After confirming their objective, Buggy began explaining the information he knew.
"There's a very quick way to get from Basement Level One to Basement Level Two," Buggy said. "As long as we can find the huge hole in the Crimson Hell, we can enter Basement Level Two directly from there."
According to the information he had obtained, there was a passage there that led straight to Basement Level Two.
"A huge hole?" jin asked in surprise. "This place has something like that?"
Why would the Marines make a hole there?
Were they not afraid that the prisoners on this level would jump down and enter the next level?
If the prisoners joined forces, it might cause a riot.
"That's right."
Buggy nodded.
"That's what I heard."
"You're amazing, Buggy," Luffy said. "You know so much. You're really helping a lot!"
"Hmph! Who do you think this great me is?"
After being praised by Luffy, Buggy proudly raised his head, as if he really were incredibly impressive.
'Looks like this guy loves saving face too.'
jin rubbed his chin.
One compliment, and he was already so happy he had lost his way.
"jin, let's go!" Luffy said.
"Mm."
jin nodded.
"First, we'll find the gate from the surface level to Basement Level One."
"The gate?"
Buggy froze for a moment, then looked at jin in confusion.
"Why are we looking for the gate?"
They did not even have the key. What was the point of finding the gate?
"To try using Earth Release to pass underneath it, of course," jin said. "How else are we supposed to reach the next level?"
Buggy fell silent for a moment, then said,
"Before that, I need to confirm something."
"Your Earth Release… can't directly reach the next level, right?"
jin looked at Buggy in surprise.
Had this guy actually figured out the key issue?
Then jin said,
"That's right. I can't directly enter the next level."
"There's some special material inside this thick floor. It doesn't contain earth elements, so I can't take you directly through to the next level. But… going down a few meters is still possible."
After saying that, jin paused briefly before continuing,
"If the situation near the gate is the same as here, then I can take you under the gate and enter the next level through the spiral staircase."
"I already got the location of this level's gate from the jailers."
Listening to jin's explanation, Buggy sank into thought.
'So there's a limitation like that here?'
That made sense. If this guy could really enter the next level directly, there would be no need to bring him along.
"Then let's go," Buggy said, raising his head. "We'll get to Basement Level One first."
Although they could jump down through the wall near the monitor room, falling from such a high place was too dangerous.
If they were discovered, they might all die.
"Mm."
jin nodded and controlled his Earth Release to move quickly. Soon, they reached the area near the gate.
Then the three emerged from underground.
"This should be it."
Looking at the massive gate not far away, jin narrowed his eyes.
"This door really isn't small."
Judging from its appearance, it seemed to be made from a mixture of some special wooden material and iron. With Wind Release, he should be able to split it open.
"How is it? Can we pass through?" Buggy asked.
"Let me check."
jin did not answer immediately. Instead, he quickly ran toward the gate, placed his hand on the ground beneath it, and carefully sensed the area.
A moment later, jin said,
"We can!"
The material underneath had not changed at all. Earth Release could still be used.
"That's great."
Buggy breathed a sigh of relief.
If jin's Earth Release could not be used, they would have no choice but to try jumping down from the monitor room tower.
"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry and go in!" Luffy said.
Since they had confirmed they could pass through the gate, there was no need to waste more time here.
Hearing this, jin wasted no words. He immediately activated Earth Release and pulled the three of them underground again. Then they passed beneath the massive special wooden gate and arrived at the spiral staircase behind it.
After some stealthy movement, the three successfully reached Basement Level One.
"Good. We've entered Basement Level One."
Buggy let out a long breath, then placed his hands on his hips and laughed loudly.
"Yahahahaha!"
"Now let's charge straight to that huge hole in one go!"
At this rate, they would not even need to face that damn Magellan. They could rescue Fire Fist Ace directly.
After that… they would quietly leave this place and return to the sea.
Thinking of this, Buggy became even more excited.
jin ignored him and carefully sensed the situation below. After a moment, he said,
"Looks like the material on this level is the same as the previous one."
Shaking his head, jin looked at Buggy and said,
"Buggy, tell me the direction of that hollow."
"Mm… it should be in the center," Buggy said after thinking for a moment. "I remember hearing that it was in the center."
"The center, huh?"
jin nodded. Then he controlled the Earth Release, carrying the three of them quickly out from the corridor near the gate and rushing toward the distant area.
However, the moment they entered the Crimson Hell, jin's expression changed.
'This is… a blade?'
Looking at the red blade getting closer and closer, jin immediately stopped moving and drew his Kusanagi Sword to cut it apart.
Clang!
Pfft!
Looking at the red blade that had fallen to the ground, jin frowned.
"What is this thing?"
The cut section below… actually had liquid?
Could this thing be a plant?
"I think I heard the sound of metal clashing just now…"
Buggy said with a puzzled expression.
"What happened?"
As he spoke, Buggy moved closer.
However, the moment he approached jin, his foot stepped on the red blade jin had cut off.
Pfft!
In just an instant, Buggy's foot was sliced open.
Buggy: ???
"What the hell is this?"
Buggy was shocked.
Why had his foot been cut open?
"We ran into something strange," jin said. "There's a red object that looks like a plant. Its sharpness is no less than a blade."
"No less than a blade…"
Buggy froze at first, then his expression turned ugly.
"It should be the roots of the Sword Trees and Needle Grass…"
He had not expected even the roots of those things to be this sharp. That was truly unexpected.
'If the underground area is filled with these roots… then we probably won't be able to travel underground.'
Buggy thought inwardly.
Those damn Marines really knew how to make trouble for them.
