Arch stepped closer to the massive boulder. When he first saw this boulder, he felt hopeless, but after eight years of intense training and effort, it seemed like this behemoth was nothing but a simple hurdle. His desperation, his eagerness, his unbounded sacrifice—all of it nurtured and sustained his willingness not to give up. Even before, when he was just still adjusting, a desire for power filled his entire being.
When he read the old scroll describing how to grow the seed into a Devil Fruit, he didn't think a second time. He planted the seed, cut his hand, and poured his blood onto the single leaf. He couldn't help but laugh His desperation for power drove him to fully commit himself to anything that would make him stronger.
Then, after five years of nurturing the seed, the single leaf truly transformed into a Devil Fruit-like shape. However, it had a different color. Instead of having the violet, scaled features and pineapple shape, with the typical swirls on the scales and seven green, round-triangular stem leaves of a Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi, the fruit in front of Arch was a combination of pale white and dark green. Its scaled features were sharper, and while it had the same pineapple shape, it had eye-like markings on the sharp scales and the seven leaves on top of the fruit were replaced by nine long, dark green ferns.
Arch then asked himself if the description on the old scroll was fabricated or if it was the wrong seed, because in the drawing on the scroll, he clearly saw the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi drawn in it.
Arch gulped. He stared at the Devil Fruit, but with a resolute gaze, he didn't think much about it because he wanted power. At that time, he didn't care what the fruit was. He didn't care if he would explode after eating another Devil Fruit. He didn't care if the old scroll was playing tricks on him. He didn't care what side effects this Devil Fruit would give him. He just wanted power. He just wanted to get strong. He just wanted to be out of here. He just wanted to attain his freedom.
Arch didn't hesitate. After the fruit fully bloomed, he snatched it from its stem and swallowed it whole. He didn't waste a single second sniffing it, biting on it, or anything else; he just swallowed it whole
For a minute, he waited, anticipating some unexpected effects. Because he swallowed it whole, he truly didn't taste what it was like; he just felt a tough, rocky object enter his mouth and travel down his throat.
Then he felt it: a burning pain happening inside him, like someone poured steaming hot water through his whole body. He fell to the ground, clutching his head, and an echoing, pained sound came out from his mouth. "I'm dying... I'm dying. I'm about to face death again. Face a lonely death again..." in this place....in this kind of place..
He subconsciously released his Conqueror's Haki again. The pulsating pressure reverberated throughout the entire underground, white lightning flowing uncontrollably. He couldn't speak nor move. The pain was burning him from the inside, like some creature was tearing his body in half just to get out. He vomited a lot of his pale-red blood, but his red eyes were still conscious. His red eyes were still burning with the desire to survive. His red eyes were still looking at the blocked path, wondering what scenery he could see beyond this wall. He poured everything he had into withstanding the gruesome pain and death-like experience. His red eyes were still fighting, fighting for freedom.
A single chuckle escaped from Arch's mouth. Just like that, nine full days of torture passed. His body wasn't moving,
his eyes were closed. His once white chiton dress was covered with hardened blood. His white hair was covered with blood and dust. He was laying on the ground. The snake-fox, who witnessed everything, was silent. Its eyes were covered in darkness; its expression was unreadable.
After a while, ba-dum—a heartbeat sounded, canceling the silence. Ba-dum... followed by another heartbeat. Arch's closed eyes slowly opened up, but his rounded iris was now a slit, like a snake's eyes. He didn't say anything; he just stared at the underground ceiling covered with vines. The snake-fox came closer to his lying body, and the snake tail of the fox licked the blood on his face. A hoarse voice came out from him: "Good morning, Foxxy..Did you miss me."
----------to be continued------