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In the World Timeline Calendar year 1520, during February, there were only a few months left before the upcoming World Government meeting. By this time, everything in the Angel Empire had been prepared, waiting for the right moment to make its announcement to the world.
However, before that could happen, Arthur needed the ten major legions to return and take their positions in their dedicated military camps. After discussing with Jessica, she flew to the first half of the Grand Line to retrieve the six legions stationed in the New World, while Arthur set out on his yacht towards Fish-Man Island.
During this visit, Arthur planned to speak with King Neptune. He wanted to discuss the Angel Empire's new location and coordinate their participation in the upcoming World Summit. Historically, Fish-Man Island was not supposed to attend the World Summit until 1524, but Arthur's intervention changed the course of events.
Thanks to Arthur's influence and the resolution of internal threats—such as the elimination of Vander Decken IX and the exposure of Hody Jones as the true culprit behind Queen Otohime's death—Fish-Man Island's relationship with the surface world had improved. Arthur's alliance with them also led to more signatures being collected in support of their participation in the World Summit.
Two days later, Arthur arrived at Fish-Man Island. He was warmly welcomed by the citizens and later invited to the Ryugu Palace by Neptune, where he spent the day with Neptune and his children. After a day of hospitality, Arthur left the island, despite Shirahoshi's dissatisfaction with his departure.
Meanwhile, Thunder Island, once a small town, had drastically changed. A year prior, the appearance of a mysterious beast—a massive python—had scared away the town's residents.
Over time, this creature, named Nolan, had undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving into a dragon with horns, claws, scales, and a tail. Nolan's new form, imbued with lightning abilities, was a sight to behold. His size had doubled since Arthur last saw him, and his power had grown significantly.
Alongside Nolan, Arthur noticed the impressive progress of the Thunder Legion. Led by Weber, the dark-skinned warrior, the legion had grown much stronger, with its members now equivalent to Marine Major Generals and Commodores. The legion's deputy commanders and captains were at the level of Marine Vice Admirals, while the soldiers had also gained new power, their wings now occasionally crackling with lightning.
The Thunder Legion had become a formidable force. Arthur estimated that across all ten legions, there were roughly ten elite lieutenants, twenty lieutenants, one hundred elite major generals, and a thousand officers at the major general level. This kind of power was not to be underestimated. Weber himself had grown to the point where, with more experience in combat and perhaps the right Devil Fruit, he could rival an Admiral. Likewise, warriors like Urouge, Enel, and Yana were showing similar potential.
Arthur was pleased with what he saw but reminded himself that his goal was to make a grand entrance in the world. Jumping onto Nolan's head, standing between the dragon's horns, Arthur addressed Weber.
"Weber, stay here for a few days. Jessica will meet you soon. It's not time for you to reveal yourselves to the world yet," Arthur instructed. "Oh, and don't forget to take my yacht back."
Then, turning to Nolan, Arthur asked, "Nolan, can you maintain this size and fly using your Dragon Fruit powers?"
In response, Nolan let out a powerful dragon roar, confirming his capability. Arthur, delighted by the dragon's progress, praised him for mastering both the dragon form and his lightning abilities.
"Alright, then let's show the world your existence!" Arthur exclaimed with a smile.
With a roar filled with excitement, Nolan rose into the sky on four golden clouds, his majestic presence ready to make a statement to the world.
Nolan, having mastered the Jiaolong fruit, had significantly improved his abilities. Unlike before, where he had to rely on clouds for movement, Nolan now created auspicious golden clouds that propelled him forward for kilometers, dissipating gracefully only to be replaced by new clouds. His movements were more fluid, majestic, and matched Arthur's vision of a dragon.
That day, Arthur and Nolan soared through the sky for hours, putting on a grand display. As they flew, Arthur thought to himself, "I hope someone took a good photo of this." He was right. In the New World, home to Morgans and many active underground news networks, it wasn't long before reporters captured the sight of a massive dragon flying through the sky with a man standing on its head.
