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Two months had passed.
Arthur never stopped training, despite the Seastone's effects.
He'd progressed from barely being able to move to managing over twenty push-ups.
But he still couldn't access his Rumble-Rumble Fruit powers. It seemed using a Devil Fruit while suppressed by Seastone was impossible.
Byrnndi World remained locked in his icy slumber, unresponsive to Arthur's calls.
"Give it up, Arthur. You might be able to move a little, but you're not using your Devil Fruit in here!" A bald, elderly pirate advised lazily.
Over the past two months, most prisoners in Eternal Hell had learned Arthur's name. He'd traded stories about the outside world for information on different Haki applications—a transaction that earned him plenty of ridicule.
What good was Haki in Eternal Hell?
The old man was a Devil Fruit user himself. He'd once shared Arthur's dream, hoping to access his powers despite the Seastone. But decades of effort had only yielded minimal mobility. Unlocking his Devil Fruit abilities was a pipe dream.
"How do you know if you don't try?" Arthur retorted. He wouldn't give up so easily.
"Hahaha! I've been trying for decades, kid. If it were possible, I wouldn't be here!" The old man laughed, finding amusement in Arthur's repeated failures.
"Leave him alone. Let him dream," another prisoner said.
"Hahaha! The naive brat thinks he can overcome Seastone?"
"Seastone is the essence of the sea! Even powerful Devil Fruit users can barely move in here, let alone use their abilities. Being able to move at all is an achievement!"
"He'll learn eventually. Some lessons have to be learned the hard way."
The familiar chorus of mockery echoed through Eternal Hell.
These prisoners, waiting for death, had little else to amuse themselves. A new source of entertainment was a welcome distraction.
Arthur chuckled, unfazed. He'd learned their routines over the past two months.
Some lessons were learned the hard way. But how would you know if you were close to a breakthrough unless you kept trying?
He wouldn't give up, not unless he was dead. And what was more terrifying than death? Those who spoke of a fate "worse than death" hadn't faced the abyss, the sheer terror and helplessness of oblivion.
He exhaled slowly, his body slumping against the floor, a sense of urgency growing within him. Two months, and no progress. He was starting to understand why Shiki had resorted to such drastic measures.
"Hahaha! The kid's given up!"
"Face it, Arthur! Even someone as strong as me can't do anything against Seastone…"
"So strong, huh? Then how did you end up in here? You're quite the storyteller, aren't you? Hahaha!"
Another wave of mockery washed over him.
Arthur simply smiled and asked, "So, tough guys, how did you all end up in here?"
The old man's jovial expression faltered. "I had a score to settle with my rival in the New World. We fought for days, and the Marines swooped in and took advantage. Those cowards! They only know how to pick off the weak!"
Another prisoner spoke up, his voice filled with bitterness and resentment. "I heard rumors of a Supreme Grade Sword on Asuka Island—the most beautiful of the Saijo O Wazamono, the Seven-Star Sword. But it was cursed…I touched it, and everything went black. I woke up in this Hellhole..."
"Asuka Island…the Seven-Star Sword, a cursed Saijo O Wazamono?" Arthur's interest piqued.
If he escaped, he'd have to check it out.
He didn't know if Mihawk had acquired Yoru yet, but the Shodai Kitetsu was out there somewhere.
Whether the sword in the Five Elders' possession was the Shodai Kitetsu remained to be seen.
Only a handful of Saijo O Wazamono blades were known to exist. News of another was intriguing. Even if he didn't use swords himself, it would be a valuable addition to his collection.
Footsteps echoed from the stairway. Arthur's enhanced hearing counted four.
"Chow time already? It's too early. And they're not carrying any food…New arrivals? Hahaha!"
The prisoners laughed, the chains rattling.
A gunshot echoed through Eternal Hell. One of the laughing pirates slumped to the ground, his head a bloody mess.
"Trying to scare us? Pretty boys in white? You think you can intimidate us in Eternal Hell?"
"World Government dogs! This is Eternal Hell! You have no power here!"
An invisible pressure emanated from one of the cells—Conqueror's Haki—slamming into the approaching figures.
"Silence!!" A tall figure roared. He wore a black suit, his head adorned with two devilish horns, his back sporting decorative wings. Purple venom dripped from his lips, his eyes blazing with fury, ready to punish the prisoner who'd dared to use Conqueror's Haki.
"It's alright, Deputy Warden Magellan."
A calm voice stopped him. Arthur's gaze was drawn to the speaker.
The man was tall and thin, dressed in a scientist's white coat, his eyes sharp and intelligent, his expression serene, as if nothing could faze him.
And behind him…two familiar faces.
One was the CP0 squad leader who'd hunted him in the City of Wine, Vegapunk's personal bodyguard—Sado Nath.
The other was—Garp's son, the future leader of the Revolutionary Army, Luffy's father—Monkey D. Dragon!
Dragon's face lacked the intricate tattoos of his later years. He showed no outward sign of his future rebellion against the World Government.
Which meant the thin man in the white coat…
"Greetings, Seabury D. Arthur. My name is Vegapunk…"
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