The next day.
On the fourth floor of Impel Down.
After breakfast, Rosen, Zephyr, Borsalino, and Shiryu set out once again.
As for Domino, she did not accompany them this time. Instead, she stayed behind in the scorching hell, responsible for preparing lunch for Rosen and the others.
Meanwhile,
On the sixth floor—Infinite Hell—it remained as dark and oppressive as ever. But after yesterday's incident, the once stagnant and deathly silent floor had suddenly become lively.
The prisoners, who usually avoided talking, were now whispering among themselves.
Obviously.
The death of the "World Destroyer" Brynndi World had touched a nerve.
"Do you think those Navy bastards will come today?"
"Of course they will. Look at that old man Zephyr's attitude yesterday. It's clear he's determined to use us as live training dummies for his student."
"'Training partner'—hah! What a nice-sounding name. We're not partners; we're livestock. No—worse than livestock. We're disposable consumables to them, to be used and discarded at will."
"We are prisoners of the sixth floor! Out there, each of us was once a king among pirates. How could the World Government just let them toy with us like this?"
"Enough talk. If they come again today, no matter who they choose, we must make that marine named Rosen and that old bastard Zephyr understand the price."
"Yes... We must let them see clearly. Whose territory is Infinite Hell, after all?"
...
Voices layered atop each other, one after another.
Soon enough.
These lawless monsters reached a silent consensus.
Part of it was to vent their rage. After all, every pirate locked in this floor was once a lawless overlord.
None of them could tolerate being so humiliated and used.
The other reason was self-preservation.
They had to make Zephyr understand—if he dared to use prisoners from the sixth floor as mere fodder, he had to be prepared to pay with his student's life in return.
Snap—
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the entrance to Infinite Hell.
In an instant, the entire floor fell silent.
All the prisoners in their cells fell mute, but their ferocious, vicious eyes flashed silently, communicating like wild beasts ready to pounce.
"Hmph... even quieter than yesterday."
"Trash, a lot of them."
Zephyr stepped into Infinite Hell, sweeping his gaze across the entire floor like a lion inspecting his hunting ground.
What surprised him slightly was that the prisoners—who had once glared at him defiantly—now avoided his gaze, each one turning away without a sound.
Zephyr didn't think too deeply about it.
He simply believed that Brynndi World's death yesterday had served as a bloody warning to all of them.
Afraid of being singled out to become the next "World Destroyer" to be executed, they had obediently lowered their heads.
"Has the ferocity and bloodlust in your bones truly been worn away by the endless imprisonment?"
Borsalino couldn't help but muse to himself as he watched.
Only Shiryu, seeing this scene, had a flash of light in his eyes. Then, as if he had realized something, the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a cold, meaningful grin.
Unlike Zephyr and Borsalino.
As the warden of Impel Down, with a bloodthirsty nature himself, Shiryu often descended to Infinite Hell for amusement. He knew these prisoners better than anyone.
Long years of darkness and endless imprisonment—yes, it could reduce these once-mighty rulers of the sea to remnants of a bygone era. But it would never strip them of their deep-rooted savagery.
That cruelty, more ferocious than any Sea King, had long become etched into their very bones.
It could not be erased.
It could only be transcended through death.
"Heh... Now, this is going to be interesting."
"At the very least, it will be far more entertaining than yesterday."
"If he still fights like yesterday... today might very well be his last day in Impel Down."
Shiryu glanced at Rosen, who appeared completely unaware. The cruel smile on his face widened.
To him, this was just another mission.
As long as the prisoners didn't escape, it made no difference whether it was Rosen who killed the prisoner or the prisoner who killed Rosen.
That was precisely it.
Even though he had sensed at the first moment that these prisoners were plotting something foul, Shiryu had no intention of warning them. He merely stood back to watch with cold eyes.
"Teacher Zephyr."
"Who's performing today?"
Rosen turned to Zephyr.
Yesterday afternoon, after forging the magic spear, he hadn't tried to Forge out any new abilities. Instead, he spent time sorting through and consolidating his existing powers. He lived like Borsalino:
Reading newspapers.
Drinking tea.
Trimming nails.
Eating well.
Sleeping deeply.
Morning—actual combat training.
Noon—Refining and nourishment.
Afternoon—creation of new techniques.
The rest of the time—proper rest and leisure.
His whole routine was built on a single principle: balance between exertion and recuperation.
When Zephyr saw Rosen's seemingly lazy attitude, for the first time ever, he did not scold him nor accuse him of slacking.
Because he understood deeply: this was Rosen's way of growing.
Under that seemingly laid-back exterior, Rosen's Three Forms of Haki, physical skills, and fruit abilities were continuously evolving at a monstrous speed—every second, every breath.
It was no exaggeration at all.
Compared to yesterday's Rosen, today's Rosen was a completely different creature.
Zephyr understood this all too clearly.
As the Navy's top instructor, he knew that his true duty was to provide Rosen with a stage for growth, occasionally offering guidance.
As for the rest—he did not need to interfere.
"Geber."
Zephyr took out the list he had meticulously compiled and fixed his gaze on the second name.
"Senior, have you ever heard of this name?"
Rosen asked Borsalino.
These past few days, whenever he had spare time, Rosen would read old newspapers, absorbing information about past events on the Grand Line. Or he would listen to Zephyr and Borsalino recount tales of those great pirates who never appeared in the official records—those hidden legends.
But no matter whether it was from the original story or his recent research, there was no mention of a pirate or incident related to "Geber."
"Nope."
Borsalino shook his head.
"Could he be a remnant from the Rocks era?"
Rosen was a bit surprised.
If even Borsalino had never heard of him, then this Geber's existence truly belonged to the distant mists of an old age.
"Not that far back. He's only from a few years ago."
"You've never heard of him because before he was imprisoned in Infinite Hell, he wasn't a pirate at all. He was the Chief of CP0."
Zephyr's voice was deep and heavy.
"...CP0. And not just any agent—he was the Chief."
"And the Celestial Dragons were willing to throw their most loyal hound into Impel Down?"
When Rosen heard this, his eyes lit up in surprise.
From the moment Rob Lucci became CP0's chief and dared to act high and mighty before Sakazuki, it was clear just how deeply these so-called "strongest shields" were trusted and favored by the Celestial Dragons.
Otherwise, Lucci wouldn't have dared to mock the Four Yonkos and look down on even the Fleet Admiral.
Of course, he only dared to act tough in front of Sakazuki and Straw Hat Luffy. If it were Sengoku or Garp, or even Zephyr—heh, try acting arrogant then.
Either he would be slapped into the wall.
Or carried out on a stretcher.
...
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