News Coo birds soared across the world, distributing the latest headlines...
The biggest news in this issue was that the World Government had dispatched forces to hunt down Asa—and successfully captured the infamous criminal who had dared to plunder the gold from the sky.
Too many people had witnessed the battle on the Sabaody Archipelago, making it impossible to cover up. To serve as a warning to others, the World Government was more than happy to publicize the event—adding fuel to the fire behind the scenes.
Many pirates who had dreamed of emulating Asa's feat quickly abandoned the idea.
When Whitebeard, the Golden Lion, and others saw the news, they merely scoffed. This outcome was no surprise to them.
A pirate who hadn't even entered the New World, with no real force to back him, dared to act so recklessly in the first half?
Golden Jackson!
"Shanks, Asa's been captured. There's so much gold up on the Sky Island, and that gold ship's a real treasure. Aren't you tempted?" Buggy said, dancing with excitement and spitting as he spoke.
"Having fun on the sea is what matters most. What's the point of gold?" Shanks replied, adjusting Roger's straw hat with a helpless smile.
Hearing that, Buggy instantly looked down, trying to suppress a proud grin as he thought to himself, Shanks, you fool. If you don't want the treasure, then that means it's all mine! Hahahahaha!
Sabaody Archipelago – Bubble Park, Area 30 to 39.
"Jessica, Asa's been arrested. Come back to Navy Headquarters with me!" A middle-aged man with an extremely ugly face and a chef's hat held back his fury.
"No! I'm staying here to open a restaurant..." Jessica bit her lip, eyes reddened.
Before Asa had left, he told her with certainty that he'd return to Bubble Park to pick her up. He'd spoken with such conviction that she chose to believe him.
"You..." Her father reached out his hand but froze mid-air, trembling, unable to lower it no matter how hard he tried.
"I hope you won't regret this choice," he muttered bitterly before turning away.
Time passed quietly in the dim, endless dark.
In Eternal Hell, each day was the same: either mocking one another or fighting over food.
More than ten days went by without anyone noticing.
During that time, corpses were frequently dragged from the cells by guards—some starved to death after being robbed, others were murdered outright.
The Chief Warden and Deputy Warden didn't bother intervening. They had no interest in what happened down here; they simply sent jailers to clean up the bodies.
Asa had clashed with Flores Moreno several times, but the other man was chained to the wall and unable to reach him. So all he could do was lash out with words.
Asa, on the other hand, ignored him entirely. Day after day, he focused solely on one thing—overcoming the effects of the seastone and regaining mobility.
His talent was astonishing, and his foundation solid. In just over ten days, he had already regained some movement—far more than when he first arrived.
He still couldn't match Flores Moreno's strength, but he couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Just yesterday, the jailer delivering food had left Asa's meal within Flores Moreno's reach. Starving after a full day without food, the brute snatched it up without hesitation.
If things continued like this, Asa would starve to death before Flores Moreno ever laid a hand on him.
He couldn't overpower him—not yet—but Asa had other options...
His teeth.
"If I'm going to kill him, it has to be when he's asleep—completely unguarded. If he gets a chance to react, I'll die."
Asa's eyes turned cold. He repeatedly calculated the best course of action. If he couldn't finish it in a single blow, it would be over.
"Hey, kid... what's going on in the outside world?" a lean, middle-aged man in the neighboring cell asked idly.
"Yeah, talk to us! We're never getting out of this damn place anyway. No use rotting away with the news buried in your head."
Voices echoed from the surrounding cells. They were truly starved for information from the outside.
Asa was silent for a moment. "What do you want to know?"
"Whitebeard, Roger, the Golden Lion—those guys, of course. What else is worth hearing about?"
"Yeah, who's about to rule the seas? The Golden Lion?"
"The Golden Lion is finished," Asa replied calmly. "He fought Roger in the Ed War and lost most of his massive fleet."
"What!? That's impossible!"
The prisoners were stunned.
Many of them had been imprisoned for years—some for more than a decade. Asa was a fresh face, and his knowledge of recent events shocked them all.
The Golden Lion, a legend who had once ruled the seas, defeated?
"Roger's poised to reach the summit," Asa continued, "but he's seriously ill and won't live much longer. As for Whitebeard... he has strength but no ambition. He doesn't want to dominate the seas at all."
"How long does Roger have?"
"Damn that Roger, just drop dead already..."
"Hahahaha! So all of them are falling. Is the Navy going to take everything?"
The prisoners were left reeling from Asa's news. Even Flores Moreno had gone quiet.
"How'd you end up in here, kid? What's your bounty—hundreds of millions?" someone asked curiously.
Asa's face still looked young. Though mature in demeanor, his vibrant energy betrayed his youth. He certainly wasn't some towering brute...
"Why I'm here? Mind your own business," Asa snapped coldly.
Being surrounded and captured by the Navy's top combatants wasn't something to brag about. There was no need to use that as a badge of honor.
"Hahahaha, look at this little brat—face like a doll. You sure you weren't locked up for seducing some officer's wife?" Flores Moreno laughed.
Asa just shot him a cold, contemptuous look. He didn't bother responding.
Flores couldn't help but sneer again, "Come here, punk. If you've got the guts, I'll rip you apart. Hahaha!"
Night fell, and the already dim Eternal Hell grew darker still.
Asa glanced at the thick iron chain connecting Flores Moreno's shackles to the wall. The man lay not far away—completely unguarded, snoring like a dead pig.
The fool believed Asa had no way to kill him.
"We're about three meters apart," Asa estimated. "It's not far, but my strength still isn't enough. Moving will cause the chains to rattle."
Flores Moreno snored on, unaware of Asa's growing intent. His basic survival instincts were still there, so unless Asa could approach silently—or all at once—he'd sense it.
No way Asa could cross the distance instantly. Though he had recovered some strength in his arms and legs, it was nowhere near explosive.
Snort! Snort! Snort!
Flores Moreno's snoring echoed through the cell, blissfully unaware of the danger building just a few meters away.
(End Of Chapter)
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