"Bang!"
"Chief Guard Buck!"
"Warden Ian, what is..."
Ten minutes later, the heavy iron door swung open as several prison guards rushed in. They found a visibly disheveled and breathless Warden Ian and a bloodied Chief Guard Buck sprawled on the ground. The guards stared at the scene in shock, taking in the room's disarray, which suggested a fierce battle had just taken place.
"This man ignored my warnings and continued his reckless abuse of prisoners, letting his power go to his head. He thought he could act however he pleased, even attempting to challenge my authority. I had to teach him a lesson," said the 'Blood Prison' Ian coldly, his face hardening as he straightened his slightly torn warden's uniform.
"Take him to Level Six, the Eternal Hell," he ordered. "He'll stay there until he learns some discipline. And nobody is to approach him without my permission. I'll report this to Marine HQ shortly."
"Uh... yes, sir!"
…
In a hastily constructed cell on Level 5.5, the real 'Blood Prison' Ian, once-feared warden of Impel Down, was now bound tightly with seastone shackles that immobilized his limbs, fastening him to the wall. Still unconscious from the tranquilizer injection, he showed no signs of waking up soon.
"Although he's a bit old, as the warden of Impel Down, his abilities are quite formidable," Gerd smiled, pleased with the situation. "I checked, and he likely has about twenty years of life left... with his strength, he'd make an excellent addition at the 'Queen' level."
"While he may not match Lucifer in strength, he'd still be formidable," she continued.
Typically, only a soul from a powerful Devil Fruit user could reach this level of power. However, with the aid of Ryan's Munch-Munch Fruit abilities, advanced angel robots made from shape-memory alloys and enhanced with complex weapon systems could channel powerful combat instincts from these souls, vastly enhancing their effectiveness.
To organize these special Homies more systematically, Gerd had ranked them according to a chess hierarchy: Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, and King. The highest-tier Homies, such as those created from her own soul and endowed with unique functions, were classified as "King-level."
Advanced Homies like the six-winged fallen angel Lucifer, created from the soul of Commander Howard of the Holy Knights, could seamlessly wield haki and had combat power far exceeding that of a Marine Vice Admiral, though not quite reaching the strength of a Marine Admiral. These were classified as "Queen-level."
As for Ian, the Impel Down warden who had fully awakened his Paramecia-type Citrus-Citrus Fruit powers, his strength was formidable, nearing that of a Marine Admiral. With such a powerful soul, a Homie made from it would retain considerable combat instinct, easily able to wield haki effectively. Provided with a strong enough body, it could surpass even elite Marine Vice Admirals in combat prowess.
While it wouldn't quite reach the strength of Lucifer, Gerd deemed this level of Homie strong enough to also be designated as "Queen-level."
Chief Guard Buck, though slightly less formidable than Ian, was still stronger than an average Marine Vice Admiral. A Homie crafted from his soul, while unable to wield haki, would still retain robust combat instincts. Coupled with a specialized combat shell and weapon system, it would match the strength of a typical Marine Vice Admiral, earning it the "Rook-level" classification.
Souls with power levels ranging between standard and elite Marine Vice Admiral would fall under the "Bishop" tier when used to create Homies that, paired with angel robots, could rival typical Marine Rear Admirals in strength.
Souls equivalent to Marine Commodores or Captains would be ranked as "Knight-level." Homies of this class would offer combat performance akin to that of elite Marine officers or Commodores.
Below this level, while distinctions could still be made based on relative strength, they were all collectively categorized as "Pawn-level" soldiers. These standard angel robots were formidable at the highest levels of the Pawn class, easily matching ordinary Marine Lieutenants or Captains in strength.
Meanwhile, Homies made from readily available materials such as trees, wax, or stone weren't quite as powerful as the angel robots but were far more cost-effective and practical to produce.
When the Fallen Angel Pirates' scientist, Ryan, finishes digesting the Pluton blueprints and even manages to manufacture a groundbreaking laser weapon, it will allow him to create even more powerful angelic robots. At that point, these high-level Homies might reach an entirely new level of strength. For now, however, there's no need to bother with expendable Homies such as bullets, arrows, or rocket shells.
"You there," El called out, pointing to a few select individuals who had changed into guard uniforms and radiated powerful auras. "Put on the masks Sally prepared, disguise yourselves as prison staff, and follow her orders as the 'warden' to take over the surveillance and communications rooms."
These chosen were prisoners with relatively clean records and a sense of gratitude who had passed El's careful evaluation and proven themselves trustworthy. Although still lacking in strength, they held potential and would be sufficient as ordinary members of the Fallen Angel Pirates.
Meanwhile, other prisoners with hidden agendas or thoughts of betrayal—those who'd even tried to exploit their escape by selling information about El, a Lunarian, to the World Government—had been promptly dealt with by Gerd, who took their souls and threw their bodies to the wolves on Level 5.5.
"Yes, El-sama!" The selected prisoners, who had been granted freedom and a chance to join the Fallen Angel Pirates, were full of excitement and gratitude. They gazed at El with deep reverence, hardly able to contain their admiration. Here was a renowned figure they'd only heard about from newly arrived prisoners—a "Fallen Angel" who had destroyed Navy fortresses, attacked the Celestial Dragons, and even beheaded a Marine Admiral. For prisoners with no hope of freedom, joining his ranks felt like a stroke of unimaginable luck.
"Uthan, take them to Sally and start the operation."
True to El's command, it didn't take long before the personnel in the surveillance and communication rooms had been quietly reassigned. By order of the "Blood Prison" Warden Ian, they were moved to different floors, replaced by the new Fallen Angel recruits. The warden also issued an order to transfer all Devil Fruit users from Levels 1 to 4 into the fifth level, the Freezing Hell, for concentrated containment, as punishment for their unruly behavior.
Despite being bewildered by the warden's sudden orders, none of the staff dared question the authority of the prison's top figure, especially given that he had recently beaten the unruly Chief Guard Buck nearly to death, throwing him into the Eternal Hell on Level Six.
The staff hurried to comply, bringing every Devil Fruit user to the fifth level's freezing cells. Even the original prisoners on this level were similarly reorganized for mass containment.
"Clang—"
With a gust of icy wind, the final group of prisoners was secured in the frozen cells, and the iron gates of the fifth level were locked tight. From a hidden passage, Moss, Ryan, and Gerd emerged with smiles.
"Damn it…"
"We're going to freeze to death…"
"Let us out of here!"
"Please, I'd rather be back in the Wild Beast Hell!"
"Curse that damned 'Blood Prison' warden! He's about to retire, yet he's still tormenting us…"
"Wait... is that…?"
"Gulp! Am I seeing things?"
"Are they… ghosts?"
The shivering prisoners cursed Warden Ian for his seemingly senseless order to torment them in the Freezing Hell. But as they spotted Moss, Barry, and Gerd appear in their ominous forms, they stared in disbelief.
Gerd, wearing a Shinigami's mask and a flowing cloak that gave her the appearance of a haunting spirit from the underworld, laughed menacingly. "Such fine souls... Well then, let's begin!"
"Life... or death?"
~~~
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