After confirming their objective, Buggy began sharing the intelligence he knew.
"There's a very quick way to get from Level 1 to Level 2 underground," Buggy said. "Just find the enormous hole in Crimson Hell, and you can drop straight down to Level 2."
According to his information, there was a direct passage leading to Level 2.
"An enormous hole?" Meiser asked curiously. "They have something like that here?"
Why would the Marines create a hole there?
Weren't they worried prisoners from this level might jump down to the next level?
If they united, it could lead to a riot.
"Exactly," Buggy nodded. "That's what my intel suggests."
"You're amazing, Buggy!" Luffy said. "Knowing so much is really helpful!"
"Hmph! Of course! Do you know who you're talking to?"
Buggy puffed up with pride at Luffy's praise, as if he were truly impressive.
'This guy really cares about his reputation,' Meiser thought, stroking his chin.
A single compliment and he's already over the moon...
"Meiser, let's go!" Luffy said.
"Right."
Meiser nodded. "First, we need to find the gate leading from Level 1 to Level 1 underground."
"The gate?"
Buggy blinked, then looked at Meiser in confusion. "Why look for the gate?"
They didn't even have a key—what was the point of finding the gate?
"To try using Earth Release Technique to pass beneath it, of course," Meiser said. "How else are we getting to the next level?"
Buggy fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Before that, I need to confirm something."
"Your Earth Release Technique... can't take us directly to the next level, can it?"
Meiser looked at Buggy with surprise. Had this guy figured out the key issue?
Then he replied, "No, we can't go directly."
"The floor here contains some special material that lacks earth elements, so I can't take you straight through. But... I can still take us a few meters down."
After a pause, he continued, "If the gate's structure is the same as here, I can take us beneath it, and we can use the spiral staircase to descend."
"I've already gotten the gate's location from the jailers."
As Meiser explained, Buggy fell into deep thought.
There were actually restrictions like this here?
Well, if Meiser could really go straight to the next level, they wouldn't need him along.
"Then let's go," Buggy said, looking up. "We'll head to Level 1 underground first."
Though they could jump down from the surveillance room's walls... falling from such a height was far too risky.
If they were caught, they'd all be dead.
"Right."
Meiser nodded, activating Earth Release Technique to move swiftly until they reached the area near the gate.
Soon, the three emerged from underground.
"This must be the place."
Staring at the massive gate in the distance, Meiser narrowed his eyes and remarked, "That gate is truly enormous."
Judging by its appearance, the gate seemed to be constructed from a special blend of wooden materials and iron. A Wind Release Technique should be capable of slicing through it.
"So, can we pass through?" Buggy asked.
"Let me check."
Instead of answering immediately, Meiser quickly dashed toward the gate and placed his hand on the ground beneath it, carefully sensing its composition.
After a moment, he declared, "We can!"
The material beneath hadn't changed—Earth Release Technique could still be used here.
"That's a relief," Buggy sighed.
If Earth Release hadn't worked, their only option would have been to attempt jumping from the surveillance tower's heights.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Luffy urged.
Since they'd confirmed they could bypass the gate, there was no point wasting any more time.
Without another word, Meiser activated his Earth Release Technique, pulling all three of them underground. They swiftly passed through the massive reinforced wooden gate and emerged on the other side at a spiral staircase.
After some stealthy maneuvering, they successfully reached the first underground level!
"Perfect, we're in the first underground level now," Buggy exhaled in relief before puffing out his chest and laughing boisterously. "Yahahaha!"
"Now let's charge straight for that giant hole!"
With this momentum, they wouldn't even need to face that damn Magellan to rescue Fire Fist Ace!
And after that... they'd slip away unnoticed and return to the open seas!
The thought made Buggy even more excited.
Ignoring him, Meiser focused on sensing the terrain below. After a pause, he muttered, "Seems the material here is the same as the previous level."
Shaking his head, he turned to Buggy. "Buggy, point me toward that hollow space."
"Hmm... should be the center, I think," Buggy replied after some thought. "I remember someone mentioning the center."
"The center, huh."
Meiser nodded and manipulated the Earth Release Technique, carrying all three of them rapidly through the corridor beyond the gate toward the distant area.
But the moment they entered Crimson Hell, Meiser's expression darkened.
"What's this... a blade?"
Seeing the approaching crimson blade, Meiser immediately halted their advance and unsheathed his Grass Sword, slicing it cleanly in half.
Clang!
Squelch!
Staring at the severed red blade on the ground, Meiser frowned. "What is this thing?"
The cut end... was oozing liquid?
Was this some kind of plant?
"I think I heard metal clashing just now..." Buggy muttered, confused. "What happened?"
As he spoke, he moved closer to Meiser.
But the moment he stepped near, his foot landed on the severed crimson blade.
Squelch!
In an instant, Buggy's foot was sliced open.
Buggy: ???
"What the hell is this?!" Buggy exclaimed in shock.
Why had his foot just been cut open?
"We encountered some strange things," Meiser said. "There are these red plant-like objects sharp enough to rival swords."
"Rival swords..."
Buggy froze momentarily before grimacing. "Those must be the roots of Sword Trees and Needle Grass... I never expected their roots to be this sharp. This is truly surprising."
'If the underground is entirely covered with these roots... we probably won't be able to travel underground anymore,' Buggy thought to himself.
Those damn Marines really knew how to make things difficult!
