With a dull "boom," the fat man was kicked away, slamming heavily into the wall with a "bang."
"Hmph, trash like that dares to show his face? Just a fat, dead pig. Disgusting. Spit."
Before Kaguya stood a girl with long, straight pink hair. Her skin was fair, her features delicate, her face adorned with heart-shaped lipstick. She had a slender and curvy figure and wore denim overalls, a white short-sleeve shirt, and dark red ankle boots.
At first glance, she looked like a cute girl, but her rough behavior was a surprising contrast. Nevertheless, it didn't ruin her beauty—in fact, it gave her a unique charm.
Several other inmates quickly gathered around.
"Hey, Bonney, we were just joking. No need to take it so seriously," said a tall, thin man.
"Yeah," added another man with blue hair and sunglasses. "You didn't have to hit him so hard."
"Shut up," Bonney snapped. "You shameless lot—if you dare bully newcomers again, I'll deal with you myself."
Seeing Bonney angry, the other inmates immediately fell silent.
Satisfied, Bonney snorted coldly and turned to Kaguya, saying bluntly, "Hey, you're new, right?"
"Mm." Kaguya nodded lightly.
Bonney walked up and slung an arm casually over Kaguya's shoulder. "Don't be afraid. These guys are just a bunch of useless trash. With me here, they won't dare lay a hand on you."
"Thank you," Kaguya said after a slight hesitation. After all, Bonney had helped her—even if she hadn't really needed it.
If those few thugs had dared touch her, Kaguya wouldn't have minded letting them experience a fate worse than death.
"No need for thanks," Bonney said. "In here, surviving is all that matters. Remember, don't trust anyone easily. Everyone here is ruthless. If you act too weak, you'll be bullied."
Bonney spoke roughly but with a genuine tone of concern, making it clear she wasn't a bad person.
Wait—Bonney?
Could it be that Bonney?
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. If she guessed correctly, this young-looking girl was someone she recognized. She hadn't expected to encounter her here.
By nighttime, Bonney fully asserted her authority as the "big sister" of the cell. She forced the men to huddle in a corner while she and Kaguya shared the only proper bed. Even the food rations had been commandeered by her.
Watching the group of men curled up, starving and shivering, Kaguya almost felt sorry for them.
Almost.
She decided instead to turn around and continue eating the food they had been robbed of.
Mmm, delicious.
Honestly, the prison food wasn't that bad. It was comparable to outside meals, which relieved Kaguya. If the food had been terrible, she would have lost her appetite.
"By the way," Bonney said, chewing noisily, "what did you do to get locked up here?"
She was curious. The prison housed serious criminals. If Kaguya was here, she must have committed a major offense.
"Oh, that," Kaguya said, counting on her fingers, "sank a few Navy warships, killed a few thousand people, injured two Admirals... just that."
Bonney froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Didn't expect you to be so good at joking despite your cold look. Pretty funny, huh?"
Kaguya shook her head seriously and said, "I'm not joking. Everything I said is true."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Bonney said, laughing so hard she was nearly in tears. "Has no one told you that your deadpan expression is hilarious? Sorry, I don't mean to insult you, but seriously—hahaha."
Is it that funny?
Kaguya thought, black lines forming on her forehead.
Your sense of humor is really low.
Bonney wiped the tears from her eyes, patted Kaguya's shoulder, and said boldly, "If you ever have any trouble, just come to me. I've got your back."
"Thanks," Kaguya said, speechless.
The night passed quietly. Early the next morning, amid the noisy clatter of footsteps, Marines rushed in and escorted the prisoners out of their cells. Due to the shortage of prison ships, the Navy had dispatched another ship from a nearby base.
Upon learning their destination was Impel Down, the few men in the prison turned pale with fright, their legs so weak they had to be carried by Marines. Even Bonney's face darkened.
They all clearly knew of Impel Down's infamous reputation—a hell on earth filled with torture and unimaginable cruelty. Many prisoners committed suicide rather than endure its horrors; the rest spent their entire lives there.
Among all who had ever been imprisoned there, only Golden Lion Shiki had ever successfully escaped. No one else had.
During the journey to Impel Down, the prisoners were all silent, faces like they were headed to an execution ground. Who could still laugh at a time like this?
Bonney, however, kept trying to cheer Kaguya up, telling terrible jokes the whole way. Kaguya didn't know what expression to wear—so she just smiled stiffly.
Impel Down itself was massive and imposing, visible from far away. With its blue tiles and stone walls, it looked even more awe-inspiring up close. The chilling aura it emitted made people's legs go weak even before setting foot inside.
At that moment, a tall, burly figure approached. His face was fierce, horns grew from his head, and bat wings stretched from his back. His presence was overwhelming.
If Kaguya guessed correctly, this was the Warden of Impel Down, Magellan.
"Are these the prisoners?" Magellan asked as he strode over.
"Yes, sir!" the Marine saluted and said respectfully, "All fifteen criminals have been delivered as ordered."
"Good," Magellan nodded and pulled out a prepared roster.
"Hirata Hiromasa, send to Level 2: Beast Hell."
"Yes, sir."
"Nagashima Yuichi, send to Level 1: Crimson Hell."
"Yes, sir."
"Ootani Ikue, send to—"
Each time Magellan called a name, the Marines dragged the prisoner away. Hearing their names called and their destinations announced, the prisoners turned even paler, nearly collapsing.
Finally, Magellan called, "Artoria, send to Level 5: Freezing Hell."
