Part 6.15

I cough a little in order to clear my throat. I'm about to be talking a lot in order to get this all done and I don't want my voice cracking in the middle of me talking. That would just be embarrassing.

When I'm done I raise one hand and call out to the crowds if people, "Hello everyone. Thank you for coming. It's been a long day and I'm glad you all managed to show up. That being said, if you know someone we care about who's no longer with us due to a bathroom related incident or death, now is the time to speak up and let me know."

All at once many members of the crew begin to speak. It's a cacophony of noise from over five hundred people that I let wash over me. So many people speaking at once makes Elizabeth cover her ears but I don't bother. All this noise is nothing to me. Back home the screaming of countless people was endless and I got used to it at a young age. I'm fact, I could even make out what individuals were screaming back then.

I use that same skill now and listen to all the names people are telling me. I don't care about most of them. Just prisoner after prisoner. I hear Dulchi's name and that makes me sad for half a second but I get over it. His death was destined the moment he was sentenced to Impel Down. Wait... by that logic everyone's death is destined the moment they're born. How the hell do Vikings live with that kind of knowledge hanging over their head. It's extremely sad if you ask me.

Wait, are Vikings just fancy Giant Pirates? I think that makes sense.

When everyone stops talking I resume with my speech. I have some instructions I need to give out. "Alright. Those are some names. Someone carve all that out on a piece of stone or something so we don't forget them or something. In the meantime, we're going to give these nobles the good old Impel Down treatment."

Wicked grins emerged from members of the crew and a select few began to chuckle. I memorized the faces of the ones that laughed and promised to keep an eye on them. No one should enjoy torture, either side of it. I only do it because it's a necessary part of life.

"So here's how this is going to work. Immobilize all the nobles. All of them." I stop and look at Elizabeth before correcting myself. "Immobilize everyone except for Elizabeth here. Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce everyone. Elizabeth, meet my crew. Crew, meet Elizabeth. We're not torturing her because I said so. Any questions and or objections?"

I waited a moment but no one spoke or even made any sign of objection at all. Which was nice and polite in my opinion.

"Good. Now for the torture. I had some time to think it over on the trip here. Dulchi mentioned something about the people here valuing land and hating salt or some garbage like that. So I decided to give these fat ass nobles a Level Three treatment. But it's going to be special, just like them."

That got me a few chuckles from the crew. I walked forward continuing to push Elizabeth and made my way to one of the nobles. A fat yet lanky guy who was wearing nothing but a pair of heavily gilded and heavily soiled silk pants. He was looking away and I couldn't have any of that. He needs to pay attention so he knows exactly what is about to happen to him.

I let go of Elizabeth's wheelchair and grab his head and jerk it so he's looking right at me. He pales and his soiled pants immediately become more soiled, I can tell because of the smell. "I'm going to tell you what's going to happen to you. It's important for you to know what's about to happen. Are you ready?"

The man frantically shakes his head back and forth but his opinion no longer matters. I'm going to tell him anyways. "We're going to get some barrels. Normal wooden barrels. We're going to cut you all a couple of times just for kicks, then we're going to put you in those barrels, like a bunch of bleeding potatoes or something. Then those barrels will be filled with salt up to your mouth and left out in the open air. Then we'll sit back, relax, and wait until one of you dies. The instant that happens we'll force feed you food and water, then rebury you. When another person dies the whole process will repeat itself. After around... nine? Ten? No, nine. After nine people have died we'll start asking some questions and if you you answer them correctly we'll end your suffering via bullet. Trust me when I say you'll want the bullet, starving to death is an awful thing. I speak from experience here of course, and man men here from Impel Down can say the same."

Prisoners from Level Three nod their heads and show toothy grins. Maybe they'll enjoy hurting others the same way they were hurt. Oh well, as long as they do their job and don't do anything too disgusting I don't care how they feel.

I snap my fingers twice, both times makes a noise so loud it echoes. "Snap snap. Time to move."

With glee the crew begins to bring in barrels and bags of salt, and the noble prisoner's faces begin to show the utmost signs of horror. Not that I care. I turn to look at Elizabeth and she doesn't seem to care either. If that's not a sign that what I'm doing is okay, I don't know what is.