The Athena set sail once again after Astrea officially joined the crew. North Blue gradually disappeared beyond the horizon. The sea was unusually calm, with not even the slightest breeze stirring the sails. At full speed, the Athena crossed the Calm Belt toward the New World.
Arthur stood at the bow, quietly watching the compass in his hand as its needle pointed toward the thing he desired most.
Robin: "We've officially left North Blue." She walked over to Arthur.
Arthur: "From here... we enter the New World. Then we'll cross it. After that... our final Blue... West Blue."
Robin: "It's the fastest route from here to West Blue." She smiled faintly before falling silent for a moment at the mention of West Blue.
That night, the sky was filled with countless stars. The entire crew gathered inside the dining hall to hold a welcome party for Astrea. A large table was covered with every kind of food imaginable. Baby-5 and Sugar had spent the entire day preparing the feast.
Arthur: "To Astrea." Arthur raised his glass of juice.
Everyone: "To Astrea!" Everyone raised their glasses together.
Astrea: "All of this... is for me?" Arthur simply smiled.
Robin: "That's right. Go ahead and eat." Robin's words instantly erased Astrea's hesitation. Without another thought, she began devouring every dish placed before her.
Sabo: "Hey! Leave some for me! That's my share!" Plates continued disappearing one after another.
Baby-5: "...She already finished that?" Baby-5 blinked in disbelief.
Sugar: "Should we cook more?" Sugar slowly counted the empty dishes before looking at Arthur.
Arthur: "Go ahead." Arthur chuckled.
Astrea showed no sign of stopping. Every bite was followed by another as though she had never eaten before. Ikaros calmly watched her younger sister.
Nymph: "She's exactly what Master said... A bottomless stomach." Nymph sighed.
Sabo: "Nobody touch my meat!" Sabo immediately protected the plate in front of him with both arms.
Astrea: "Delicious." The next second... It was already gone.Astrea innocently looked at him. The room exploded with laughter.
Watching the food disappear at an unbelievable speed, Sabo immediately began eating just as fast. Laughter once again filled the room. It became one of those unforgettable nights. Astrea quickly became part of the crew, and the crew accepted her just as naturally. Sabo, in particular, seemed to enjoy teasing her the most.
As another day arrived, the Athena continued sailing until it entered far more violent waters. The waves grew higher. Dark clouds covered the sky.
Bepo: "The weather's changing."He stared toward the distant horizon.
Hancock: "We've entered the New World." She looked ahead as well.
Arthur: "Everyone, get ready. After six months of relentless training... You may finally have the chance to unleash everything you've been holding back."
Arthur's voice immediately drew everyone's attention. They all knew the New World was not a place to underestimate. Even without enemies, the sea itself was deadly enough. Yet not a single member of the Art Pirates showed any sign of nervousness. Because they believed that as long as they stood together, there was nothing they couldn't overcome. And as long as Arthur remained aboard the Athena... There would always be a way forward.
Arthur took out his compass once more. He thought about the Poneglyphs... And the four remaining Devil Fruits he had yet to find. As the compass needle began spinning, he called Monet over and carefully recorded the four directions that pointed toward the Devil Fruits he had in mind.
Monet: "Based on every clue you've given me over the years, I'm confident that three of those Devil Fruits are somewhere in the New World. The last one... is in West Blue." She examined both the map and Arthur's notes.
Arthur: "Out of all the islands you've narrowed down...We'll investigate the four closest ones first. Hopefully those Devil Fruits aren't too deep inside an Emperor's territory." He pointed toward the four islands Monet had marked on the map.
Arthur then headed to the navigation room. Hancock and Robin had already spread a world map across the table. Monet handed over the latest intelligence report gathered by the Art Pirates' information network. Hancock carefully studied the locations of the four islands while planning their sailing route.
Monet: "The first Devil Fruit is most likely on Ferro Island. It's the closest one to our current position."
Hancock: "An uninhabited island. It used to be a metal mining site belonging to a kingdom that collapsed more than a century ago. The soil is too barren for vegetation, and earthquakes frequently occur around the surrounding waters." She slowly read through the report.
Robin: "Ferro... I've heard that name before." Robin walked over to a bookshelf and retrieved an old history book.
Arthur: "What do you know?" Arthur turned toward her.
Robin: "Before Gol D. Roger's Great Pirate Era... Ferro Island was one of the world's greatest suppliers of iron and steel. But according to this record... Once its mineral reserves were exhausted, the entire population abandoned the island."
Arthur: "Then there's a very good chance... The Devil Fruit I'm searching for is there."
Two hours later... A crescent-shaped island appeared on the horizon. Nearly its entire surface was gray. There were no trees. No rivers. Only towering cliffs... And countless abandoned mining tunnels. Following Arthur's orders, Bepo guided the Athena around the island before finally docking at an old harbor that had clearly been abandoned for many years.
Arthur: "Looks like my luck hasn't run out yet. We found it on our very first attempt." Arthur jumped down from the deck, while the rest of the crew followed shortly behind.
Sabo: "No signs of life."
Law: "Not even insects or birds." Law nodded after observing the harbor.
Arthur: "No... There's still one person here." He slowly closed his eyes, sensing the presence of a single human deep within the abandoned mine.
Hancock: "Bepo, stay on the ship, Protect the Athena. Ikaros, Nymph, and Astrea, please stay behind and watch over the children. As for you four... Don't wander off alone on an unfamiliar island." Everyone immediately turned toward Hancock, Especially Bepo, whose excitement vanished in an instant despite having looked forward to exploring the island.
Robin: "The five of us will search for the Devil Fruit you're looking for. But what Devil Fruit is it, exactly, Arthur?" The question immediately drew everyone's attention toward him make Arthur smiled faintly.
Arthur: "A Logia... The Metal-Metal Fruit."