Chapter 89: Chronic Toxins

"I'm not afraid of failure. Life won't go smoothly for decades straight—it's impossible. I can afford to lose," Asa thought silently.

He was still young and hadn't truly begun. Unlike the Golden Lion, who had spent half a lifetime preparing—recruiting countless soldiers and building his forces—only to suffer two crushing defeats in a row.

Those two blows had nearly broken him, leaving him utterly shattered and unable to rise again.

Once upon a time, his name had echoed throughout the New World. He was nearly unrivaled. But now... all kinds of monsters were stepping over his legacy. Charlotte Linlin even dared to attack a country flying his flag—just for sweets.

The chaos went on for several hours. Eventually, perhaps from exhaustion, the prison quieted down.

Creak, creak, creak!

Tap tap tap~

Footsteps echoed crisply through the halls, drawing Asa's gaze.

He peered through the narrow gap in the iron cell door, toward the stairwell leading from Level 5—the Ice Hell—to Level 6, Eternal Hell.

Figures in jailer uniforms emerged one by one, each carrying tall, unidentifiable objects. The air was suddenly filled with the scent of food.

"Hmm?"

Asa's enhanced body had given him sharp senses and a powerful analytical mind. With a single breath, he picked out an unfamiliar trace in the aroma.

"Food... laced with something?"

It started to make sense now. Flores Moreno's strength seemed oddly out of proportion with his size and condition...

Prisoners in Eternal Hell weren't limited to Devil Fruit users—many were masters of swordsmanship or physical techniques. Restless and powerful individuals often sought escape.

To prevent trouble, the warden had ordered that a physical-weakening drug be added to all meals.

"You scum, it's mealtime!" a jailer barked, knocking loudly to rouse the sleeping criminals.

"Here comes the 'enhanced flavor' again? Just poison us directly already!" someone grumbled.

The silence shattered as iron chains clattered and voices rose once more.

"Prisoners don't get to make demands," the jailer snapped coldly.

Impel Down was designed as a symbol of fear—to deter pirates across the seas. Public executions were rare; even figures like the Golden Lion and Redfield had only been imprisoned, not killed.

Several jailers approached Asa's cell, flinging food through the iron gate without care for waste.

The meal tumbled to Asa's feet. He wasn't in a position to be picky, so he summoned every ounce of strength to drag it toward him inch by inch.

He suspected many Devil Fruit users had died of starvation in Eternal Hell, unable to muster even the strength to eat under the effects of seastone shackles.

If Asa hadn't trained his tolerance by exposing himself to seawater, he likely would've ended up the same way.

How had Shiki, the Golden Lion, broken his own legs while shackled with seastone? Where had he found the strength—while eating poisoned food for two years—to pull it off?

One thing was clear: Devil Fruit users couldn't fully overcome the sea, but they could learn to move within it—at least briefly.

Luffy's brief surge in Orange Town and Aokiji freezing the ocean by dipping his hand beneath the surface both pointed to this.

Maybe not for long—but for a moment?

Asa smiled, the first genuine grin since arriving in Impel Down.

If he could use his powers for even a single second, he could destroy the seastone cuffs and regain his freedom.

He had already developed a technique—the electromagnetic field stance. The moment it activated, it would form a repelling layer at his feet to cut off seastone's suppressive influence.

Whoosh!!

A sharp whistling split the air—something came flying toward him.

Asa tried to dodge but couldn't move in time.

Clang!

A hard plate struck him directly before clattering to the ground.

Asa's hand froze where it was, then slowly clenched into a fist. A cold, mocking sneer tugged at the corner of his lips.

Flores Moreno again.

If Asa regained mobility, the first thing he'd do would be to kill that man.

"You brat! Hurry up and toss that food over here, you hear me? I'm still starving, so how can you eat!?" Flores shouted with a twisted grin.

"Kill that arrogant punk!"

"Flores Moreno, you gutless loser! If you can't even kill this kid, how do you live with yourself?"

"Hahahahaha! Bullying the weak is your specialty!"

Asa had offended nearly every prisoner in Eternal Hell with his earlier comments. Now, none of them were on his side.

Food was scarce, and people were starving. Flores Moreno had set his sights on Asa's share.

"You deaf? Bring it over! You want to die, punk?" Flores snarled, his face turning ugly.

"Hahahaha! Kill me? Do it, if you've got the guts! All you've got is a loud mouth!" Asa suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.

No strength? Keep your head down? Avoid offending anyone?

Impossible.

Asa would never bow—even if it killed him. Either Flores Moreno killed him now, or he'd be the one to die next.

"Not bad, kid. You've got some nerve." Flores chuckled darkly, sitting down to stare at him.

"Flores Moreno, are you really this useless? Can't even make a brat like him give up his food?"

"No wonder you pissed yourself when you saw the Golden Lion!"

"What a joke. Hahahaha!"

The jeers turned toward Flores, whose face darkened further.

With difficulty, Asa reached out, finally grabbing the edge of the food tray. Slowly, he retracted his hand, summoned all his remaining strength, and picked up the meal.

"So bathing in seawater finally paid off," he thought.

Ever since he'd eaten the Thunder Fruit, he'd known the day might come when he'd be shackled by seastone. He just hadn't expected it so soon.

Chewing the tasteless meal, Asa chuckled. Though the food was nutrient-dense, it was clearly laced with slow-acting poison.

Don't eat, and you starve. Eat, and you grow weaker each day.

Asa chose to eat.

"It took Shiki two years to break his legs and escape. I'll do it faster."

If it took him two years too, then by the time he escaped, Roger would be dead, Shiki captured, and the Great Pirate Era already begun.

What a joke.

Asa had no intention of waiting that long. The New World was already ablaze with action—and he wasn't about to miss it.

His crewmate Jessica was still waiting for him in the Sabaody Archipelago.

After downing the pitiful meal to soothe the growling of his gut, Asa closed his eyes and began to rest, simultaneously attempting to channel his powers—even for a brief moment—despite the seastone's restraint.

(End Of Chapter)

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