Chapter 278: Infiltrating Impel Down
The Flying Nimbus…
Shane stroked his chin, thinking seriously. I should still count as a pure-hearted person, right?
Alright, who was he kidding? He probably couldn't ride it. But there were plenty of people in his crew who could. It was worth adding to the cart. For that few points, it was like buying a toy for the kids back home.
Bought. Next!
[Tomie's Severed Arm]
[Type: Special Item]
[Price: 3,500 points]
[Description: A grotesque severed limb from the world of Tomie. It appears to still be active. Buyer beware: this item will infinitely regenerate into Tomie clones, endlessly and without rest.]
[Seller's Note: N/A, seller has lost contact.]
Hey, this thing is no joke. Shane's eye twitched. I'm here to save the world, not end it. Better stay far away from this kind of cosmic horror stuff.
Skip. Next!
[Demon Tree Barrier]
[Type: Special Item]
[Price: 15,000 points]
[Description: Upon activation, automatically covers all of the host's territory, forming an invisible protective barrier against external invasions.]
[Protection strength is determined by the number of Devil Fruit user souls sacrificed. The more souls sacrificed, the stronger the barrier. Maximum sacrifice limit: 30.]
[Seller's Note: N/A, direct from system.]
Shane's eyes narrowed. It seemed he had stumbled upon something incredible…
Was it practical? Of course. As his territory expanded, ensuring the safety of all his people was becoming increasingly difficult. Ordinary pirates were no problem; the flag of the Curtain Call Adventurers was the best deterrent. But Marine Headquarters, the CP agencies, and the elusive Holy Knights… those were harder to defend against.
The Demon Tree Barrier could solve that problem perfectly! Although the price was a steep 15,000 points, it was absolutely worth it. The only issue was the high cost of activating it to its full potential.
Thirty Devil Fruit user souls! Where was he supposed to find that many?
Shane fell into a deep thought. If he were the type of person with no moral compass, it would be easy. He wouldn't even have to leave his own territory; a quick harvest would be enough. But he could never do something like that. Even if the intention was to protect his people, the souls for the sacrifice had to be chosen from among the most irredeemable villains.
"Hmm?" A thought suddenly struck Shane. Irredeemable villains? There was a certain place that had no shortage of those…
Add to cart for now. Next!
…There was no next. He scrolled to the bottom of the list, but the remaining items were either ridiculously expensive or completely uninteresting.
Shane hopped out of the hot spring, dried himself off, and got dressed while finalizing his purchase. He had only bought two items this time, for a total of 17,000 points, leaving him with 5,900.
Dressed, Shane walked to the shore and stretched. The June morning breeze, carrying the unique scent of Nuts Island's flora, washed over him. He glanced at the rising sun on the horizon, his gaze turning towards the Calm Belt. Since he had some free time on his hands, why not head over there today and gather the souls he needed?
SWOOSH!
Just then, Kuina's figure appeared above. She descended gracefully using Moonwalk, her black ponytail flying in the sea breeze.
"My lord," she said, landing behind Shane. "A report has come in from the Garrison Corps' intelligence department. We've found her."
"Oh?" Shane's eyes narrowed. He turned around. "Where?"
The intelligence department. An essential part of any major power, and the Curtain Call Adventurers were no exception. Shane had tasked Kuina and Robin with selecting personnel and establishing it right after the Four Corps were formed. By the time they took over Whole Cake Island, it was a fully functional organization with connections to underworld emperors like Du Feld and Morgans. While it couldn't compare to the World Government's CP agencies, it was a respectable and capable force.
And Shane's most recent order had been to track down the bounty hunter who had kidnapped Bonney. The war with Big Mom had been sparked by the Yonko's greed, but that woman was not without blame. Did she think she could kidnap someone under his protection and just get away with it? Not a chance.
"Six days ago, she appeared on the Sabaody Archipelago," Kuina said, handing him an intelligence file. "Big Mom gave her a substantial reward, at least a billion Berries. She used the money to book a high-end hotel on Grove 1 and has been frequenting auction houses and casinos, spending lavishly. She's bought dozens of slaves alone."
"Quite the high-profile," Shane sneered, taking the file. "She angered the Curtain Call Adventurers and thought she'd be safe by leaving the New World and hiding in a place like Sabaody?" Once I lock onto her location, not even the Door-Door Fruit can save her! Blueno was proof of that!
"Speaking of which, after the Sabaody incident, the Marines replaced the Rear Admiral in charge of the Sabaody base with a Vice Admiral from Headquarters to bolster its defenses," Kuina said softly. "And late last year, that woman took on a revenge contract and brutally murdered the entire family of a Marine Vice Admiral—over a dozen people."
Shane looked up at Kuina. "You're saying…"
"It seems her luck has finally run out," Kuina nodded. "Yes, my lord. The Vice Admiral who lost his entire family was just reassigned to the Sabaody base as its new commander."
"Three days ago, while she was gambling and heavily intoxicated, the Vice Admiral arrested her on the spot and sent her to Impel Down."
"Impel Down?" Shane raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Yes, my lord," Kuina sighed. "Impel Down is one of the three great institutions of the World Government. Now that she's imprisoned there, it will be difficult for us to get to her…"
"That's perfect," Shane interrupted with a grin. What a stroke of luck! He had been planning to make a trip to Sabaody before heading to Impel Down, but now, he only had to go to one place. It saved him a lot of trouble.
"You'll have to manage things here for a while. I'm going out," Shane said, tossing the file back.
"?" A look of alarm crossed Kuina's face. "My lord, you're going to…"
"She kidnapped one of my own. It's only right that I deal with her. You think being thrown in Impel Down is the end of it? Since when do the Marines get to decide that?!" Shane grinned, cracking his neck and knuckles.
