"S-so cold..."
Even though Yemu had prepared in advance and everyone had put on thick fleece clothing, the moment the Air Door leading to Level 5: Freezing Hell opened and the icy air poured in, even Yemu felt a sharp chill run through his whole body, let alone Lillilu and Ayala. Kuromu, on the other hand, felt nothing at all. He was a robot, after all.
Fortunately, an air bubble quickly appeared and enclosed everyone inside it.
The surrounding ice and snow began to melt at a visible pace, and the howling wind could no longer reach them.
Only then did Ayala finally relax, loosening her gloved hands and breathing out the cold air she had just inhaled before looking around.
What met her eyes was a world of pure white.
The land and forest around them were buried under a thick layer of snow and ice.
If not for the rows of freezing prison cells and the corpses faintly visible beneath the ice underfoot, it would have been an exceptionally beautiful sight. But as it was, no matter how one looked at it, the place was steeped in despair and desolation.
Lillilu looked around as well and said,
"At least here, we don't have to worry about surveillance. Forget people. In a place this cold, even a Den Den Mushi probably couldn't survive."
Yemu nodded.
Just then, the sound of wolves howling came from the distance.
Looking out, they saw more than a dozen white snow wolves burst out from the snowy horizon. Their eyes were blood-red, ringed with wave-like patterns, and they charged straight at them.
But that was all they managed to do.
"Scram."
Yemu merely let out a faint snort and released a trace of Conqueror's Haki.
The snow wolves instantly sensed overwhelming danger, let out pitiful whimpers, and fled in panic.
At that moment, countless voices rang out from the prison cells behind them.
"No way. The Army Wolves actually got scared off?"
"They're not guards, and they're not prisoners..."
"Who the hell are they?"
"Wait. Was that... Conqueror's Haki...?"
"Looking at him... isn't that Yemu, captain of the Sky Pirates?"
"The Sky Pirates? They're pirates too?"
"Ah, you got locked up too early, so of course you wouldn't know. That guy's bounty is as high as 980 million Belly now..."
"The bounty's not even the main thing. What matters is that those guys killed a Celestial Dragon the moment they set out to sea..."
"You've got to be kidding... a Celestial Dragon... they actually dared to kill a Celestial Dragon..."
"Hehehe, looks like the outside world's been lively since I got locked up..."
"That's not the point... If this guy got in here without making a sound, then he must have a way to get out too..."
That last sentence stunned the prisoners for a moment, then all of them grew excited. Not caring in the slightest about conserving their strength, they rushed to the bars and shouted at Yemu and the others.
"Hey, Sky Pirates, let us out already..."
"If you save us, we can join your pirate crew and help you claim the throne of Pirate King..."
"Hey, brat, I'm talking to you. Did you hear me? I'm South Blue Sharu, with a bounty of 160 million Belly. Aren't you afraid I'll report your intrusion into Impel Down to the guards? When that happens, just wait to die..."
But the moment South Blue Sharu finished speaking, he felt that something was wrong.
The red-haired boy named Yemu, who had completely ignored them until now, suddenly lifted his gaze and glanced at him.
In that instant, Sharu felt a terrifying sense of danger. But he quickly forced himself to calm down. After all, in this Freezing Hell, he might die at any time anyway. He might as well gamble.
With that thought, the madness on his face only grew stronger.
"Well? Scared now? If you're scared, then open the cell door right now. Otherwise, all of you are dying with me!"
But when he said that, he realized the boy's expression had not changed at all. Yemu simply asked in return,
"You're cold, aren't you?"
"Eh?!"
Then he saw the boy raise a single finger at him.
"Let me warm you up a little."
The moment the words fell, a tiny flame shot from Yemu's fingertip like a bullet.
He had no time to react before it hit him. But what came was not pain. It was warmth, followed by roaring fire.
At that instant, as the prisoners in the cells watched their companion burst into flames, not only were they not afraid, they actually crowded closer and stretched out their hands to enjoy that rare bit of warmth.
This was hell.
Yemu paid no attention to the scene and said to Kuromu,
"Next, I need you to find a hidden space beneath our feet. It isn't the sixth level below us, but a separate space between the fifth and sixth levels. We'll wait here. Once you find it, just let us know."
"Got it, Boss. Leave it to me!"
As soon as Kuromu finished speaking, he opened an Air Door beneath his feet and headed underground to search for the place Yemu had mentioned.
Lillilu, however, looked puzzled and asked,
"How do you know there's another space between the fifth and sixth levels?"
Yemu did not answer directly. Instead, he said,
"Why do you think I dared to enter Impel Down? Because I know secrets that most people don't."
After saying that, Yemu stopped paying attention to Lillilu and instead looked at the prisoners locked in the cells before him.
"It's not that I can't let you out. Taking you out of Impel Down wouldn't be a problem either..."
The moment those words were spoken, every prisoner's eyes lit up.
"But why should I save you? I don't see any reason to."
Instantly, all the prisoners burst into a noisy uproar. Some introduced themselves, some offered rewards, and some said they wanted to join Yemu's crew.
"Alright, quiet down. With this many people talking at once, I can't make anything out. I've got a little time right now, so let's talk one by one... Now then, who should I start with..."
As Yemu spoke, his gaze shifted to the cell where South Blue Sharu had been, now reduced to ashes.
"Let's start with your side... Ayala..."
Ayala froze for a moment when her name was called, but then she understood. She pulled off her gloves, revealing small hands as white as jade, and said,
"I understand, Yemu-nii-san. I'm ready..."
"Good. Pirates with bounties over 100 million Belly should have better luck than ordinary people, I'd imagine..."
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