Impel Down – Eternal Hell
"Huff… huff…"
In a dark and oppressive prison, a man with blond hair, despite the Seastone restraints binding his body, remained focused on his intense training.
Sweat dripped down his face.
His eyes burned with determination.
To be locked in Eternal Hell and still train—such an indomitable will.
Seeing this, a newly imprisoned pirate, who had just woken up, was taken aback.
"He… he's still training even with Seastone restraints? Does he have that much strength?"
Hearing this, some of the other prisoners scoffed.
"Forget about that lunatic. Save your energy and focus on eating and resting while you can."
"Exactly. We can barely get enough food to sustain ourselves. And he wastes his strength on training? What an idiot."
"What, does he still think he can escape from here? What a naïve fool! Hahaha!"
"This guy makes me laugh every day."
The topic spread, and suddenly, the prison was filled with mocking laughter.
To them, the blond-haired man was nothing more than a delusional fool.
Yet, he remained unmoved.
After twenty years in prison, he had long since learned to ignore ridicule.
If he had time to waste arguing with these worthless inmates, it was better spent training.
Outside Impel Down – The Demon King Watches
At that moment, Bai Yu was scanning the depths of Impel Down.
Most of the legendary pirates imprisoned in Level 6 – Eternal Hell showed no reaction to his presence.
But one man froze.
The blond-haired prisoner's sharp gaze darted around, searching for the presence he had sensed, but found nothing.
He furrowed his brow and resumed his training.
In the deepest corner of the prison, an old man with white hair muttered softly to himself.
"That presence… so unfamiliar, so casual. It doesn't feel like a Marine."
"Is this… someone from the outside?"
At the same time, outside Impel Down, Bai Yu smirked.
He had sensed both the blond-haired man and the white-haired old man—and he had also felt the presence of someone attempting to probe him with Observation Haki.
His response was immediate.
"Trying to perceive me with Haki? You're not qualified!"
Inside Eternal Hell – The Awakening of Legends
"What?!"
The white-haired old man's usually calm expression suddenly twisted in shock—an expression of pure disbelief.
His voice trembled as he muttered, "Impossible… how can this be?!"
Hearing his exclamation, the other infamous pirates imprisoned in Level 6 – Eternal Hell were also startled.
"What could shock him of all people?"
The blond-haired man stopped his training once more.
He stared at the old man and asked coldly, "Are you seriously shaken? Even someone like you can't handle it?"
The white-haired old man ignored the others. His expression remained frozen in horror, as he whispered to himself:
"How can such a level of Observation Haki exist…? This is unheard of…"
Earlier, he had tried to perceive Bai Yu's presence, letting his Observation Haki spread outward.
But in the instant Bai Yu had snorted, the old man realized something terrifying.
His Haki was completely blocked.
No, not just blocked.
It was utterly dominated, swallowed by an overwhelming force beyond his comprehension.
For the first time in decades, the old man felt a bitter sense of defeat.
Even his most prized Haki had been rendered useless.
"Observation Haki…?"
The blond-haired man began to understand.
He looked around cautiously. "So… it wasn't an illusion?"
The white-haired old man quickly adjusted his expression and spoke in a composed tone.
"Of all the prisoners in Impel Down, only your perseverance is worth noticing."
Then, his eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Would you like to leave?"
The blond-haired man remained silent for a moment.
Then, he locked eyes with the old man, his gaze piercing.
"Hope and despair are separated by only a thin line."
"I hate being deceived."
"If this is just another joke before you die of old age, then—"
"Die of old age?!"
Hearing those words, the white-haired old man's eyes flared with rage.
Death? That didn't scare him.
But the thought of rotting away in a prison cell, forgotten by the world?
That was a fate he refused to accept.
The newly imprisoned pirate suddenly spoke up, curiosity evident in his voice.
"Hey… have you all heard of the Demon King, Bai Yu?"
The Name That Shook Eternal Hell
"Who? What King?"
Many prisoners frowned, puzzled.
Bai Yu had only been at sea for a few months. Many of these legendary criminals had been locked away for decades, so they naturally hadn't heard of him.
The newly imprisoned pirate took a deep breath.
"Demon King Bai Yu— the strongest force of the new era. He only set sail this year…"
"Pfft! A rookie pirate who just went out to sea?!"
Many pirates immediately dismissed him.
How strong could a newcomer possibly be?
The blue-haired, rotund man sitting in the corner suddenly muttered, "The Demon King… I wonder if he'll go to Marineford."
The new prisoner ignored the skeptics and continued.
"In just a few months at sea, he has already captured four Warlords of the Sea, defeated Big Mom, and assembled the strongest pirate crew in history."
"Because of his rumored ability to kill a Yonko in an instant, he's already being called the strongest in the New World."
"WHAT?!"
The entire Eternal Hell shook.
The prisoners, who had previously mocked the idea, were stunned.
Even the most cautious criminals were now uneasy.
"Kill a Yonko… in one second? That's impossible!"
A pirate scoffed.
Everyone knew the Four Emperors were monsters. Even among them, Whitebeard was at the peak.
There was no way someone could just "surpass" them in a few months.
The new prisoner shook his head.
"That's what the newspapers say. Even if it's exaggerated, the truth can't be far off."
Another pirate frowned.
"Alright, let's say he is strong. But how does he have the strongest pirate crew? Whitebeard still exists!"
At that moment, the blue-haired, fat man suddenly snapped.
"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY FATHER LIKE THAT!"
No one paid him any attention.
Instead, the new prisoner's next words shook them to their core.
"This Demon King of the New Era… has conquered the world's greatest swordsman and…"
"Pluton Rayleigh!"
BOOM!
Eternal Hell exploded in chaos.
Every single pirate who was awake stiffened.
The lonely white-haired old man's eyes sharpened.
"A new Rocks? No…"
"The first Demon King."
He chuckled.
"If it's truly him… then he won't ignore the legends buried in Impel Down."
He paused.
Then, his expression changed as realization dawned.
"That presence outside… could it be him?"
The Arrival of the Demon King
Just as the prisoners were caught up in heated discussion, something unbelievable happened.
A figure appeared in the center of Eternal Hell.
The pirates looked on in utter disbelief.
"What the…? How did he get in?!"
One pirate rubbed his eyes, trembling.
Then, he screamed in shock.
"Demon King Bai Yu! It's HIM!"
Silence.
Then—
The entire prison shook with fear.
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