Chapter 129

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On the sea, a warship braved the wind and waves, moving forward at a speed that no sailboat could match. 

At this speed, the journey that normally took three days would be cut down to just one day.

On the ship, the elite students admired Arthur. Even Z, who stood at the front in his justice cloak, looked at Arthur in surprise.

He didn't expect that Arthur possessed the Thunder Fruit and had actually developed the magnetism ability of the Paramecia type. And it was quite powerful.

After leaving Navy Headquarters, it took about half an hour for the naval ship to move. Arthur felt the speed was too slow, so he decided to lower the sails.

Although Z didn't understand why Arthur wanted this, he agreed. 

So, the unknown crew members, at Z's signal, followed Arthur's instructions to put away all the sails. They stood on the now slower warship, looking at Arthur with confusion.

Suddenly, they saw one of the cannons on the warship lift into the air, and thunder and lightning appeared around it. The metal of the cannon began to glow red, and it looked like a giant hand was shaping it into a massive iron net with tiny grids.

This metal net flew off the ship, wrapping around the entire warship.

After that, the warship took off like it was powered by a burst of energy, speeding away rapidly.

Even Z was surprised because, with his years of experience at sea, he couldn't figure out what had just happened.

Under Z's inquiry, the curious elite training camp students listened as Arthur explained.

"Magnetism!" 

They were familiar with this term. Z had heard of a magnetic fruit appearing in the South Blue Sea before, but he hadn't heard anything about it for some time.

Moreover, Arthur had confirmed he was a user of the Logia Thunder Fruit, so he couldn't have eaten the magnetic fruit.

After hearing Arthur's explanation, even Z was shocked.

He didn't expect that this twenty-year-old would be able to use a Devil Fruit to such an extent, developing new abilities from it.

Such people were not common, and most who could do this were at least forty years old.

Arthur, facing a group of people with limited knowledge, wasn't sure how to explain it. He could only say that electricity can create magnetism, and he had mastered the magnetic ability through electricity.

Seeing Arthur's talent in developing his fruit, those on the ship with their own abilities exchanged fascinated looks. Then, at Z's signal, they approached Arthur for advice.

Helping them develop their fruits was simple for Arthur.

He suggested all kinds of strange ideas that sounded ridiculous but were actually possible. Z, listening quietly, couldn't help but think that this trip was worthwhile.

As they continued discussing, the warship quickly approached the sky island.

In the end, the warship sped through Dengtian Island and headed straight toward Vine Island without stopping.

Z wanted to intervene but decided that with him and Arthur on board, they could handle the dangers of the Calm Belt.

Not to mention... Z glanced at Arthur, who remained calm.

He had heard from Garp a few days ago that Arthur possessed Conqueror's Haki. Garp had said that perhaps the most terrifying Conqueror's Haki in the world belonged to this young man.

Arthur's potential far exceeded that of Shanks. If this momentum continued, the next era might be called the era of King Arthur after Whitebeard's demise.

The elite training camp students had entered the Calm Belt before, but they had never dared to go so fast. Usually, they moved slowly in the Calm Belt to avoid disturbing the Sea Kings.

After all, Sea Kings lived in the sea, and even powerful humans could find them troublesome. In some areas, Sea Kings traveled in groups, and if disturbed, they could swarm out.

Arthur continued to calmly talk to the students about cultivation. With only three or four of them having Devil Fruits, even those without one came forward to ask for advice after his lecture.

Now that he had agreed to help, Arthur had nothing to hide. He shared everything he could and stopped when he couldn't.

About fifteen minutes after entering the Calm Belt, a huge Sea King suddenly emerged from the water, charging toward the warship that was several hundred meters away.

This Sea King was the ruler of a ten-kilometer area.

It was angry and rushed toward the ship to crash into it.

On the ship, Z was prepared to act. But then he heard Arthur say, "Roll!"

The voice wasn't loud, but everyone clearly heard it above the howling wind and the Sea King's furious roar.

To their surprise, they saw the Sea King stop suddenly, panic in its eyes, before diving back into the depths of the ocean.

Z looked at Arthur in shock.

Even though he didn't feel any presence of Conqueror's Haki, he sensed a will in Arthur's voice that was impossible to resist.

"Has Conqueror's Haki been mastered to this level? It doesn't affect allies but frightens enemies? What a terrifying talent! I fear the title of the most powerful Conqueror's Haki is about to change hands."

Z gazed at Arthur's youthful face and whispered to himself.

At the same time, he felt a bit regretful. Why didn't such a talented person join the Marines? But then he thought about it—given Arthur's bravery, he probably wouldn't want to take orders from anyone.

From Vine Island in the Calm Belt of the Grand Line, it was a distance of two hundred kilometers, taking over an hour to reach.

At this time, starting at five o'clock in the afternoon at Marineford, it was now past eight o'clock the next morning.

The students and Z spotted the massive vines ahead, each of them gasping in surprise.

Suddenly, Z raised his eyebrows and looked sympathetically at his student, Binz.

Binz, the oddly dressed ninja, snapped out of his joy from Arthur's previous guidance and stared at the vine in shock.

"Uh... Arthur... Wang, what you said about the vine... it shouldn't be that... right?" Binz, eager to survive, looked at Arthur with hopeful eyes.

But...

"Yes!" Arthur smiled and nodded happily.

"I..." Binz's eyes filled with despair. He looked at Arthur's warm smile but felt an icy chill. 'Is this... the devil's smile?'

However, Binz's desperate expression did not move Arthur but instead motivated him to continue, "This vine is now over 12,000 meters tall, but I want to grow it to 15,000 meters!"

