"El! Boss!"
On Level 5.5 of the prison, Gerd and her team returned, laying a pile of Devil Fruits before El. The new recruits of the Fallen Angel Pirates were stunned, unable to believe their eyes as they took in the legendary fruits—each worth millions on the high seas.
El surveyed the collection with a slight smile, noting the variety of fruits. Most were ordinary, but a few rare ones stood out. He gestured to Moss to gather them up.
"There were a total of 352 prisoners still alive on the fifth level," Gerd reported cheerfully. "I went ahead and collected their souls too. We should be able to create several high-quality 'Knight-Level' or even 'Bishop-Level' Homies from them!"
Prisoners on the fifth level were significantly stronger than those on the previous floors. The weakest among them could rival Marine Rear Admirals, while the strongest could easily match Vice Admirals.
"Tch, what a pity," Uthan lamented. "With prisoners freezing to death daily, we missed out on a lot of souls. The Freezing Hell has the fewest surviving inmates across all levels."
El turned to Ryan, the crew's scientist with the powers of the Munch-Munch Fruit. "Ryan, are there enough materials?"
"I munched on some prison cells and refined a decent amount of material," Ryan chuckled. "It's not enough to build tens of thousands of angelic robots, but with the 'resources' here, we'll have enough to create a few top-level angel robots."
"Good. No need to rush," El replied with a smile. "Sally has already mapped out some of the World Government's resource islands. Once we finish here, we'll go 'borrow' some more raw materials."
"Now, it's time to head to the Eternal Hell."
He stood up and looked to Uthan, the Door-Door Fruit user. Like the Freezing Hell, the sixth-level Eternal Hell was isolated from other floors. The crew had already seized control of the surveillance room, with "Warden Ian" covering for them. For now, they even had Guard Captain Buck under control, just like the real Warden Ian.
"No problem!" Uthan nodded, opening a large Air Door with his powers.
"Swoosh—"
In the dim, foul-smelling corridors of Eternal Hell, a massive Air Door opened, catching the attention of some inmates.
El, restored to his nine-meter form with dark wings and flames blazing behind his head, stepped through, followed by Gerd, over ten meters tall, and a team including Uthan, Moss, Barry, and Ryan.
"Hmm?"
"New arrivals?"
"Heh, you must be joking."
"No… they're not guards…"
"That massive build… are they giants?"
"Gray hair, black wings, and flames…"
"Is that… a Lunarian from legend?"
In the vast, shadowy corridors, El's fierce glow illuminated the gloom. His towering figure and dark, flame-wreathed form evoked the very image of a fallen angel from myth. Alongside him, the masked Gerd in her reaper's cloak, gripping a massive scythe, appeared equally fearsome, filling the prisoners with both awe and fear.
"Hey, are you here to break us out?"
"Free me, and I'll pledge myself to you!"
"El, the Fallen Angel? Heard there was a Lunarian raising hell out there. Must be you, huh?"
"They say you kidnapped a Celestial Dragon and even took down an Admiral. One hell of a feat…"
"Please, let me out…"
"Clang, clang!"
The entire level of Eternal Hell erupted into chaos.
Countless prisoners crowded against their cell bars, hammering shackles against doors, shouting excitedly. Some inmates even recounted tales of El's exploits—the attacks on Marine outposts, the audacious kidnapping of a Celestial Dragon, and the defeat of an admiral. Whether these tales came from recently imprisoned convicts or were overheard from fearful prison staff remained unclear.
But amidst the chaos, a small number of prisoners remained silent, watching from the shadows with cold detachment.
"Such noise…"
El's gaze sharpened as he spoke coldly, "Quiet, you worthless fools!"
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki surged outward, shaking the very walls of Eternal Hell. The structure itself seemed to tremble, as if it might crack under the pressure. Prisoners all around paled, staring at El in horror, unable to fathom such overwhelming power. Yet a select few, showing no sign of fear, remained unshaken by the oppressive force.
"Take the prisoners in cells 601 and 602. Leave the Seastone cuffs on for now," El ordered coolly, glancing toward two nearby cells containing prisoners with notably powerful presences. "As for those in cells 603 through 618—retrieve them immediately."
Under "Warden Sally's" command, prisoners throughout all levels, including the sixth level of Eternal Hell, had already been moved. Devil Fruit users had been placed in designated cells. Only those deemed useful were set aside for further consideration, while the rest faced a different fate—their souls would be harvested.
Gerd, wearing a demon mask with a wicked grin, gave a dark, sinister laugh, her eyes gleaming with twisted anticipation. "Leave it to me!"
"What are you going to do?" Some prisoners, sensing the ominous tone, began to look around anxiously.
"What, you ask?" Gerd's eerie green eyes focused on them, her gaze as cold and sharp as a predator's. "Why, I'm here to take you all away… but only your souls!"
"What?!"
"Are you crazy?!"
"Hey, this isn't funny!"
"What's the point of killing us?"
"Damn it, don't mess with us like that!"
"Someone! Help!"
"Blood Prison Ian, are you blind or something? Don't you see what's going on?"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the prisoners grew visibly frightened. Though they had grown accustomed to the despair of confinement, the sudden prospect of their lives being harvested filled them with horror.
Gerd's voice turned cold and sharp as she sneered, "Scream all you want… No one's coming for you."
She stepped forward, her cloaked figure tall and imposing, and uttered chilling words: "I'll guide you… straight to the real hell."
Moving with purpose, she approached the nearest cell, her voice a haunting whisper, "Life… or death?"
"What is this?"
"It feels like my soul is leaving…"
"No, I choose life!"
"Argh!"
Eternal Hell descended into a true nightmare. Screams of terror, curses, and wails of despair filled the air, blending into a horrific chorus as Gerd harvested souls one by one. The prisoners who initially dismissed her threats quickly fell silent, paralyzed by terror as the nightmare became real.
"Life… or death?" Gerd's chilling voice echoed throughout the level as she moved from cell to cell, reaping souls without mercy.
Amidst the cries and chaos, El walked down the corridor, ignoring the pleas and curses. Leaving the soul harvesting and Devil Fruit retrieval to Gerd and Ryan, he approached the depths of Eternal Hell, stopping before a massive cell that dwarfed the others.
Behind the bars, two giant figures, chained and shackled, stared back at him.
"You two," El said, his voice unwavering. "Giants from the West Blue, correct?"
"In honor of your heritage, I'm willing to bring you out of here… if you'll join me. What do you say?"
Within the cell stood two young giants, their hulking forms bound by chains thicker than a man's arm. El suspected that if he didn't offer them freedom, they would eventually be sacrificed to the World Government's monstrous gigantification experiments.
In the darkened cell, the two giants exchanged glances.
"Yo ho ho ho… What do you say, brother?" one asked with a laugh.
"I'm all in," the other giant, Jace, replied with a sly grin. "Heh heh heh!"
~~~
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