Chapter 281: Astonishing News!
The once-arrogant prisoners were now staring wide-eyed at the slender figure in the center of the corridor.
Slain a Yonko! Slaughtered Celestial Dragons!! Bounty over five billion!!!
Any one of these feats was astounding on its own, but this man had accomplished them all?! As Shiryu had mocked, they had been locked away for too long. Some had been imprisoned since before the God Valley incident, their minds still stuck on things like the world's most beautiful woman, Shakky. They had no idea how much the world outside had changed in just a single year!
"So, if you live long enough, anything is possible," a white-haired, withered old pirate said with a low laugh, recovering from his shock. "I'm an old man with one foot in the grave, and yet, nearly twenty years after Roger's death, I get to witness the birth of a new legend of the sea?"
And so young!
After a brief silence, the breathing on the sixth level grew heavy. A man of this caliber wouldn't do something without a reason. If he had broken into Impel Down, did that mean he was planning to…
"Hey! Lord Shane!" a bald pirate slammed against the bars of his cell. "You're here to recruit subordinates, right?! Take me with you!"
"Twelve years ago, I was a great pirate with a bounty of 600 million! With just my sword, I slaughtered over thirty towns! Even that Marine Hero, Garp, would tremble at the sound of my name!"
"You think you're worthy with that little strength?" The blue-haired giant in the next cell sneered. "Lord Shane, you should choose me. My name is Avalo Pizarro, also known as the 'Corrupt King.' I am the one who can truly become your right-hand man, meow!"
"Meow your head! You're disgusting!" Across the way, a woman with heavy makeup and a long nose snapped before turning to Shane with a flirtatious smile. "Muruhuhu~, Lord Shane, how about you choose me, Catarina Devon? Not only am I strong, but I'm also the user of the Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit. I can transform into anything I desire. A young man like you must have strong needs in that department. Whatever type you want, I can satisfy you!"
"Choose me, Lord Shane!"
"My lord, I beg you to let me pledge my loyalty to you!"
The entire sixth level erupted. The prisoners scrambled over each other, desperately shaking the bars of their cells, the clanging of their shackles echoing through the prison, all hoping to catch Shane's attention.
Shane's brow finally furrowed, his gaze turning cold. Shiryu, who had been watching him closely, immediately stepped forward and roared, "All of you, be quiet!"
He drew his famed sword, Raiu, an inch from its sheath, and a chilling killing intent spread through the air, instantly silencing the entire sixth level.
"A bunch of worthless trash who don't know their place," Shiryu said, his gaze sweeping over the cells. He took a heavy drag from his cigar and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "You think you're worthy of pledging loyalty to Lord Shane?"
He took a deep breath, turned, and knelt on one knee, placing his sword before him. His voice was filled with an unprecedented reverence. "Lord Shane, for many years, I have been waiting for someone worthy of my loyalty. Unfortunately, whether inside or outside this prison, no one has ever met that standard."
"But now, things are different!" Shiryu looked up, a fanatical light in his eyes. "From the moment you dared to raise your sword against the Celestial Dragons, I knew that you were the true king of this era!"
"The course of the world, the course of history, is decided by men like you! Please allow me to join your ranks! Let me be a part of this great change! If you just nod, this sword, this life, will be yours from this day forward!"
"Despicable!"
"Backstabber!"
"He just wanted us to shut up so he could join!"
The prisoners grumbled, but Shane ignored them, his gaze fixed on the kneeling Chief Guard of Impel Down. Shiryu of the Rain… His proactive attitude was a stark contrast to how he acted when Blackbeard recruited him.
He didn't answer immediately. "I didn't come here today to recruit anyone," he said noncommittally. "I'm just here to settle a score with a woman."
"Her name?" Shiryu was disappointed but quickly recovered. "She's in the northwest corner of the north section. Allow me to lead the way, my lord."
Shane nodded and followed Shiryu deeper into the corridor.
