The pitch-black passageways twisted and turned in all directions, winding through the thick walls of Impel Down like a massive underground labyrinth.
Darkness couldn't hinder Rorschach's vision.
Thin arcs of electricity crackled from his body, extending along the tunnel walls to illuminate the path ahead while simultaneously guiding his direction.
At this moment, the remaining lightning power within him was running low.
During his battle against Bullet's Conqueror's Haki combined with Armament Haki, Rorschach had activated his overload mode, unleashing months of accumulated energy in one go, releasing an astonishing 200 million volts of lightning.
His Armament Haki reserves were also nearly depleted, with only 20% remaining.
However, thanks to the immense capacity of his deep blue Haki, he still had plenty left to rely on.
This gave him the confidence to venture deep into the tunnel alone in search of the Kamabakka Queendom.
He was currently beneath the surface of Blazing Hell, which was essentially the ceiling of Freezing Hell.
According to the manga's storyline, Level 5.5—the Kamabakka Queendom—was located between Freezing Hell and Eternal Hell.
Through his Observation Haki, Rorschach sensed the winding passage before him, leading from Blazing Hell's floor to the walls of Freezing Hell, and then continuing downward.
Despite resembling an ant nest, the tunnels were surprisingly spacious, seemingly designed to accommodate giants over ten meters tall.
Navigating through the winding paths took Rorschach over ten minutes, finally reaching the underground depths of Freezing Hell.
At the same time, his Observation Haki detected scattered, varying presences a few hundred meters away.
These weren't the auras of prisoners locked in cells on the upper levels; rather, they came from somewhere deeper within the tunnels.
It was clear—he was close to his destination.
"Ugh... can't you all quiet down?"
Palmer groggily held his throbbing head, sitting up while gently rubbing his heavily wounded right arm—courtesy of Shiryu's blade.
As he opened his eyes, Palmer froze in shock.
"Huh? Am I hallucinating? Or did I somehow escape Impel Down and end up at a bar out on the open sea?"
Before him was a massive circular hall packed with people.
Men and women dressed in a rainbow of outfits smiled brightly, waving their arms and moving their bodies rhythmically to the music playing from the stage.
On the stage stood two rows of boldly dressed men and women, surrounding a towering 4.5-meter-tall figure clad in a high-slit pink leather dress and matching high heels.
Despite wearing feminine attire, the figure had a burly, muscular build and a sharp, pointed chin. His heavily shadowed eyes and thick lips painted with vibrant pink lipstick were an overwhelming sight.
What made Palmer even more nauseous was the surrounding crowd of bulky men in ultra-short skirts, exposing their hairy legs. With stubbled faces, they wore eyeshadow and lipstick while striking suggestive poses toward the stage, letting out shrill, hair-raising screams.
Gulp.
Palmer swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Tr... transvestites?"
The muscular figure on the stage seemed to hear him and suddenly grinned, revealing a row of shining white teeth. He grabbed the microphone, pointed at the horrified Palmer, and let out a dramatic shriek:
"Yo! Palmer boy! We are NOT transvestites, you hear me? Yo~!"
"We are not men~."
"We are not men!" the flamboyantly dressed crowd echoed in unison.
"We are not women~."
"We are not women!"
Palmer's expression stiffened as he realized he had stumbled into the infamous Kamabakka Queendom, home to the Miracle Man himself—Emporio Ivankov.
"If we want to be men, we'll be men~."
"If we want to be men, we'll be men!"
"If we want to be women, we'll be women~."
"If we want to be women, we'll be women!"
"Because we are... New Humans!"
"New Humans! Woahhh! Long live New Humans!"
"Isn't this still just a bunch of transvestites?! This is disgusting! Seriously, what the hell is this place? Why am I here?"
Palmer's stomach churned violently, and he almost threw up.
"Calling us disgusting? That's so rude, Palmer boy~."
"Since you don't believe us, how about a free trial of the unrestricted gender freedom of New Humans! Shi... Ha!"
Ivankov stretched out his right hand, clad in pink gloves, with his fingernails extending a few centimeters longer. He flashed a wide grin at Palmer, who was already sensing something bad was about to happen.
Swish!
In an instant, Ivankov disappeared from Palmer's line of sight.
"Hey! What are you trying to do? We have no grudge... Aah!"
Thunk.
A muffled sound echoed as Palmer felt a sharp pain in his lower back, forcing his massive body to stiffen.
His tightly bandaged injured right arm was tugged, sending tremors of pain throughout his body.
"Damn it! You dare to attack me from behind—Mmhm~."
Furious, Palmer raised his thick left arm, ready to strike Ivankov, who had appeared behind him.
However, before he could swing, his deep, rugged voice suddenly transformed into a soft and delicate feminine tone.
"Huh? W-What's happening? My... my body?"
The ten-meter-tall giant Palmer stared in horror, unable to believe what was happening.
His once heavily muscled physique was rapidly shrinking before his very eyes.
The bulging muscles smoothed out.
His massive bones and joints were now enveloped in soft, supple flesh.
His previously broad, wall-like chest gradually rounded, becoming full, plump, and fair.
The Adam's apple in his throat slowly vanished, and his short hair grew into flowing black locks, cascading down his now delicate, curvaceous figure.
His once rugged, square-jawed face rapidly transformed into a delicate, pointed oval shape.
His large, tear-filled eyes, wide with fear and confusion, shimmered with a vulnerable beauty that would evoke sympathy in anyone who saw him.
"Aah!"
Overwhelmed by shame and fear, Palmer momentarily forgot to cover his newly transformed feminine body.
Enraged, he raised his left hand again and clenched his fist, aiming it at Ivankov, who was smirking mischievously.
"What did you do to my body?! Bastard! Turn me back!"
"A girl shouldn't be so rough~ Palmer boy~. Oops, my bad—Palmer girl."
Ivankov agilely dodged the attack, jumping back onto the stage and grabbing the microphone again.
"Careful not to expose yourself, Palmer girl~. Whether you're a girl or a boy, the most important thing is to be happy. That's the beauty of being a New Human—freedom of gender, freedom of identity, and freedom of spirit! Shi... Ha!"
"Whoooa! Lord Ivankov is amazing! Shi... Ha!"
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"