[54] : The Steel City of Steelton
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"Armament — Hardening!" Arthur stood at the bow of the ship alongside Chinjao, and he uttered a low growl.
His right arm was rapidly covered in a layer of black, steel-like color, giving off a hazy blue halo in the sunlight.
"Hahahaha! It worked." Arthur was thrilled.
"Arthur, you are truly a monster of talent. You learned Armament Haki in just one night!" Chinjao stood beside him, his eyes filled with shock.
Don Cai also saw Arthur's display. At this moment, any resentment he had for Arthur killing dozens of Happō Navy soldiers vanished without a trace. All that remained was deep respect.
"My Haki isn't proficient yet. With more training, and with the enhancement of the electric field, it will get stronger..." Arthur was very satisfied.
Armament Haki—from beneath the skin, was like an internal burning, transitioning from orange-red to black.
Arthur's was black with a hazy blue aura of lightning. Luffy and Smoker's had a white luster. Doflamingo and Vergo's was purple. Byrnndi World's was a darker grey.
The Hardness of Haki increased with its strength.
Arthur's physique was extremely powerful. Currently—with Hardening to enhance his attack and defense, his strength had leaped forward.
He spent three days on the Happō Navy fleet. They held a banquet for three days straight.
On the morning of the third day, Arthur woke up and immediately prepared to bid farewell to Chinjao.
He couldn't wait for the Heavenly Tribute fleet. He needed to get his hands on the Door-Door Fruit.
"When you go to the New World and establish your pirate crew, don't forget the Happō Navy!" Chinjao, Don Cai, and the others saw Arthur off.
"Okay!" Arthur nodded solemnly. Lightning flickered around him as he hovered in the air. "Then, until we meet again someday!"
With that, he instantly vanished from the ship, leaving no trace as he transformed into lightning and soared into the clouds.
——
Beneath the clear blue sky, a bolt of blue lightning, blending in with the color of the sky, shot forward at extreme speed.
To get the Door-Door Fruit as soon as possible, Arthur abandoned the ship offered by Chinjao and used his Rumble-Rumble Fruit flying ability to travel.
Recalling the route Puros had given him, the general sailing range of the Heavenly Tribute, and comparing it to the nautical chart of the entire West Blue he had obtained, Arthur chose a direction.
"Steelton, two hundred miles east of Ohara!"
"Ohara? Should I go take a look at Robin?" The thought flashed through Arthur's mind, but he shook his head.
Nico Robin was only about four years old now, completely useless. Bringing her along would only be a burden. She didn't even recognize the Poneglyphs yet.
She was of no value whatsoever.
Arthur had never had much regard for those without power. Perhaps in the future, when he had stabilized in the New World, he would consider nurturing some promising youngsters. But he didn't have that kind of time right now.
He traveled swiftly, heading towards his destination—the Steel City of Steelton.
Most countries in the One Piece world were island nations, considered large islands. Some smaller islands couldn't be called countries, only towns, villages, or cities.
Those qualified to be called "Capitals" were prosperous and affluent islands. Steelton was one such place.
It was a major producer of Steel—
Because it had joined the World Government and sought protection, it had to pay resources and wealth to the World Nobles—every year.
According to Arthur's calculations, the Heavenly Tribute transport ship should be docked at the port of Steelton.
To avoid wasting time and causing unnecessary trouble, Arthur began to travel at full speed.
His top speed was—far faster than the speed of sound. Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit probably couldn't even achieve light speed travel; a human nervous system wouldn't be able to keep up.
In Arthur's previous state—his nervous system couldn't keep up with that speed.
But now—his powerful physique also sharpened his reflexes. So, he could control this high speed at will.
Like a meteor streaking across the sky, blurring the scenery along the way. Passing islands and the sea would trigger cries of surprise from the people.
——
After more than two hours of continuous High-speed flight, Arthur marveled at the vastness of the sea.
As he approached his destination, he slowed down.
"Whoosh!"
Arthur suddenly stopped in mid-air, looking down at Steelton below.
As its name suggested, Steelton's buildings, harbor—and even streets were made of steel, exuding a distinct metallic scent.
Smoke billowed from the factories' chimneys, almost engulfing the entire island. Although the city was prosperous, the industrial pollution was severe.
"The development gap in the One Piece world is really extreme!" Arthur frowned, waving his hand to dispel the smell of rust and the pungent fumes from his nose.
This world's peak technology was astonishingly advanced—such as the countless, seemingly living robots on the moon—and the future "Pacifista" researched by Vegapunk. They possessed intelligence and were equipped with laser weapons.
But the firearms used by the lower classes were flintlocks. Even Marine warships only had turbine power. The cannons weren't much advanced.
Development seemed to be skewed.
But Arthur wasn't surprised. This was a world that revered strength. The strong could destroy islands with a single sword, a single fist, and a single kick.
Therefore, research on external objects was insufficient. Only the World Government valued it highly, almost holding Vegapunk captive.
However, Arthur had little regard for such research. With his increasingly developed Electromagnetism—all metal creations were under his control.
Perhaps one day, his ability would develop to the point where he could magnetize any object, controlling all matter.
Magneto from Marvel Universe was the direction he needed to strive towards.
——
Arthur stood in the sky—looking at Steelton, feeling the incredibly active magnetic field here. Almost everything here was made of steel, integrated into daily life.
His power here was almost Godlike!
He shifted his gaze to the bustling harbor, to the ships docked there. Arthur spotted the majestic ship with the Heavenly Dragon's Hoofprint on its mast flag.
A smile crept onto his face.
"Found it. The Door-Door Fruit should be here—right?"
He used his Observation Haki to listen to the conversations of the people on the Heavenly Tribute transport ship—confirming that he had found the right place.
Puros's information was completely accurate.
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