"Arghhh!"
The prisoner's withered hand, gripped tightly in Rorschach's palm, was crushed inch by inch as if placed under a ten-thousand-ton hydraulic press. Bones and the remaining bits of muscle were ground together into an indistinguishable pulp.
The piercing scream of agony echoed through the dimly lit Eternal Hell, momentarily silencing the surrounding wails and howls.
"You damn navy brat! I'll kill you..."
The skeletal prisoner opened his toothless mouth, emitting a sharp cry.
But in the next second, a large hand reached through the iron bars, grabbed his skull-like face, and yanked him outward!
Crack!
A grotesque sound rang out as the prisoner's head was wedged into the narrow ten-centimeter-wide gap between the bars.
The excruciating pain hit him like a tidal wave, making his eyes bulge almost out of their sockets.
His mouth gaped open, but no sound came out—only the wheezing of his breath.
For a few seconds, the vast Eternal Hell fell into eerie silence.
Then, the entire dark underground prison erupted in chaos.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of iron bars shaking violently echoed from all directions.
One by one, prisoners—either emaciated or robust, clad in black and white striped uniforms—began ramming against their cell doors with manic expressions, their bloodshot eyes fixed on Rorschach.
"Hehehe! That navy brat is interesting! Come over here and let me tear you apart!"
"Hahahaha! Useless scum! You can't even handle a baby-faced marine—what a disgrace to this level of hell!"
"Magellan! You diarrhea-ridden bastard, where did you bring this cocky navy brat from? He reminds me of that magma kid!"
Magellan coldly surveyed the surroundings, his eyes now blood-red, causing some of the more timid prisoners to retreat into the shadows of their cells.
Just as a thick purple mist was about to seep from Magellan's body, Rorschach raised his head and shot a cold glance toward one of the cells on the right wall.
"Uncle Magellan, why does Impel Down keep this trash around?"
"If it's to prevent powerful Devil Fruit abilities from escaping into the world, I can understand."
He gestured towards some of the noisiest cells.
"But some of this trash doesn't even have Devil Fruit abilities."
"And some of them only possess useless Devil Fruits."
"Wouldn't it be better to just get rid of them?"
Following Rorschach's gaze, Magellan saw a towering prisoner nearly six meters tall, with a bulbous, red nose, leering salaciously at Hibari while drooling.
"That's... the pirate, 'Heavy Drinker' Vasco Shot."
Magellan's cold eyes locked onto Shot, whose perverse grin slowly faded as the purple poison on Magellan's body receded.
Reaching into his pocket, Magellan pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Luo Xia.
"Rorschach, the same question crossed my mind the day I became the warden of Impel Down."
"As you said, I also believe that some truly heinous individuals should be disposed of to prevent future trouble."
"Aside from those with abilities that could pose a significant threat to the world, other criminals could simply be executed."
"This would reduce the burden on Impel Down and minimize potential incidents."
Magellan's gaze drifted toward an empty cell, where a pair of rusty shackles lay covered in dust.
"But unfortunately, although the prisoners are caught by the navy, their fate is decided by higher authorities."
Rorschach took the keys and walked over to Vasco Shot's cell, staring coldly at the dim-witted giant inside.
"Cleaning up a few space-wasting trash heaps won't be an issue, right?"
"At least dozens of prisoners die in Impel Down every day. As long as it's not hundreds or thousands at once—or someone particularly important—no one up top will interfere."
Magellan crossed his arms and shielded Hibari behind him, blocking the hungry, predatory gazes from countless prisoners.
Inside the Cell
Baskerville Shot's greedy eyes shifted from Hibari to Rorschach, finally settling on the set of keys in his hand.
"Heh heh heh... Honorable Navy officer, are you planning to set me free? That would be wonderful. I miss the taste of fine wine... and women."
"Yes, I'm here to take you out of here. To a much better place."
Rorschach's lips curled into a cruel smile as he reached out and inserted the key into the rusty lock.
Click!
With a crisp sound, the cell holding Baskerville Shot was unlocked.
The heavy iron door creaked as it slowly swung open, a sound not heard in years.
To the surrounding prisoners, the grating noise was music to their ears.
In an instant, heavy breathing filled the air from all directions.
Countless pairs of eager eyes fixed on Shot's cell.
Shot licked his lips, his eyes widening at the sight of the cell door opening for the first time in over a decade.
Freedom.
Just one step past this door, and he'd be free.
No...
Magellan, that troublesome warden, was still standing outside.
And he was still shackled with Seastone cuffs.
If he truly wanted to escape this wretched place, he needed to remove the Seastone handcuffs first.
Shot's eyes were glued to the keys in Rorschach's hand.
Slowly, he inched his massive body closer to the cell door, grinning as he licked his lips and said,
"Honorable Navy officer, you're really letting me go? Heh heh heh, that's amazing. Please, unlock my cuffs. I promise I won't try anything. I swear, I..."
Whoosh!
Before he could finish his words, Shot suddenly lunged forward with surprising speed for his bulky frame. His massive hands reached out—one for Rorschach's shoulder and the other for the keys.
"Heh heh heh! You let your guard down, Magellan!"
A look of ecstasy appeared on Shot's bloated face.
If he could grab the keys, unlock the Seastone cuffs, and take the young Navy officer hostage, he might truly have a shot at escaping this hellish prison!
Shot's sudden outburst sent a shockwave of excitement through the watching prisoners.
All eyes, filled with envy, locked onto the silver-haired boy as Shot lunged at him.
Facing Magellan was dangerous—deadly even.
But they had been trapped in the Eternal Hell for far too long.
Even the slightest glimmer of escape, no matter how slim or life-threatening, was worth pursuing.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed through the chamber as Shot's massive body slammed into something solid, as if colliding with a heavy Seastone wall. He stumbled backward and landed heavily on the ground.
"What the hell?"
Dazed, Shot shook his head and looked up.
At the cell door, a towering humanoid figure loomed, blocking the faint light from the corridor, casting a massive shadow that enveloped him completely.
A cold, chilling voice whispered in his ear.
"No need to rush. There's plenty of time. Today, paradise..."
"...never closes."
(End of Chapter)
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