Chapter 122
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By now, it had been over half a month since Arthur began training in the Marine Six Styles. He had successfully learned and mastered three techniques: Finger Pistol, Shaving, and Tempest Kick.
Arthur fully realized how challenging it was to practice the Marine Six Styles. If he weren't a Thunder Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi) user, with a natural ability to control his body and an exceptionally strong physique, he might not have mastered them in less than half a year. However, to truly become proficient, he knew it would take at least two more years.
After acquiring a fifty-cubic iron box, Arthur filled it with seawater and took some seastone he had finally collected before soaring into the sky.
As his fruit's powers grew stronger, he still couldn't fly autonomously for some reason. However, as long as he had iron, Arthur could fly freely, as if he had consumed the Lion Fruit, and could carry hundreds of tons for mid-range flights. He believed that one day, if he broke through the final bottleneck of the Logia fruit, he would be able to manipulate objects at will like the Golden Lion.
On the moon, the fifty scientists he had taken from the Golden Lion were all focused on studying IQ Grass. Although they were scientists, they were relatively mediocre in skill. However, Arthur, who had successfully extracted pure gold from the belly of a lantern anglerfish, was considered a top-level scientist.
Upon arriving on the moon, Arthur quickly became the person in charge of the research there. The astronomical scientists who arrived later were mainly interested in studying astronomical phenomena and the natural wonders of the universe. They showed some interest in IQ Grass but had no intention of studying it deeply. This group was comprised of very traditional thinkers.
Under Ashiya's leadership, the research on IQ Grass progressed rapidly. In just over a year, they achieved results comparable to the Golden Lion's five or six years of research at that time.
However, with a team of nearly fifty, things felt a bit bloated. They decided to split into three groups: one led by Ashiya would continue studying IQ Grass; another group would select a leader to focus on various technologies of the moon; and the third group would elect a leader to research weapons. This last group was mostly looking at existing technologies rather than creating new ones.
As previously mentioned, Arthur had visited the moon a year after relocating the island, where he had worked with scientists to develop an automatic rifle. This group's research was mostly about adapting existing technologies.
They had access to the technological advancements from the New World Calm Belt, where the Super God Army had been training for over a year, as well as from the laboratory on Mirage Island, which was closely monitored by the Marines and the World Government.
So while the IQ Grass research team, led by Ashiya, lacked top-tier scientists, the other two groups were making rapid progress thanks to their exposure to advanced technology. The saying goes, "The predecessors planted the trees, and the descendants enjoyed the shade," and this was true here. The technology of the moon, combined with the knowledge from the Sky Island, had vastly improved their capabilities.
Because of Arthur's intellect, many new tools and ideas had been developed and were ready for use, although it wasn't the right time for implementation yet.
When Arthur arrived on Sky Island, he found that the researchers were too engrossed in their work to pay him any attention. He wasn't surprised or angry; in fact, he was pleased. The more focused the scientists were, the happier he was. He planned to reward them with pure gold once they achieved significant breakthroughs.
Seeing them so dedicated to their research, Arthur eventually pulled Ashiya from his studies.
"Oh, you're here! What's the matter now, God?" Ashiya asked. He had slimmed down and looked healthier than before.
Before Arthur could respond, Ashiya continued excitedly, "This IQ Grass is incredible! I've been studying it for hours and discovered it has the ability to heal any disease!"
"But there's a huge flaw: it can't be directed like the Golden Flowers. Its evolutionary effects only occur due to subconscious desires or environmental factors, so only those with a strong survival instinct can benefit from IQ Grass for healing!"
"I also found that IQ Grass has the potential to perfect living beings, but a small amount of violent factors within it is impossible to eliminate. The current research stage limits this to about 6%! This restricts its potential completely."
"If we want to suppress or completely remove that violent factor, even Vegapunk may not succeed. It seems to be an inevitable element of IQ Grass, and without it, the evolutionary effect would disappear."
"For now, I want to see if we can reduce the violent factor and localize its effects so that people worldwide can treat diseases without experiencing unwanted evolution. I also want to turn IQ Grass into an evolving potion to speed up the evolution process while suppressing the violent factor. If we can mass-produce it, we could strengthen the bodies of people all over the world!"
Ashiya spoke rapidly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, throwing around many technical terms that went over Arthur's head.
Although Arthur understood the general meaning, he struggled to grasp the technical details. Scientific concepts were already challenging for him, and in this world where technology was so different, it felt even more daunting.
Realizing that Ashiya was in full swing and showing no signs of stopping, Arthur had to interrupt him.
"Ashiya! I didn't come here to discuss IQ Grass. Take your time with that; there's no rush!"
"Eh? If it's not about IQ Grass, then what is it?" Ashiya asked, puzzled.
**Clang!**
Arthur threw the leather bag containing the seastone onto the ground.
"I came to ask you to extract a substance from the seastone and the fifty cubic meters of seawater. As a top scientist, I'm sure you know what I mean."
"Seastone? What do you want to extract that for? It's extremely difficult to isolate!" Ashiya frowned as he examined the seastone in the leather bag.
