One Piece: Start with Zanpakutō

"The ability of that navy brat's fruit is quite interesting."

"Without even using Haki, he was able to slice right through the Haki defenses of those two fools."

"They're just trash."

"Yeah, those two completely dragged down the average level of pirates on the sixth floor."

"If it were me, I could smack that little Marine kid to death even from inside this cell."

As they watched the conflict unfold, the other prisoners stretched out their necks, eager to see some fun.

Who would have thought—

Those two neighbors, neither even possessing Devil Fruit abilities, couldn't withstand a single attack from Rosen, even having their tongues cut out.

This result left them thoroughly disappointed. Some even felt that these two had completely humiliated the reputation of Infinite Hell, making a mockery of the prisoners here.

"Is this so-called Infinite Hell?"

"It doesn't seem as terrifying as they claim."

"Just a graveyard for a bunch of relics from a bygone era."

Facing the waves of ridicule and mockery coming from every direction, Rosen simply turned his gaze toward Shiryu.

Shiryu only smiled faintly.

Although he didn't speak, his look clearly said: "You'll understand soon enough."

"Little brat."

"Do you know what you just said?"

"Don't get carried away just because you beat two worthless trash."

"Every single one of us here is a monster that the World Government deemed necessary to erase from history."

As expected.

When Rosen's words fell, the prisoners inside the cages turned to look at him like starved beasts, eyes brimming with bloodlust and cruelty.

At that moment, if anyone asked Rosen what it felt like to be stared at by the majority of Infinite Hell's inmates simultaneously, they would learn—

What he felt was not mere gazes, but waves of cold, suffocating pressure, mixed with the murderous aura of countless corpses and oceans of blood, crashing over him in endless surges, tearing at his spirit and trying to crush his will.

If it were any ordinary Marine—

He would have already been scared stiff before he even thought of running.

Even a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, under the suppression of so many prisoners' killing intent, would have only one outcome, collapse and scream in terror.

On the Grand Line—

Momentum itself is also a form of power.

Although it doesn't reach the level of Conqueror's Haki, if amassed in huge quantities, it is still a terrifying force.

In Infinite Hell, even the lowest bounty for a prisoner starts at two or three hundred million, and that was from years ago.

When dozens or even hundreds of such monsters release their murderous aura and killing intent simultaneously, the entire prison turns into a true hell of slaughter.

Yes.

This was no longer just Infinite Hell—

But a killing hell.

"Now you understand."

"This is Infinite Hell."

"Unlike the previous levels, there are no guards here—because no one can control these monsters."

Shiryu silently watched Rosen, who was surrounded by waves of murderous intent, seemingly unable to escape.

In Impel Down, every level had guards.

Even the fourth level, Burning Hell, was no exception.

Only from the Fifth level onwards did you rarely see prison staff.

If the Fifth level's cold was so severe that it forced prisoners into submission, then the sixth level had no staff simply because there were too many monsters—

No matter if these monsters were locked behind bars, it didn't mean they couldn't reach out with their claws.

Just their collective murderous aura alone was enough to make almost all guards forbidden from setting foot here.

Aside from Magellan and Shiryu—

No one dared enter.

"A bunch of relics from the old times."

"Stop making fools of yourselves."

"All right?"

Facing the overwhelming tide of murderous aura, Rosen did not retreat in the slightest. Instead, a brilliant, bewitching light flashed in his eyes.

Then—

His Conqueror's Haki erupted in full force.

Ever since he refined the Haki Core Source, turning his Three Forms of Haki into Haki Seed—

Ever since fighting Tokikake and Gion, his Conqueror's Haki had reached a new height.

And after experiencing the spiritual grind of the Fifth level's extreme cold, his spirit and resolve had grown exponentially stronger.

This was the first time Rosen fully unleashed his Conqueror's Haki without restraint.

Boom—!

Although momentum is a form of power, it is ultimately rootless and ephemeral, like duckweed drifting on water. As long as one's will is strong enough, one can bear it.

But Conqueror's Haki is different.

Even if not fully advanced to an attack-type, it is still real and tangible.

Especially when infused, its destructive power can surpass Armament Haki.

At this moment—

Centered on Rosen, the Conqueror's Haki surged forth like a violent tsunami, sweeping in all directions.

Wherever it passed—

Whether murderous aura or momentum, it all evaporated as if ghosts and monsters had been exposed to blazing sunlight.

Like ephemeral illusions—

Like morning frost under the rising sun—

All retreated before this unstoppable wave of kingly might.

"Damn it!"

"This little navy brat actually has a Conqueror's Haki?!"

"Isn't the navy supposed to be cut off from kingly bloodlines?"

"In the past hundred years, aside from Sengoku and Garp, I've never heard of any other Marine possessing it!"

Faced with Rosen's sudden eruption, the prisoners' expressions changed dramatically.

Originally, they had tacitly agreed to join forces to humiliate Rosen, to toy with him like a cat with a mouse.

They never expected—

Before they could even find any amusement, they had already become the joke themselves.

Of course, as monsters of the sea, no one here would be instantly knocked unconscious by Rosen's Conqueror's Haki—

But not falling doesn't mean they could ignore it.

Their collective murderous aura had already been crushed outright.

And Rosen's raging Haki swept over them like a hammer smashing through.

It felt anything but pleasant.

Even in Infinite Hell, prisoners possessing Conqueror's Haki could be counted on one hand.

Without the spirit of a king, they could only be forced to endure.

There was no other path.

"Oh?"

"This range… truly enormous."

"To think a mere navy brat could control it to this degree?"

In that instant, some prisoners who had only given Rosen's group a passing glance finally stood up slowly.

For example—

In the deepest, darkest cell of Infinite Hell, a man in a tattered military coat, looking like a demon straight from the abyss—

At this moment.

He slowly sat up, a wild, mocking grin spreading across his face.

When his eyes fell upon Rosen, a scarlet gleam began to burn within them.

Then—

Centered on him, an equally terrifying Conqueror's Haki burst forth, roaring toward Rosen like a hurricane engulfing the sky.

"And that's Conqueror's Haki too!"

"It's him!"

"Now things are about to get interesting."

"If he targets that Marine brat, he's done for. Even Zephyr and Borsalino won't be able to protect him. After all… they don't have Conqueror's Haki."

In an instant, the prisoners' initial shock turned into sinister delight.

As if they had already seen Rosen's downfall.

"It's him."

Zephyr also turned his gaze toward the source of that monstrous Haki.

"Douglas Bullet."

Borsalino still had his usual lazy, mocking expression, but no one noticed—

Behind those sunglasses, his eyes had already grown incomparably solemn.

That was the super-monster who once rampaged across the New World, painting it red with slaughter.

Even here in Infinite Hell, he was one of the absolute apex predators.

Borsalino still clearly remembered—

Back then, it had taken the full might of the Buster Call to finally drain Douglas Bullet's strength and Haki before he could be captured and thrown into this abyss.

Yes.

At that time—

The ones leading the Buster Call were Sengoku and Garp.

... 

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