"My lord, don't go! My lord!" The prisoners in the cells behind them were still calling out, but their voices faded into the distance.
After a few turns, Shiryu stopped in front of a cell in the far corner of the north section. "This is it, my lord," he said, stepping aside respectfully.
Shane looked inside. A blonde woman was huddled in the corner, hatefully carving something into the wall—I showed them Saint Charlos's crest, and they still dared to treat me like this. Magellan, Hannyabal, Vulture! Hmph, just you wait! When someone comes to get me out, I'll make you…
"Bounty hunter," a low voice called out. Hearing her name, her eyes lit up, and she looked up with a hopeful expression. But when she saw who it was, a chill shot up her spine. The color drained from her beautiful face.
"Y-you!!!" she stammered in terror. "How could it be you?! This is Impel Down! H-how are you here…"
"Surprised?" Shane looked down at her with an indifferent expression. "Did you think you'd be safe just by leaving the New World? You should have expected this day when you kidnapped one of my crewmates."
Shiryu inserted a key into the lock of the cell door. That small action made her scream. Her last shred of security was torn away. She trembled, scrambling backwards until her back hit the cold wall.
"Don't! Don't come near me! Y-you… Shane! You can't do this! Hey! In the end, I was just following Big Mom's orders! I didn't even really hurt that little girl! It's not a death sentence!"
"And! And you're the one who declared to the whole world that you're not a pirate, but a freedom fighter seeking justice! If that's true, then show the magnanimity of an Emperor! You can't kill me over such a petty grudge, can you?"
"Shiryu," Shane said, turning his head, not even bothering to answer.
"Yes, my lord."
"Since this woman was deemed worthy of Level 6, she must have committed quite a few crimes, right?"
"You've come to the right person. I make it a point to review the files of all new Level 6 prisoners," Shiryu nodded, pulling out a file. "According to this, in the past year, she has used her ability to participate in numerous kidnappings and assassinations. The number of innocent people who have died at her hands is conservatively estimated to be over a hundred, including many young children…" He sneered. "Tsk, she may have started as a bounty hunter, but she's more disgusting than many of the pirates in this prison."
"I see," Shane nodded, looking at the ashen-faced woman in the cell. "Now, is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"I… I…" She was speechless, her mind a blank. Cold sweat soaked her back, and her eyes were filled with despair. It's over. I've dug my own grave. If it had been anyone else, she would have tried to use her connection to the Celestial Dragons to intimidate them, but she wasn't an idiot. Would that work on him? No way. This man had brutally murdered four Celestial Dragons in front of the whole world! If he dared to kill a Celestial Dragon, what was a Celestial Dragon's subordinate to him?!
"Wait!" She suddenly remembered something and yelled, as if grasping at a final straw. "Wait! I know a secret! I overheard Saint Charlos talking to his steward! It's about the World Government and the Celestial Dragons! If you're willing to spare me, I-I'll tell you!"
"Not interested," Shane said. He reached out and, like an eagle snatching a chick, grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air.
"Gah… let… let go…" Her feet dangled off the ground. She struggled desperately, her face turning red, her eyes filled with terror and despair. She clawed at Shane's wrist, but she couldn't budge his grip.
"Alright, alright!! Since you don't like me beating around the bush, then… cough cough, I'll just tell you! Think of it as a deal! If you think the information is useful, you'll let me go. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want… How about that?"
Shane didn't respond. His grip tightened.
"I'll talk! It's a game!" she finally broke. "Saint Charlos said that because of the incident you caused, the young Celestial Dragons are too scared to leave the Holy Land, and they're getting bored. So they're planning to restart a game from thirty years ago…"
Shane's expression finally changed. "Restart a game from thirty years ago?"
"Yes, a grand game! It's called the 'Amusement Park Project'!" Seeing Shane's reaction, she quickly continued, "I don't know the details, but it seems the location has been decided. It's in the North Blue."
