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"Bararara! Don't be ridiculous, Arthur—" World grinned. Asking a former New World powerhouse like him to submit? It was a tall order.
World wasn't like Chinjao.
Even Arthur's display of Conqueror's Haki and formidable power wouldn't sway him. The young pirate lacked the reputation—the legendary feats, to command his respect.
World hadn't learned about the ambush by Garp and the others, and Arthur wasn't about to tell him.
"Oh? Then what would it take to earn your loyalty? Or rather—what makes you, a washed-up has-been—think you're worth saving?" Arthur's voice turned cold.
He had repaid his debt to World by freeing him. Now, World's life or death wasn't his concern. He might not even escape himself. Why burden himself with another?
"Bararara! Fine, then! We'll go our separate ways!" A flash of anger crossed World's eyes as he turned and walked away, abandoning Arthur.
Arthur's gaze hardened, a flicker of killing intent in his eyes. 'I respect your decision. But… Sooner or later I'll kill you.'
The More More Fruit, with its incredible support capabilities, was too valuable to leave in anyone else's hands. If he couldn't have it, he'd destroy it. That was his way.
But he wasn't at full strength, and Impel Down held other dangers. Confronting World now would leave him vulnerable.
"If you escape Impel Down, we'll meet again on the sea. If you don't…consider yourself lucky." Arthur sneered, resuming his journey towards Level 2.
"This is too slow. And there's bound to be someone waiting at the entrance."
He heard voices echoing from the passage ahead, stopping abruptly. His invisibility could fool most, but not those with keen Observation Haki.
He reached out, touching the wall. Level 3's walls were weaker than those of Eternal Hell. He could blast his way through.
He teleported a short distance away, pulling a length of chain from his pocket—a souvenir from his cell—and melting it with lightning, forming a fist-sized iron ball. He instantly established electromagnetic tracks, adjusting the trajectory.
"Super Electromagnetic Railgun!"
The iron ball shot forward, a blur of blue lightning and orange sparks, the air screaming as it was pushed aside, the force of it creating a powerful gust of wind.
The railgun's power increased with distance, as long as the projectile didn't melt completely. The further it traveled, the more destructive it became.
With a long enough track and a large enough projectile, Arthur could level Mary Geoise from Skypiea, its power surpassing even Raigo.
Of course, that was just a theory. He lacked the stamina for such a feat, and his lightning output was capped at 200 million volts. He hadn't broken through that barrier yet. His current railgun couldn't match that theoretical power.
The explosion rocked Level 3, the shockwave shaking the entire prison, sending tremors through the structure, knocking prisoners off their feet.
The wall crumbled into dust, a massive hole opening up.
Arthur, waving away the dust cloud, stepped through the hole onto Level 2, bypassing the Head Jailer waiting at the Level 3 entrance.
The attack had drained his already limited stamina. He took a few deep breaths to recover, then, cloaking himself in invisibility once more, continued his descent.
"Come out…invisible prisoner." A voice, laced with a chilling excitement, echoed from the Level 2 entrance.
Shiryu of the Rain, a cigar clenched between his teeth, polished his sword with a white cloth, his gaze fixed on Arthur's invisible form.
Arthur's invisibility faded. "How did you know I was there?" he asked, intrigued.
Shiryu, though older than Arthur, was still years away from his prime. His strength hadn't reached its peak yet.
"A swordsman learns to sense the Breath of All Things—to find the slightest opening and strike with deadly precision." Shiryu tossed his cigar aside, licking his lips, a bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face.
"Everything was normal, until you passed by. You tried to suppress your presence—but you couldn't fool me." He spoke matter-of-factly, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, his bloodlust barely contained.
Arthur met Shiryu's gaze, seeing a reflection of his own—a fierce, unyielding drive, a touch of madness.
This man was a pirate at heart. He didn't belong in the Marines. That realization struck Arthur with sudden clarity. Even Akainu, with his radical justice, wouldn't kill without reason—unless civilians were caught in the crossfire during a battle with pirates. Then, he wouldn't hesitate.
But Shiryu…he craved killing for its own sake, to satisfy his own bloodlust. He was no different from a pirate.
"Shiryu…Is that your name?" Arthur asked.
Perhaps his failure to recruit World wasn't a complete loss. He'd found another promising candidate—a potential pirate.
"You like to kill, don't you? Join me. Come to the New World. We'll paint the seas red. Fight the world's strongest swordsman—Hunt down the Saijo O Wazamono blades. What do you say?"
Only a life of unrestrained freedom and violence could satisfy a man like Shiryu. Such talent shouldn't be wasted in Impel Down.
Shiryu lit another cigar, his head lowered, as if considering the offer, his face obscured by the smoke.
After a moment, he looked up, a cruel smile playing on his lips, his bloodlust evident. "Right now, my only goal is to kill you. Defeat me, and I'll consider your offer."
Shiryu drew his Nodachi—Raiu—a flash of polished steel, a sharp slash of sword energy aimed at Arthur.
Arthur's laughter echoed through the passage. "Defeat you? Hahahahahaha! If that's what it takes for you to join me—then so be it!"
Lightning crackled as a shimmering blue blade materialized in his hand.
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