One Piece Space Fruit - Chapter 20

“Clack, clack, clack…”

Familiar sounds echoed from the main gate as Evan opened his eyes. It was the meal delivery time.

The food deliverer silently and mechanically placed food in front of each cell, ignoring the prisoners inside.

Initially, Evan found this strange, but after over a month, he had grown used to it.

The food deliverers in Eternal Hell were all deaf and mute (to prevent them from conveying prisoner information to the outside world). They only handled daily meal deliveries and necessary cleaning, and the prisoners generally didn’t cause them any trouble.

Evan got up to retrieve his portion of the meal and noticed two plates placed in front of the cell.

The burly man beside him suddenly moved as he reached for his food. His eyes gleamed coldly as his massive body leaned forward, kicking out with his foot.

The marine coat draped over the burly man’s shoulders made his figure seem even larger, casting a shadow over Evan. The chains locking his limbs clanked loudly.

In an instant, Evan rolled away from the sudden kick, the boot striking the ground with a thud.

Without hesitation, Evan continued to retreat to the other side of the cell, pressing his back against the corner, out of the burly man’s reach.

“Who gave you permission to touch the food, you little trash!” the burly man sneered, surprised by Evan’s quick reaction but unconcerned. His tone was dismissive and authoritative. “From now on, you get to eat once every three days, and only with my permission!”

With that, he took both plates of food.

Evan watched coldly as the burly man took his meal. His face, hidden in the shadows of the cell, showed no emotion, but his fists clenched tightly.

This new prisoner was acting outrageously. If Evan hadn’t been prepared, his already injured body would have suffered even more.

Evan’s eyes sharpened, emitting a cold light.

Kindness was mistaken for weakness! He had intended to wait until his body fully recovered. But now, it seemed he couldn’t delay any longer.

After eating, the burly man glanced at him with dark eyes and spat out some leftover food, “Coward!”

He had hoped to provoke the boy hiding in the corner, intending to cripple him and use him as a tool to get more food.

Evan remained silent, lowering his head and pretending to be timid.

He knew that the other prisoners in the surrounding cells disliked the burly man and had not told him some of the rules of Eternal Hell.

One of the rules of Eternal Hell was that conflicts within the same cell were not unusual, and prisoners frequently fought. Their lives were considered worthless.

Eternal Hell had no concept of day or night.

Evan awoke in the corner, habitually looking at the burly man sleeping against the wall. The man snored loudly, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

After observing him, Evan glanced at the old man in the opposite cell, who was also asleep.

Evan quietly got up, carefully handling his shackles to avoid making any noise.

Like a natural predator, he crept towards the burly man, step by step, fully alert, ready to retreat at the slightest disturbance.

He reached the man’s side, holding his breath and feeling his heartbeat.

At this point,

even someone as prepared as Evan felt a bit nervous. He was essentially an ordinary person now, facing a physically powerful opponent. The man was shackled, but even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. Evan couldn’t afford to be careless, focusing all his energy on delivering a fatal blow without giving the man a chance to retaliate.

The chains were taut, indicating he had reached his limit. As he prepared to strike, he noticed the old man in the opposite cell watching him intently.

Evan frowned. If the old man made a noise, he would be in a dire situation.

The old man, realizing this, merely gestured for him to continue.

Relieved, Evan refocused on the burly man, channelling his strength through every muscle, unifying body, mind, and spirit.

In that instant, the suppression of the Seastone shackles seemed to break, unleashing an extraordinary burst of strength concentrated in his fingers!

Ancient Martial Art – Eagle Claw Strike!

Evan’s left hand formed a claw and struck swiftly, tearing through the air.

The burly man’s eyes snapped open, sensing the attack too late.

With a squelch, Evan’s fingers pierced the man’s soft throat, warm blood spurting out.

The man gurgled, his body convulsing violently. His eyes bulged, and his limbs strained against the chains with a clanging sound.

Despite the severe injury, the man’s strong body clung to life, thrashing even more wildly.

His thick hands reached for Evan, attempting to fend him off.

Evan gritted his teeth, tearing deeper into the man’s throat, blood and flesh flying.

The man’s hand fell on Evan’s shoulder, not a full-force blow but still powerful enough to make Evan’s knees buckle. He controlled his body, absorbing some of the force while channelling the rest into a downward strike with his elbow.

“Ancient Martial Art – Mountain-Back Smash!!!”

Evan’s muscles bulged, veins popping as he slammed into the man’s soft abdomen, driving his force into the navel.

With a crack, the man spat out more blood, covering Evan’s shoulder. His limbs flailed, chains rattling.

“Die already!”

Evan pressed against the man’s abdomen, preventing him from gathering strength.

The man flailed, his struggles growing weaker as blood poured from his throat.

“You…ghrrk…”

The man tried to speak, his mouth opening like a dying fish, but only blood came out.

Evan’s arms were covered in blood, his eyes sharp, resembling a demon. He maintained his position until the man stopped moving, his limbs going limp.

Finally, it was over…

Evan exhaled, collapsing to the floor, his reopened wound bleeding, mixing with the man’s blood.

The commotion had already drawn the attention of all the prisoners in Eternal Hell.

Auras converged on Evan, making him feel scrutinized.

Observation Haki?

Evan wondered.

“Incredible, young one.”

The old man in the opposite cell praised.

Though Evan had launched a sneak attack, he had killed the former vice admiral in under a minute. His display of martial skill, ruthless determination, and sudden burst of strength impressed the old man. That a boy could exhibit such traits was astonishing.

“Impressive, kid. You’re a worthy addition to Eternal Hell!”

“That vice admiral was a pain. Dying at the hands of a kid—he must be rolling in his grave!”

“Kid, you could have aimed for his groin with your second strike. It’s a man’s weak spot.”

“Hey, you just killed your cellmate. Planning to be the next Golden Lion?”

The prisoners muttered, discussing the scene they had witnessed.

Evan remained silent, moving away from the blood, and sitting on the cold floor.

If he guessed correctly, the distant prisoners had used Observation Haki to monitor his cell.

This complicated things. Had they been watching his every move?

“Were you using Observation Haki just now?” he asked.

“Oh? You know about Haki?”

“Why didn’t the burly man use Armament Haki to defend against my attack? Isn’t that a skill all vice admirals possess?” Evan asked.

“It’s not that simple, young one.” The old man laughed, shaking his chains. “Observation Haki can sense surroundings, but Armament Haki strengthens muscles. The marines lock our bones, restricting our bodies, making it impossible to use Armament Haki.”

“And we rarely use Observation Haki to avoid disturbing others’ sleep,” another prisoner added, indicating their approval of Evan’s actions.

“I see…” Evan pondered, new questions forming.

What exactly is Haki?

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