knows how many people he's killed to earn that name."
"The meaning of this title isn't a killer hidden in the shadows. It's... a hand that only knows how to kill!"
She muttered to herself, her fear of this man seeming to outweigh her fear of Capone Bege. Or perhaps, her feelings towards Capone Bege were only hatred.
"Young Miss Aurora, I thought you had escaped! But here you are, delivering yourself to us? Hahaha!" Walloon laughed loudly, then turned his head towards Arthur.
"Gotti, it's this kid. He killed more than a dozen of our brothers. You have to avenge them!" Walloon pointed at Arthur, hatred in his voice.
"Oh? You were spared before—and now you're sticking your neck out again, begging to be killed? You really don't know your limits!" Arthur sat comfortably on the sofa, shaking the bottle in his hand, a touch of resignation in his voice.
Gotti pushed Walloon and the others aside with his machine-gun-equipped right hand. He was furious. "Kid, You've got some nerve, killing my men in the gang's territory? State your name!"
"The name's Seabury D. Arthur. Remember it well."
"It'll be something you can brag about in hell!" Arthur said casually, as if stating an irrefutable truth.
"The Seabury Family? Hmph! I don't care who you are. Hand Aurora over, and maybe you can get out of here alive. Otherwise..."
Gotti might have looked rough, but he wasn't a fool. Seeing Arthur's confident demeanor, he understood that this person probably had something to rely on.
Although he was angry that Arthur had killed his men, the gang had just stabilized, Gotti knew it wasn't wise to cross someone with serious backing.
"No!!" Aurora was immediately flustered, terrified.
"Leave?" Arthur finally looked directly at Gotti, scoffing. "She's offered to trade your lives for the Castle-Castle Fruit. Or do you think your life is worth more than a Devil Fruit?"
"Castle-Castle Fruit?" Gotti knew that things couldn't be resolved peacefully.
"In that case, you can die!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his right hand, the heavy machine gun, suddenly aimed at Arthur. A stream of bullets erupted, forming a storm of metal.
"Da! Da! Da! Da! Da!!" The bullets sprayed wildly.
The heavy machine gun's powerful recoil didn't affect him at all. He remained as steady as a mountain.
The metal storm enveloped Arthur, sealing off all escape routes...
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