One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

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

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Upstairs, several Mink Tribe warriors stared at Arthur.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in the Mokomo Dukedom?" The speaker was a lion Mink with a flowing mane of red hair, spiral-shaped sideburns, and dressed like a dashing French musketeer.

'This must be Sicilian, captain of the Musketeers,' Arthur thought, recognizing the familiar faces of the Minks around him. 'And there's Wanda. That rabbit girl... must be Carrot. All familiar characters.'

"I am Arthur, King of the Angel Empire. I have come to meet the rulers, Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi," Arthur replied calmly.

He wasn't sure if news from outside had reached them yet, so he made sure to introduce himself formally. Even if they hadn't heard of him, a king's presence warranted respect.

"Huh?" The Minks paused, confused. "The Angel Empire?"

"Wait, you mean the kingdom of angels mentioned in the newspapers? The one whose king defeated Kaido of the Four Emperors?" asked a curious rabbit Mink with long ears and short white hair. Standing beside her was a canine Mink—Wanda.

"That's right." But before anyone else could respond, Arthur appeared right beside her, startling everyone.

Gasp!

The Minks' eyes widened as they swiftly stepped back in the limited space. The lion warrior moved quickly, drawing his sword and lunging at Arthur without hesitation.

Swoosh!

The blade pierced through Arthur's body—but instead of falling, Arthur turned and spoke casually to the rabbit Mink, "No, I'm a Logia Devil Fruit user. Without Haki, physical attacks won't work on me."

"Fall back!" shouted the lion Mink, prompting the others to retreat, either onto the city walls or down from the gate.

"Damn it," the Minks muttered, now more wary. Realizing Arthur was a Logia user made the situation even more challenging.

"Wait, are you really the Arthur who defeated Kaido?" The canine Mink squinted, remembering the "angel" from the newspapers. Back then, he had wings, but now they were gone, which explained their hesitation. Observing the lightning crackling around Arthur's chest, it clicked—the rumored King of Angels who wielded the power of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit.

"Yes, that's me," Arthur confirmed.

Arthur didn't counterattack but seemed intrigued by the electrical charge he had seen on the lion Mink earlier.

'Tens of millions of volts? Impressive! If they used IQ grass for enhancement, they could rival Enel's power,' Arthur thought, admiring the strength of the Minks.

"So, you defeated Kaido. Why are you here?" the lion Mink asked, sheathing his sword. Though still on edge, he knew better than to provoke such a powerful figure.

"I need to meet the Dukes. One of them seems to be approaching now," Arthur replied, glancing toward the town. Sure enough, Duke Inuarashi, a tall canine Mink wearing sunglasses, was making his way over, his aura radiating strength.

"The Duke is here," murmured the other Minks, stepping back respectfully to await his arrival.

"Why don't you have wings? Were they cut off?" a small voice whispered beside him.

Arthur turned to find the rabbit girl, Carrot, who had snuck up to him.

Meeting her curious gaze, Arthur smiled and patted her head gently, careful not to disturb her long, floppy ears. "I can put them away."

Carrot's face lit up as Arthur petted her. She leaned into his hand happily. 'Adorable, just as expected,' Arthur thought.

"Karoo~" Carrot purred, rubbing her fluffy face against Arthur's cheek.

"Hey! Garrett! What do you think you're doing?" Wanda called out, noticing Carrot's sudden closeness. She scowled at the display.

"What? He's nice! He's a winged Mink!" Carrot protested, still grinning.

"Uh..." The others were momentarily speechless. It was true that Arthur claimed to be an angel, but where were his wings?

In general, the Minks were not hostile toward outsiders, but Arthur's sudden appearance had made them react defensively, assuming he meant harm.

Before long, Duke Inuarashi arrived.

"Who are you?" he asked, his expression wary and his gaze sharp.

Having ventured out to sea over twenty years ago, Inuarashi knew the dangers of the world. He was well aware that some people captured others—especially unique races like the Minks—to sell as slaves.

"I am Arthur, King of the Angel Empire, also known as the God of Angels. If you've been to Sky Island, you might recognize the God who watches over the Great Golden Bell," Arthur said, studying Inuarashi's reaction carefully.

"The Golden Bell? The God of Sky Island?" Inuarashi paused, recalling memories from his travels over two decades ago.

"Wasn't the God of Sky Island someone named Gan Fall?" Inuarashi asked, his suspicion easing slightly.

"Yes, he was my predecessor. Now, he serves as an advisor to the Angel Empire," Arthur explained.

"I see," Inuarashi nodded, his gaze softening but still curious. "But don't angels have wings? Why don't you?"

With a soft crackling sound, Arthur allowed his lightning-infused wings to emerge, saying, "I can store them away using my Thunder Fruit abilities. They're a bit too large to keep out all the time."

"Oh, those wings are impressive!" The Minks gasped in awe, their suspicions now gone. Arthur's wings were massive, their span far greater than most angels, and glowed with a subtle blue-purple, giving them a crystalline shimmer.

"Carrot!" The rabbit Mink, unable to contain her excitement, hugged Arthur's wings, nuzzling them. "They're so beautiful! I need to sketch them!"

"Truly, the Angel Tribe has changed over the years," Inuarashi remarked, fascinated by Arthur's transformation.

With a sizzle, Arthur's wings disappeared again in a flash of lightning.

"Huh?" Carrot blinked, dazed after her cozy moment with the wings.

"Since you're a guest from the Angel Race, please, follow me," Inuarashi said, now assured of Arthur's sincerity. The Minks respected guests, especially if they were not enemies.

As they walked, many Minks stared at Arthur in admiration. The sight of his wings appearing and vanishing had left an impression. Those who understood what they saw whispered about the legendary angelic Mink, likening him to a member of the Bird Tribe.

"King Arthur, what brings you to the Mokomo Dukedom?" Inuarashi asked, leading him to a hall for guests.

"I need to discuss an important matter with both you and Master Nekomamushi," Arthur replied seriously.

"Oh?" Inuarashi raised a brow, intrigued. The other Minks also perked up at this.

"I'd prefer to speak once both of you are present," Arthur insisted, mindful of the number of people around.

"Fine..." Inuarashi agreed, though not without a sigh. He gestured to a nearby warrior. "Wanda, please call that reckless Cat Viper."

"Understood!" Wanda nodded and left.

Ten minutes later, in a large banquet hall, Arthur watched as Inuarashi and Nekomamushi began to bicker the moment they arrived.

"Please… can we talk before you two start fighting again?" Arthur said, exasperated.