One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

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"Swipe, brush..."

No longer hesitating, Wilhelm handed over the remaining tasks to Shiryu of the Rain.

Carrying two large suitcases filled with Devil Fruits, Wilhelm used his abilities to teleport silently and invisibly. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the deep-sea prison, unnoticed by anyone.

Within moments, he arrived at the towering and magnificent Gate of Justice.

The colossal gate, spanning several hundred meters wide, stood as an imposing and grand structure.

On top of the gate, the lazy snow mastiff, Finley, lay waiting patiently.

The moment Finley saw Wilhelm appear, he leapt up excitedly and trotted over to him.

"Good job. We'll wait for Shiryu here, and then it's time to head back," Wilhelm said with a soft chuckle, stroking Finley's smooth, snow-white fur.

As he spoke, Wilhelm glanced back in the direction of Impel Down, his gaze calm yet contemplative.

Meanwhile, on the first floor of Impel Down, inside the reference room...

A tall figure stood silently, arms crossed.

Dressed in the dark warden's uniform, his appearance was striking—devil-like wings spread from his back, and his head bore horns that added to his ghostly visage.

It was none other than Magellan, the director of Impel Down and a Paramecia Doku Doku no Mi (Venom-Venom Fruit) user.

Before him, several nervous guards were flipping through prisoner records and detailed reports, sweating profusely.

"Have you found anything?" Magellan asked in a deep, serious tone, his face grim.

"Y-yes, Director Magellan!"

A guard, trembling and pale, held up a freshly compiled list.

His voice shaky, the guard reported, "Over the past two months, the death rate among prisoners has risen sharply... much higher than usual."

"Especially on the sixth floor, Eternal Hell, a significant number of prisoners have died mysteriously or disappeared under suspicious circumstances."

He paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead, noticing Magellan's expression growing darker.

The guard continued cautiously, "And... about 80% of the prisoners who died or vanished were registered Devil Fruit users."

"In addition, Warden Shiryu came to the reference room two months ago to review detailed files on those prisoners."

"I see..."

Magellan's expression grew more menacing as he clenched his massive fists.

"I had my suspicions about the sudden rise in deaths among Eternal Hell prisoners recently."

"I thought maybe the Minotaurs or other jailer beasts had been too brutal during torture, accidentally killing these criminals..."

His voice trailed off, his cold eyes narrowing as doubt crept in.

"Shiryu of the Rain... Could that bastard really be behind all of this?"

Still, he couldn't help but feel curious. What was Shiryu's goal in killing so many Devil Fruit users?

"Director Magellan, what should we do now?"

A tall, thin guard entered the room, speaking in a low voice.

"If Warden Shiryu continues unchecked, most of the prisoners in Eternal Hell will be wiped out. If the World Government finds out, we'll undoubtedly face severe consequences."

Magellan closed his eyes, falling into deep thought.

"Shiryu of the Rain... Shiryu of the Rain..."

He muttered the name to himself, his expression hard to read.

Huo Ran's (Dracule Mihawk) eyes snapped open, and a steely determination flashed through them.

His face expressionless, he asked directly, "Where is he now?"

"Early this morning, he went to Freezing Hell and hasn't come out yet," the guard responded.

Magellan clenched his fists tightly, his tiger-like eyes brimming with sharpness.

"Send out the order: close all passages on every level of Impel Down. Effective immediately, no one enters or leaves without my explicit permission," he commanded with unwavering authority.

"Alert all staff. We're moving to first-level alert status. Every floor's exit must be guarded tightly. If Shiryu of the Rain is spotted, arrest him immediately. If he resists, take him down—dead or alive!"

Pausing only briefly, Magellan continued, "Order the warships patrolling outside Impel Down to retreat. They are to maintain a one-nautical-mile perimeter and are not to approach without my direct order."

He turned sharply toward the lift, his decision final.

"Prepare the elevator. I'm going to Freezing Hell myself."

"Yes, sir!"

"Beep—beep!"

Urgent alarms blared throughout Impel Down as the warden's orders spread like wildfire.

"All staff, first-level alert! Passages are now sealed off!"

The piercing sirens threw the prison into a frenzy, but the guards moved with precision and discipline, quickly assembling in their designated positions.

"Gurgle..."

Thick, bluish-purple venom began to ooze and surge around the walls.

At Magellan's command, the poison condensed rapidly, forming an impenetrable barrier that sealed off the prison's main exit.

Serious and grim, with venom pooling menacingly around him, Magellan strode heavily toward the waiting elevator.

Moments later, the elevator descended steadily, stopping at the fourth level: Blazing Hell.

Due to the freezing climate on the fifth level, elevators couldn't operate in Freezing Hell, forcing Magellan to take the stairs to reach it.

However, as he approached the entrance to Freezing Hell, he froze.

Emerging from the icy depths, Shiryu of the Rain stepped into Blazing Hell.

In his hand, the infamous blade Thunderstorm dripped with fresh blood.

Magellan's face darkened instantly.

"Ah, Magellan," Shiryu said lazily, puffing on his cigar. "Did you come all this way to greet me? That's far too polite."

"Shiryu, you bastard! What the hell have you done?" Magellan shouted, his voice a mix of fury and disbelief.

His gaze darted to the trail of blood dripping from Shiryu's sword, his mind racing. The guards stationed at the entrance to Freezing Hell were nowhere to be seen. The truth was obvious—they had been killed.

"You can go check for yourself," Shiryu said, exhaling smoke in a mocking fashion.

Magellan's expression twisted with rage.

"You've been slaughtering prisoners, forging reports about their so-called accidental deaths, and now you've gone as far as murdering your own colleagues!"

Venom surged from Magellan's body, radiating a deep, purplish hue as it spread across the floor.

"Shiryu of the Rain, I will not tolerate your actions any longer!" Magellan declared coldly, his voice filled with righteous anger.

"As the director of Impel Down, I hereby strip you of your title as warden. You will be imprisoned in Eternal Hell to face justice!"

Shiryu smirked, unbothered by Magellan's fury.

"Is that so?" he said lightly, locking eyes with the furious warden.

Still puffing his cigar, Shiryu's expression twisted into a mocking grin.

"Well, let me make an announcement of my own."

"I quit."

His voice dripped with sarcasm as he spread his arms theatrically.

"Starting today, I'm done with this place. And Magellan—thanks for all the care these past few days."