"This is a secret plan within the Celestial Dragons! Not even the Marines know about it! I only overheard it by chance! I was planning to sell it on the black market for a good price…"
"I see," Shane nodded and suddenly released his grip.
THUD!
She fell to the floor, clutching her throat. She sat up, coughing violently, a look of relief on her face. "So, you're agreeing to let me…" She tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear and looked up with a brilliant smile, only to see Shane flick his index finger.
VWOOM!
An invisible, terrifying blast of energy pierced her heart. Her expression froze. She looked down in disbelief, and the light in her eyes quickly faded.
"Wh-why…" she managed to choke out. "Y-you're a Yonko… how could you… go back on your word…"
THUD!
Her upper body fell backwards. In her last moments of consciousness, she heard a cold, emotionless voice. "I never agreed to any deal."
Shane retracted his finger and looked at her body. "Besides, scum like you doesn't deserve to leave this place alive, even if you spilled every secret of Mary Geoise."
Shiryu stood by silently, his respect for Shane growing. This was the demeanor of a true leader—decisive and immune to any form of moral blackmail. When he looked at Shane again, he saw that he was staring at the ground, deep in thought.
Amusement Park Project… thirty years ago… If he remembered correctly, the "God Valley Incident," which the World Government had erased from history, had happened exactly thirty-three years ago.
Shane's gaze grew cold. It seemed that after he was done here, he would have to have the intelligence department launch an immediate investigation. The word of a woman like this wasn't very credible, but since it involved that, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Shiryu."
"Yes, my lord," Shiryu immediately replied.
"Besides her, how many other Devil Fruit users are on this level?" Shane asked, looking up. "Especially the irredeemable ones, the ones whose hands are stained with the blood of the innocent. I need about thirty of them. But remember, by my standards, not yours. Understand?"
Shiryu was momentarily stunned, but he quickly understood and grinned. "My lord, you seem to have some misunderstanding about my reputation… But rest assured, I know what you mean. There's no shortage of those types on Level 6. Getting thirty shouldn't be a problem."
"Good," Shane nodded. "Take me to them." He glanced at the body on the floor. He had already used her for the soul sacrifice. The progress was now one out of thirty. And the process was invisible to others.
"Yes, sir!" Shiryu turned to lead the way without hesitation, his mind reeling. Could it be that this man is planning to…
Soon, they arrived at the first cell. Inside was a burly, brutish man who instinctively shrank back at the sight of Shiryu but then put on a fawning smile when he saw Shane.
"Lord Shane! You've taken an interest in my—"
SWISH!
A flash of a blade. Shane's sword, Masamune, pierced the man's throat. The man's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the blood gush from his neck, and he slowly collapsed.
"That's one," Shiryu added. "'Bloody Hand' Balt, user of the Ghost-Ghost Fruit, a Paramecia. He massacred the civilians of three countries."
Shane nodded. He made a grasping motion with his right hand, and an invisible force pulled a faint, ethereal figure from the man's body and into his palm. "Continue."
"Yes, my lord." Shiryu noticed the action but wisely said nothing.
And so, for the next ten minutes, Shiryu led Shane through every corner of Level 6. Shane barely recognized any of these old-generation pirates, but with accurate information provided by an insider, his work became much more efficient. The souls of evil Devil Fruit users were harvested one by one, becoming nourishment for the Demon Tree.
"Seventh, 'The Scorpion' Salazar, user of the Scorpion-Scorpion Fruit, a Zoan. Though he called himself a doctor, his greatest pleasure was kidnapping pregnant women for human experiments…"
"Twelfth, 'The Ogre' Vasco Shot, user of the Taotie Fruit, a Mythical Zoan. He was even worse than Big Mom. Even when conscious, he could hardly control his appetite. He once devoured an entire village…"
"Fifteenth, 'Byrrndi World'…" Shiryu was about to continue, but then he looked at the withered old man sneering at them from across the way and shook his head, crossing him off the list. "Almost forgot, this guy isn't a Devil Fruit user. Skip him. Next."
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