He was familiar with seastone but hadn't encountered it in person. His research had focused on pure gold for the sake of his daughter, and after discovering pure gold, he had been cut off from the outside world.
"Do you want to use it to restrain those with other fruit abilities? That's a good idea, but it's a tough task. Extracting Pyrobroin is one of the most challenging processes out there."
"People have been studying it for over five hundred years, so I doubt that research has stopped."
Here's a rewritten version of your text in clearer English, using the correct names and terminology from the One Piece universe while simplifying the language:
**Marine Six Styles Training Progress**
Over the past month and a half since starting his training in the Marine Six Styles, Arthur has successfully learned and mastered three techniques: Finger Pistol, Shaving, and Tempest Kick. He has also come to fully understand the challenges of mastering the Marine Six Styles.
If it weren't for Arthur's natural abilities as a Thunder Fruit user, which grant him exceptional control over his body, he might not have been able to learn these techniques in less than six months. However, achieving true proficiency will take at least two years of dedicated practice.
To aid his training, Arthur acquired a fifty-cubic-meter iron box, filling it with seawater and collecting some seastone he had gathered. He then took to the skies.
As his mastery of the Thunder Fruit grows, Arthur has found that while he can't fly independently, he can manipulate iron to achieve flight similar to a Lion Fruit user, capable of carrying hundreds of tons for mid-range travel. He hopes that one day he will break through the final barriers of his Logia powers, allowing him to control objects like the Golden Lion.
**Research on IQ Grass**
On the moon, Arthur's team consists of fifty scientists, who were initially kidnapped from the Golden Lion. Although they are all dedicated researchers, many of them are relatively mediocre in their fields. However, Arthur, who managed to extract pure gold from the belly of a lantern anglerfish, is a top-tier scientist and quickly became the lead researcher.
A group of astronomers who arrived later showed only a mild interest in IQ grass, focusing mainly on astronomical phenomena instead. Under Ashiya's leadership, the research on IQ grass advanced rapidly. Within just over a year, they accomplished what took the Golden Lion's team five to six years to achieve.
To optimize efficiency, the group of fifty scientists was divided into three teams. One team, led by Ashiya, continued their work on IQ grass. The second team, elected their own leader, focused on researching the moon's technology. They are making significant progress because they already had foundational knowledge, only needing to refine their understanding of the theories and manufacturing processes.
The third group also elected a leader to study weaponry, using the knowledge gained from Arthur's previous visits to the moon, including his experience with advanced weapons technology. This collaboration allowed them to significantly enhance their research capabilities.
As a result, many innovative tools and technologies are now available for practical use, although Arthur believes it's not yet time for full deployment.
**Arthur's Visit to Ashiya**
When Arthur arrived at Sky Island, the scientists were so engrossed in their research that they hardly noticed him. He was pleased with their dedication and planned to reward them with pure gold for significant achievements.
After waiting patiently, Arthur pulled Ashiya from his work to discuss the current project.
"Oh, you're here! What's the matter?" Ashiya asked, looking thinner but healthier.
"I wanted to talk about IQ grass," Ashiya continued, excitedly. "It's incredible! I've discovered it has the ability to heal almost any disease! However, it can't be directed, like golden flowers. The effects depend on subconscious desires or environmental factors, meaning only those with a strong will to survive can utilize it effectively!"
He went on to explain that IQ grass could enhance creatures but contained a violent factor that couldn't be eliminated entirely, limiting its effectiveness.
"I want to see if we can localize its effects so that it treats diseases without causing harmful mutations," he said, his enthusiasm contagious. "If we can make it into a potion for evolution and control that violent factor, we could potentially enhance the health of people worldwide!"
Arthur listened intently but had to interrupt. "Ashiya, I didn't come here just to discuss IQ grass. I need your expertise in extracting a substance from seastone and the seawater I brought. Can you help with that?"
Ashiya's interest piqued. "Pyrobroin? But extracting that is incredibly difficult!"
Arthur reassured him, "We have advanced research from the Lunar Research Center and samples of ancient technologies. I believe we can do this! I'll ensure we have enough seastone for your experiments. If you run low, let me know, and I'll bring more."
Seeing the seriousness in Arthur's eyes, Ashiya agreed. He felt deeply grateful for Arthur's kindness, especially since his daughter, Olga, was thriving on Sky Island.
**The Good News**
"Oh, I almost forgot! There's good news regarding your daughter!" Arthur said. "I've recently recalled that there's a way to heal her. She won't need pure gold anymore, and her growth will stabilize."
"What!? Olga can be healed?" Ashiya exclaimed, overwhelmed with joy. "This is amazing! Thank you! I can't wait to see her live a normal life!"
Arthur waved off the thanks. "Focus on your research. The rewards will come with your discoveries!"
"Of course! I'll get started right away!" Ashiya wiped his tears of joy and rushed back to his team.
With that settled, Arthur turned his attention to the other two groups, eager to see their progress and gather the tools he needed to further his plans. With the advanced technologies at his disposal, he felt confident about the future.