"Don't go too far, you brat Shiliew!"
Red the Solitary was furious. "Although I'm old, my hearing is still sharp! You clearly said you were looking for the most heinous criminals earlier!"
"So what? Can't you be counted among them?"
Shiliew bit his cigar and glanced at him. "You old fossil, with a bounty of a full 3.9 billion Berries, you're the undisputed top prize in the entire sixth level! With that kind of bounty, you must have slaughtered plenty of towns for treasure back in the day. Why put on this act of nobility?"
"Bullshit!"
Red the Solitary sneered disdainfully:
"I may have stolen, but I've never stooped to indiscriminately killing civilians! As for the high bounty, that's purely the World Government fearing my immense power and slandering me! Your records are wrong!"
That actually sounded like the truth.
Thanks to Shiliew including this guy on the list, Xiano finally noticed him and couldn't help but look him up and down with interest.
Red the Solitary.
A true legend of the old era.
True to his name, he never formed a Pirate Crew or sought companions throughout his entire life.
He was someone who, through his own strength alone, once stood alongside the likes of Golden Lion, Roger, and Whitebeard.
He once defeated the former Fleet Admiral and current Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, "Steel Bone" Kong, in a one-on-one fight.
But when fighting Garp who arrived later, he was captured after just one day of battle due to exhaustion, which led to his imprisonment in Impel Down.
"Kid."
Red the Solitary noticed the gaze and glanced sideways. "Judging by your look, you've heard of me, huh? What, interested? Thinking of recruiting me as a subordinate?"
"My Observation Haki can see through a person's essence. Your aura—I've only seen something like it on that Rocks guy. You're truly an extraordinary figure!"
He smoothed his hair and proudly raised his head. "Too bad, I've been a loner all my life and would absolutely never—" His peripheral vision suddenly caught that the other had already turned and walked away, heading to the next cell.
His eyes widened instantly, his beard trembling with anger. "Hey! Brat! How rude, this old man is talking to you!"
Xiano waved his hand without looking back, only a faint voice drifting over:
"If you're old, just stay here and enjoy your retirement. I have no interest in recruiting antiquities."
Some people, it was enough just to meet them.
As for recruitment, such thoughts had never crossed his mind.
Wasting effort on an old man nicknamed "The Solitary" was purely a waste of time.
Moreover, he remembered that this guy needed to find the Vampire Fruit and restore his youth to regain even a fraction of his former self.
Otherwise, in this extremely aged body, he couldn't even defeat the Straw Hat crew from the Punk Hazard era.
Tch, that damn brat!
Red the Solitary glared angrily at their retreating backs, then suddenly grinned.
Even Roger had once knelt down, begging with snot and tears for him to join, yet today he was actually looked down upon by a junior!
Come to think of it, this guy actually killed a Celestial Dragon...
So that means you've completely torn up all pretense with the World Government and are determined to fight to the end? This dream and ambition of yours seems to be on a whole other level compared to mine.
Can it succeed?
It's difficult, very difficult...
He slowly sat back down in the corner, his murky eyes fixed on the cobweb-covered ceiling as he muttered to himself:
"Better step up your game, you arrogant brat... Don't end up becoming the second Rocks..."
————
Southeast direction.
The purple-haired little girl in the cell lifted her head, revealing a pale, delicate face, and timidly spoke: "B-big brother... are you going to kill me?"
Her eyes reddened as she pitifully said, "I... I was actually framed too. All those bad things Brother Shiliew mentioned were done by others pretending to be me, sob sob, I just..."
Whoosh!
A blade flashed, and the little girl's head fell to the ground, letting out a piercing scream, "Why! Why won't you believe me!"
The next second, she fell completely silent.
"Number nineteen, Human-Human Fruit: Lolita Form ability user, Vera."
Shiliew recorded while adding:
"She looks only eight or nine years old, but she's actually a fifty or sixty-year-old hag. If Red the Solitary was slandered in any way, this woman definitely wasn't. Just since she's been in Impel Down, over a dozen guards have died horribly at her hands because they fell for her pitiful act."
"I can tell."
Xiano said indifferently, casually flicking the blood off his blade.
He didn't even need Shiliew to say it—in his Observation Haki perception, the woman's aura of violence, malice, resentment, and other dark emotions was extremely thick, like a vengeful infant straight out of a horror movie, impossible to conceal.
