Deep-Sea Great Prison.
Impel Down.
Level 6 — Eternal Hell.
Footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, drawing closer and closer.
At last, a tall figure stopped before his cell.
Inside the prison, a cold-faced man sat with all four limbs shackled in heavy Seastone chains.
He raised his head, revealing a ruggedly handsome face hidden in shadow.
Staring at the man before him, he spoke in a hoarse voice. "Garp… my dear teacher. Have you come to kill me?"
Garp's pupils contracted sharply, a trace of guilt flashing through his eyes.
But it quickly settled.
"Leno. You'll take the blame for Koby releasing that criminal. You won't die. I'll protect you."
"Protect me? This is how you protect me? By protecting me into Eternal Hell?"
Leno lifted his hands, the chains clanking loudly.
"Afraid I'd escape and refuse to take the fall for your precious disciple, you had my whole body double-bound in Seastone!"
"And you call that protection?!"
Garp fell silent for a moment, avoiding Leno's gaze.
In a flat tone, he spoke the cruel truth.
"Leno, admit it. Koby's talent far surpasses yours. In just one month, he reached the strength of a captain."
"And you took six years to become a Vice Admiral. Among ordinary people, you're a genius. But compared to true monsters—you're not."
Hearing this, Leno lowered his head. His shoulders trembled slightly as a cold laugh escaped him.
"Hahahahahaha! So because he's talented, his effort counts two hundred times more? All the merit I built up in six years in the Navy means nothing?!"
"Koby is the future hope of the Navy. He cannot have a stain on his record."
Garp glared at Leno, feeling that he was being unreasonable.
"You're his senior. What's wrong with carrying this once for him?"
"Fine. I'll carry it. From now on, there is no longer any bond of master and disciple between us. What you gave me, I return to you this time."
His tone was calm.
Leno merely shot Garp one cold glance.
Then he slowly closed his eyes, completely ignoring the teacher he once respected.
Seeing this, Garp felt a pang of discomfort.
But thinking of how Koby was the Navy's future hope, he snorted heavily.
"You've only lost your freedom! But our Navy has lost its hope! Don't be ungrateful!"
With that, he turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance.
Only after Garp's footsteps completely disappeared did several hoarse, mocking voices echo from the depths of Eternal Hell.
They had thoroughly enjoyed the show.
Internal betrayal within the Navy—no less involving that old man Garp's disciple.
Tsk, tsk.
"Zehahahahaha! Brat, see that? That's the true face of the Navy."
"With your strength, you're not even qualified to be locked in Eternal Hell. The Navy's afraid you'll get out and expose them—that's why they threw you in here and sealed you up!"
"Hey, newbie brat, we'll give you a welcome gift—help you recognize your own strength, and recognize the Navy for what it is!"
"They never valued you. You're not important!"
The moment the words fell—
In an instant—
Several terrifying, overbearing waves of Conqueror's Haki, brimming with domination and destruction,
descended like invisible mountains, crushing down toward Leno!
Even the surveillance Den Den Mushi fainted.
Leno's body trembled violently, the Seastone chains clattering loudly.
The immense pressure nearly suffocated him.
Anger toward the Navy! Resentment at his own weakness! Contempt for the Navy's so-called justice!
Raging fury threatened to burn him to ashes!
He remembered his previous life, slaving away like cattle.
In school, when teachers said, "Why did they hit you and not someone else?"
In society, being used as a punching bag by his boss, taking the blame over and over!
And in the end, personally killing the girlfriend who betrayed him…
He had thought that transmigrating into the world of pirates and joining the Navy would allow him to uphold justice.
He had even felt warmth from Garp before.
And this was the result? This?!
He ended up in Eternal Hell, a scapegoat.
All because he, Leno… had no value!
Extreme emotions surged within him, compounded by the mad oppression of multiple Conqueror's Haki.
Leno figured it out.
To hell with justice! To hell with the future! Only absolute strength would never betray him!
"Ughhhh!!" He suddenly raised his head and let out a deeply suppressed roar!
Boom—!
A powerful, razor-sharp Conqueror's Haki, filled with unyielding will, erupted violently from within him!
Though its quantity was far inferior to those veteran monsters who had cultivated theirs for decades—
its quality, that pure sovereign nature—
far exceeded their expectations!
The several oppressive waves of Conqueror's Haki paused slightly.
Silence fell across Eternal Hell for a brief moment.
Then even more unrestrained laughter exploded.
"Zehahaha!! Interesting! Too interesting!"
"The quality of that Conqueror's Haki… The Navy fools actually forced one true monster into rebellion for the sake of another brat!"
"Looks like the Navy has lost a powerhouse—and instead provoked an undying mortal enemy! Hahahaha!"
"Brat, what's your dream? That Conqueror's Haki of yours surpasses even old man Roger's."
Recognition from Douglas Bullet, Shiki the Golden Lion, and the Lone Red, Patrick Redfield—
was proof that Leno's future would be extraordinary.
They were all curious what expression Garp would wear when that day came.
"Let's see if the brat can even get out first. If he can't, he won't have the ability to make Garp regret anything."
As soon as those words were spoken,
the old monsters of Eternal Hell fell silent.
Yes.
Getting out would be anything but simple.
But Leno paid no attention to their mockery.
Because at the very moment his emotions spiraled out of control and his Conqueror's Haki erupted—
his mind suddenly trembled violently!
An ancient, shadowy altar emerged within his mind.
Upon the altar stood several demon statues, bound in heavy chains—so many that their exact number could not be seen clearly.
At that moment, however, the chains around the statue at the very edge began to snap apart, link by link, before collapsing with a thunderous crash!
Above the newly unlocked altar,
a Devil Fruit floated in midair—its surface covered in strange spiral patterns, its color deep and unfathomable.
A golden finger?
Though it wasn't a system—the kind that provided simple, straightforward enhancement—
it was still more than good enough.
All these years, he had never eaten a Devil Fruit.
Seeing this scene, he figured—he couldn't possibly screw himself over, could he?
He didn't understand the purpose of those demon statues in his mind.
But judging by appearances, this couldn't be anything bad!
And even if it were—
he was already at the very bottom of Impel Down. How much worse could things get?
Tasting the awful flavor of a Devil Fruit before dying didn't sound so bad.
At least it wouldn't be a wasted trip.
Screw it!
With a single thought,
the Devil Fruit appeared directly in his Seastone-bound hand.
Leno did not hesitate in the slightest.
He opened his mouth and bit down hard on the fruit!
Contrary to the indescribably disgusting taste he had imagined—
what filled his mouth was a surprisingly ordinary flavor… even somewhat pleasant.
Leno froze. "Don't tell me I just ate a fake Devil Fruit?!"
"Why don't I feel nauseous? And being restrained by Seastone—I don't feel weak at all?!!"
Could it be—
this Devil Fruit had no side effects?!
His eyes lit up.
Perhaps…
he could escape.