"Aaaahhhh!!!"
A blood-curdling scream rang out.
Naruto's group halted mid-step in front of the Deputy Warden of Impel Down, their attention drawn toward a dimly lit room ahead.
Prisoners—both men and women—were being herded into the room in two lines by the jailers, their faces deathly pale.
Moments later, a killing bell seemed to toll from within.
The screams that followed were so sharp and shrill they could only be described as ear-piercing—it was hard to imagine what kind of inhuman torment was taking place inside.
"Isn't this floor just for processing new prisoners?" Naruto frowned, curiosity piqued. "This isn't even Level 1, Crimson Lotus Hell. Why are they screaming like that? Don't tell me there's a torture chamber here?"
When they looked inside, the corner of Naruto's mouth twitched slightly.
The women with him all went pale.
Inside, jailers wielded high-powered hoses, spraying jets of near-boiling water—close to a hundred degrees—directly onto the prisoners' bodies.
Under the scalding spray, the inmates writhed and rolled on the floor in agony, screaming for mercy.
"Naruto-sama, is this…?" Guren asked, unsettled.
Naruto thought for a moment. "It's probably a disinfection process. Only… since this is a prison, their methods are a little more… extreme."
The women sucked in sharp breaths.
Boiling water for disinfection—if they themselves were subjected to that, their skin would split open and peel; they'd be seriously injured, if not dead.
Naruto, however, wasn't surprised. This was the pirate world—people here were tough-skinned and hard to kill.
Now fully aware of Impel Down's brutality, they had a more visceral grasp of the place.
Robin pointed toward the distance. "Naruto-kun, should we take the elevator?"
Naruto glanced toward it, shook his head, and clenched his fist. "No. That's made of Kairōseki (Seastone) too."
He looked down at the ground beneath his feet, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the air portal, a Rasengan forming in his hand.
"Wait, who are you!?"
The sudden appearance of the blond youth made the surrounding jailers' eyes widen in alarm.
"No uniform… I've never seen him in Impel Down before—he's not one of us!"
"An intruder? Impossible! How did he even get in here!?"
"Go alert Warden Magellan!"
"Sound the alarm! He must not escape—this is the most secure prison in the world!"
"Don't move! Or we'll open fire!"
They all leveled their rifles at Naruto.
Naruto didn't even glance at them. The Rasengan in his hand swelled to its maximum size before he slammed it down into the floor.
"Chō Ōdama Rasengan! (Super Giant Spiraling Sphere!)"
BOOM!
The explosion shook the entire entrance level of Impel Down, sending jailers sprawling in all directions.
The colossal blue sphere tore the floor apart, revealing a gaping hole straight down to Level 1—Crimson Lotus Hell.
Dust billowed up as Naruto withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "The elevator's too slow. Let's just drop straight in."
Without hesitation, he leapt into the hole. The women quickly followed.
What greeted them was a blood-red forest of thorns.
Everywhere they looked, the ground and trees were covered in dark crimson growths with a metallic sheen.
Countless prisoners staggered across them—each step stabbing into the soles of their feet, drawing blood and forcing screams from their throats.
Worse still, venomous insects lurked among the steel thorns, ready to bite at any moment.
Naruto remained composed, but the others paled in horror.
Uchiha Izumi gasped. "A lawn of razor-sharp steel? No—we absolutely can't set foot on that."
Terumi Mei frowned deeply. "What is this place? There's nowhere safe to step—your feet would be pierced instantly."
"Unbelievable… is this the real face of Impel Down?" Guren murmured.
"We're dead… I knew I shouldn't have tagged along," Nami whimpered. "Naruto, save me…"
Tsunade's face was ashen. With her chakra sealed, stepping down there would mean having her feet run clean through by steel spikes.
Shalria shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Master! Save me! I don't want to die here, Master!"
Naruto had been about to use Kongō Hōzō (Adamantine Sealing Chains), but one look at Guren changed his mind.
"Guren, I'm counting on you."
She nodded, formed hand seals, and shouted:
"Hajiki Ryū no Jutsu! (Crystalline Dragon Technique!)"
A pale violet crystal dragon coiled into being beside her, soaring upward before circling and catching the women safely upon its back.
Only then did they breathe easier, though their eyes still held shock as they looked down.
"This is insane!"
The grass and trees of steel were as sharp as blades—one careless step would mean torn flesh and blood.
Looking again at Crimson Lotus Hell, it was clear the bloodstains coating the metal came from countless prisoners over the years.
Standing atop the crystal dragon's head, Naruto pointed toward a distant area. "Guren, over there. I'll break through to the next level from that spot."
"Yes!"
Obediently, Guren steered the dragon through the air.
Below, the prisoners of Crimson Lotus Hell stared up in disbelief.
"No way… what is that? Some Devil Fruit creation?"
"They're flying… without touching the steel grass at all…"
"Wait—if he's a Devil Fruit user, why isn't he wearing Seastone shackles?"
"Hey, strong ones up there! Take me with you! I know this place inside out—!"
In this hellish prison, the sight of a flying crystal dragon was like a vision of salvation.
"Naruto-sama…" Guren glanced at him. She knew his goal here—rescuing someone was only secondary. The main aim was recruiting powerful individuals.
Naruto's gaze was cold as he looked down. "Ignore them. If they're on Level 1, they're weaklings. Let's see if fortune smiles on them later."
He did intend to find subordinates, but not from among Crimson Lotus Hell's inmates.
Still, once he fought his way back up from Level 6, perhaps he'd give them a chance to escape.
Soon after, Naruto formed another Chō Ōdama Rasengan and drove it downward.
BOOM!!!
The floor shattered again, revealing an opening to Level 2—Beast Hell.
(End of Chapter)
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