___________________________
(It would be appreciated if you could provide more power stones and help elevate your favorite story back to the top ten.)
___________________________
Join the book's Discord Channel at: https://discord.gg/haSnw9ry2H
___________________________
:::::::
•———•———•———•———•———•
Chapter 530's Events:
—————————
[Impel Down, Level 3.]
"Hot!"
"I'm sizzling!" Buggy leaped from the scorching heat of the blistering sands.
Luffy felt the same way: "Hot! hot hot!!! Yhe ground is like a frying pan!"
"It sure is hot. And it's eerily quiet...!!" Luffy sweated profusely in this heat.
"Level 3... What a place i've come to...!!"
"Strawhat, you dragged me down with you again!!!" Buggy exclaimed with disdain.
"Ah, the lion's out." Luffy noticed the absent Sphinx next to them.
"... This place is really bad... for me with my wax powers..." Galdino seemed to be melting at that moment.
...
..
"Look inside the cells."
Luffy and buggy looked toward the cells as Mister 3 pointed, seeing prisoners drained of blood.
"They barely even have shadows left... but everyone here on Level 3... was once a notorious criminal with a bounty over 50 million!" Mister 3 explained.
"Heat from the floor below us, the Burning Hell, rises, and the prisoners are tortured by the lack of water and food."
"They're quickly reduced to the half-dead things you see before you."
"This is Level 3, the Starvation Hell!!!"
"If we waste any time here... we'll become like them in a heartbeat…!!"
Hearing Mister 3's explanation while seeing a skeletal structure of a hanging prisoner made Buggy sweat even more.
"We need to get out of here... while we can still sweat...!!" added Mister 3.
Upon hearing that, Luffy, who was eating grilled bird meat, nodded and said: "Then let's hurry to Level 4!!"
"HELL NO!!!" exclaimed Buggy and Mister 3 angrily.
"Come on, lead the way! You both said you'd help me save Ace!" Luffy said anxiously.
"I never said that!! Not at all!!" said Mister 3.
"Does happiness change your memories or something!!?" Luffy still believed they wanted to help him.
"What do you mean?" Mister 3 didn't understand, as he was not the one who tricked Luffy in the deal, but Buggy.
…
"They are in position, pull the net!!"
{Roger.}
At that moment, Luffy and the other two were unaware of the trap set by the prison guards.
"Fine, I'll go by myself." When Luffy decided to leave on his own, the sands beneath them shook, and they were caught in a massive net.
"Owaah!!!"
"What!!? Damn!!! It's a trap!!! They got us!!!"
•———•———•———•———•———•
Wano Country:
"So, this is how Impel Down looks from the inside...?"
"Starvation Hell? What a terrifying place..."
"Harsh conditions that even pirates with a bounty of less than 100 million can't endure for long."
"Sigh... These prisoners will eventually die... no matter how hard they struggle or endure the pain of hunger and the intense heat..." Marco sighed as he saw the shapes of the prisoners inside the cells.
"These are the consequences of weakness, choosing the wrong path without realizing your own profound weakness to bear your sins. That's what you deserve," Whitebeard said indifferently towards the prisoners.
"The World Government won't spare the pirates who fall into their hands; this law hasn't changed since they took control."
"They are well aware of the risks pirates pose to them and the world."
"It seems that the so-called Great Pirate Era had more serious effects than the manga has shown so far."
"And my Wano Country, far removed from all this chaos..." Oden said.
"You're talking about Wano in the manga world, right?" Whitebeard asked.
"Yes, in my belief, Wano is a closed country in the manga, separated from the world..."
"As long as there's someone like you in this land, maybe Wano won't be affected by the waves of the Great Pirate Era." Whitebeard smiled confidently.
Hearing the explicit praise, both Oden and the present Akazaya smiled as well.
In this world, there's a false confidence that stems from an individual's strength... when someone is so powerful that they trust themselves and those around them blindly in their strength, they may eventually become the most vulnerable point... a deadly weakness.
That's exactly what happened to Oden and his followers; one day, the manga will shock them with the harsh reality, and that day will be the day they rid themselves of this weakness.
...
In the depths of the seas, on Fish-Man Island:
"What a hell... just imagining myself trapped there makes me feel suffocated!"
Little Franky shivered while reading the manga.
In his worst nightmares, he never imagined such a hell... now his impression of Impel Down has completely changed.
It wasn't just him; rather, every person in the world truly saw what Impel Down meant.
"Tahaha! After seeing the fate of pirates, do you still want to become one?" Tom asked Franky.
Tom wanted to know what was really going on in his little apprentice's mind.
On the side, Iceburg smiled upon hearing that, and even the beautiful mermaid Kokoro smiled silently.
"Of course, I'll become a pirate... no! I'll become a member of the Pirate King's crew! Not just an ordinary pirate!" exclaimed Franky.
"The fear of being captured will never make me change my decision!! Suuuuuper!"
"Tahahahaha!" Tom laughed after hearing Franky's expected response.
"Well, if there are still pirates in the future, it's okay for you to pursue your dream."
At this moment, Jimbei approached Franky's group.
"You're the famous boy, Franky, Luffy-kun's friend in the future... do you want to follow your future path?"
Franky and Jimbei's eyes met at that moment, and both felt a strange kinship.
"That's right, Jimbei-san... I'll gladly follow my future path if it allows me to meet Luffy and the others!"
...
Ohara:
"The Starvation Hell?"
Suddenly, Doffy remembered the hunger he felt when they left Marigoa and descended into the human world... at that short time, they truly experienced what hunger meant.
If it weren't for Rob arriving at a crucial time, half of his family would have truly died from hunger, and the people's hatred towards them.
"Is there a hell scarier than being a celestial dragon?" Doffy asked a question that made the people around him look at him in astonishment.
Seeing this, Doflamingo shook his head as if he didn't expect any answer from these people.
Suddenly, Doflamingo heard familiar footsteps, and an elegant man arrived with his hands in his pockets.
"Of course, there's a hell more terrible than being a celestial dragon," Rob said with a smile.
"Welcome back, teacher," both Doffy and Rosinante greeted Rob with respect.
Even Issho and Mihawk greeted him respectfully.
Vegapunk, Brook, Saul, Clover, Homing nodded gently to Rob.
Rob put his hand on Doffy's shoulder, who had recently become taller; it seemed like he would catch up with him in height soon.
"The real hell is when we lose the ability to perceive ourselves. As long as you feel pain, it's not a real hell," Rob said calmly.
These words left a deep impression on Doffy, who was a character with great self-awareness.
:::::::
___________________________
Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
___________________________
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
__________________________
Chapter 636: The Shocking Change!
Chapter 637: Mister 2 Appears!
Chapter 638: Ace discovers Luffy's arrival!
__________________