"Only ten left, sir."
Shiliew looked across: "The remaining ones aren't as troublesome, mostly imprisoned in this area. The twentieth is..."
"Enough!"
A furious roar interrupted Shiliew.
In the cell opposite, a one-eyed man covered in chains slammed against the iron bars, roaring with a mix of fear and anger:
"I've had enough! Hey, you two bastards, what do you take us for? And what do you think you are!"
"How despicable!"
In another cell, a tall, dark-skinned man stood up and sneered:
"Even the World Government didn't take our lives! Since when do pirates get to play the role of justice enforcers?"
"That's right!"
The atmosphere around them suddenly grew tense. The remaining Devil Fruit ability user prisoners all stood up, shaking the bars and shouting.
"What's so impressive about bullying people who can't fight back!"
"If you've got the guts, remove our Sea Stone Shackles, let us out, and fight us one-on-one!"
"Exactly! Kid, you're so praised by Shiliew, but all you can do is attack people locked in cages!"
Facing their jeers, Xiano remained calm, merely lifting his eyelids slightly: "Fine."
"However,"
Xiano chuckled lightly, "I don't have time to deal with you one by one. All ten of you, come at me together."
"What?!" The prisoners exchanged glances, then erupted in fury. "You want to take on ten of us at once? How arrogant!"
"Do you think we're just small fry?!"
"You said it yourself, don't go back on your word!"
Shiliew watched the scene from the side, unable to suppress a low chuckle as he narrowed his eyes. He extinguished his cigar and pulled out a large set of keys from his coat. "Shall we release them now, sir?"
"Mm."
Xiano casually sheathed his blade. "Remove all their shackles. Since they're so eager to die gloriously, let's grant their wish."
"Understood."
Without the slightest hesitation or concern, Shiliew strode forward.
Clang—!
The sound of iron bars opening echoed one after another. Ten Devil Fruit Ability Users emerged from their cells, their eyes gleaming with ferocity as they savored the long-lost freedom of their bodies.
"Kid, give it your all! Only then can I truly enjoy myself!"
The one-eyed man grinned viciously, the muscles in his arms suddenly swelling as his skin took on a dark, hard, metallic luster—as if cast from bronze and iron.
A Paramecia-type Iron-Iron Fruit Ability User!
He could manifest the hardness of steel throughout his entire body, from muscles to blood vessels—and this wasn't even his full power!
"Full Coverage!"
The one-eyed man slammed his chest, and in an instant, ink-black Armament Haki enveloped his entire form, making him appear as if he'd been dredged from a vat of ink.
Dual armor, dual hardness!
"This is my indestructible body!" The one-eyed man laughed maniacally as he charged at Xiano. "Watch me crush you into paste first!"
The other nine also activated their abilities and lunged forward simultaneously!
One transformed into a deformed monster with three heads and six arms, another had white Flame Clouds of Zoan Awakening swirling behind them, while a third sprouted eerie Nine Tails from their back.
The corridor of the sixth level was instantly flooded with waves of bizarre ability energies!
"Death Breath!"
"Hundred Limbs Meat Grinder!"
"Rock Smasher!"
Ten completely different attacks converged from all directions, completely engulfing Xiano's figure.
Shiliew quietly retreated to the wall, pulled a fresh cigar from his coat, lit it, took a deep drag, and shook his head with a pitying gaze.
BOOM!!!
Amid deafening explosions and billowing dust, when the smoke cleared, all the prisoners stared wide-eyed—
The man remained standing exactly where he was, expressionless and completely unmoved. Not only was he uninjured, but even his clothes showed no signs of damage.
"Is that it?"
Xiano lifted his eyelids, unable to hide his disappointment. "I gave you the chance to join forces, yet this is all you can muster? You can't even make me take a single step..."
"Impossible!!"
The one-eyed man gnashed his teeth. "My full-power strike can shatter even the largest warship! How could..."
Thud!
A dull sound echoed as the one-eyed man instinctively looked down—only to find a fist had already pierced through his chest, leaving a gaping hole.
How... I'm an Iron-Iron Fruit Ability User with powerful Armament Haki... The one-eyed man stared blankly upward.
Bang!
The next moment, his body exploded into a mist of blood.
"First."
In a calm voice, Xiano's figure abruptly vanished from his spot.
