Just as Katie was pondering how to infiltrate the sixth underground level, a vast shadow suddenly loomed over her head, and a dangerous signal surged from behind.
Reacting reflexively, she swiftly retreated to create distance from the enemy, spinning around to face them head-on. At the same time, her hands moved without hesitation, drawing her sword, Breaker of the Void, and raising it horizontally in front of her chest.
The moment she completed these actions, the attack landed—a heavy iron axe slammed into the blade of Breaker of the Void. The tremendous force traveled through the sword, sending a numbing shock through Kitty's palms, nearly causing her to lose her grip.
Only then did Kitty get a clear look at her assailant: a Blue Gorilla, one of the jailers of the first underground level. These creatures were even capable of slaying Sea Kings—no wonder their strength was so overwhelming.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have acquired Novice Physique LV9.
Just as Katie was stunned by the Blue Gorilla's brute force, the System's notification arrived belatedly. Simultaneously, a surge of intense heat flooded her body. With a slight flex of her muscles, she immediately noticed the difference—her strength had more than doubled compared to before.
Yet, Katie couldn't bring herself to celebrate. Even though her physique had improved significantly, it was still labeled as "Novice." The title felt like a critical hit, dealing her 10,000 points of emotional damage.
Roar! Katie's indifference enraged the Blue Gorilla, and with another furious bellow, it charged at her again.
"Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish."
"Crescent Tear Slash!"
A crescent-shaped sword wave materialized instantly, slicing toward the charging enemy at blinding speed.
Faced with Katie's attack, the Blue Gorilla naturally didn't just stand there—it swung its iron axe to intercept the slash.
"Heh, that brat's done for. Daring to attack a Blue Gorilla? He's gonna get chopped into pieces."
From the nearby cells, prisoners' jeers rang out, filled with schadenfreude. They harbored nothing but envy and resentment toward Katie, so seeing her targeted by a Blue Gorilla naturally invited their mockery.
However, what happened next defied all their expectations.
The moment the iron axe clashed with the sword wave, a deep crack nearly split the weapon in half. A second later, a sharp crack echoed as the axe shattered completely. The sword wave, undiminished in power, continued toward the Blue Gorilla.
A spray of crimson blood erupted as the massive creature collapsed with a heavy thud.
The outcome stunned every witness. No one had imagined that a fellow prisoner from the first underground level could single-handedly kill a Blue Gorilla. As the jailers of this floor, the Blue Gorillas possessed overwhelming strength. Yet, this one had been instantly slain—a result no one had anticipated before the fight.
Hell, even Katie herself was surprised by how effective the attack had been. She had merely experimented by combining her Tearing skill with the Crescent Slash, curious about the result. She never expected it to be powerful enough to one-shot a Blue Gorilla.
"Boss! Please, get me out of here!"
The quick-witted prisoners immediately began begging Kitty for help, desperate to escape this hellish place.
But why would Katie care about them? She had heard their taunts loud and clear—one moment they were cursing her, the next they were pleading for salvation. As if!
Without a second thought, she grabbed one of the unconscious guards lying on the ground and strode away, leaving behind a chorus of wails and howls.
In a dark corner, Katie changed into the guard's uniform. Now, with this disguise, her movements would be much smoother. At the very least, she wouldn't be constantly pestered by prisoners begging for rescue, and the risk of exposure would be significantly reduced.
Soon, she had scoured the entire first underground level. Unfortunately, the gains were minimal—only two marginally useful skills: Basic Swordsmanship LV7 (Beginner) and Cross Slash LV5 (Beginner). To be precise, the first wasn't even a skill but rather foundational knowledge of sword techniques.
Given that the prisoners here were mostly pirates with bounties between 1 and 2 million Berries—essentially at the level of the Four Seas—it made sense that the rewards were meager.
The unusual quietness of the first underground level suggested that Luffy had already stormed into the second or third level. Otherwise, it wouldn't be this peaceful.
"Seems like there's nothing left for me here. Time to go deeper."
From what she remembered, Luffy and Buggy had reached the second underground level by falling through the central passage of the Crimson Hell. However, Katie didn't know its exact location—the anime hadn't provided a detailed map.
But she could rely on sound to find it. After all, the prisoners in Crimson Hell endured constant torment from thorny vines, so their screams would be loud enough to guide her.
Besides, having already explored the entire first level, she could roughly estimate Crimson Hell's position.
Before long, a forest dyed in red entered Kitty's vision, the air thick with the metallic stench of blood.
This wasn't a real forest—every "tree" was a blade-like thorn, mercilessly tearing into the flesh of those trapped within.
Seeing this, Katie felt a surge of gratitude for having chosen the Moonwalk skill. Without it, this level would've been a nightmare to cross.
With no one around to notice, she wasted no time. Her feet kicked rapidly against the air, and the resulting force propelled her upward, granting her flight.
The wind rushed past her as she soared—an indescribable sensation, one so exhilarating that words failed to capture it.
However, her airborne presence didn't go unnoticed. The prisoners and guards below quickly spotted her. Her disguise as a guard initially confused them, but it couldn't fool everyone.
The first level's guards were a tight-knit group, and none of them were known to possess Moonwalk. Even if someone had learned it, why would they fly through Crimson Hell instead of using the proper equipment? Moreover, her trajectory matched the escape route taken by previous prisoners—something was definitely off.
"Hey! You up there! Which sector are you assigned to? Why are you here? Get down now!"
Hearing this, Katie knew her cover was blown. But it didn't matter anymore—she had already spotted the dark chasm leading to the second underground level. At this height, the guards below couldn't possibly harm her. There was no need to keep up the act.
"Open fire!"
Realizing something was wrong, the guards immediately unleashed a barrage of bullets.
Yet, despite dozens of them firing nearly a hundred rounds, not a single shot came close.
"Captain, it's no use! The range is too far—our bullets can't reach him!"
Faced with this outcome, the guard captain could only sigh in frustration. Clearly, this enemy was beyond their capabilities.
"Find out who that person is! Did one of our own betray us, or did someone steal a uniform and impersonate a guard?"
The captain swiftly shifted to damage control, doing what little he could under the circumstances.