After getting familiar with the system, Renji Kai finally stood up again and took a look at his surroundings.
He found himself locked in a cell—three sides enclosed by thick iron walls, the fourth by iron bars.
Even here in the uppermost level of Crimson Lotus Hell, the air was heavy with the stench of blood, a thick, choking scent that never faded.
Moments ago, thanks to the memories of this life, Renji had already learned that he was about to be thrust into a brutal life-and-death battle.
It was all because of the chaos that followed Roger's execution. The entire world of pirates had gone mad after hearing his final words.
More and more pirates had flooded the seas.
As a result, the number of inmates in Impel Down Prison—the only one of its kind due to its unique geographic location—had surged uncontrollably. With no room for expansion, the cells quickly became overcrowded.
While Magellan and the other prison executives were scrambling for solutions, Domino's twisted lieutenant, the sadistic prison warden Little Sadi, who took great pleasure in listening to the moans of suffering prisoners, proposed a gruesome plan: forced deathmatches between inmates.
In her design, each level of the prison would hold regular life-or-death duels. All prisoners would be identified by numbers instead of names, and each day, two numbers from each level would be randomly selected to fight.
To survive, one had to kill their opponent—there was no other way to win.
But it didn't end there. If you wanted to stay alive, you had to keep fighting. Killing your opponent today only meant you might be selected again tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that.
The underlying intent was simple: reduce the prison population through violent attrition.
After a high-level meeting, Magellan reluctantly approved Little Sadi's plan. After all, most inmates were violent, irredeemable criminals. He felt little sympathy for their fates.
However, Magellan set one hard rule: No inmates from Level Six were ever to be selected for these deathmatches.
It was clear that even Magellan was wary of the monsters sealed away on that level.
Impel Down had a total of six levels. Level Six was the most terrifying—Eternal Hell.
The prisoners held there were legendary criminals—either on death row or serving life sentences. These were pirates so fearsome that their deeds had been erased from history. The government had covered up their atrocities, and the press had been ordered to stay silent.
It was in this level that Golden Lion Shiki had once been imprisoned—he later escaped. In the anime's future arc, Blackbeard's infamous crew members would all be held here.
Even Shiryu of the Rain, the former head jailer of Impel Down, had been locked up on Level Six.
Magellan would never dream of letting such monsters out to fight, not even for entertainment.
But once Magellan gave the go-ahead, Little Sadi and the rest of the prison staff wasted no time in organizing the so-called Deathmatch Tournament.
Today, Renji Kai—prisoner Number 55—was unlucky enough to be selected.
To make the fights more "entertaining," the guards would provide the chosen combatants with a hearty meal beforehand—just enough to ensure they were in top form for the battle.
Staring at the food laid out on the floor—the so-called "last supper"—Renji let out a cold snort.
"I'd rather starve to death than eat this garbage," he scoffed.
About ten minutes passed before the same guard from earlier walked up to his cell again.
"Hey! You done eating? You've got thirty minutes left. Hurry up!"
"Yeah, yeah—almost done!" Renji replied quickly, shoving a piece of fresh meat into his mouth.
…
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Renji had eaten his fill. After all, how could anyone expect to fight on an empty stomach?
Two guards arrived promptly, opened his cell, and dragged Renji out, his wrist and ankle shackles clinking with each step.
As Renji walked down the narrow, icy stone corridor, the chains on his ankles scraped against the floor, making a sharp, eerie sound that echoed ominously.
Cells lined both sides of the passageway. Inside, countless inmates crowded up to the bars, their eyes gleaming with twisted amusement as they watched today's "lucky contestant" pass by.
"Yo, buddy, you're screwed," one prisoner called out, poking his head through the bars. "You're up against Number 38—he's already got five kills under his belt!"
"Shut your mouth! One more word and you'll be next!" barked a guard, glaring fiercely at the loudmouthed prisoner.
The inmate quickly backed off, but he kept staring at Renji like he was already a dead man.
Clearly, everyone thought Renji Kai was doomed.
Soon, he was escorted to the center of the prison's first floor, where a circular combat arena had been hastily constructed.
Around the arena stood numerous guards, all eager spectators for the upcoming life-or-death showdown.
At the highest seat of the arena stood a few notable figures—one of whom was a short, two-headed man holding a trident, his hat adorned with two sharp horns.
The moment Renji saw him, he recognized him instantly—Saldeath, head of the Blugori, the demon guards of Impel Down.
Saldeath was also the commander of the Blue Gorillas—massive beasts that patrolled Level One, the Crimson Lotus Hell.
On the arena floor, his opponent was already waiting.
Though clad in a standard prisoner uniform, the man's towering build was unmistakable. A deep, jagged scar slashed across his face, making him look even more fearsome.
The moment their eyes met, Renji felt the intense killing intent pouring off the man in waves.
"No wonder he's managed to kill five people… the bloodlust is practically oozing off him," Renji muttered to himself.
"Get in there!" barked the guard behind him, giving him a shove forward.