"Sword Trees and Needle Grass?" Luffy asked in confusion. "What are those?"
"A kind of extremely special plant," Buggy explained. "Once these plants mature, their bodies become as hard as steel. At the same time, they become extremely sharp and can easily cut through flesh."
"And the Crimson Hell is full of these plants!"
It was precisely because these two special plants existed here that the prisoners in this level were tortured until they wished they were dead.
"There are actually plants like that in this world?!" Luffy said in shock.
A plant that could become comparable to steel… That was amazing!
"Of course. We just ran into them," Buggy said. "But things like this don't mean anything to me."
As a Chop-Chop Fruit user, he was not afraid of so-called slashes at all.
Even if all of those things cut into his body, they would not cause him any harm.
Thinking of this, Buggy laughed proudly.
"Yahahahaha!"
jin: ???
jin, who was examining the thing, glanced at Buggy.
"What are you getting excited about now?"
Buggy: "…"
He really hated this ninja.
Ignoring Buggy, who looked as if someone had grabbed him by the throat, jin turned to Luffy and said,
"Looks like we can't travel underground anymore."
"Why?" Luffy asked. "Can't we just go around these plants?"
"Unfortunately, no."
jin shook his head.
"While Buggy was introducing this plant just now, I expanded the underground tunnel a little with Earth Release. Then… I discovered that the area ahead is packed with these things."
"All of it?"
"All of it."
jin nodded.
"The roots of these plants have already buried themselves deep underground. Judging by sight… they're at least several meters long."
"They actually rooted that deep…"
Luffy said in shock.
"Are these plants that amazing?"
"After all, this place was built hundreds of years ago."
These things might have been growing here for hundreds of years. It was not impossible for them to have rooted several meters deep.
"Looks like we can only go up."
Buggy raised his head.
"jin, send us up."
Slowly clearing the plant roots underground would be too inefficient, and the jailers might also notice the movement here.
So… it would be better to fly above.
With his speed, he could definitely fly to the center in the shortest time possible.
jin did not immediately do as he said. Instead, he asked,
"What are you planning to do?"
"I'm a splitting man who ate the Chop-Chop Fruit," Buggy explained. "As long as my body separates from my feet, I can fly through the air. That way, I can rush to the center as fast as possible."
Although that also carried the risk of being discovered… it was at least better than slowly digging a tunnel underground.
"Chop-Chop…"
jin rubbed his chin.
"If only you could split other things too."
In that case, they could rely on Buggy's Devil Fruit ability to silently open a hole below.
"Idiot! How could that be possible?!" Buggy said. "I can only split my own body."
If he could really split other things or other people, he would be invincible!
"Then this fruit is pretty average."
Buggy: "…"
Feeling as if he had taken a critical hit, Buggy opened his shark-like mouth and roared,
"You bastard ninja! Do you think I wanted to eat this Devil Fruit?!"
"If it weren't for Shanks…"
The moment this matter came up, Buggy instantly became furious.
If it had not been for that bastard Shanks, he would never have eaten this Devil Fruit.
And now, as someone who could not swim, he had no way to obtain the treasures hidden beneath the sea.
"Speaking of which, how did you end up like this?"
jin looked at Buggy curiously.
"I heard from Uncle Rayleigh that Red-Haired Shanks is now one of the Four Emperors of the New World. And you…"
If he remembered correctly, Buggy's bounty was just over ten million berries.
They were both apprentices who came down from the Pirate King's ship, so why was the gap so huge?
"Bastard, what do you mean?!"
Buggy immediately became furious.
"Are you saying I'm worse than Shanks?!"
jin: "…"
Was that not obvious?
One was one of the Four Emperors of the New World, while the other was a small-time pirate in East Blue. The gap between them was simply too large.
Ignoring jin's thoughts, Buggy continued,
"That bastard Shanks… Don't think becoming a Four Emperor can change what I think of him!"
At that moment, scenes from the past appeared in Buggy's mind.
Ever since they were young, Shanks had always been the one most loved by the captain.
As for him… he had been like a child who was never valued by his father.
Yes, Shanks was a genius.
But… he refused to accept it!
Why could Shanks do it, but not him?!
It was only after accidentally eating the Devil Fruit and losing the swimming ability he was best at that he gradually recognized reality.
At that time, he understood that he would never be able to catch up to Shanks.
Although he was unwilling, he also knew that Shanks was the one capable of inheriting the captain's will.
So he gave up all his dignity and pride. Even if he could only be a supporting leaf, he would send Shanks to the throne of Pirate King!
After all… Shanks was the man who could inherit everything from the captain!
But on the day the captain was executed, that bastard had actually said it was not time yet. That he was not the kind of person who could become Pirate King?!!
That genius boy who had been spoiled by the captain since childhood had actually said such outrageous words?
It made Buggy so furious that he wanted to kill that bastard on the spot!
So… even if that man had become one of the Four Emperors of the New World, Buggy still looked down on him!
Looking at Buggy, who was so angry that he seemed ready to burst a blood vessel, jin said,
"Looks like a lot happened between you and Shanks."
"Hmph. Too much to count!"
If he were to tell it as a story, three days and three nights would not be enough!
Unfortunately, he had no interest in talking about those things. Even just thinking about that bastard made him angry, so he decided not to think about it anymore.
Thus, Buggy said,
"That's enough about him. I'm too lazy to mention him."
jin nodded and did not ask further.
In the end, he was only somewhat curious. It was not as if he absolutely had to obtain information about Shanks.
After all… he was not Luffy.
"Get ready. We're going out."
jin raised his head and looked upward.
"We'll try to reach that hole as quickly as possible!"
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