"Sword Trees and Needle Grass?" Luffy asked, puzzled. "What are those?"
"Extremely unique plants," Buggy explained. "Once matured, their bodies become as hard as steel and razor-sharp—capable of slicing through flesh effortlessly!"
"And this Crimson Hell is filled with such plants!"
Precisely because of these two extraordinarily dangerous plants, the prisoners here suffered torment worse than death.
"There are actually plants like that in this world?!" Luffy exclaimed, shocked.
Plants that could rival steel... That was incredible!
"Of course, and we just ran into them," Buggy said. "But these things mean nothing to me."
As a user of the Chop-Chop Fruit, he had no fear of slashing attacks. Even if all of them struck him, they wouldn't inflict a single wound!
Thinking this, Buggy burst into smug laughter.
"Yahahahaha!"
Meiser: "???"
While observing the strange plants, Meiser glanced at Buggy. "What's wrong with you now?"
Buggy: "..."
He really disliked this Ninja.
Ignoring the guy who seemed like he was being choked, Meiser turned to Luffy. "Looks like we can't travel underground anymore."
"Why not?" Luffy asked. "Can't we just go around the plants?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Meiser shook his head. "While Buggy was explaining earlier, I used Earth Release Technique to expand the underground tunnel a bit... only to find the path ahead completely packed with these things."
"Completely?"
"Completely!" Meiser nodded. "The roots of these plants have burrowed deep underground—at least several meters long."
"They go that deep?!" Luffy gasped. "These plants are that strong?"
"Well, this place was built centuries ago."
They might have been growing here for hundreds of years—it wouldn't be impossible for their roots to reach such depths.
"Guess we have to go up, then," Buggy said, looking upward. "Meiser, take us up."
Clearing the roots underground would be too slow, and there was a risk of guards noticing the disturbance.
So... might as well fly above!
With his speed, he could reach the center in no time.
Instead of immediately complying, Meiser asked, "What's your plan?"
"I'm a split man who ate the Chop-Chop Fruit," Buggy explained. "As long as my body is separated from my feet, I can fly through the air, allowing me to reach the center at the fastest speed possible."
Although there was still a risk of being discovered, it was... at least better than slowly digging a tunnel below.
"Chop-Chop, huh..." Meiser mused, stroking his chin. "If only you could split other things too."
That way, they could rely on Buggy's Devil Fruit ability to silently create an opening below.
"Idiot, that's impossible!" Buggy retorted. "I can only split my own body!"
If he could really split other objects or people, he'd be invincible!
"Then this fruit is pretty mediocre."
Buggy:
Feeling utterly insulted, Buggy opened his shark-like mouth and roared, "You damn ninja! You think I wanted to eat this Devil Fruit?!"
"If it weren't for Shanks..."
Just mentioning this sent Buggy into a rage.
If not for that bastard Shanks, he would never have eaten this Devil Fruit.
Now, as a landlubber, he couldn't even retrieve treasures from the sea.
"Speaking of which, how did you end up like this?" Meiser asked curiously, eyeing Buggy. "I heard from Uncle Rayleigh that Red-Haired Shanks is now one of the Four Emperors of the New World, while you..."
If he remembered correctly, Buggy's bounty was just over ten million Berries.
Both were apprentices from the Pirate King's ship—why such a huge gap?
"Bastard, what are you implying?!" Buggy immediately flared up. "Are you saying I'm worse than Shanks?!"
Meiser: —
Wasn't that obvious?
One was a Four Emperor of the New World, the other a small-time pirate in East Blue—the difference was staggering.
Ignoring Meiser's thoughts, Buggy continued, "That guy Shanks—don't think becoming a Four Emperor changes how I see him!"
At that moment, scenes from the past flashed through Buggy's mind.
Since childhood, Shanks had been the captain's favorite, while he... was like an overlooked child.
Yes, Shanks was a genius, but... he refused to accept it!
Why could Shanks do it, but not him?!
After accidentally eating the Devil Fruit and losing his swimming skills, he gradually faced reality.
Back then, he realized he could never catch up to Shanks.
Though resentful, he knew Shanks was the one who could inherit the captain's will.
So he abandoned all dignity and pride—even if just as a supporting role, he would help Shanks become the Pirate King!
After all... Shanks was the man who could inherit everything from the captain!
But on the day of the captain's execution, that bastard said it wasn't the right time, that he wasn't the one to become the Pirate King?!
The genius boy the captain had doted on since childhood—how could he say such nonsense?!
It infuriated him so much he wanted to kill that bastard on the spot!
So... even if Shanks became a Four Emperor of the New World, he still looked down on him!
Looking at Buggy, who was so angry he seemed about to burst a blood vessel, Meiser remarked, "It seems you and Shanks... have quite a history."
"Hmph, more than I can count!"
If he were to tell it as a story, it would take three days and three nights to finish!!
Unfortunately, he had no interest in recounting such things—just thinking about that bastard made him furious, so it was better not to dwell on it.
Thus, Buggy said, "Let's end the topic of him here. I can't be bothered to bring him up again."
Meiser nodded and didn't press further.
After all, he was merely curious—it wasn't as if he desperately needed information about Shanks.
Because... he wasn't Luffy!
"Get ready. We're heading out." Meiser looked up toward the heights and said, "Let's aim to reach that cave entrance as quickly as possible!"