You can read ahead up to 90 chapters on my patreon, and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
Gentlemen, please avoid getting too close to the cells. Some of the inmates inside can be quite… unpredictable.
Magellan instinctively turned to educate Dante and Smoker on some essential tips for navigating Impel Down. However, midway through his sentence, he hesitated, as though recalling something, and shook his head, choosing not to elaborate further.
Dante and Smoker exchanged puzzled glances, each seeing the same confusion mirrored in the other's eyes.
Hannyabal, ever the opportunist, stepped in to clarify.
"Ordinarily, there are quite a few precautions to keep in mind when entering Level 6… But since you're accompanying him, I doubt anyone inside would dare to cause a commotion."
Dante's mouth twitched as he swallowed hard. He finally understood why the prisoners on the upper levels were so terrified of Rowen.
If even the inmates of the enigmatic and feared Level 6 behaved this way, it wasn't hard to imagine the horrors they must have endured.
"Don't make me out to be some monster, Hannyabal. I'm a very reasonable person," Rowen said casually, casting a light glance at him.
Beads of sweat instantly covered Hannyabal's face as he bowed a perfect 90 degrees.
"A-a thousand apologies, sir!"
"Well, it's not unreasonable for you to think that. After all, my only guiding principle is…" Rowen's voice turned icy.
"…my mood."
Zhiiiiia!
At that moment, with the screech of iron tracks, the massive gates began to creak open, inch by inch.
Without another word, Rowen stepped forward. Instantly, thunderclouds gathered high above, lightning streaking across the skies, followed by a deafening, earth-shaking roar.
Boom… Kachak!!
"Filth, I've returned!"
Bang… Rumble!
Pale, gaunt faces lifted weakly, gazing at the familiar figure illuminated by the flashes of lightning. These heinous criminals, so vile that the government had erased their very existence, could not suppress their trembling as they huddled in the corners of their cells, shaking like leaves.
"Yes, that's it! That's the expression I want to see!"
"Despair, regret, pain, pleading— eyes devoid of any light or hope!"
Rowen strode into this hellish place with the demeanor of a master returning to his domain, spreading his arms wide as though embracing the void.
"Repent endlessly for the sins you've committed, you scum!"
"Hehehe… Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Dante and Smoker exchanged a long, silent look as they watched Rowen's maniacal laughter echo through the prison.
It almost felt like Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) had flipped some kind of internal switch the moment he entered Impel Down. Was this just their imagination?
Deep within the cells, a burly, cyan-skinned Fish-Man stirred at the sound of the voice. Weakly, he lifted his head, a hint of astonishment flickering in his eyes.
"Soryu (Azura Dragon)? What's he doing here?"
As the thought crossed his mind, a bolt of electricity shot toward his cell, detonating just outside with a loud crack.
"Yo, long time no see, Jinbe!"
The figure in the cell was none other than Jinbe, the "Sea Hero." Stripped of his Warlord of the Sea title for opposing the Marine's war against the Whitebeard Pirates, he had been imprisoned in Impel Down.
As the last surviving warrior of Fish-Man Island, Jinbe was the one most likely to hold answers to the secrets that even Neptune and the royal family might not know.
Gazing at the Fish-Man before him, Rowen spoke with a tinge of regret.
"Back when you asked me to protect Fish-Man Island, did you ever imagine this day would come?"
In Rowen's eyes, Jinbe had always been a figure worth recruiting.
Though Jinbe's personal strength was nothing extraordinary to Rowen, his standing among the Fish-Men was unquestionable, second only to Neptune. That respect and influence were why Rowen had initially agreed to safeguard Fish-Man Island.
But now, with the island devastated, and the survivors reduced to a handful of scattered refugees, this once-powerful community was no longer worth Rowen's investment.
"What's done is done," Jinbe said, shaking his head with a bitter smile. Then, his expression grew firm as he met Rowen's gaze.
"I can only say this: not once in my life have I regretted any of my choices, Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)."
"Heh, interesting."
