Impel Down, Fourth Underground Level, Blazing Hell.
The environment here remained as scorching, dry, and suffocating as the depths of the earth, with the air thick with the nauseating stench of blood.
Prisoners clad in zebra-striped uniforms, under the harsh commands and whip lashes of the ferocious guards, endured the searing pain in their feet as they carried bundles of dry firewood toward the boiling blood pool. They then queued up to throw the firewood into the raging inferno beneath the cauldron.
At this moment, Gecko Moria, who had just become a lowly prison guard, was bustling in and out of the cells, holding a two-meter-long pair of scissors.
Just like now, he had just exited one cell and was opening the door to the next. Under the terrified gaze of the prisoner inside, he grabbed the upper body of the inmate with his left hand as if plucking a chicken, and with a snip, he severed the shadow beneath the prisoner. He then casually flung the shadow against the wall before tossing the struggling shadow into a shadow box he carried with him, treating it like garbage.
This shadow box was actually shaped from his own shadow, the 'Shadow Puppeteer.' To preserve shadows, aside from a physical body, only a container made of shadow could achieve this.
Compared to the former, the latter could store an almost infinite number of shadows, as shadows had no substantial form and could be crumpled up and stuffed into the shadow box.
He had prepared four such shadow boxes, each designated for storing the shadows of prisoners from the 'Blazing Hell,' 'Starvation Hell,' 'Beast Hell,' and 'Crimson Lotus Hell.'
Warden Columbus had restricted his movements to these four levels.
The fifth underground level, 'Freezing Hell,' housed prisoners who were all notorious pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million berries. As for the sixth underground level, 'Infinite Hell,' the prisoners there were even more formidable, each one a monstrous pirate so vicious that they had been erased from history.
Moria didn't mind. The prisoners in these four levels were enough to keep him busy for years. Having two fewer levels to deal with was fine by him, at least on the surface, it made him appear obedient.
Moreover, he found the environment of Impel Down quite suitable for his lifestyle. This place, where the sun never shone, was comfortable for someone of the Ogre Race, though it made it difficult to continue his 'Light Burial' performances.
Just as Moria, with a cold expression, exited the cell and prepared to move on to the next one, two colleagues in guard uniforms, armed with rifles, were patrolling and chatting.
Though their voices were somewhat hushed, they were still quite audible in this environment.
"Chief Guard Shiryu is being transferred out!"
"That's great news! With that killer gone, us lowly guards won't have to worry about dying by our own comrades' blades anymore."
"Exactly! But the happiest must be the prisoners. Over the years, hundreds, if not thousands, have died at the hands of Chief Guard Shiryu, right? Or was it hundreds?"
Hearing this, Moria didn't pay much attention, as he truly didn't know who this Shiryu was. On the other hand, Vice Warden Magellan left a deep impression on him—his entire body exuding toxic fumes was indeed quite intimidating.
The aura of Director Columbus was unfathomable, certainly not someone Moria could handle at his current level! However, there was a question: how could one get promoted in this place? By making meritorious contributions? But where would those contributions come from? As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Moria stopped in his tracks, completely stunned. He muttered to himself, "Oh no, it seems that as long as the World Government wishes, I'll never get promoted. So, I might have to stay here for a full twenty years?"
For some reason, his thoughts began to wander, inexplicably drifting to the future. What would he be if he was still a prison guard ten years from now? The strongest prison guard in the history of Impel Down? In the distant warden's office, Shiryu of the Rain had already completed his resignation procedures with the warden and was walking out with a paper bag containing various documents.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw a nearly five-meter-tall figure dressed in a devilish style, with long curved horns on his head and demonic bat wings on his back, standing there in black attire.
"Oh, Deputy Warden Magellan, I didn't expect you to come see me off. It seems you don't hate me that much after all," Shiryu teased.
"No, I do hate you."
Magellan didn't spare any face for his soon-to-be-former colleague, coldly stating, "I'm just here to personally watch you leave Impel Down, to make sure I never have to see you again."
"My, how ruthless."
Shiryu wasn't angered and instead grinned, pulling out an expensive cigar from his coat pocket, placing it in his mouth, and lighting it with a lighter. He took a deep drag of the smoke.
He glanced around at the harsh environment of the "Blazing Hell," exhaling thick smoke as he sighed, "Actually, I quite like this place. I wonder if the Navy will be able to keep 'Thunderstorm' fed."
With that, he brushed past Magellan and walked toward the elevator leading to the sea-level floor.
The former watched the latter's figure grow increasingly distant, shaking his head and sighing.
"I don't know what the Navy is thinking, taking this bastard in. I hope someone there can keep him in check, or else there'll be rivers of blood."
But on the flip side, it was indeed a great thing for Impel Down.
Shiryu, with a heart full of regret and nostalgia, took the elevator up to the sea-level floor.
This place was as bustling as ever, with newly captured prisoners lined up waiting for their "baptism" of stripping.
Yes, a full-body baptism with boiling water at 100 degrees Celsius—absolutely thrilling.
Then they'd be given fresh black-and-white striped prison uniforms and sent to the "Blazing Hell" on the fourth underground level for a second round of disinfection through scorching heat.
Finally, after being half-dead, they'd be thrown into different "hells" based on their bounties.
The prison guards and other staff who were overseeing the prisoners froze when they saw Shiryu, not daring to greet him or anything.
At most, they sent him off with fearful or relieved glances.
Shiryu didn't mind this.
In his eyes, these were all weaklings.
And the weak didn't deserve his concern.
They were only good for passing the time and letting "Thunderstorm" drink their blood.
After passing through the iron bars, he saw the door leading to the outside world.
This was a door embedded in the high wall, made entirely of solid steel.
What followed was simple.
He smoothly boarded the Navy warship that had come to pick him up and slowly sailed away from this underwater prison where he had spent so many years.
Strangely, despite the nostalgic expression he had just moments ago, Shiryu didn't even glance back. Instead, his eyes were filled with anticipation for the future. After all, coming out from there was equivalent to gaining freedom! If things didn't go well in the Marines, he could leave whenever he wanted, right? Therefore, Shiryu was in a rather cheerful mood.
So cheerful, in fact, that his eyes turned slightly red as he looked at the surrounding Marines, and he suddenly felt an itch in his hands. However, as the warship passed through the first Gate of Justice, he sensed something was amiss. The ship wasn't following the Tri-Stream Current to the next Gate of Justice.
"Aren't we heading to Marineford to report?" Shiryu asked the major in command, his guard rising.
"Originally, yes. But since you've been assigned as Vice Admiral Akainu's aide, and he just received a mission, he instructed us to take you directly to him. We'll return to Marineford together after completing the task," the major replied respectfully, as Shiryu had been appointed a Marine Headquarters colonel.
"Vice Admiral Akainu?" Shiryu was momentarily stunned. Although he had been stationed in Impel Down, he wasn't completely cut off from the outside world. The World Economic Times were delivered on time every issue, and given the harsh environment inside, reading the newspaper had become his primary pastime. Thus, he was aware of the three newly promoted Admiral candidates.
"That Logia-type user of the Magu Magu no Mi, Sakazuki?!"
"Yes."