On an island in the New World, inside a luxurious office, a member of Morgans' news network—a fur-clan bird—picked up the phone and frantically shouted, "Big news! President! We got big news! A reporter just caught a picture of a dragon flying over Thunder Island with a man standing on its head! It's the king of the Angel Empire!"
Morgans, upon hearing this, could barely process the information. "A flying dragon? The king of the Angel Empire standing on its head?" he repeated, shocked. His mind raced, wondering if Kaido, known for his dragon form, was involved. But Morgans quickly dismissed that thought, knowing that Kaido would never let anyone ride him.
Hurriedly, Morgans demanded, "Is there a photo?"
The confirmation came, and Morgans quickly rushed to view the image. What he saw left him speechless: a colossal, indigo-blue dragon, thousands of meters long, with golden clouds under its feet, and atop its head, a young man with short black hair, arms folded confidently between its dragon horns. Relieved that it wasn't Kaido, Morgans still couldn't comprehend the presence of this new dragon-like creature. "Two Shenlong fruits?" he wondered aloud. But it didn't matter. He knew he had to break the story immediately.
By the next day, the world was in shock as the newspapers flew off the shelves, featuring the front-page image of Arthur riding the dragon, Nolan.
In the New World, on the famous white whale ship, Whitebeard—acknowledged as the world's strongest—was enjoying a drink when he saw the news. "Kula la la la la! Interesting kid! I wonder where he got a dragon-shaped Devil Fruit. I'd love to see how that fool Kaido reacts!" Whitebeard laughed heartily, amused by the spectacle.
Marco, Whitebeard's first commander, remarked, "Father, that man fought with the red-haired Shanks before and almost won. He's probably much stronger now."
Whitebeard nodded, recognizing Arthur's growing presence. "Another remarkable guy has appeared in this world."
Elsewhere, Blackbeard also noticed the news and cackled, "Thief hahahaha! That guy is really something. What I wouldn't give for such a majestic mount! Thief hahahaha!"
In a different part of the New World, on an island filled with diverse races and fantastical sights, Big Mom was gorging on food while reading the newspaper. "Perospero! Why haven't you brought me any angels yet, huh?" she growled.
Perospero, sweating nervously, replied, "Mom, we tried, but their island disappeared. We're still searching for their new location."
"Find them! I want angels on my island!" Big Mom commanded, her hunger for power and angels insatiable.
In the territory of Red-Haired Shanks, his crew was also buzzing about the news. Shanks himself read the paper with a smile. "So, Arthur has a dragon now, huh? That's pretty cool! I'm a bit envious," Shanks joked, impressed by Arthur's growth.
Meanwhile, on another island, Kaido, the infamous Dragon Emperor, was seething with rage. Holding the newspaper with trembling hands, he shouted, "A dragon!? He dares stand on a dragon's head? Find him! I'm going to kill him and take that dragon back!" His Conqueror's Haki exploded, knocking out the people around him as his fury grew.
At the Marine Headquarters, Sengoku, Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and the three admirals were all reading the newspaper, baffled by the appearance of another dragon fruit user. "How can there be another Dragon Fruit?" Garp asked casually, still munching on snacks.
Tsuru, known for her wisdom, pondered, "It could be another variation of the Dragon Fruit. After all, the world of Devil Fruits is vast."
Even the World Government in Mary Geoise took notice, though the Five Elders didn't seem overly concerned, only mildly intrigued by this new dragon-shaped fruit user. "It's strange, but we have seen many unusual things over the years," they remarked.
In a secret location, Dr. Vegapunk, the world's leading scientist, also came across the news and speculated, "Could it be one of my failed experiments that someone got hold of?"
Across the world, from commoners to nobles, the mysterious dragon and the king riding it became the hottest topic of discussion.
Arthur, who had flown back with Nolan, knew that the world would take notice of the event. He understood this was the perfect opportunity to bring the Angel Empire into the spotlight, preparing them for the global attention they were about to receive. This was a crucial moment for their future.