"Then I'll take your blessing. Perhaps after I overthrow the World Government, you'll still be alive. When that time comes, I'll let you out so you can take a good look at the new world."
"Hosehsehseh. Then this old man will wait right here!"
This was no longer Red's era.
Even if Roy placed the key in front of him before leaving, Red would not open the door.
He would not accept charity from the victor of this era.
That was his own dignity and pride.
If he was going to leave, then it would either be because he escaped on his own like Golden Lion, or because the entire great prison was blown apart and crushed him to death.
However…
Red glanced at the countless extra chains binding his body, all added because that bastard Golden Lion had escaped from prison, and could not help sighing.
That bastard Golden Lion!
Truly hateful!
It seemed he had no hope of getting out in this lifetime. A riot breaking out in Impel Down? How could that possibly happen?
After finishing his conversation with Red, Roy walked up to an ice sculpture.
Inside, Byrnndi World was sunk in slumber.
"The More-More Fruit, huh… It was indeed worth being frozen for so many years. From now on, you'll follow me."
As he spoke, Roy raised his arm, which radiated a dense red glow.
"Explosive Flame Bullet!"
"Boom!"
The entire Impel Down shook.
Above, feeling that tremor, Magellan's expression darkened so much it looked like water might drip from his face.
"Hurry up and cut open that stone door in the passage! It's only one stone door, not the surrounding iron walls. A mere swordsman's slash should be enough to cut it open, shouldn't it?"
Magellan roared.
"But Warden Magellan, it seems to have been infused with thunder power. There also seems to be some strange magnetic field on it. No matter how many slashes or cannonballs we fire, they all get eroded away by that lightning!"
A jailer, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, said this.
This was insane!
There had been prison escapes before, but this time someone had actually broken in!
And the intruder was Thunder Emperor!!!
They were finished!
Their pay, evaluations, and bonuses were all gone!
"Damn it!"
Magellan slammed a heavy punch into the nearby iron wall, his gaze terrifyingly gloomy.
"Have you notified Marine Headquarters?"
"We have, but Fleet Admiral Sengoku sent word that Thunder Emperor has the ability to use Instant Transmission. By the time they arrive, Thunder Emperor may have already disappeared."
"So Fleet Admiral Sengoku told us to act according to the situation. He has already informed the World Government. The nearest agents and some special ability users from the Marines are rushing here as fast as they can!"
…
In the Infinite Hell, Roy looked at the many points of light refreshing on the Devil Fruit Radar, his eyes showing shock as he nodded.
In the cells behind him, quite a few people had died, more or less.
All of them had been Devil Fruit users.
Now that they were dead, the Devil Fruits once feared by the Marines and the World Government had once again reappeared somewhere on the sea!
And naturally, they would fall into Roy's hands.
"That's about enough."
Roy glanced at Douglas Bullet, who had been killed by him in a nearby cell, then withdrew his gaze.
As a former crewmember of the Pirate King, this guy's personality really was not very likable.
"All right, all my business is finished. Next…"
Roy clapped his hands and condensed a key out of lightning. Looking at the group of criminals staring at him eagerly from the surrounding cells, he smiled.
The Infinite Hell became lively once again.
"Yes! I want it so badly I dream about it!"
"Thunder Emperor-sama, let us out! I'm willing to join your pirate crew!"
"We'll go out and help you overthrow the World Government together!"
Looking at their current state, Roy could not help shaking his head.
Just as he was about to throw out the key, a voice rang out from a solitary cell.
"Hey. Do you have some method of identifying and locating Devil Fruits?"
"Hm? I thought you'd stay silent the whole time."
Roy turned his head and looked over.
"I didn't expect Magellan to lock you up this early, Shiryu of the Rain."
"Hah… Don't mention that bastard to me. At first, I thought he'd only throw me in here for ten days or half a month. After all, we were former colleagues…"
"But I never expected him to be so heartless and keep me locked up until now. I only killed a few prisoners, didn't I? I never killed a single jailer!"
Perhaps because he finally had someone to vent to, and because it had been too long since he had spoken to anyone, even Shiryu had become somewhat talkative.
"Forget it. Let's not talk about that. Back to the point. Do you have that kind of method?"
"I do. So what?"
"That's good."
Shiryu let out a breath. Then his gaze locked tightly onto Roy's eyes as he said, "Can you let me out, and help me find a Devil Fruit that can multiply my strength several times over?"
"Reason?"
"My loyalty," Shiryu said, enunciating each word.
"If you can do that for me, from now on, I will obey your orders unconditionally."
"Including dying?" Roy asked, looking at him.
"Including dying," Shiryu said in a deep voice. "But you won't make me die."
"Interesting."
Roy smiled.
"Deal. I'll let you out, and I'll help you find the fruit you want."
Shiryu possessed astonishing swordsmanship, and his strength was said to be equal to Magellan's. It was precisely because Impel Down had these two trump cards that it earned the title of an iron-wall prison.
He was absolutely at the level of an Emperor's right-hand man. According to the original work's corresponding positions, Shiryu should be like Marco, Katakuri, and King—a right-hand commander aboard the future Emperor Blackbeard's ship.
As for the Devil Fruit, that problem was not an issue at all. For Roy, who had basically grasped the whereabouts of all Devil Fruits, finding ten fruits that could enhance strength was simply far too easy.
If there really was no other choice, he could give Shiryu the More-More Fruit first. In any case, after several decades, that fruit would return to Roy's hands again.
"Click."
The sound of the cell door opening rang out.
Shiryu walked out from inside and took a deep breath.
"The scent of freedom."
"You'll enjoy the days to come. My pirate crew also has an extremely powerful swordsman. He has the Supreme Grade Black Blade, Yoru. You can spar with him from time to time. I believe you'll adapt to the new voyage very quickly."
As Roy spoke, he tossed a cigar out of his ring space.
(End of Chapter)
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