One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

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Half an hour later—

"Jiehehe~, unbelievable..."

An old man in prison clothes with crooked, gaping teeth was brought directly to the 5.5th floor by Wilhelm using the Transfer-Transfer Fruit's power. He grinned broadly, looking at Wilhelm and Shiryu of the Rain beside him with surprise.

"Tsk tsk, I never thought I'd see the great Impel Down warden fall this far!" he sneered. "This dark, depressing place has no future at all..."

Shiryu of the Rain bit his cigar and replied with a smirk, "The only thing here is the suffocating pressure. It's like being a caged watchdog with a collar around your neck—worse than a low-ranking officer in Marine Headquarters!"

Those were Shiryu's honest thoughts.

He had grown tired of the hypocrisy of Magellan, who ruled over him, and his patience had long since run out. He had even requested a transfer to Marine Headquarters, desperate to escape this miserable place.

However, after the escape of Golden Lion Shiki three years ago, the World Government and Marine Headquarters decided that Impel Down's defenses couldn't afford to be weakened. His transfer request was rejected, leaving him trapped here.

Shiryu ground his teeth in frustration.

To vent his anger, he would occasionally kill prisoners. That was his way of coping.

Now, following Wilhelm—a man whose nobility made him tremble—was a chance Shiryu didn't hesitate to take, even if it meant abandoning his prestigious position as the second-in-command of Impel Down to become a pirate.

Looking at "Thousand Faces" Johnny, Wilhelm asked indifferently, "As the price for your freedom, you know what you have to do, right?"

"Of course, jiehehe~. I understand," Johnny replied with a sly grin. "But you must promise to take me out of this hellhole afterward!"

"Deal," Wilhelm agreed curtly.

Shiryu sneered inwardly.

A washed-up, mediocre old man wasn't worth Wilhelm's time, let alone bringing him along.

Not long after, Shiryu of the Rain used the Disguise-Disguise Fruit to perfectly transform himself into a prison guard. Meanwhile, Wilhelm and Johnny disguised themselves so thoroughly they were unrecognizable. The three moved freely through Impel Down without raising suspicion.

Wilhelm ignored the abilities of the prisoners on the second floor, as their Devil Fruit powers held no interest for him.

They started from the third floor, the Starvation Hell, as it was the least likely to catch the attention of Magellan, the warden of Impel Down.

The unbearable heat rising from the Blazing Hell on the fourth floor made the Starvation Hell like a scorching desert. Many prisoners there starved to death or were dehydrated, their suffering ignored by the guards.

Although Impel Down had rules prohibiting the indiscriminate killing of prisoners, this didn't mean they treated them well.

The combination of intense hunger and heat was meant to punish the prisoners, driving them to pain, regret, and despair until they perished.

If they died, so be it.

Impel Down, the world's greatest deep-sea prison, didn't waste time on kindness or effort to keep its inmates alive.

The Starvation Hell stretched out like a golden desert, filled with scorching wind and sand.

Prisoners were pale, emaciated, and barely clinging to life.

Some cells contained prisoners who had already starved to death, their skeletal remains turning to dust.

With Shiryu's identity as a warden, along with his usual intimidating presence, no one dared to stop or question him. The group moved through the floor without issue.

"Paramecia-type Sonic Fruit, Paramecia-type Heat Wave Fruit, Paramecia-type Sickle Fruit, Paramecia-type Top Fruit, Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit, White Wolf Model, Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Tiger Model..."

Wilhelm skimmed through the list, dismissing abilities that were too common or unimpressive.

In the Blazing Hell on the third floor alone, Wilhelm's group managed to secure a significant haul.

As Johnny, the Disguise-Disguise Fruit user, witnessed Wilhelm's terrifying abilities, he felt both awe and apprehension. At the same time, a sense of excitement bubbled within him at the thought of finally escaping this nightmarish prison.

Brrring~~ Brrring~~

At that moment, a Den Den Mushi in Shiryu of the Rain's pocket began to ring. He raised an eyebrow and answered, "Shiryu of the Rain here."

"Warden Shiryu, a dangerous pirate has been escorted by the Marines and is to be imprisoned in the sixth floor, Eternal Hell," came the voice on the other end. "Director Magellan is, uh, currently occupied in the restroom, so you'll need to handle the reception and escort."

"Hmph, Magellan... That man's going to rot in the toilet someday with how much time he spends there," Shiryu mocked before hanging up the call.

A smirk formed on his face as he turned to Wilhelm. "Just when I was getting bored, a little excitement comes knocking. Lord Wilhelm, why don't we head to Eternal Hell first? Magellan's keeping a close watch on the fourth floor, so we'll have plenty of time to harvest from there later without raising suspicion."

"You seem eager," Wilhelm chuckled, but he didn't object. Eternal Hell held not only treasures like the Momo Momo no Mi but also rare and powerful abilities, including a fabled Mythical Zoan. The prospect intrigued him greatly.

The group secured their collection of Devil Fruits on the 5.5th floor for safekeeping before heading to the surface under Shiryu's lead. They took the Impel Down elevator to the first-floor entrance, where they were to meet the Marine escort team.

"The pirate 'Great Ape King' Annie Ma Fox, with a bounty of 368 million berries. A Zoan-type Orangutan Fruit user with the Great Ape model, destined for imprisonment in the sixth floor of Eternal Hell..."

The escort team's leader was a tall, strikingly beautiful Marine officer. She had a mole above her lip, wore a pink blouse paired with blue denim shorts, and draped a Marine justice coat over her shoulders. Her long, toned legs bore a colorful spider tattoo that drew attention.

Her identity was unmistakable—Rear Admiral Momousagi (Gion) of Marine Headquarters.

"So beautiful~!"

"It's her! The Marine flower who's stolen countless hearts!"

"Rear Admiral Momousagi~!"

At the gate of Impel Down, a crowd of prison guards ogled her, their faces flushed and their admiration shamelessly evident.

"Ah, Rear Admiral Momousagi, it's an honor to have you here personally escorting the prisoner. You must've had a tiring journey," Shiryu greeted, his tone laced with mild sarcasm.

Shiryu observed her keenly. Momousagi had quickly risen to prominence as one of the strongest young officers in Marine Headquarters, standing alongside legends like Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji. She was even considered a future candidate for admiral, a title no woman had held in centuries.

Momousagi smiled gracefully. "All for justice," she replied, gesturing to the shackled pirate, Annie Ma Fox. "I'll leave him in your care, Warden Shiryu."

"Of course. This is my duty," Shiryu said with a nod, signaling the nearby "guards" to take over the escort.

Among them, Wilhelm, disguised as a prison officer, moved alongside Johnny to receive the prisoner. Annie Ma Fox, weakened by seastone handcuffs, offered no resistance.

As Wilhelm glanced at Momousagi, his mind churned. "She's considered a future admiral... Such strength and beauty combined. What a pity this place is so public..."

Momousagi, accustomed to the stares of admirers and predators alike, ignored the lustful glances from the prison staff. Wilhelm, standing near Shiryu, maintained his composure and avoided drawing her attention.

To her, he was just another unremarkable face in the crowd.