One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

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"How is this possible!?"

Shiryu of the Rain's expression changed.

An overwhelming chill rushed out.

He stared intently at the knife technique he had used with all his strength. He slashed fiercely at Wilhelm's neck, but there was no scar, no trace of blood—Wilhelm was completely unharmed.

Holding his trembling sword, Thunderstorm, Shiryu was confused. "Is this... your Devil Fruit ability?"

"No," Wilhelm replied, shaking his head lightly. "I was born with tough skin and iron bones. My skin is as hard as steel, completely invulnerable..."

"Hiss—" Shiryu gasped in disbelief.

Those sharp golden eyes stared at him, full of indifference. Wilhelm continued, "Do you want to continue?"

"No need!" Shiryu of the Rain sighed in frustration. "Even with Armament Haki, I can't hurt you. No matter how hard I try, it's impossible!"

He was a man of great pride.

Young and full of energy, he couldn't easily accept being inferior to others.

Even though he had lost to Wilhelm and knew there was a vast difference in their abilities, he couldn't bring himself to submit. But now, he felt completely defeated.

He couldn't even scratch Wilhelm, no matter how hard he tried.

For the first time, he truly saw what it meant to face a "monster."

Born with unbreakable skin and iron-like bones, invulnerable to blades and bullets...

If he remembered correctly, Wilhelm was only fifteen years old!

Such terrifying talent was so exaggerated it made his skin crawl.

Shiryu couldn't even imagine how strong Wilhelm would be once he fully matured.

"It's a shame for someone like you to be stuck here. You're wasting your potential..."

Wilhelm shrugged, showing a hint of regret. He turned and walked toward the cells. "But it doesn't matter. You'll come around sooner or later… As long as you don't stand in my way, I can give you time to decide."

He knew Shiryu well enough to realize that, with his personality, he wouldn't stay in Impel Down forever. Considering Shiryu's impressive talent and strength, Wilhelm could afford to give him some time to decide whether to follow him.

But as long as Shiryu didn't interfere with his plans.

Shiryu stared at Wilhelm's retreating figure, his innate nobility and aloof aura making it impossible to ignore him. Taking a deep breath, Shiryu spoke without hesitation.

"No, I don't need to think about it..."

"Oh?" Wilhelm stopped and looked back, surprised and intrigued.

"I've had enough of staying in this miserable, suffocating place..." Shiryu replied.

With a smooth motion, he sheathed Thunderstorm and approached Wilhelm.

Looking directly at the handsome, silver-haired boy—so young, so striking, and with an undeniable aura—Shiryu spoke again, "It might be a good choice to follow someone like you."

"I'm sure you won't regret this decision," Wilhelm said with a slight smile.

He extended his hand in greeting. "Welcome aboard, Shiryu!"

Shiryu grasped his hand with a smile. "Then I'll be counting on you from now on, Master Wilhelm."

As they shook hands, Shiryu's curiosity got the better of him. "But, Master Wilhelm... How did you sneak in? I'm really curious."

As the warden of Impel Down, Shiryu knew exactly how heavily guarded the place was.

Looking at Wilhelm's expression, it seemed like there had been no disturbance at all.

Otherwise, it would've been impossible for someone of Wilhelm's noble status to get in so easily.

Wilhelm answered with a calm smile. "I have the ability of the Paramecia-type, the Transfer-Transfer Fruit..."

Wilhelm didn't hold back and said casually, "To put it simply, I can transfer space between myself and any target."

"Transfer Fruit?" Shiryu of the Rain was a bit surprised.

This was the first time he had ever heard of such an ability.

He could imagine how overpowered space transfer must be, especially when it came to sneaking into a place like Impel Down unnoticed.

"For example..." Wilhelm smiled faintly and extended his right hand.

"Whoosh—" In an ice-cold cell, a frozen prisoner, already devoid of life, disappeared in an instant.

The corpse reappeared in Wilhelm's hand.

"What!?" Shiryu's eyes widened in disbelief.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, he was still shocked by the sight.

"Another example..." Wilhelm clapped his hands.

He casually tossed the body aside.

Shiryu, however, froze where he stood.

He stared blankly at Wilhelm, who appeared to be standing still and doing nothing, as though he hadn't moved at all.

"Hiss—" A cold shiver ran down Shiryu's spine. He couldn't help but take a deep breath.

He hadn't even realized when Wilhelm had moved earlier.

If it hadn't felt like someone had suddenly patted him on the shoulder, he wouldn't have known anything had happened.

The speed was so fast it was almost impossible to fathom.

Shiryu stood stunned, unable to fully process what had just occurred.

"Don't be so surprised. It's just a little demonstration..." Wilhelm waved his hand, signaling for Shiryu to regain his composure.

He seemed almost nonchalant about the whole thing, as if it were nothing special.

"Teleportation... What an incredible ability..." Shiryu muttered, still in awe. Looking at Wilhelm, who remained calm and composed, he couldn't help but admire him. "No wonder you were able to infiltrate the infamous Impel Down so quietly."

For a moment, Shiryu felt a shiver down his spine.

He was glad he had made the right decision.

If Wilhelm had wanted to kill him earlier, he might not even have had time to react.

There would have been no chance to escape.

"Anyway, you just need to know that following me won't be a waste of your talent..." Wilhelm said confidently, smiling.

"I believe that!" Shiryu's eyes burned with determination.

He licked his lips, a grin spreading across his face as excitement and anticipation filled him.

With Wilhelm's monstrous talent and unbelievable abilities, Shiryu couldn't think of anyone in this sea who could take him down.

Moreover, Wilhelm's mother, Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, was also a force to be reckoned with.

The Big Mom Pirates were one of the top pirate factions in the world. In the New World, they were like the emperors of the sea, ruling everything around them.

There was a real chance for Wilhelm to ascend to the "throne" someday.

Looking at the frozen prison cells, Shiryu used his Observation Haki to sense the remaining prisoners' breaths—those who hadn't been frozen to death yet. He turned to Wilhelm and asked, "Are there any abilities locked up in this layer?"