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"I'm not afraid of failure. Life isn't always smooth sailing. I can handle losing." Arthur thought silently.
He was young, his journey just beginning.
The mocking laughter in Eternal Hell eventually subsided, the prisoners tiring of their amusement.
Footsteps echoed, drawing Arthur's attention.
He peered through the bars, his gaze fixed on the stairway leading down from Level 5, the Frozen Hell, to Level 6, Eternal Hell.
Figures in jailer uniforms carried large, covered platters, the aroma of food wafting through the air.
Arthur's enhanced senses detected something else within the familiar scent—a subtle, chemical undertone.
"Drugged food?" He finally understood why Moreno's strength had seemed so…lacking.
Not all prisoners in Eternal Hell were Devil Fruit users. There were skilled swordsmen, masters of hand-to-hand combat, many of whom constantly plotted escape.
To quell their restless spirits and prevent uprisings, the warden had ordered the food to be laced with a debilitating drug.
"Grubs! Chow time!" A jailer banged on the bars, waking the prisoners.
"Drugged food again? Why not just poison us and get it over with?"
Eternal Hell came alive again, the rattling of chains echoing through the cavernous space.
"Prisoners don't get to make demands!" the jailer snapped.
Impel Down was built to instill fear, a deterrent to the pirates of the world. Public executions were rare.
The jailers stopped at Arthur's cell, tossing the food through the bars without a word.
The plate landed at Arthur's feet. He had no right to complain. He slowly, painstakingly, dragged himself towards it, every movement an effort.
He suspected many Devil Fruit users starved to death in Eternal Hell, their strength sapped by the Seastone. If he hadn't trained himself to endure Seastone's effects by regularly bathing in seawater, he'd likely be as weak as them, slowly wasting away.
He couldn't imagine how Shiki had broken his own legs under the influence of Seastone, let alone in just two years, weakened by both the cuffs and the drugged food.
But it proved one thing: Devil Fruit users couldn't completely overcome their weakness to the sea, but they could briefly function in water.
Luffy's burst of strength in Orange Town, Aokiji's ability to freeze seawater—both suggested it was possible. Prolonged exposure was impossible, but a brief moment?
A glimmer of hope—his first since arriving in Impel Down—sparked within Arthur.
If he could use his powers, even for a second, he could remove the Seastone cuffs. His Isolation Field, now perfected, could protect his ankles, negating the Seastone's effects.
Something flew towards him. He tried to dodge, but his body refused to cooperate.
A metal tray slammed into him, then clattered to the floor.
Arthur's hand, reaching for the food, clenched into a fist. A cold smile touched his lips.
This man had tested his patience one too many times. He would be the first to die.
"Hey, kid! Throw me that food! I'm not full yet! You think you deserve to eat before me?" Moreno sneered.
"Yeah! Kill the arrogant brat!"
"Moreno! You spineless coward! Can't even handle a kid? You should be ashamed to be alive!"
"Hahaha! Picking on the weak—that's your specialty, isn't it?"
Arthur's earlier words had offended practically every prisoner in Eternal Hell. They wouldn't show him any mercy. And the meager rations weren't enough. Moreno wanted Arthur's food.
"Give it to me, brat! You want to die?" Moreno roared.
Arthur laughed, his voice filled with a reckless defiance. "Kill me? You and what army? You're all talk."
He wouldn't cower, even in this weakened state. Moreno could kill him now—or Arthur would kill him later.
"Fine. You've got guts, kid." Moreno grinned, sitting down, his eyes fixed on Arthur.
"Moreno! You're pathetic! Can't even handle a brat?"
"No wonder Shiki scared the piss out of you."
"Worthless coward! Hahahaha!"
The mockery shifted to Moreno, his face darkening with rage.
Arthur, with a monumental effort, finally reached the plate, his fingers closing around the edge. He pulled it towards him, inch by agonizing inch.
"All those seawater baths…finally paid off."
He'd been preparing for this since he ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—the inevitable moment when Seastone would negate his powers.
He chewed the disgusting food, a bitter smile twisting his lips. It was nutritious, but laced with a slow-acting poison.
Starve to death—or slowly lose his strength? He chose the latter.
"Shiki broke his own legs and escaped in two years. I can do it faster."
Two years? Would he have to wait until Roger's execution, Shiki's capture, the dawn of the Great Pirate Era?
No. He couldn't wait that long. He wouldn't miss the chaos unfolding in the New World—and Jessica was waiting for him on Sabaody.
He swallowed the last bite, closing his eyes, focusing on conserving his energy while simultaneously trying to access his powers—even for a fleeting moment, despite the Seastone's effects.
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