Time: Year 1510 of the Sea Calendar.
Location: Impel Down.
Outside Impel Down, in the Calm Belt, lies the nest of the Sea Kings. For an ordinary ship to approach is to offer itself as food.
Thanks to Vegapunk's research, placing Seastone on a ship's hull can mask its presence from the Sea Kings, allowing the Marines to successfully navigate the Calm Belt. At this moment, three massive warships were slowly approaching from the horizon.
At the gates of Impel Down, jailers were already waiting.
The leaders were two men, the very reason Impel Down is known as the "Iron Wall."
Warden Magellan, the Poison Man, and Head Jailer, Shiryu of the Rain.
Beside them stood Vice Warden Hannyabal and Vice Chief Guard Domino, respectively.
Hannyabal was muttering to himself, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"I hear another major criminal is being sent to the Infinite Hell. Looks like another monster. It's been a while since we had a newcomer in the Infinite Hell... If anything goes wrong with this imprisonment, all the blame will fall on the Warden, and then I'll be the Warden!"
As soon as he finished speaking, with a thwack, Magellan punched Hannyabal directly on the head and glared at him.
"Hannyabal, I heard every word of that!"
Nearby, Shiryu of the Rain, smoking a cigar, glanced at Hannyabal with disinterest. He then took a deep drag from his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Magellan, is it another big shot this time?"
"I don't know. The World Government only informed me of the imprisonment. It seems to be a serious crime."
"Who in the Infinite Hell isn't a serious criminal? I'm actually looking forward to this."
As he spoke, Shiryu of the Rain smiled, a meaningful grin.
Magellan frowned beside him.
"Shiryu, I hope you'll mind your conduct. The prisoners in Impel Down are not tools for you to vent your frustrations on. This is my final warning: do not kill prisoners indiscriminately, or don't blame me for what happens next."
Hearing this, Shiryu was displeased.
"What's the difference between these prisoners and dead men? Once they enter Impel Down, they'll never see the light of day again!"
"Even so, you cannot kill them at will!"
As they spoke, the three warships docked, dropped anchor, and set up a gangway. A large number of Marines disembarked, and among them, they were escorting just one prisoner.
Shiryu and Magellan both turned their gazes to the prisoner and were momentarily stunned with surprise.
The reason was simple: in their eyes, this prisoner was not a strong person.
A young man, tightly bound and escorted by a Marine Vice Admiral leading the group.
"Strange. Are my senses failing me? Does this prisoner really require such a large-scale escort?"
Magellan was puzzled, thinking he might be mistaken. Perhaps there was something special about the young man before him.
The Vice Admiral approached to handle the transfer.
"The prisoner this time is named Rex, with a bounty of one hundred million Beri."
"A bounty of only one hundred million Beri? And he's being sent to the Infinite Hell?"
Even Shiryu was baffled. When did the standards for the Infinite Hell get so low?
Hearing this, the escorting Vice Admiral explained with a sense of helplessness.
"It was an order from above. His crime... is quite severe. At the Sabaody Archipelago, he personally killed a Celestial Dragon!"
Shiryu and Magellan looked at each other, stunned.
Killed a Celestial Dragon? How arrogant is that? And at the Sabaody Archipelago, right under the nose of the World Government?
"No wonder..." Magellan muttered.
Although Rex's bounty was a mere one hundred million Beri, anything involving a Celestial Dragon is a monumental affair.
Not to mention killing one. For something like that, even an Admiral would have to be deployed.
"He is only being held temporarily in Impel Down. His fate will be decided by the World Nobles themselves. I might be back to pick him up in a few days... so, do not let him die!"
Hearing this, Magellan nodded. He had to take this seriously. With a Celestial Dragon dead, the World Nobles would surely be furious. If the prisoner were to die in Impel Down, their unvented rage might be directed at the prison itself.
"So he can't die... but if he does die in Impel Down, that would be Warden Magellan's responsibility... and then..." Hannyabal whispered from the side.
The escorting Vice Admiral immediately looked at Hannyabal, completely bewildered. Who is this pot-bellied man? Why is he fixated on the prisoner dying after I just said he must be kept alive?
"Hannyabal, that's enough..."
Magellan snorted coldly and immediately punched Hannyabal on the head again, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
"My apologies, that was embarrassing. Hand him over to Impel Down... there will be absolutely no problem."
"Since you say so, I am relieved."
The escorting Vice Admiral nodded and then departed. Before leaving, he gave Hannyabal a long, deep look. A moment later, the three warships slowly disappeared over the horizon.
"Did you hear that, Shiryu?" Magellan said abruptly.
"I heard. No need to remind me. I know my limits." Shiryu took a drag from his cigar and slowly exhaled.
"In that case, take him to the Infinite Hell!"
At Magellan's command, two jailers stepped forward and led Rex into the direct elevator.
Because it was going straight to the Infinite Hell, there was no need for the "baptism."
As the elevator descended, a meaningful smile slowly appeared on the previously expressionless face of Rex.
At the same time, the cold voice of the system sounded in his mind.
"Detecting that the host is approaching the check-in location..."