Part 3.2

Oh. Well, that's easy. If he's looking for me, there's no reason not to step forward and introduce myself.

Which is what I plan to do exactly. I take a few steps in his direction and then stick my hand out so he can shake it. Then I say, "Hello. I'm Prisoner 10013. It's nice to meet you Keystone."

Keystone for his part looks extremely excited. He claps his hands a little and I think he's making a 'squee' noise, but I can't be certain because of his mask. When he finishes he quickly jumos in front of me and places his tiny hands inside of mine and gives me an excited handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Manjū-san! I travelled quite the way to speak to you and give you a special offer. Before I do however," Keystone reaches up and removes his hat. The instant he does his hair springs up, revealing a blue mohawk underneath. "My condolences on your sentence being extended to life. But hey, that's how the world works when people in the World Government's beuracracy hates you."

I blink. "Why would they hate me?" I ask genuinely confused.

"Ah. Something about what your parents did or something? It wasn't important for plan C2G so I really didn't look into it too much. Anyways, my offer." He places his hat back on and then looks at the absolutely massive crowd of prisoners watching us. He looks like he's debating something internally, but then just seems to shrug it off. "Oh well, doesn't matter if they hear this."

He looks me straight in the eye, assumeably, I can't see his eyes. Then he says very seriously, "How would you like to be released from Impel Down under Government custody?"

"Eh, what?" I asked a little shocked by how sudden this is.

The prisoners have much more extreme reactions. They tug on their own hair and their eyes pop out of their skulls. "WHAAAAAAAT!!"

Keystone just nods and says, "Yup. Of course, there's loads of conditions that will apply and you'll have to do some stuff for us, and you'll get a bounty, but that will be all cleared up in the end!" The Cipher Pol agent then looks at the crowd of prisoners and at Gurry, Kreig, and Klahadore who are regarding him with heavy suspicion. "You can even take a few of your fellow prisoners with you. But not this many. There's way too many people here. You can take... Half? Yah. You can take half of these prisoners with you when you do that stuff for us. In fact, you'll probably need them."

Surprisingly, Klahadore steps forward with an intense look in his eyes. "Will we have bounties as well?"

Keystone shakes his head. "You will at first, but if Manjū-san gets all of the stuff I have planned done, then you won't, and neither will he."

The prisoners just have their mouth agape in shock, and I myself am not sure exactly what I am supposed to be feeling. Today has just been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. Firts it was boring. Then I got all excited and hopeful. After that I got scared. And after that I became all sad and depressed, but now I'm hopeful again! Shit. These feels are too much for me to handle.

I ask Keystone, "Does the Warden know about this?"

He laughs. "Hell no! And of you tell anyone about me... They won't believe you! Come on, honestly. How outlandish does it sound for a Cipher Pol agent to come by and offer release to a bunch of the largest scum on the planet, especially when it's our job to put you in here? No one would believe that except for conspiracy theorists. Trust me, I would know. So, what's it going to be? You want out, or are you good languishing here in misery for the rest of your pathetic life?"

I seriously consider staying at Impel Down. This guy is shifty, and I don't think I can trust him. But, I decide I need to ask him, just to be safe.

I shoot him my best glare, and say as calmly and as professionaly as I can, "Can I trust you?"

"No." He replies instantly. "But you can trust what I say."

"Fair enough." I respond. "You said half of these guys right?"

Keystone nods. "That's right. We can only cover up and obscure or blame so much on pirates. It's always pirates or revolutionaries. Trust me. You can't spell conspiracy without piracy after all."

"I can't spell. I'm illiterate."

Keystone's hand smacks his mask. "Just choose half."

As soon as he says that, everyone is in my face. They are screaming and shouting about why I should take them with me and no one else over and over. I very quickly get fed up with it.

"Moa Moa Eighty-Fold Stomp!"

I slam one foot on the ground so hard the dock we're standing on buckles and wavers. A ripple in the planks starts from where I planted my foot and spreads out. Everyone close gets pushed away from me and several prisoners go flying into the water. They flail for a few moments before they rapidly acend back on to the docks.

"Alright. Personal space everyone. Okay, so I can only take half of you, and I've come up with a plan. Let's get inside everyone so we have more space."

I begin walking back inside of Impel Down and the prisoners follow me. Soon, we arrive in a corridor with enough room for what I have planned to cut the numbers down. I turn around and shout so they can all hear me.

"Alright! Everyone except for myself, Gurry-Rōshi, Kreig, and Klahadore is going to find a buddy. Friend, acquaintance, prison-wife, former crewmate, cellmate, stranger, or whatever. I don't care. Just partner up."

There's a mad scramble and lots of shouting as prisoners climb over and around each other to partner up with people they know. Others are forced to partner up with people they don't know.

When it looks like they have all stopped moving I call out and ask, "Alright! I've said alright way too much already, bit I'm not used to yelling people what to do so stay with me. Does anyone not have a partner?"

A poor random schmuck off to the side raises his hand and says detectedly, "I don't have a partner."

I sigh. Then I wave him over to myself. "Get over here. You can be my partner for the demonstration."

"Oh boy!" He says happily and makes his way to my side.

I ask him, "So what's your name?"

"They call me Lucky Ted on account of how lucky I am sometimes!"

I nod. Seems legit.

"Okay everyone, here is what we're going to do decide who gets to come with me to help Keystone out and get out of Impel Down. You're going to face your partner, like this," Ted and I face each other, "you're going to take your weapons," I draw one of my pistols while Ted holds up an axe he has uncertainly, "and then you'll murder your partner. Whoever is left standing gets to come with us."

I look at Ted who is shaking in his boots but he relaxes when I put my pistol away. "Don't worry Ted, we were just doing a demonstration. I'm not going to kill you."

Ted let's out a big sigh of relief. "Oh boy! Lucky Ted strikes again!"

The other prisoners are just staring t me in disbelief. I give them a blank stare back. "Come on guys. We're having tryouts, the Impel Down way. Break some bones already."

Keystone laughs behind me. "Yup. This is exactly what we were looking for."