Rowen met Jinbe's steadfast gaze, recognizing the honesty in his words. However, he wasn't here for idle reminiscing, so he simply shook his head, refraining from further evaluation, and continued speaking.
"Indeed, the past is best left in the past."
"I came here today with both good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
"Let's start with the good news. The worst-case scenario is just death, after all."
Jinbe reclined on his side, answering with a calmness that belied his circumstances.
"Such courage! But I fear things might not be so simple."
Rowen grinned as he continued.
"The good news is… I'm here to take you out of here."
"But not to the execution grounds. We need your help with something."
"If you're willing to cooperate with the Marines, you could even be granted a full pardon."
Rowen's words weren't an exaggeration. This decision had been carefully considered and approved by the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars).
Jinbe's greatest offense was attempting to prevent the war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates, which had violated his responsibilities as a Warlord of the Sea (Shichibukai).
The key issue was his dereliction of duty, with his opposition to the war serving as the catalyst.
But now, in this ever-changing sea, who still remembered the fearsome reputation of the Shichibukai, who once stood as equals with the Marine Headquarters and the New World's Yonko?
To Rowen, they were little more than toys in his hand.
If Rowen decided to loosen his grip on the authority tied to the Shichibukai, indirectly diminishing the importance of figures like Fujitora and Law, Jinbe posed no real threat.
Even the Gorōsei wouldn't waste their time objecting to the Marines' decision to recruit Jinbe over a matter of pride. It simply wasn't worth it.
"What?!"
Jinbe's face was etched with shock as he stared at Rowen in disbelief.
Not far away, other prisoners like Dragon and Redfield also looked on in surprise.
A full pardon?!
If such a decision had been made anywhere else, it might have been met with astonishment. But this was Impel Down.
This was Level 6, Hell!
Inmates confined here faced two fates: execution, like Ace and now Dragon, or complete erasure, doomed to suffer endlessly and eternally, like Redfield and "World Destroyer" Byrndi World.
Even the mere suggestion of a pardon was earth-shattering. It might be a Marine ploy to manipulate Jinbe, but even as a possibility, it was astonishing.
"Unbelievable…"
True to his heroic nature, Jinbe quickly regained his composure despite his initial shock at Rowen's words. However, a grave realization crossed his mind, and he looked at Rowen with solemnity.
"For you to offer such a drastic condition, something terrible must have happened, right?"
"Naturally," Rowen replied, gesturing for Hannyabal, who immediately ignored Magellan's dark scowl and scurried over like a lackey, carrying a chair. He placed it down before quickly retreating, clearly not wanting to overhear something he shouldn't.
Rowen leaned forward slightly, resting his elbow on his knee as he took a puff from his cigar.
"Fish-Man Island has been destroyed. The surviving Fish-Men and Mermaids number less than a hundred. Not a single infant or child is among them."
"King Neptune's entire family is dead. Not a soul remains breathing in the palace. The only one unaccounted for is Princess Shirahoshi. But her chances of survival are slim."
As Jinbe's complexion turned pale and the light drained from his eyes, Rowen exhaled a cloud of smoke directly into his face.
"It was a massacre, Jinbe."
"While relations between humans and Fish-Men may have been strained, Fish-Man Island is still a member of the World Government's Allied Kingdoms."
"That's why we need your help— to find the perpetrator!"
Clang!
"Heh… hahaha…"
Suddenly, Jinbe raised his head, the chains binding him pulled taut.
He forced a grim smile as he asked, "You… you're joking, aren't you?"
"Tell me you're joking, Soryu (Azure Dragon)!!"
"This is one of your twisted pranks, isn't it? I know you. You must be messing with me!"
Rowen didn't respond. He simply looked at Jinbe with calm, unyielding eyes.
"No… no way…"
Under that unwavering gaze, Jinbe's desperate thrashing came to an abrupt halt. He slumped to the ground, stunned.
Then, staring at the blackened walls of his cell, he let out an anguished, heart-wrenching roar.
"Nooooo!!!"
(End of Chapter)