Chapter 38: Experiments and Suspicions
"Spare us the commentary on pirate fortitude," Sakazuki's voice cut through the humid, oppressive air like a knife. "Once the prisoners are secured on Level Six, we depart. The war with Whitebeard awaits." His tone brooked no discussion. He had no interest in the pain tolerance of criminals; they were assets to be stored, nothing more. His sharp glance at Levi was a clear, unspoken order: Your sightseeing is over. Return to HQ.
"Understood, Admiral," Domino replied, her salute slightly flustered under the weight of Sakazuki's intimidating aura.
Levi, however, seemed unmoved. "No need to rush. Impel Down is a fascinating place. I think I'll take a longer look." He dismissed Sakazuki's implicit command, his focus already turning inward. The newly acquired Reiatsu Analysis ability itched in his mind, demanding experimentation. This prison, full of desperate, discarded souls, was a perfect laboratory.
Sakazuki's jaw tightened, but he switched targets. "One more thing. After her baptism, have Jewelry Bonney placed in a separate interrogation room. I have questions for her."
"Of course," Magellan rumbled, his toxic body bubbling slightly.
Interesting… Levi thought, his mind already applying his new skill. Through his enhanced perception, the souls around him were no longer vague shapes. They were intricate, flickering structures of energy and will. Rayleigh's was a dense, ancient tapestry, weathered but unbroken. Luffy's was a chaotic, rubbery sun of stubborn fire. Ace's a blazing, defiant torch now guttering under seastone. Kid's a jagged, rusted coil of rage. He could see the strains, the cracks, the core impulses that made them who they were. It was a blueprint of the spirit.
As the key prisoners—Rayleigh, Luffy, Ace, Kid, and Law—were led into the blistering heat of the baptismal chamber, a strange silence fell. The jailer operating the jets looked almost reverent. To be the one who "initiated" the legendary Dark King into Impel Down was a grim badge of honor.
Steam hissed, flesh reddened, but not a single cry escaped the five. They endured the searing pain in stoic, prideful silence.
"Incredible endurance," Domino noted, a hint of professional admiration in her voice. "Five candidates for Level Six, and not a sound from any of them during baptism. It's… unprecedented."
"Miss Domino is quite impressive herself," Levi commented, his eyes appraising her. In this hellscape of grotesque guards and broken men, her composed, stylish appearance was a striking anomaly. "Your sense of style is a welcome sight here."
Domino blinked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks under her hat. "Admiral, you flatter me…"
"Hmph. Try to remember we're not here on a resort vacation," Gion interjected, her tone icy. She'd been run ragged for days by this man's whims, and not a word of appreciation had come her way. Now he was casually complimenting a prison warden? The unfairness of it grated.
"Are you hinting you want a vacation?" Levi asked, tilting his head as if genuinely considering it. "I suppose I haven't formalized any leave policy. Then again, with the life we lead, is there really a difference between working and being on holiday?"
Gion's eye twitched. No difference?! She clenched her fists, the urge to deliver a Haki-inflected punch to her superior officer warring fiercely with her sense of discipline.
The tense silence was broken by a raw, agonized scream as the next Supernova entered the baptismal spray. The sound was a brutal reminder of Impel Down's true purpose. The five legends were exceptions; this scream was the rule.
Bonney endured her baptism in grim, furious silence, emerging shaky and pale. She was promptly escorted away by a unit of Marines under Sakazuki's direction. Levi paid it no mind. His curiosity was now focused on his new ability.
With Reiatsu Analysis, the world had shifted into ultra-high definition. He could perceive not just the presence of a soul, but its composition, its fluctuations, its weak points. An intuition blossomed: he could do more than crush or deter. He could manipulate. What if he could alter the very structure of a spirit? The implications were vast and uncharted. He needed a test subject.
"Warden Magellan," Levi said, his voice calm. "Do you have any prisoners scheduled for execution? Spare ones?"
Magellan turned, his demonic visage thoughtful. "A few. Some idiots tried to stage a breakout on Level Four today. We were going to make a public example of them. If you have a need, I can have them brought to a holding cell."
"That would suffice. No need for the full procedure." Levi's eyes gleamed with clinical interest. "Domino, if you'd accompany me? Gion, you can go with the others to oversee the Level Six placements. No need for such a large escort here in the heart of Impel Down. What could possibly go wrong?" His tone was light, almost joking, but his intent was singular.
"I didn't realize security here was so… layered," Marshall D. Teach commented from the rear of the group, his eyes constantly scanning the labyrinthine corridors and imposing gates. He had insisted on accompanying Magellan, using his new "hero" status as a Warlord candidate to stick close. His crew had been ordered to wait on the ship; it was safer to keep potential enemies where he could see them.
"Mr. Teach isn't, by any chance, studying the layout for future reference?" Levi asked without looking back, a faint, knowing smile on his lips.
Teach's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained a mask of jovial sincerity. "Admiral Black Crow, you jest! How could I think such a thing?"
"The act is convincing," Levi conceded, finally glancing over his shoulder. "But suspicion, once planted, is a tenacious weed. It's a shame. As the 'hero' who delivered Ace, you're untouchable for now. But I do look forward to the day circumstances change." He turned back to Domino. "Shall we?"
He walked away, leaving a chilling implication hanging in the toxic air.
Sakazuki's gaze, slow and deliberate, shifted to Blackbeard. It was the look of a predator who has just been alerted to a possible threat in its territory.
A cold sweat broke out on Blackbeard's brow. Damn him! Was the Black Crow guessing? Or did he have some form of Observation Haki that could glimpse intent? It didn't matter. The seed of doubt was now in the mind of the most dangerously pragmatic Admiral. Sakazuki was not a man bound by procedure. If he found Levi's suspicion credible, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate a potential problem preemptively.
"Admiral Sakazuki!" Blackbeard said, forcing a wide, nervous smile. "Please, pay no mind to Admiral Black Crow's… humor! My only desire is to serve as a loyal Warlord! I have no other designs, I assure you!"
Sakazuki said nothing. He simply stared for a long, heavy moment, the heat around him intensifying slightly, before turning back to watch his prisoners be taken deeper down. The silence was more threatening than any accusation.
Levi, meanwhile, followed Domino down a side corridor, his mind already on the fragile souls of condemned men, and the fascinating, terrible things he might learn to do to them.
(End of Chapter)
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