Watching the riot explode in front of him, Magellan felt dread crawl up his spine. His heart hammered. Cold sweat streamed down his face.
Something's wrong. This is all wrong.
Level Six of Impel Down—Eternal Hell—held the most feared pirates and monsters on the sea. Each one was violent, ruthless, and strong enough to warrant being buried in the darkest pit the World Government could build.
A pack like that would never bow to anyone.
Unless…
Unless the one standing above them was the most dangerous criminal alive.
And who held the title the World Government feared most?
Instructor Darren.
Worse, Magellan knew Darren-sensei well enough to understand the horrifying part.
With that man's shameless, lawless streak… he might actually be able to pull it off.
We were just eating hot pot and singing karaoke together.
"We're doomed…" Magellan whispered, his face going paler by the second.
Could it be… Darren-sensei really plans to let them all out?
Darren paced like an impatient animal, while the inmates grew louder, more frenzied.
"Hey, brat—Darren! What's it gonna be?"
"Let us out! We'll storm Mary Geoise with you!"
"Hahahaha! It's a fair trade, right?"
"You're a criminal just like us now!"
Darren's gaze drifted over them as they clung to the bars, eyes burning into him.
"Hmm…"
He chuckled, drew a cigar, bit off the tip, and lit it. After a slow pull, he said lazily, "That does sound tempting."
Their faces lit up. Grins spread like wildfire.
"But I refuse."
The smiles froze in place.
Magellan, who'd been sagging in despair, jolted upright, looking at Darren as if he'd just been thrown a life raft.
"Why?!"
"Isn't the World Government your enemy!?"
"Let us out! We'll help you turn the whole world upside down!"
The prisoners roared, slamming the bars until the corridor rang with metal.
Darren exhaled a long plume of smoke and shrugged. "No grand reason. I just don't feel like letting you lot out."
"I'm busy enough without babysitting you bastards day and night—making sure you're obeying the law and not murdering people for fun."
Following the law?
Murdering people for fun?
For a heartbeat, the inmates simply stared, blank with disbelief.
You—the world's most dangerous criminal—are lecturing us about the law?
And "murdering people for fun"…?
Back on Felsek Island, you practically erased an entire generation of Celestial Dragon elites!
They'd never seen audacity this blatant.
"Of course," Darren added with a grin, eyes narrowing, "those are just excuses. The real reason is simple."
His smile turned sharp.
"Sorry—but you're all too weak."
An eerie silence dropped over Eternal Hell.
Three full seconds passed without a sound.
Then—
"You little shit!"
"You've got a death wish!"
"Bastard! Let me out! I'll fight you!"
"How dare you look down on us!?"
A tidal wave of curses and rage crashed down the corridor. Darren only dug a finger in his ear, utterly unbothered, and turned away.
With a cigar clenched between his teeth, he waved lazily, as if leaving a neighbor's house after dinner, and walked out of the deepest shadows of the prison.
"Goodbye."
---
Red Line, Marine New World G-1 Branch.
A massive battleship eased into the harbor, sliding past towering fortresses that loomed on both sides like iron cliffs.
"How's the security handover progressing?" Sengoku asked at the bow after hearing his subordinate's report. He lifted his head, gaze settling on the port ahead, stained red by rock and sunset.
His eyesight was sharp enough to make out the chaos in the distance—merchant ships heavy with cargo, official vessels from various member nations, flags packed shoulder to shoulder as they streamed in and out without pause.
Red Port—the World Government's only import-export hub on the Red Line—was an officially controlled artery for trade and politics.
Most of the World Government's supplies passed through here. Once cargo arrived, it was inspected by the relevant departments, then hauled up the Red Line by the port's unique Bondola system and transferred onward to Holy Land Mary Geoise.
"The Bondola's running far more frequently than usual…" Sengoku murmured, squinting at the dense flow of containers moving along the rails above Red Port like a never-ending caravan.
The inauguration ceremony for the Commander of the Knights of God wasn't just a political spectacle for the World Government—it was a message to every nation on the sea.
Invitations were sent to the member states, a warning disguised as honor.
The price of refusing was obvious.
And ceremonies like this were also a perfect excuse for "extra revenue."
Delegates were expected to bring congratulatory gifts—an old, lucrative tradition among the nobility.
The Bondola moving "full on the return trip" was proof enough.
"The handover is complete, sir," the subordinate reported solemnly. "The Government has assigned Marines to guard Red Port. We're to maintain maximum vigilance and be ready to deploy at a moment's notice if any emergency arises."
"I understand," Sengoku replied, forcing down a sigh. His face stayed stern, but something cold settled in his chest.
He'd long suspected the Government's mistrust of the Marines was deepening. Still, hearing the order made his skin prickle.
I'm a Marine Admiral.
And they won't even let me set foot in Mary Geoise for the ceremony.
Instead, they've stationed our best troops at this damned port…
…to guard the Celestial Dragons' gifts.
To be continued...