Upon hearing this, Bonney's pupils shrank. She cried out urgently, "Wait—you must be mistaken! How can she be sent to such a place?!"
In Bonney's eyes, Kaguya was just a frail girl. Sending her to such a brutal place would be a death sentence.
"There is no mistake," Magellan turned around and said sternly, "This is the punishment she deserves. Take her away."
"Yes, sir."
The Marine soldiers moved to escort Kaguya.
"Wait!" Bonney stepped forward but was immediately blocked by the Marines. She shouted anxiously, "If she's going, then let me go with her!"
"No," Magellan said coldly, "Your crimes are different from hers, and you will be imprisoned separately. This is not something you can decide."
Kaguya comforted her, saying, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"Fine? Are you an idiot?!" Bonney said angrily. "You don't even know what it's like down there, you fool!"
Seeing how frantic Bonney was, it almost seemed like she was the one about to descend into hell.
"Relax. I'll be fine," Kaguya said with a brilliant smile, her light golden eyes flashing with an unusual glint.
For some reason, seeing Kaguya's clear, watery gaze, Bonney's emotions gradually calmed. She turned away, huffing, "Idiot. Don't regret it later."
Under the escort of a group of Marines, Kaguya headed down to the lower levels of Impel Down, while Bonney was also led away to a different area.
The World Government seemed to value Bonney highly—the number of Marines escorting her was even greater than those escorting Kaguya, and the security was extremely tight.
Ordinarily, Bonney's strength shouldn't warrant such extreme caution. There must be more to it.
Kaguya recalled from the original storyline that Fleet Admiral Akainu had personally pursued Bonney. Obviously, it wasn't some ridiculous gossip about Bonney being his illegitimate daughter; there had to be a deeper reason.
Dr. Vegapunk had experimented on Kuma, modifying his body and enhancing it through genetic manipulation. However, Bonney's Devil Fruit abilities allowed her to alter age and growth at will, far surpassing Vegapunk's embryonic technology.
This could explain why the World Government considered Bonney so valuable. They had long been secretly working on human modification plans, and Bonney would be the perfect "material."
But if the World Government wanted her that badly—
Kaguya smiled mischievously.
She would gladly ruin their plans.
Impel Down was dark and oppressive, exuding a terrifying aura. The faint, chilly winds only made it worse.
After passing through a long corridor, Kaguya entered the elevator under Marine escort, descending into the underground prison.
She noticed surveillance Den Den Mushi everywhere, monitoring every movement. Guards were posted at close intervals, five paces a post, ten paces a checkpoint—an extremely tight security setup.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the elevator shuddered to a stop with a heavy "clunk."
As soon as the door opened, a bone-chilling cold wind howled in, carrying icy snowflakes. A vast expanse of white stretched out before her, snow covering everything as far as the eye could see.
"Alright, this is where you'll be staying," said Hannyabal, dressed like an Egyptian pharaoh, grumbling, "Seriously, having someone as great as the future Chief Warden handle such petty tasks? What a waste! I'm going to be Chief Warden someday!"
"Hey," Kaguya suddenly spoke, "Can I ask you a question?"
"What question?" Hannyabal said. "If it's about getting extra clothes, forget it. We don't provide anything like that here. Give up."
"No," Kaguya shook her head and looked up. "Do you know if there's a prisoner named Caesar here?"
Hannyabal immediately became wary. "Why do you want to know that? I'll say this first—it's classified. Not just anyone can know."
"I'm just asking casually," Kaguya said nonchalantly. "Besides, once I'm in here, do you really think I could get out again?"
"That's true… but I still can't tell you," Hannyabal said, shaking his head. "It's classified information. If the Chief Warden finds out, he'll make trouble for me."
"Chief Warden?" Kaguya sneered. "You call yourself a future Chief Warden, yet you don't even have the courage to make your own decisions? How pathetic."
"What did you say?!" Hannyabal bristled with anger. "Who says I'm scared? I'm just temporarily working under him. One day, I'll be Chief Warden!"
"You?" Kaguya snorted coldly. "You don't even have the authority to answer a simple question. You might need a hundred years before you qualify."
Furious, Hannyabal shouted, "Who says I don't have the guts?! I'm just being cautious, that's all!"
"And that's the reason you won't even say where a prisoner is? Such cowardice," Kaguya said, curling her lips. "Some Chief Warden you'll be—you're just a timid fool."
"Who says I'm a coward!" Hannyabal roared.
"Then say it," Kaguya said with a humph. "See, you can't, can you?"
"Who says I can't!" Hannyabal shouted, "Fine! He's in Level 6, Infinite Hell, Room 14!"
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. She hadn't expected the government to lock Caesar in the heavily guarded lowest level. This was surprising, given that while Caesar was a powerful Logia user, he wasn't on par with the real top-tier fighters.
"As expected of the Deputy Warden, showing qualities others lack. Compared to Magellan, you're much more suited to be Chief Warden," Kaguya said with a smile.
"No, no, compared to Chief Warden Magellan, I still have a lot to learn," Hannyabal said, immediately puffing up with pride, a smug smile appearing on his face.
"Future Chief Warden, may I ask one more tiny question?" Kaguya asked, blinking innocently.
"Ask away, ask away!" Hannyabal said, delighted.
"How do I get to Level 6?" Kaguya asked.
"That's easy. Go straight ahead, turn left at the end, and follow the stairs down," Hannyabal said grandly.
"I see," Kaguya said, her eyes flashing with a strange light, and a sly smile appearing on her lips. "Thank you very much, Warden Hannyabal."
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