"I'm off. If all goes well, I'll be back within a week at most."
With that, he stomped the ground and shot into the sky like a streak of light.
WHOOSH!
Kuina felt a gust of wind rush past her. When she looked up, the shore was empty, save for the sound of the waves. To be so fiercely protective… She gazed in the direction Shane had disappeared, shaking her head helplessly, a small smile playing on her lips.
"He's the same as always." For a subordinate, there was nothing more reassuring than having a captain like him.
The Calm Belt, the Great Underwater Prison, Impel Down.
Level 4, Blazing Hell Entrance.
CLANG~
Heavy Sea-Prism Stone shackles scraped across the floor as the bounty hunter was dragged by two guards through the boiling pool of blood. This was the high-temperature disinfection process all new prisoners had to endure, as well as a brutal show of force. Some of the more timid prisoners would be reduced to blubbering, pants-wetting messes by this point.
But not her. In the steam, her long golden hair was soaked with sweat, and her expensive silk dress had been replaced with a thin prison uniform, but her eyes were still defiant. She even shot a scornful look at the figure in the white "Justice" coat.
"Still acting so arrogant in a place like this, you animal!" the bald Vice Admiral, known as "Vulture," snarled, kicking her sharply in the back of the knee and nearly sending her sprawling.
"That's enough, Vice Admiral Vulture," the warden, Magellan, who had been standing silently by, finally sighed. "The handover is complete. While I sympathize with what happened to your family, this is Impel Down."
"This prisoner, bounty 230 million, has been transferred into my custody, and everything must be done by the book. I cannot allow you to carry out a personal vendetta. But rest assured, this woman's crimes are numerous enough to keep her here until the day she dies of old age."
"Old age?" The bounty hunter let out a sneer. She struggled to straighten up, her sweat-soaked golden hair clinging to her pale face. "Hey, hey, Mr. Warden who smells funny. What, you really think I'm going to be locked up here for the rest of my life?"
Smells funny? Magellan's face flushed, and he instinctively sniffed himself. It's fine, isn't it?
She had already turned back to the Vice Admiral, her eyes glinting with malice. "Hey, Vulture, don't get too smug. You'd better kill me now. Because if you don't, when I get out, hehe…" She licked her chapped lips and burst out laughing. "You still have one daughter left, don't you? I'll find her, and I'll cut her up, piece by piece, just like I did with the rest of your children last year…"
"Silence!" the Vice Admiral roared, reaching for his sword, but Magellan stopped him.
"Calm down, Vulture!" Magellan said sternly. He then looked at the woman in confusion. "What gives you the confidence you can get out of here? In the eight hundred years since Impel Down was built, no prisoner has ever escaped…" Well, there was one. But that was before he was the warden. Since he took charge, such a thing was destined to never happen again!
Before Magellan could finish, she sneered, "Is that so? But who said anything about escaping? You took my clothes. Why don't you check the inner pocket and see what's inside?"
Magellan frowned but turned and called out, "Hannyabal."
"Yes, Warden!" The lanky Hannyabal hurried over with the clothes, fumbled in the inner pocket for a moment, and pulled out an exquisite golden crest. The crest shimmered in the fiery light of the Blazing Hell. It was the family crest of a World Noble!
"Th-this is…" Hannyabal's eyes widened, his hands trembling.
"A Celestial Dragon's token?!" Magellan's face changed drastically.
"Bingo! You jailers are surprisingly well-informed," the woman said, giving them a thumbs-up. "As for the Marines, what, did you really think I was just wasting my time getting drunk in Sabaody? Hey, hey, I pissed off an Emperor of the Sea. I had to find myself a powerful backer, didn't I?"
"There. Saint Charlos's steward gave that to me. He's taken a liking to my abilities and personally promised that if I use my Door-Door Fruit to help him collect twenty slaves from special races around the world, he'll officially make me one of his high-ranking subordinates and grant me permanent residence in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise."
She lifted her chin smugly. "By now, he's probably heard that I've been captured. I'd say in two or three days at most, a pardon from the World Government will arrive here. So, if you're not going to treat me to fine food and wine, are you sure you still want to lay a finger on me?" she drawled, her gaze shifting between the Vice Admiral and Magellan, her provocation undisguised.
Bastard! The Vice Admiral's eyes were bloodshot, the veins on his sword hand bulging. He struggled for a long time but ultimately didn't draw his blade. He knew better than anyone that if she was favored by a Celestial Dragon, she was their property. And the consequences of intentionally destroying a Celestial Dragon's property… as a veteran Marine, he knew all too well.
"Tsk, you've chickened out. How boring," she pouted, turning to Magellan. "Hey, big guy, hurry up and get me a private cell, and prepare some hot water and clean clothes. When the World Government's people come to get me tomorrow, I might consider putting in a good word for you…"
"Silence!" Magellan's sudden roar shook the entire Blazing Hell. He snatched the golden crest and, to her astonishment, threw it into the boiling pool of blood.
"You—! You have a lot of nerve!" she screamed in disbelief.
"Stop your nonsense. Impel Down has its own rules," Magellan said, his face a cold mask. "I don't care who you are on the outside. In here, you're a prisoner. Even if a Celestial Dragon came to get you in person, they'd have to follow procedure. Hannyabal!"
"Sir!" Hannyabal snapped to attention with a salute.
"Make sure she experiences the full entry disinfection process, not a single step skipped. Then escort her to Level 6! No one is to visit her without my direct order!"
"Yes, sir!" Hannyabal replied without hesitation. He agreed with the warden. A vicious criminal like this deserved no leniency; she needed to be dealt with harshly!
The woman's face finally changed. "Wait! Do you know what you're doing?! I'm the Celestial Dragons'—"
"Take her away!" Magellan turned his back on her and strode away, his face grim.
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