Diarmuid reached out and took the roster from Magellan. He flipped it open, skimmed the entries, and his eyes widened in surprise. "This many?"
Indeed, the records showed that over two thousand Ability Users were currently imprisoned within the depths of Impel Down. This wasn't just two thousand random pirates; these were two thousand people with Devil Fruit powers. Furthermore, those deemed worthy of being sent to Impel Down were unlikely to possess "weak" or "useless" abilities, making the number even more staggering.
Hearing Diarmuid's shock, Magellan chuckled softly. "It looks like a lot at a glance, but in reality, it isn't. In fact... this is the 'refined' list."
"Refined?" Diarmuid glanced at Magellan, puzzled.
"Yes. Given the environment of Impel Down, while one of our duties is to imprison Ability Users to prevent their powers from returning to circulation, the prison's traditions and regulations demand strict discipline and interrogation. Many cannot endure the torture and die. Others, after being locked away for too long, can't take it anymore and commit suicide. There are also quite a few natural deaths. Finally, there was the matter with Shiryu, He secretly slaughtered many of them... These two thousand are what's left," Magellan explained with a touch of melancholy.
Diarmuid nodded, beginning to understand. Impel Down was a massive fortress-prison. With six levels descending straight into the ocean floor, its scale was immense. He recalled the previous Warden, Maxcas, telling him that when Impel Down was at full capacity, it held no fewer than a hundred thousand pirates.
It had been over a decade since then, and with the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, new criminals were being caught and brought in daily. Thinking about it that way, two thousand Ability Users actually seemed... modest? Perhaps even average for a facility this size.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Diarmuid flipped through the pages to examine the specific prisoners.
Douglas Bullet (Paramecia: Clank-Clank Fruit)
Byrnndi World (Paramecia: More-More Fruit)
Catarina Devon (Zoan: Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Nine Tailed Fox)
Craster (Paramecia: Blood-Blood Fruit)
Donquixote Rosinante (Paramecia: Calm-Calm Fruit)
Caesar Clown (Logia: Gas-Gas Fruit)
Diarmuid's eyes swept over the descriptions. He couldn't help but laugh; weren't there two very strange names mixed in here? On second thought, they were technically prisoners. Rosinante and Caesar.
It seemed that after the events in Alabasta, Caesar had finally been apprehended by the Navy and sent here. Now that he was in, there was no way he was getting out.
There were many more Ability Users listed, but Diarmuid stopped paying close attention. He tossed the roster to Luffy. "Quick, take a look. Pick a power from here..."
Originally, Diarmuid had planned to come to Impel Down and go all out, "draining" every Ability User in the place. He had even brought crates of fruit on his warship for that very purpose. However, he had clearly miscalculated the numbers. Draining over two thousand powers? He'd be exhausted just trying, and the process would be mind-numbingly tedious.
Instead, he decided to hand-pick a group of high-quality abilities to harvest. He would take the fruits back to Marineford as part of the Navy's collection, to be awarded to officers who earned enough merit in the future.
As Diarmuid was lost in thought, Luffy flipped through the pages and suddenly started hollering. "I want this Calm-Calm Fruit! It sounds amazing! If it makes it so no sound comes out, does that mean no one can scold me anymore? This has to be a top-tier Paramecia!"
Diarmuid couldn't begin to fathom how this idiot's brain defined "powerful." The Calm-Calm Fruit... just because people can't yell at you, it's strong?
Regardless of the fruit's actual utility, Diarmuid's hand came down in a sharp smack on the back of Luffy's head. "You want to die? Pick something else!"
"Why?! Is it because you still want to yell at me? Are you afraid I'll stop you from talking?" Luffy shouted back defiantly.
Diarmuid ignored the brat and looked over at Garp, who was still talking to Rosinante. "Garp! Luffy says he wants me to get him the Calm-Calm Fruit!"
Garp, who had been chatting happily, froze. He looked at the equally bewildered Rosinante, then his face contorted in fury. He whipped off his leather shoe, gripped it like a club, and marched over. "That little brat... I'm going to beat him to death today with my own hands!"
"Pick a real power after you're done hitting him," Diarmuid added. He lit a cigar and turned to Magellan. "Can we go to Level 6? I want to see this Bullet fellow, the frozen Byrnndi World, and Catarina Devon... take me down there."
There was no doubt that the Devil Fruits held by these individuals were incredibly potent. Regardless of whether Luffy was interested, Diarmuid wasn't going to let them go to waste. Since Garp was busy "disciplining" his grandson, Diarmuid, as an elder, found it hard to watch. But since he wasn't good with words and didn't want to interfere, he figured it was better to head downstairs and handle some real business. Out of sight, out of mind.
Magellan nodded. "Of course, no problem."
