One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

Impel Down, the world's greatest prison, strictly forbids the entry of all pirates, including the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Even when exceptions are made, those entering must wear Seastone handcuffs.

Furthermore, a thorough body search is conducted at the true entrance on the first level.

For a prison that prides itself on being impossible to infiltrate or escape from, such precautions are only natural.

Maude had long set his sights on the vast experience points locked away within Impel Down.

As a Warlord of the Sea, all it would take was an offer the Marines couldn't refuse, and gaining access to Impel Down would be within reach.

Yet, after becoming a Warlord, he had no further interest in the prison.

The reason? The very thing before him—these Seastone handcuffs.

Being forced to wear them before entering meant that any Devil Fruit user would become utterly helpless.

Only a fool—or someone hopelessly lost in love—would willingly take such a risk.

So, Maude patiently waited for the opportunity presented by the upcoming war at Marineford.

Under the premise of using his ability to extract shadows, it was only natural that he couldn't be restrained by Seastone handcuffs.

Vice Warden Hannyabal should have been aware of this.

Yet, the moment they met, without a word of greeting, Hannyabal directly presented Maude with the Seastone handcuffs.

Taking this as a provocation, Maude showed no mercy. In front of the gathered prison staff, he fired back immediately.

Being called an idiot in public made anger surge within Hannyabal, a man wielding significant authority.

He had intended to assert his dominance as Vice Warden.

However—

Under Maude's intense and intimidating gaze, the insult that had reached the tip of his tongue was forcibly swallowed back down.

In the prison, Hannyabal frequently swore in front of Warden Magellan.

He knew that even if he insulted Magellan, at worst, he'd suffer a bout of poison gas exposure.

But this man before him was different…

Something told him that if he retaliated, he'd likely receive a thorough beating.

Seeing Hannyabal left with no graceful way out, Maude coldly remarked, "There's no way you don't know why I've come to Impel Down. If you had even a shred of intelligence, you wouldn't have pulled out such an eyesore."

Hearing this, Vice Admiral Momonga turned his head slightly, thinking to himself that Maude truly showed no mercy.

Maude's attitude displeased the prison staff present.

Hannyabal's lips twitched, his face dark with embarrassment as he muttered, "Forgive me. I simply wanted to experience what it would feel like to personally cuff the infamous Bacardi Maude."

"..."

Momonga's face darkened at the sheer absurdity of the statement.

Nearby, those uninformed of the situation—including Vice Head Jailer Domino—stared speechlessly at Hannyabal.

So it was just to satisfy his own curiosity? No wonder he pulled out the handcuffs the moment they met!

"Oh no, seems I let my ambition slip."

Realizing his blunder, Hannyabal sheepishly hid the handcuffs behind his back.

However, what he had said was already out in the open.

Without hesitation, Maude released a portion of his shadow, which slithered behind Hannyabal.

Thud!

Under the shadow's control, Hannyabal suddenly dropped to his knees.

Shocked by his own movement, Hannyabal first froze, then looked bewildered.

"Vice Warden, what are you doing?!"

Seeing Hannyabal kneel before Maude, Domino and the prison staff were stunned.

Even if he had overstepped by trying to handcuff Maude, kneeling to apologize was far too extreme.

Momonga raised an eyebrow, failing to comprehend Hannyabal's actions.

Then, realization dawned on him, and he glanced again at Maude.

It had to be his doing.

There was almost no chance Hannyabal was kneeling out of remorse—the only explanation was that Maude had made him do it.

Looking down at Hannyabal, Maude spoke indifferently, "No need for apologies."

"..."

Hannyabal paused, then finally realized what was happening. His eyes widened in anger. "What did you do to me?!"

The moment the words left his mouth—

His upper body suddenly lurched forward, his forehead slamming into the ground with a dull thud.

"I already said—there's no need for apologies."

Maude looked down at the now prostrate Hannyabal.