"Uh..." Binz felt like he was about to vomit blood.

On the open sea, a warship battled the wind and waves, moving forward at a speed unmatched by any sailboat. With this pace, the original three-day journey was estimated to be shortened to just one day.

Onboard, the elite students looked at Arthur with admiration. Even Z, cloaked in his justice garb and standing at the bow, regarded Arthur with surprise. He had not anticipated that Arthur wielded the Logia Thunder Fruit, which he had developed in a remarkable way, showcasing a strong mastery of its powers.

After leaving the Navy Headquarters, it took about half an hour for the naval ship to reach a speed Arthur deemed slow. Frustrated, he ordered the sails to be stowed away. Though Z didn't fully understand Arthur's reasoning, he complied.

Following Z's orders, the crew members, unsure of what to expect, watched Arthur with puzzled expressions. Then, astonishingly, one of the ship's cannons levitated into the air. Thunder and lightning crackled around the cannon, and the metal began to glow red hot. It appeared as if a pair of colossal hands were manipulating it, reshaping the metal into a massive iron net with tightly woven grids.

The net flew over the warship, enveloping it completely. In an instant, the ship surged forward, racing through the sea as if propelled by some unseen force. Even Z was taken aback; his years of experience on the ocean had never prepared him for such a phenomenon.

Under Z's inquiry, Arthur explained the concept of magnetic force. The students, though familiar with the term, were astonished by the implications. Z had heard rumors of the Magnetic Fruit in the South Blue Sea but hadn't encountered one for a long time. Moreover, Arthur's mastery of the Logia Thunder Fruit meant he couldn't consume any other Devil Fruit, which made his abilities even more astonishing.

Z marveled at how this twenty-year-old had developed his powers to such an extent, creating derivative abilities that typically took decades to achieve. While people could occasionally innovate with their fruits, it was rare for someone so young to do so.

As Arthur shared his insights, the few students with Devil Fruit abilities exchanged looks of wonder. Z nodded approvingly, recognizing the potential in Arthur's talent for development. The warship swiftly approached the sky island without stopping at Dengtian Island. Z wanted to halt the ship but thought better of it, knowing Arthur was on board and trusting in his capabilities.

He recalled Garp mentioning Arthur's Conqueror's Haki just days earlier, suggesting it might be the most fearsome in the world. If he continued on this trajectory, the next era could be named after King Arthur, especially following Whitebeard's eventual death.

The elite students, having entered the Calm Belt, usually moved slowly to avoid attracting the attention of Sea Kings. Arthur, however, spoke casually about training, engaging even the non-Devil Fruit users among them.

Fifteen minutes into the Calm Belt, a massive Sea King burst from the depths, enraged and charging toward the warship. This Sea King, the dominant predator of the region, was ready to smash into the ship. Z prepared to intervene, but Arthur spoke calmly.

"Go away!"

His voice was not loud, yet everyone heard him clearly over the wind and the Sea King's furious roars. To their astonishment, the Sea King halted abruptly, panic in its eyes, and dove back into the depths.

Z stared at Arthur in disbelief. Although he didn't detect any use of Conqueror's Haki, the sheer will behind Arthur's command was undeniable. Had Arthur mastered his Haki to such an extent? It was clear he possessed exceptional talent, one that could rival even the infamous red-haired pirate.

As they approached Vine Island, two hundred kilometers away, the sun began to rise. It was now past eight in the morning, and the students were awestruck by the enormous vines that came into view.

Suddenly, Z raised an eyebrow, turning to his student, Binz, with a sympathetic expression. Binz, still dazed from the earlier excitement, stared at the colossal vine.

"Arthur... You can't mean that vine is...?" he stammered, a desperate hope in his eyes.

"Yes!" Arthur replied with a grin.

"I..." Binz's face fell. The realization hit him hard: this was an impossible task. "Is there really no chance for reversal?"

"None," Arthur chuckled, enjoying the moment.

Binz's face lit up momentarily. "If only there were a Logia Wood Fruit, that would make things easier!" But as quickly as it appeared, the spark of hope vanished, leaving him shrouded in shadows of despair.

The other students exchanged smiles, amused by Binz's predicament. Even Z, who had rarely smiled lately, couldn't help but find humor in the situation.

"Binz, this is your opportunity! If you succeed, your strength will grow immensely!" Arthur assured him. Binz looked back at Arthur, not noticing the humor hidden in his eyes, believing he was being taken seriously.

"I'll... I'll do my best!" Binz replied weakly.

"Remember, Binz, the potential of the Lush Fruit (Mori Mori no Mi) is immense. But your current development is lacking! Once you reach a certain level, you won't need to perform elaborate dances to nurture plants. If you achieve awakening, with just a thought, you'll control all plants before you!"

"Just imagine, Binz! No matter how many enemies charge at you, as long as there's a blade of grass nearby, they'll be at your mercy! That's the true power of the Lush Fruit!"

Arthur's words filled Binz with excitement, his eyes shining with newfound determination. The other students were equally inspired, reassessing the value of Binz's abilities. Even Z found himself imagining the possibilities.

As Binz began to dance and swing around the massive vines, Arthur couldn't help but laugh at the scene unfolding before him.

The activation conditions for the Lush Fruit (Mori Mori no Mi) were peculiar; if he were to consume it, he might never use its powers effectively due to its unique nature. However, he recalled something he'd seen in his previous life: the special properties of seastone, which could enlarge creatures. Perhaps he could experiment.

With that thought, Arthur took two or three kilograms of seastone powder and sprinkled it over the vines. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try!