Impel Down.
An elderly man with silver hair and a thin build arrived at the entrance of Eternal Hell, guided respectfully by a group of jailers.
He wore a snow-White military uniform and stood over two and a half meters tall.
An awe-inspiring aura emanated from him.
"Admiral Haines, Warden Columbus is waiting for you in Eternal Hell. Please, let me lead the way."
A young boy with wings on his back and two horns on his head, carrying a standard halberd, extended his hand to guide him.
Haines smiled at the boy. "Thank you for your hard work, Magellan."
Magellan snapped a salute, his voice immature yet loud and clear:
"It is my honor to serve Justice! Besides, this isn't hard work at all. The ones working hard are you, Admiral Haines, and Warden Columbus—the Admirals who exhaust yourselves on the front lines for the cause of Justice!"
Haines patted Magellan's shoulder with satisfaction. "Do your duty in your position, Magellan. With such determination for justice, I believe that one day, you will stand on the front lines against evil just like us. Work hard, future Warden of Impel Down."
Magellan snapped another salute. "Following Justice has always been my dream! I will surely carry it out! Even if I have to give my life for it!"
"No need to be so serious, relax a bit."
Haines looked at the boy who saluted at every turn, feeling a sense of envy for the hot-bloodedness and vigor of youth.
Following behind Magellan, they descended the spiral staircase to the sixth level, Eternal Hell.
At first glance, he saw a giant man holding a three-pointed scythe, standing in the middle of the corridor.
Haines greeted him with a smile.
"Columbus, long time no see. You're looking spirited. What are you doing? Why haven't you left for the New World yet? The Headquarters' side should have already set out."
"I was waiting for your arrival,"
The giant man holding the massive scythe said in a deep, thick voice.
The giant man, Columbus as Haines called him, was the current Warden of this great underwater prison.
He was a member of the Oni Race.
He stood over six meters tall.
Two sharp horns grew from his head.
His body was somewhat slender, but not weak.
Standing in the dim Eternal Hell with a scythe in hand, he truly looked as terrifying as a Grim Reaper walking out of hell.
"Oh? Waiting for me for what?" Haines walked closer.
Columbus pointed toward a nearby cell.
"Next, I need to cut some shadows from them to keep in reserve. I need you to assist me a bit."
"Although these prisoners have been detained for a long time and their bodies are very weak,"
"They are, after all, major criminals who once roamed the seas. The danger is high. Even I must be cautious to prevent any accidents."
"Major criminals? Heh, you think too highly of them." Haines swept a disdainful glance over the prisoners in the cells. "I remember you've been collecting prisoners' shadows all along, haven't you? Hadn't you cut these prisoners' shadows before?"
Columbus gripped his scythe and signaled Magellan to open a cell door, and the two of them walked in.
He reached out toward the shadow of a pirate who was shackled in Sea Stone, looking as gaunt as firewood with a weak aura...
A strange sight appeared.
As his large hand grabbed downward,
The shadow beneath the pirate's feet was like a black sticker, being ripped from the ground by Columbus with a tearing sound.
Then, amidst the prisoner's enraged struggles and even resistance, Columbus swung his scythe, cutting off the shadow at the prisoner's feet and catching it in his hand.
The prisoner whose shadow had been cut off rolled his eyes and fainted instantly.
Columbus proceeded to the next prisoner and repeated the process.
He explained to Haines behind him while he worked.
"It's not that simple."
"Although I am the master of shadows and can cut and collect people's shadows,"
"There is a limit to the number of shadows I can collect."
"The number of shadows collected is determined by my own physical strength, the depth of my Devil Fruit development, and the strength of the shadow's owner."
"Given that my own state remains unchanged, the stronger the shadow's owner, the fewer I can harvest and store."
"For prisoners of this level in Eternal Hell, I can only collect a hundred of their shadows at most."
"At most?" Haines shook his head in amazement upon hearing this. "Being able to collect a hundred shadows of Eternal Hell prisoners is already quite ridiculous, isn't it?"
"In this prison, once you take their shadows, even if their Sea Stone shackles are removed, they wouldn't dare to run out recklessly."
"Without their shadows, even if they escape, they cannot survive under the sunlight."
"Combined with the natural barrier of the Calm Belt,"
"Here, Columbus, you are the undisputed King of Hell."
Columbus raised the shadow in his hand. "I wouldn't dare claim to be the King of Hell. I only hope that using these prisoners' shadows can be of help in the upcoming great war."
"It definitely will! When the time comes, please be sure to stuff a few more shadows into me. This time, let's test the edge of Rocks together!"
"No problem!"
Columbus agreed with a smile.
They were busy for several dozen minutes.
Once Columbus finished collecting,
The group walked out.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Columbus whispered to Haines, "Haines, what do you think about the Marine top brass sending someone to be an undercover agent in the Rocks Pirates?"
Haines thought for a moment. "Are you talking about... White's young son? I remember his name is Carlo, right?"
Columbus nodded. "Yes. Sorus Karlo. I have a deep impression of him.
Two years ago, to train his own spirit, he specifically came to me and, in the identity of a prisoner, personally experienced all the tortures in the sixth level of hell.
The kind of almost insane pursuit of his own strength he showed back then left me greatly shocked.
He is a very talented man. I thought he would stay at Marineford and follow his father's path, but I didn't expect him to go and become an undercover agent."
However, hearing this, Haines let out a displeased cold snort. "It might not really be to go undercover. Maybe he's playing the role for real—undercover on the surface, but actually becoming a pirate."
Columbus was stunned by his words and looked down. "Why would you think that? I don't see him as the lawless type; he shouldn't abandon his own justice and choose to be a pirate, right? Don't forget, his father died at the hands of Rocks."
"Shouldn't?"
Haines sneered. "Columbus, you've stayed in Impel Down for so long and seen so many pirates and criminals. Have you still not figured out how to judge a person?"
"To judge whether a person is righteous or evil, you don't need to listen to what he says, but look at what he does."
"If you understood his lifestyle over these years, you would know that White's son is an ambitious man diametrically opposed to his father."
"Living a debauched life, treating money as nothing, being competitive, and being harsher on himself than on his enemies—to become stronger, he can torture his own body and mind to an almost perverted degree. This kind of person is a natural-born pirate!"
"Look at the King of the Prodence Kingdom who died at his hands not long ago."
"Hmph! If you don't believe me, just watch. This kid will surely walk a path completely opposite to his father's in the future!"