This fool, who completely lacked awareness, actually thought he could exploit his position for personal satisfaction.

Hannyabal tried to speak, but under the shadow's control, his voice came out as nothing more than strangled grunts.

The surrounding prison staff looked on in confusion, unsure of what to do.

Maude shifted his gaze toward Domino.

She was a slender woman with long golden hair, an elegant presence that clashed with the oppressive atmosphere of the prison.

"You'll be leading the way."

His tone carried an unmistakable command.

Domino hesitated.

Momonga, observing Hannyabal lying motionless on the ground, turned to her and advised, "Focus on the task at hand."

He knew Maude would never offer Hannyabal an easy way out. Rather than waste time here, it was better for Domino to take over as their guide.

Considering that Warden Magellan's shift was approaching, Domino ultimately had no choice but to comply.

She instructed the accompanying staff to tend to Hannyabal before proceeding alone to lead Maude and Momonga deeper into the prison.

Though Maude wasn't restrained by Seastone cuffs, the sheer number of forces stationed outside provided enough reassurance.

Domino moved skillfully ahead, guiding them through the prison.

Upon passing the prisoner baptism area, she didn't bother introducing the process to Maude and Momonga.

In half an hour, Magellan would begin his only four-hour shift of the day.

She needed to get Maude to him as soon as possible.

"We're short on time. Please proceed to the next room for a body search."

Stopping before a door, Domino turned to Momonga and apologized, "Vice Admiral Momonga, I'm sorry, but even you must undergo inspection."

"Hm."

Momonga nodded, unconcerned.

Domino had expected Maude to be uncooperative, but to her surprise, he complied without resistance, finishing the search swiftly.

This allowed her to relax.

Had she known Maude had the ability to conceal items within his shadow, she wouldn't have felt so at ease.

To Maude, as long as he wasn't wearing Seastone handcuffs, any inspection was inconsequential.

Once the search was complete, Domino led Maude and Momonga to the prison's dedicated large-scale elevator.

"Please step inside."

Maude and Momonga entered the elevator.

Clank—

With a mechanical rumble, the elevator descended.

Standing by the railing, Domino spoke softly, "This elevator will take you directly to Warden Magellan on Level 4. You may hear some noise along the way, so please excuse it."

Sure enough—

Shortly after descending, the sounds of agonized screams from Level 1, the Crimson Hell, reached their ears.

Maude raised an eyebrow slightly.

These were perhaps the most wretched screams he had ever heard.

It seemed the purpose of this prison was not only to detain criminals but to make them suffer for their sins.

To let these heartless pirates experience a living hell.

"This prison… is quite something."

Maude gazed at the scenery beyond the descending elevator railing, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

In his previous life, during his time in the Hunter X Hunter world, he had spent four or five years in a similar place.

Prisons in that world weren't as humane as those on Earth. They were much like Impel Down—brimming with various punishments designed to torment inmates.

Listening to the anguished cries of prisoners and watching the eerily familiar architecture slide past his vision, Maude couldn't help but recall fragments of his past.

Hearing Maude's genuine and unexpected remark, both Domino and Momonga glanced at him in surprise.

To pirates, this prison was nothing less than hell.

Yet this infamous pirate beside them actually found it... impressive?

How strange.

Momonga didn't dwell on it, but Domino, observing Maude's reminiscing expression, inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity with him.

As if the man standing beside her had been a long-time prison worker, just like her.

She shook her head, dismissing the absurd notion.

"Impossible."

Domino pushed aside the strange thoughts. However, Maude's sincere comment did leave a faintly favorable impression on her.

The elevator continued its descent.

The wailing of prisoners rarely ceased along the way.

Upon reaching Level Four, the temperature rose noticeably, and the screams became sparse.

Level Four—where boiling blood pools and roaring infernos covered the land, known as the Blazing Hell.

Clank—

The elevator doors slid open.

"This way, please."

Domino led the group forward.

