"Tell me about it."
Faced with Rosen's request to handle the matter himself, Shiryu seemed intrigued, not rejecting the idea outright.
"Let the thirteen pirates who just attacked me have a good meal."
"And Catarina Devon and the other three as well."
"Try to give them the best food possible today."
Rosen's words exceeded Shiryu's expectations and shocked the thirteen prisoners who had just been bewitched by an unknown voice to join forces against him.
They all believed that after Rosen escaped and suppressed the riot, he would definitely strike them down in retaliation.
Yet unexpectedly, Rosen not only refrained from killing them immediately, but even ordered Shiryu to give them a fine meal.
"You're going to treat the very prisoners who just tried to kill you to a meal?"
"Why?"
"Can I know the reason?"
Shiryu's gaze locked onto Rosen.
If it had been him in that situation, he would have slaughtered the thirteen prisoners the moment he escaped danger. Catarina Devon and the other two would not have been spared either.
"In my hometown, even the most heinous criminals are given a full meal before execution."
"It's called the last meal."
Rosen revealed the origin of the tradition.
"Just because of this?"
Shiryu stared at him.
He didn't deny Rosen's nature, but his kindness was never cheap—certainly not something he would waste on prisoners of Infinite Hell.
"Eat and drink your fill before you set foot on the road."
"The road to hell is not an easy one."
"Compared to those prisoners who are beheaded in an instant, their journey will be far harsher. Especially the unlucky ones, like Catarina Devon over there. She'll probably have to face death dozens of times before she truly dies."
Rosen's chuckle made all the prisoners—especially Catarina Devon—shiver.
"I suddenly feel that compared to those prisoners erased from history in Infinite Hell, you're even more terrifying than they are."
Shiryu's pupils shrank.
Even someone as bloodthirsty as him couldn't help feeling a chill from Rosen's words.
Attacked, yet remaining calm and composed.
Not only did he refrain from killing his attackers, he wanted to feed them.
Then, in the days to come, those same prisoners would face death again and again, only to survive each time.
This so-called last meal was no act of mercy—it was the cruelest punishment for the prisoners of Infinite Hell.
A final feast before being forced through endless cycles of life and death, until Rosen's training was complete and they were discarded.
"The prisoners in Infinite Hell are monsters. The pirates in the New World are monsters among monsters. To deal with them, you must first become like them… or even more terrifying."
"Otherwise, how can you defeat them?"
Hearing this, Rosen nodded in satisfaction.
Borsalino and Zephyr, listening nearby, silently agreed.
"Alright, I'll do it."
Shiryu thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Thanks."
"As for the cost of the meal, just put it on my tab. I'll pay you back from my salary once I graduate."
In truth, Rosen was still a Naval Academy student. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't had a single berry to his name. All his needs were provided by Navy Headquarters.
"No need. If you hadn't come, the prisoners on the sixth floor would be rotting here for life. That means Impel Down would have to feed them for life."
"Thanks to you, Rosen, Infinite Hell now has neither overcrowding nor budget problems. After all, we won't be keeping these bastards around much longer."
"The cost of their final meal will just come from their original food allowance."
A rare hint of humor touched Shiryu's voice.
"Fine."
Rosen laughed and shook his head.
They chatted easily, but none of the prisoners in Infinite Hell behind them could laugh.
Death alone was frightening enough. Not every pirate was Gol D. Roger, able to meet it with a smile.
Far worse was knowing they would have to brush against death's edge over and over before the end finally came.
Death was like the wind—always at their side.
How could the remnants of the LV6 era endure such terror?
If they truly weren't afraid of death, they would have chosen suicide long ago in this darkness.
Those who remained either feared death… or clung to life.
Once the arrangements for the final meal were made, Rosen left Infinite Hell without lingering.
"Did Rosen remind you of something?"
On the way back to the fourth floor, Zephyr asked curiously.
He couldn't recall Shiryu ever being this cooperative. Even Domino, another prison officer, turned a blind eye rather than offer such a reminder.
"Not directly."
"But indirectly… yes."
"He repeated one thing more than once: the prisoners on the sixth floor cannot be manipulated."
Rosen explained.
Of course, Shiryu wasn't acting out of kindness—he admitted himself it was just to relieve boredom.
Even without Shiryu's hints, today's riot would have ended the same way.
"Don't get too close to him."
"Every time I see that man, I think of familiar figures."
"The Rocks Pirates."
Zephyr's voice was grave.
Rosen said nothing, only nodded.
Zephyr meant well.
As for Shiryu—if he truly returned to his old path, Rosen would cut him down without hesitation.
"Senior."
"What's on your mind?"
"Since we left Infinite Hell, you've been preoccupied."
Rosen pushed open the office door, eyeing Borsalino, who had been silent since their return.
"Nothing. I just find it strange."
"Forget the thirteen prisoners who attacked you—their behavior before and after was odd. It wasn't the mindset of men ready to risk everything. Take Catarina Devon and Vasco Shot, for example—you nearly killed them yesterday."
"They clearly had the power to awaken their Devil Fruits, yet they kept it hidden. Who hides that when facing death?"
Borsalino boiled water for tea as he spoke:
"In the end, they all hid their awakenings. It's as if they knew you wouldn't kill them yesterday, saving their trump cards for today—waiting for the best chance to strike."
"Thirteen non-fruit users attacked at once. Heavy Drinker and Crescent Moon Hunter hid their awakenings. The Corrupt King's Fist joined in. And when Zephyr and I made our move, Bullet and Redfield suddenly unleashed their Conqueror's Haki."
"Put it all together, and it feels like someone was pulling the strings—uniting this chaotic mess of prisoners and launching today's riot."
Rosen frowned in thought.
He felt the same.
Today's assault in Infinite Hell didn't seem like coincidence—it reeked of planning, coordination, and intent.
"Patrick Redfield."
As they pondered, Zephyr suddenly spoke a name.
...
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