91 The Eternal Hell
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"Rumble!"
The prison was filled with a loud rumbling noise that left the prisoners bewildered amidst the chaos.
Suddenly, something slammed into the bars of a cell with such force that the prisoners could only stare in shock.
Their surprise grew when they recognized the face of the person who had collided with the bars. It was Shiryu.
"Hey, Shiryu? What happened to you?"
"Shiryu, where did your arrogance go? Hahaha! Did Magellan beat you again?" One of the prisoners asked mockingly.
"Hahaha, you loser, get up and keep fighting." A third jeered.
"Come on, get up and keep fighting. You can do it, you can take down that Magellan with his constant diarrhea." Encouraged another, their voices filled with excitement.
But their laughter and shouting came to an abrupt halt. Their faces changed instantly as a purple venomous dragon appeared before them.
"Hey, what are you trying to do..."
"No, don't...." They started pleading.
"Magellan, stop you damn monster!" One of them shouted.
"Poison Dragon!"
The cry went out as Magellan unleashed his attack.
Magellan's deep-seated hatred for pirates was well-known. He had the power to execute even the most notorious imprisoned pirates excluding the top figures like Patrick Redfield and Byrnndi World.
As he attacked the noisy prisoners, he didn't hold back. Although he didn't intend to kill them, he was unleashing his bad mood on these unfortunate poor pirates.
The poison dragon swept through the cell like a tidal wave, slamming the pirates against the walls.
"Ah!!"
Their painful cries filled the air, then abruptly stopped. Without a quick antidote, these men would surely die in excruciating pain.
"Cough! Cough!!"
Shiryu was struggling, trying to sit up while coughing up blood.
He glanced at his sword, Raiu, which was now broken in two. This famous blade had come into his possession by chance when he was younger.
But now, it lay in pieces, snapped by a punch from Brontes. Shiryu had never encountered someone as fearsome as Brontes. Even among the legendary figures of level 6, including the Golden Lion, Brontes's speed and power were unmatched.
With great effort, Shiryu leaned against the bars. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a lighter, and then a cigar. He placed the cigar between his lips, lit it, and took a deep inhale.
"Phew!"
He exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked up.
Footsteps could be heard approaching. It was Brontes.
The prisoners had realized that Shiryu had been beaten, but given his pitiful condition, they doubted Magellan who did it.
Had it been Magellan, the spectacle would have been dramatic, filled with venom, and they would have certainly felt the effects.
Their curiosity was piqued. In Impel Down, who else but Magellan would dare to beat Shiryu to such an extent?
As Brontes walked past the cells, the prisoners caught sight of the swaying marine coat and the face that was both familiar and yet so strange. They were utterly stunned.
"How is this possible?!"
A prisoner's voice emerged, strained and choked, as if his throat was being squeezed, producing an eerie sound.
"Glup! There's no mistake, that's him..."
Some of the pirates swallowed hard, their fear palpable.
"It's actually him." A few murmured in shock, recognizing Brontes from the photos they had seen in the newspapers back when he was an Admiral.
Others stood up, gripping the seastone bars tightly, their faces pressed against the metal, shouting with all their might:
"Ragnarok!!"
"Lightning Demon!"
"It seems I'm quite popular here. It's nice to see you all again." Brontes said with a chuckle.
These angry pirates had once been renowned and celebrated figures in the New World, living out their wildest dreams. But those days came to an end when Brontes began his crackdown on the chaos in the New World, capturing them and sending them to Impel Down.
...
"I won't let you go, you monster! You killed my crew and threw me into this hellhole. I'll kill you! Kill you!" A bald pirate reached out, his hand clawing the air, as if he could tear Brontes apart with his bare hands.
"Who are you?" Brontes asked, looking at the prisoner with genuine curiosity.
"Y-You..." The prisoner was so consumed by rage that he was at a loss for words. The man he despised the most, the one responsible for his imprisonment, didn't even remember him.
"Take it easy; anger isn't good for your health, especially if you're planning to spend the rest of your days here." Brontes advised with a disarming smile.
"Y-You devil! I swear I'll kill you!" The prisoner's fury was palpable as he shook the bars violently.
Brontes simply ignored the prisoner's outburst and continued on his way.
"Hehehe! I heard the Marines kicked you out, after everything you did for them. What a shame." A feminine voice taunted from a cell across the way.
Brontes turned toward the voice and saw a woman with long black hair.
"Oh, it's you, Katherine. Still alive, I see?" He said calmly.
"How could I die before I've had my revenge?" Katherine retorted with a sneer.
"Haha! Such grand ambitions for a small-time pirate." Brontes laughed lightly, dismissing her.
Katherine's expression twisted with fury at Brontes's dismissive words, but he paid her no further mind.
Turning to Shiryu, Brontes warned: "Consider yourself lucky because you're part of the Marines, but there won't be a next time."
Shiryu remained silent, but inside, the searing memory of Brontes's fist against his chest was a constant reminder of the recent encounter and the potential consequences if Brontes hadn't restrained himself.
Magellan led Brontes to the innermost part of Eternal Hell, a vast ice cellar.
The temperature on the sixth level was bone-chillingly low, plummeting to minus two hundred degrees. A normal person would be instantly frozen upon entering.
This floor was different from the others, with only about twenty cells, half of which were empty, a testament to the strength required to contain the prisoners here.
The prisoners were shackled and chained to the walls within the ice cellar, their bodies encased in ice.
Those imprisoned here were either sentenced to death or life imprisonment. They were effectively erased from history.
The prisoners held within these icy cells were legendary pirates from the era before Roger, each with bounties exceeding five hundred million Berries.
"They're all still alive." Magellan said in a serious voice as he approached.
"Keep a close watch on them. Report any unusual activity directly to Marineford." Brontes instructed with equal seriousness.
"These pirates are extremely dangerous and pose a significant threat to the world. But once they're in here, they shouldn't even dream of escape." Magellan said confidently.
"Ensure this place remains secure." Brontes said, glancing back one last time.
As the prisoners noticed Brontes preparing to depart, their roars intensified, their hatred for him even surpassing their disdain for Magellan.
Although not all had been personally captured by Brontes, he had overseen the New World, and most of the marines there operated under his command, making him responsible for their capture by extension.
Brontes's expression soured at the prisoners' uproar. Unable to tolerate their insults any longer, he decided to impart a harsh lesson before his exit.
"ZliZli!"
Brontes's fist tightened, and sparks of electricity danced wildly around it.
Magellan watched Brontes nervously, worried he might execute all the prisoners in anger.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill them. I'm just teaching them a lesson." Brontes reassured as the lightning in his hand surged forward.
"ZliZli! Rumble!"
A dragon made of lightning erupted, striking each cell. In a flash, Level 6 was engulfed in an electric blaze.
When the lightning ceased, the prisoners were left unconscious on the cold floor, save for a few stubborn holdouts.
"Alright, I've done what I came to do. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave." Brontes said.
He turned away, his coat billowing behind him, leaving the prisoners with nothing but the fading image of his retreating silhouette.
