Chapter Opener Serial: Downtohell (Complete) - Eternal Hell
The elevator descended to Impel Down's deepest level and slowly opened... Chains clanked as Haiyna walked calmly down the corridor, passing cell after cell holding infamous Great Pirates who had terrorized the Sea. One cell housed Shiryu of the Rain, imprisoned after venting his resentment from the Sword Hero Grand Tournament by slaughtering several pirates held aboard multiple battleships, for which he was court-martialed and punished... How could a Great Pirate with both top-tier strength and Shichibukai status possibly have been captured? Shiryu refused to believe those cautious, effeminate Marines had taken down this woman! Haiyna calmly entered a cell specifically designed for prisoners under five meters tall, silently observing the blood-stained cell as the Female Chief Warden secured her handcuffs and leg irons to the wall. Moments later, she heard a loud Bang behind her as the door finally locked.
...
More importantly, the manager was absolutely certain...
While he was observing Giorno's face, his heart pounding like thunder, Giorno had definitely heard it!
Yet he remained silent, his gaze seeming to say, "Shhh... Don't do anything unnecessary, okay?"
In that split second of eye contact, countless possibilities flashed through the manager's mind. Most of these imagined scenarios depicted Giorno Giovanna, enraged, erupting on the spot and tearing this tiny casino from its roots, leveling it to the ground...
This was an illegal zone, after all. Even if Giorno slaughtered everyone in the casino, no pirate would come to uphold justice!
The manager yanked off his tie and let out a long exhale. "Well, if they want to sell themselves, we'll just pretend we didn't recognize them! They've already been sent to the Auction House on Grove 1. Let the vampires deal with them... What's it to us?"
Relieved from the immense pressure of the two pirates looming over him, the dealer also felt a wave of relief. However, he remained puzzled. "Once the Auction House takes them in, they'll definitely put Slave Collars on them... Those things don't have keys; forcibly removing one triggers an explosion. Doesn't Giorno know that...?"
...
Sabaody Grove 1, Slave Auction House -
Rayleigh and Liam were escorted to the auction house by the casino staff, who smoothly handed them over to the auction house personnel.
"What's with this old geezer?"
The auctioneer arrived backstage to inventory the "merchandise" and frowned deeply at the sight of Rayleigh. "How much can we even sell him for?"
"Well, my apologies then, ha ha." Rayleigh chuckled, his demeanor remarkably calm. His only regret was not having any sake to drink. Soon, a Slave Collar with a built-in explosive device was clamped around his neck.
Beside him, Liam remained equally composed, even observing the auction house with a hint of curiosity.
Their unusual composure immediately caught the attention of the auction house staff.
The auctioneer scrutinized the black-haired youth's face, then suddenly his eyes widened. "Eeh~~~?!"
He recoiled in shock, nearly falling backward, and exclaimed in disbelief, "Could you be... Giorno Giovanna?!"
The surrounding Auction House staff members were stunned by this revelation, their faces contorting into a collective "What?! Is that... the one who rose to fame at the Sword Hero Tournament, the pirate Giorno Giovanna with a 400 million Belly bounty?!"
"Oh?" Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, his mismatched eyes widening in surprise. "You sure are easy to recognize, kid!"
"Perhaps it's because..." Liam stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'm just too handsome to forget at a glance!"
As he habitually touched his chin, he heard a sharp crack. He had casually snapped the iron chains of his handcuffs.
The Auctioneer and other staff members stared in disbelief. A casual tug and the handcuffs snapped clean off?!
They all retreated several steps, glaring at Giorno Giovanna with icy sweat dripping down their faces, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Ah, they broke. My apologies," Giorno said apologetically, then added helpfully, "But we're going to put that collar around my neck anyway, right? The handcuffs breaking doesn't really matter, does it?"
"......"
The Auction House staff stared at him, dumbfounded. What was Giorno up to?
'Was he being genuine?'
'Didn't he realize that once the Slave Collar around his neck was locked, there would be no turning back?!'
'Could this be a trap?!'
Drenched in cold sweat, the Auctioneer retrieved a Slave Collar and slowly approached Giorno, his eyes never leaving the pirate. With excruciating slowness, he fastened the collar around the 400 million-Belly pirate's neck.
Finally, a sharp click.
'Idiot!' the Auctioneer inwardly screamed.
'It's locked! Really locked!'
'You actually let me put this explosive collar around your neck... Pirates, you're all arrogant fools!'
'If you try to forcibly remove this collar, you'll be blown to smithereens!'
'Hahaha…'
While the Auctioneer reveled in his triumph, Liam showed no particular reaction.
Even after the staff re-cuffed his hands, he merely grumbled, "Friend, is this really necessary?"
As if nothing had happened, Liam shook his head wordlessly and was escorted to the pre-auction preparation room with Rayleigh, the pair strolling casually as if on a leisurely walk.
...
The Auction House staff reacted with disbelief, as if they'd stumbled upon a wad of cash in the street. "A 400 million Belly Great Pirate... locked up and ready to be auctioned off by us?!" they exclaimed in wild jubilation.
"Hahahaha..."
The Auctioneer was even more ecstatic, clenching his fist in excitement. "This is incredible! Rumor has it that Giorno can freely steal Devil Fruit abilities! Such a top-tier prize... he might fetch an even higher price than the Mermaid!"
...
"Alright, just wait here. When the auction officially begins and it's your turn, someone will come to guide you."
An Auction House staff member led Rayleigh and Liam to a cavernous room behind a massive curtain, gave them a few instructions, and quickly departed.
Inside the cavernous room behind the curtain, people of all shapes and sizes sat crammed against the walls.
Most were ordinary humans, presumably being auctioned off as laborers. But Liam also spotted Longarm Race members, Longleg Race individuals, and even a furry fellow who seemed to be from the mink race.
Without exception, each person wore the same type of slave collar around their neck, the kind that would explode if forcibly removed. Consequently, their faces bore a deathly, ashen pallor.
There was no future left for them.
The auction attendees, their hearts as cold as ashes, didn't even glance up when Rayleigh and Liam were brought in. They had grown completely indifferent to their surroundings.
"It's so quiet here," Rayleigh remarked with a smile. "Perfect for a chat, don't you think?"
"Exactly," Liam replied with a grin. Together, they casually found an empty spot by the wall and sat down as if no one else were present. "Mr. Rayleigh, I've been searching for you... for six long years! Today, I finally meet you."
"Is that so?" Rayleigh chuckled heartily, genuinely surprised. "What a coincidence! This old man has been wanting to meet you too. Though I never imagined it would take you so long to reach the Sabaody Archipelago, young man..."
...
As Liam and Rayleigh chatted casually, completely oblivious to their surroundings...
The bombshell announcement, "Giorno Giovanna will be auctioned off", spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, then ten to a hundred, rapidly engulfing all seventy-nine islands of the Sabaody Archipelago.
The news was utterly shocking, explosive, and insane!
Upon hearing it, many people couldn't stay still for a moment longer!
(End Of This Chapter)
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