The Admiral was essentially his direct superior; Magellan wouldn't dream of refusing him. As for whether Level 6 was dangerous… Firstly, Magellan had absolute faith in the security of Impel Down. Secondly, he was well aware of Admiral Diarmuid's overwhelming strength. What danger could there be? If anyone tried to escape, it would only be their own misfortune. It would be just like Shiki the Golden Lion; if Shiki hadn't run into Diarmuid back then, he might actually have made it out.
"Vergo, why are you just standing there watching Garp beat his grandson? Get moving. Go to the ship and bring down two crates of fruit. I'm going to Level 6 to 'pay my respects' to those bastards," Diarmuid said to Vergo, who was indeed watching Garp beat Luffy with a shoe.
Though he looked like he wanted to see more, Vergo nodded. "Yes, Admiral."
After taking a few steps, Vergo turned back. "Vice Admiral Garp, pace yourself! I'll be back in a bit to watch the rest..."
Garp currently had Luffy pinned by the neck, back-turned, while he rained shoe-strikes down on the boy's backside. Hearing Vergo's words, he paused awkwardly, unsure if he should continue.
Just as Garp was thinking he should maybe let it go, since the kid just said something stupid, Luffy twisted his head around and shouted stubbornly, "You old geezer! Once I eat the Calm-Calm Fruit, you'll be the first person I shut up!"
Diarmuid, who was walking away, paused. Are kids these days really this brave?
Garp: "???" I clearly haven't hit him hard enough!
"Today, I'm carrying out justice for the family!" Garp roared, followed by a rapid-fire barrage of strikes.
By now, Diarmuid, Vergo, and Magellan had moved some distance away. Perhaps it was a trick of the ears, but Diarmuid thought he heard Rosinante trying to break up the fight.
"Garp-san! Garp-san! Stop hitting him! You can't kill someone like that!"
"Rosinante really is a kind soul..." Diarmuid remarked with a sigh, having not heard the full context.
Vergo had already run off to fetch the fruit. Magellan, having lived in the quiet depths of the prison for so long, had keen ears and had heard exactly what Rosinante said. He looked at the sentimental Diarmuid, then simply nodded. "Yes... Rosinante is a good man."
Diarmuid puffed on his cigar, changing the subject. "By the way, since when does Impel Down have a cryogenic storage program? Why is Byrnndi World frozen?"
"Ah... that..." Magellan hesitated. "Actually, he was already frozen before I arrived at Impel Down. I'm not entirely sure of the specific reasons."
Diarmuid rubbed his chin and nodded. Byrnndi World. Likely no one on the sea even remembered him now. The man was a relic. He was from the same era as Rocks. Legend had it that Rocks had invited him to join his crew multiple times, but World had stubbornly refused; he was arrogant and looked down on Rocks.
In terms of strength, the More-More Fruit was an insane ability, allowing the user to increase the speed, power, and size of objects up to a hundredfold. Anyone with that power would be formidable; with enough talent and haki, they'd be at the threshold of the world's top combatants.
Diarmuid briefly imagined Garp with the More-More Fruit... Good lord, the old man would be invincible.
He had heard that World was eventually taken down by a joint operation involving an internal CP agent, Admiral Sengoku, and Garp. That was in the year 1490, Diarmuid's second year in the North Blue Marines. He had been just a kid then, but he vividly remembered seeing the news in the papers.
At the time, Byrnndi World was known as the "World Destroyer," and his power was immense. After the Rocks Pirates fell, most of the prominent figures in the New World were former members of that crew—the "Rocks Faction." In the early days, while they went their separate ways, they all used the prestige of the former crew to rise to power. Names like Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, and Captain John were constantly in the news for causing trouble. Many other great pirates were overshadowed by them.
Yet, even in that chaotic era, it was said no one dared to provoke Byrnndi World. That spoke volumes about his might.
"I asked around later," Magellan continued. "It's because his ability is too destructive. The higher-ups were worried that if he died naturally or if an accident occurred, he might escape or commit suicide. They were incredibly wary of him and his power. Ultimately, they initiated the cryostasis project to ensure his movements were restricted while maintaining his vitals, all to prevent that devastating fruit from returning to the world."
Diarmuid nodded. The More-More Fruit was indeed a terrifying power. It was easily one of the top-tier Paramecias. He wondered if Luffy would end up picking it. Though Diarmuid was tempted to force the choice on him, he decided against it. Let the boy choose; whatever he picks is his destiny.
Soon, Diarmuid and Magellan arrived at the elevator to wait for Vergo. They chatted and laughed about other topics until Vergo appeared, carrying a crate of fruit, followed by several Marine soldiers carrying more.
Magellan pressed the button, and the elevator doors slid open. "Admiral, after you."