Boom!
In the next instant, Bad King's chest caved in, and he was sent flying backward like a Cannonball, slamming into the wall and dying instantly.
"Second."
Xiano's figure reappeared mid-air, his right leg swinging horizontally like a battle-axe!
Crack—with a crisp snap, he directly twisted the head of that eerie woman with nine tails 540 degrees before embedding it into her chest cavity.
"Third one."
These vicious criminals, each of whom had once dominated their own territories, now resembled lambs awaiting slaughter, without even a chance to resist.
In just a few seconds, six more corpses lay on the ground, leaving fewer than half of them still alive.
"Monster... monster! A monster!"
The terrifying ten-meter-tall figure with three heads and six arms now had a deathly pale face, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "The power this guy possesses... it's simply not something a human could ever possess!"
"Run! Run now!"
"We're no match for him, escape quickly!"
The remaining four prisoners completely broke down, turning to flee deeper into the corridor.
"Do you really think you can escape?"
Xiano sneered coldly, lightly flicking his right index finger. Four terrifying energy forces entwined with black-red lightning instantly pierced through their backs.
Finger Pistol—he had already perfected this technique to its peak back when he was still in the East Blue.
And now, he could even combine it with Conqueror's Haki Infusion, increasing its piercing power by more than tenfold!
"..."
All four simultaneously froze in place, looking down at the blood gushing from their chests before collapsing to the ground with dazed expressions.
"Tenth one."
Xiano retracted his index finger, calmly surveying the corpses littering the ground.
Shiliew remained silently smoking his cigar nearby, though his right hand couldn't help trembling slightly. While he had anticipated this outcome in his heart...
Witnessing such efficiency—killing one person per second—was still overwhelmingly impactful...
Is this the strength of someone with a bounty exceeding five billion Berry, hailed as the strongest Sea Emperor?!
Simply undefeatable, like a god!
"Sir, the thirty Devil Fruit Ability Users have all been gathered. Have you achieved your goal?"
He instinctively lowered his posture even further, carefully offering a tissue as he asked.
"Yes, old grudges have been settled. This trip has been perfectly completed—it's time to leave."
Xiano took the tissue, wiping the blood from his hands, then suddenly turned his head, his cold gaze fixed directly on Shiliew.
"S-Sir?"
Shiliew's heart immediately tightened, cold sweat breaking out. It couldn't be... was he next...?
"Your intention remains unchanged—you still wish to follow me?" Xiano asked indifferently.
"Yes, Sir!"
Shiliew breathed a sigh of relief, without hesitation dropping to one knee, his right hand pressed against his chest, his voice more fervent and sincere than ever before:
"I've been trapped in this prison for far too long, long tired of this life. Your appearance has shown me the dawn of a new beginning!"
Arrogant, bold, domineering!
Indeed, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. After witnessing these scenes today, he became even more certain... without a doubt! The man before him is the king he is meant to follow!
"Heh."
Xiano chuckled lightly, his gaze sweeping over the prisoners in the surrounding cells who were trembling with fear:
"Then you should know one thing—my ship doesn't need bloodthirsty maniacs, nor does it need scum who bully the innocent."
"I understand, Sir."
Shiliew looked up, grinning widely:
"I admit I do enjoy the thrill of killing, but I would never harm the innocent. All those who have died by my blade over the years deserved their fate."
"Are you certain?"
"Before you, I, Shiliew of the Rain, swear every word is true!"
Xiano finally withdrew his Observation Haki perception, slightly narrowing his eyes.
Shiliew's aura was as resolute and firm as his words, showing no trace of hesitation or wavering.
It seemed to be the truth.
Come to think of it.
He had arrived at Impel Down a full three years earlier than Blackbeard, and Shiliew had consequently endured three fewer years of confinement in this sunless deep-sea prison.
Was this why his mind hadn't twisted to the extent it had when Blackbeard staged the prison break?
That made sense.
Shiliew had been imprisoned by Magellan in the sixth level, reduced to a prisoner, just before the Summit War broke out, due to his indiscriminate killing.
If this had been his inherent nature all along, Magellan would have acted sooner rather than waiting three years.
"Rise."
Xiano finally revealed a smile and extended a hand toward Shiliew, who was struggling to contain his excitement:
"Welcome to the Curtain Closers, Shiliew."
(End of Chapter)