Perhaps it was just an illusion, but Momonga couldn't shake the feeling that Domino was being considerably more courteous to Maude than before.

Under Domino's guidance, they soon arrived at the warden's office.

The room, built from massive stone blocks in the style of a fortress, was empty.

Maude and Momonga instinctively turned toward the restroom, sensing a presence inside.

Domino explained at the right moment, "Warden Magellan is most likely in the restroom. He spends ten hours a day dealing with diarrhea. Spending extended periods in the restroom is routine for him."

"Additionally, Warden Magellan's rest time is eight hours. After accounting for meals and other necessities, he only works for about four hours a day. This means that whatever 'important matter' you need to handle must be completed within that time frame."

Maude and Momonga were momentarily taken aback.

Four hours?

That might not be enough.

Swoosh—

Just then, the sound of flushing echoed from the restroom.

A towering figure emerged, clutching his stomach—a man with two curved horns on his head, clad in a black prison uniform.

This was Magellan, the Warden of Impel Down and a user of the Venom-Venom Fruit.

"Another hard-fought battle..."

Magellan sighed in relief, then noticed the two visitors in the room.

"Ah, you've arrived..."

His gaze lingered on Momonga for a brief moment before shifting to Maude.

Magellan wasn't particularly in favor of this whole "shadow extraction" plan, but given the current circumstances, personal opinion didn't matter. Orders were orders.

"I am Warden Magellan."

"Bacardi Maude."

Maude assessed the man before him—one whose strength was on par with that of an admiral.

After a brief exchange of introductions, Magellan got straight to the point.

"I already understand your purpose here. However, there are a large number of inmates in Level Five. Executing them one by one will take time, and we will not be assisting with the executions."

"Just take me there."

Maude nodded.

Even if the prison staff had offered assistance, he wouldn't have agreed to it.

Domino, standing to the side, seemed visibly shaken by what she had just heard. Her long bangs partially obscured her face, but shock was evident in her expression.

Killing off the inmates of Level Five, one by one?

What did that mean?

Domino's mind swirled with questions.

Unlike her, Momonga and Magellan had been prepared for this outcome.

From the moment Maude stepped into Impel Down, it had been decided—

Level Five's prisoners were doomed.

"Time is short. Let's proceed to Level Five immediately."

Magellan wasted no time.

Before setting off, he also instructed his subordinates to bring a portable toilet along.

With that, the group made their way directly to Level Five.

Down the dimly lit stone passageways, the clinking of shackles striking against cell bars echoed from afar, growing closer with every step.

As Maude and his group advanced, the clattering abruptly halted.

Then, in an instant, it erupted like a torrential storm.

Within the relentless cacophony, jeers and taunts from the inmates intertwined.

From the nearest cell, someone caught sight of Domino's figure.

"Oh, it's a woman!"

"Hey, sweetheart, come have a chat with us."

"Lift that skirt a little, will ya? Hahaha!"

The prisoners erupted in excitement.

Maude cast a sweeping gaze across them, his presence exuding an overwhelming aura.

In that instant, his Conqueror's Haki surged forth.

The once-rowdy prisoners stiffened as if struck by lightning, their bodies shuddering before they collapsed against the iron bars, unconscious.

"Hmm?"

"That was... Conqueror's Haki."

Magellan, Momonga, and Domino narrowed their eyes in astonishment, staring at Maude.

Thud.

Some of the nearby prison staff also succumbed to the Haki, their eyes rolling back as they collapsed to the ground.

Maude's control over Conqueror's Haki was still imperfect—unintended targets were inevitably affected.

However, Magellan and the other high-ranking officers were strong enough to withstand it.

"This is a screening process."

Maude glanced at the prisoners who had fallen unconscious.

For them, death was imminent.

Only those who could endure Conqueror's Haki would be suitable as shadow material.

"Conqueror's Haki..."

In the closest cell, a dozen or so prisoners who had resisted the Haki stared at Maude in shock.

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