In the beginning, Arthur could withstand thunder and lightning just with his body.
Later, even though Arthur, being a Thunder Fruit user, could control lightning, he couldn't rely on his body to withstand it. The lightning was too powerful for him.
They were still two kilometers away from the island's center, but the lightning was already at about 250 million volts.
When Arthur got within one kilometer of the center, the power of the thunder and lightning surged to 380 million volts.
As Arthur approached the center, he noticed that the voltage of the lightning increased by tens of millions of volts for every tens of meters he moved forward. In the island's central area, which had a diameter of about 50 meters, the thunder and lightning were much stronger than outside.
At the heart of this lightning storm, the voltage soared to 700 million volts. It was almost as if the electricity was turning into a liquid, resembling plasma more than traditional electricity.
Here, not only is the voltage extremely high, but the temperature is also kept at a very intense level. The ground becomes increasingly soft, and there's boiling liquid at the center.
At this point, Arthur couldn't sustain his physical state any longer. Without maintaining his elemental exchange state, he couldn't get close to this place safely.
Just like Ace, who is made of flames, would be consumed by magma, Arthur could risk injury from the extreme and violent lightning here if he didn't maintain his elemental form.
Arthur gazed at the island, puzzled by why it was constantly surrounded by thunderstorms. Yet, despite the intense conditions, the island retained its shape without being flattened by the lightning.
Not only that, but the terrain here was also unusual. The ground was mostly metal with an incredibly high melting point, yet there were still some rocks present. This discovery puzzled Arthur. Despite the electric shocks from the lightning, these rocks didn't melt and maintained a relatively low temperature.
"Could there be some unknown valuable ore here?" Arthur wondered aloud.
Surveying the abundance of ore scattered across the island, Arthur explored further.
As he had sensed earlier, there was no one on this island except where the lightning was less intense. There were no living beings or plants.
Apart from the thunder and lightning and the metallic ground, this island seemed devoid of value. However, Arthur had a plan for this island long ago, and he intended to execute it upon his return.
After familiarizing himself with the situation and marking it as one of the future trial grounds for his ten legions, Arthur returned to the ship. There was no need to linger there any longer.
His next destination was to find the Island of Steel. However, since its location remained unclear, he first aimed to locate a relatively normal island and then gather information about the Island of Steel.
This island held immense importance. Its other half had been devoured by a colossal anglerfish known as the Lantern Master. Finding this creature meant acquiring the metal capable of greatly extending one's lifespan.
Though Raki wasn't yet eighteen, she was already twenty-four or twenty-five, and Jessica was twenty. They were approaching their prime years, and giving them golden rings that could retain their beauty as they aged wasn't just a dream—it was a practical desire for longevity.
Leaving Thor Island behind, Arthur set out in a small boat. He didn't encounter the old woman again; she likely presumed he had perished and moved on.
Ignoring such fools was Arthur's usual stance, but if he hadn't been older and held onto certain earthly values and morals, he might have dealt with them more aggressively.
A week later, after enduring numerous storms and natural calamities at sea, Arthur finally arrived at an unfamiliar island.
This island wasn't mentioned in any known records, so Arthur was unaware of its existence. However, spotting a banner bearing Big Mom's insignia, he deduced it was under her influence and likely held some unique culinary delights.
After restocking supplies, Mei mei took a day's respite at a local hotel while Arthur set out to gather information about Iron Island.
His efforts bore fruit. At a specialized maritime goods shop, Arthur acquired a navigational compass of unknown age.
Legend had it that this compass once belonged to the shopkeeper's grandfather, who had sought after pure gold with it but had never found any. Eventually, he returned home, started a family, and lived a peaceful life.
Armed with the compass, Arthur joyfully left a golden coin as payment and departed from the island.
Now equipped with information about Iron Island, his primary objective, Arthur was eager to locate it. His journey wasn't solely about obtaining pure gold this time.
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