Chapter 63: Chief Guard Shiryu of the Rain
In the dark corridors of Impel Down's Beast Hell, a tall and a short jailer patrolled along the damp walls. Their footsteps echoed in the silence as they walked and chatted, discussing the latest rumors.
"Have you heard? Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea, actually joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea! He has a Bounty of 250,000,000 Beri! I heard from a buddy that he can punch the sea and create a vacuum strip!" the tall jailer whispered, a hint of surprise in his voice.
The other short jailer nodded, his expression equally complex: "Yeah, I also heard that as one of the conditions, that fellow Arlong was also released."
"Arlong? That fish-man who used to be a member of the Sun Pirates?" The tall jailer frowned; he was not unfamiliar with that name.
"That's right, him! Released from Impel Down, these prisoners must be green with envy!" the short jailer continued, "But I heard he and Jinbe had different ideals, so he took some fish-men and left the Sun Pirates, forming his own Arlong Pirates."
"That's good news! These Pirates, whether they join the Seven Warlords or not, are our enemies. The more chaotic they are, the more advantageous it is for us!" The tall jailer waved his fist.
The short jailer wore a bitter smile, "I don't really care. I just wish I could be transferred out of here. In this Impel Down, I feel like I'm going crazy."
Their conversation echoed through the gloomy corridor.
And not far from them, hidden in the shadows, Ren Arakawa concealed his presence. His gaze was sharp, and his ears carefully caught every word.
Ren Arakawa quietly waited for the two jailers to walk away, and only then did he step out from the shadows.
"Jinbe just became a Seven Warlord... that means there are still ten years until Luffy sets sail and the story officially begins."
He looked back at the cold prison cell and quickly shook his head.
He couldn't wait.
He didn't want to continue such days for even a single day.
Walking in the corridor, Ren Arakawa avoided the patrolling jailers.
His current location was at the boundary between Beast Hell and Crimson Hell.
When the construction workers of Impel Down built this level, they specifically opened up several corridors and two rows of cells used to detain prisoners.
In special cases like Ren Arakawa's, he would occasionally be confined to a single cell for "special care."
Once he behaved, he would be reassigned to the Beast Zone.
Of course, going to the Beast Zone wasn't an easy life either. Even though most prisoners grouped together, a slight misstep could lead to a beast attack. Both being confined to a cell and being in the Beast Zone had their own miseries.
Ren Arakawa walked aimlessly for a long time, the crevices between his toes covered with the unique moss of this level.
"WEE-OO! WEE-OO!"
Suddenly! The Beast Hell alarm blared loudly!
Red lights flashed in front of the cells along both sides of the corridor.
Pirate Ren Arakawa wiped a bloodstain from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and delivered his "acceptance speech": "So you finally found out, huh?"
Following the sound of the alarm, a three-meter-tall giant stood at the entrance of a cell!
He held a steel pitchfork, his expression grim, resembling a demon!
He was Hannyabal, the Opportunistic King who would eventually succeed Director Magellan.
At this moment, Hannyabal covered his eyes, his gaze peeking through the gaps in his fingers at the horrific scene inside the cell.
The sight inside the cell sent shivers down one's spine.
The bodies of two jailers lay haphazardly on the cold ground, their horrific deaths comparable to a horror movie set.
The body of the fatter jailer still wore an expression of extreme terror, his eyeballs bulging out, his tongue unnaturally lolling, his face deathly pale, as if all his blood had been drained.
There was a bowl-sized hole in his neck, from where the blood seemed to have drained. The skin around the edge of the wound was rolled back, looking exceptionally gruesome.
The other jailer's death was equally tragic.
His throat had a fifteen-centimeter penetrating wound, clearly an instant fatal blow.
Blood spurted from the wound, staining the surrounding walls and floor a deep crimson.
Not far from the bodies of the two jailers, a pair of Sea Prism Stone handcuffs hung on the wall. These were specialized handcuffs designed to restrain Devil Fruit users.
The handcuffs could restrain Devil Fruit users, and Sea Prism Stone itself had a hardness exceeding that of diamond.
This also indicated...
...that the prisoner in this cell possessed abilities or power not recorded in their files.
The forensic doctor examined the fatal wounds, carefully making notes in a notebook.
"Pfft! Hahahaha!"
"Hahahahaha!!!!"
Two bursts of untimely laughter startled the forensic doctor.
Hannyabal, hands on his hips, laughed triumphantly, speaking his innermost thoughts.
"Killing a jailer is a grave sin!"
"And escaping prison is the gravest sin of all gravest sins!"
"The Director can't escape responsibility!"
"Once I catch this prisoner, I'll earn merit!"
"With more and more merit, then I can—"
"Replace the Director and become the new Director of Impel Down! Hahahahahahaha!"
Hannyabal continued to laugh triumphantly, when he suddenly noticed the speechless looks from those around him.
He quickly covered his mouth, "Oh no! I accidentally spoke my innermost thoughts out loud!"
Suddenly, an intense oppressive aura made Hannyabal turn his head!
He held his breath, quietly listening to the footsteps in the corridor.
The footsteps were heavy and slow, each step like it was treading on one's heart, making one involuntarily feel an indescribable sense of oppression!
Hannyabal's triumphant smile instantly froze; his body stiffened as he slowly turned his head.
When he saw the newcomer, he immediately stood ramrod straight, the triumphant look on his face replaced by a feigned reverence.
The newcomer's figure appeared exceptionally tall in the dim light.
He was clenching a cigar, smoke swirling around him, adding a touch of mystery and danger to his aura.
He wore a black military uniform, with a sharp saber hanging from his waist. The patterns on its scabbard hinted at its extraordinary origin.
It was none other than the Chief Guard known for his bloodthirsty and cold-blooded nature in Impel Down — Shiryu of the Rain!
Shiryu's eyes were cold. His gaze swept over Hannyabal and the forensic doctor, finally lingering on the horrific scene inside the cell.
The corner of his mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a cruel smile, as if he felt a certain degree of satisfaction at the gruesome scene before him.
"Hannyabal, what are you doing here?" Shiryu's voice was low and hoarse, each word squeezed from deep within his throat, carrying an unquestionable authority.
Hannyabal swallowed hard, his voice becoming somewhat stuttered due to nervousness: "Reporting, Chief Guard, I... I'm inspecting the scene of the escaped prisoner."
Shiryu's gaze was like a sharp blade. His eyes lingered on Hannyabal for a moment, then turned to the forensic doctor: "What's the report?"
The forensic doctor nervously scribbled his notes, his voice trembling: "Reporting, Chief Guard, the fatal wounds of the two jailers were a severed carotid artery in the neck and a penetrating wound to the throat, respectively. Both causes of death were excessive blood loss."
Shiryu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the scene once more, finally settling on the Sea Prism Stone handcuffs hanging on the wall.
A hint of interest flashed in his eyes: "This prisoner is not simple, to be able to break free from Sea Prism Stone handcuffs and kill two jailers. Excellent! Excellent!"
Hannyabal, standing to the side, swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the floor, not daring to utter a sound.
"Shut down all alarms in Beast Hell!" Shiryu suddenly roared, giving orders, "Killing jailers and escaping prison is an unforgivable crime! I will personally deal with him! No need to inform the Director!"
"Do you hear me?!?"
"Y-yes, we heard—"
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