Rumble!
The massive Slash Waves instantly filled every cell on Level 1, tearing through the space. Screams, howls, and pleas for mercy filled the air for a few brief seconds before everything fell into an abyss-like silence. Blood and corpses coated the entire space, turning it into a scene straight out of hell. At that moment, besides Adrian and Betty, there was no other living person on the entire floor.
"Ugh..." Betty bent over and retched. Even though she was a seasoned warrior who had seen many cruel sights, this deeply shocked her. The seemingly harmless Adrian had become a bloodthirsty demon king in her eyes.
"If... if I don't agree to join, will I end up like them?" Betty asked bravely.
"What do you think?" Adrian replied with a smile. Although he didn't give a direct answer, Betty understood. Her face turned pale, and she instinctively took a few steps back, as if a little distance away from Adrian would make her feel safer.
Betty was terrified. She now understood why Adrian had brought her to Impel Down. This monstrous man was showing her, through his actions, that she had two options: surrender or die.
Adrian smiled slightly, ignoring Betty's dazed state. He took a step forward, and a staircase appeared, leading to the next floor. A moment later, there was a loud thud behind him. In Betty's horrified eyes, a pitch-black coffin slowly rose from the ground.
Clank!
Countless black chains, like ghostly claws, shot out from the open coffin, dragging the corpses on the ground inside.
"Hey... Lord Adrian, wait for me!" Betty's voice was frantic. The sight of the black coffins scattered around gave her a chilling feeling. Level 1 had been transformed into a macabre cemetery. The only sounds were Adrian's footsteps and Betty's panicked, ragged breathing, punctuated by the occasional drip of blood from the walls. The vast space was eerily silent. Without a word from Adrian, Betty began to trot, closing the distance between them. She had made her choice.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for obtaining "Entry-Level Taijutsu Grandmaster." Since it does not exceed the Host's own level, it will be automatically converted into corresponding experience!]
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for obtaining the special sword skill "One Sword Style: Soaring Dragon"!
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for obtaining "Entry-Level Armament Haki." Since it does not exceed the Host's own level, it will be automatically converted into corresponding experience!]
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for obtaining "Entry-Level Observation Haki." Since it does not exceed the Host's own level, it will be automatically converted into corresponding experience!]
[...]
When Adrian and Betty arrived at Level 2, the Wild Beast Hell, the five-minute [Common Plundering] time had just finished. A series of reward notifications sounded in his mind.
To Adrian, aside from the monsters on Level 6, the prisoners on the other floors were basically useless. But with Impel Down's defenses in shambles, no one could interfere with his actions. He couldn't pass up such a great opportunity. Even if he didn't get any useful abilities, there was no loss. Besides, were any of these criminals innocent? Adrian felt no mercy as he killed them.
"My... my lord, are you going to kill your way down to Level 6?" Betty's voice trembled as she saw Adrian pull out his two swords again.
"You were only half-right before," Adrian said with a smile, answering her previous question. "I did come to Impel Down to recruit subordinates. But unlike Blackbeard, I'm looking for people who are worthy of being called legends."
His real targets were the "Demon's Heir" Douglas Bullet and Redfield "Red the Aloof". Adrian's Observation Haki had sensed them the moment he entered Impel Down. They were currently moving through Levels 4 and 5, respectively, but weren't together, which was to be expected from two solitary powerhouses.
Adrian also sensed another powerful presence on Level 6. It was likely Byrnndi World, the "World Destroyer," who was as famous as Roger and Whitebeard. He had been frozen for 30 years and was still on Level 6. Thinking about his More-More Fruit power—the ability to increase the size and speed of objects by hundreds of times—Adrian's lips curled into a smirk. Blackbeard was already complacent after recruiting just four men. Little did he know that Adrian was about to become the biggest winner of this trip to Impel Down.
"Lion: Thousand Slice Valley!" Without the slightest hesitation, Adrian brought his two swords down. A wave of golden slashes shot out, filling the air.
Time seemed to stop. Then, screams and wails of agony echoed through the entire Level 2 Wild Beast Hell.
"Ah..." Betty quickly covered her eyes. She couldn't watch the gruesome scene. But the powerful smell of blood that filled the entire floor made her vomit again. Betty began to suspect that Adrian might truly be the reincarnation of a demon. How else could someone possess such a deep-seated desire to kill?