Chapter 40: Ghosts of the Eternal Hell
Akainu's cold, assessing stare lingered on Blackbeard for a moment longer before he finally turned away, saying nothing. He was a man of action, not idle suspicion, but the seed Levi had planted now had roots. Still, he couldn't act. Not now. Blackbeard was a publicly acknowledged "hero," the man who delivered Fire Fist Ace. To strike him down on a mere hunch would shatter the fragile trust of any pirate or informant who might ever consider dealing with the Marines. Justice, in this instance, had to be patient. It had to have proof.
The procession moved deeper, descending further into the earth's bowels until they reached the final gate of Level 6: Eternal Hell. The air grew colder, not with temperature, but with a stale, centuries-old despair.
As the massive door groaned open, whispers slithered from the darkness.
"New guests? How rare. And Magellan himself escorts them… Hm? Is that Admiral Akainu?" a raspy voice observed.
"Several powerful auras… and some young, brash ones. Five in chains? All for Level Six? Have the pirates of today grown so soft?" another sneered, the sound echoing off the damp stone.
"What a joke. If I were out there, the world would already be burning!" a fanatic cried, his declaration hollow in the immense, silent space.
Then, a sharp, disbelieving gasp cut through the murmurs. "That's… impossible! Silvers Rayleigh?!"
The name acted like a lightning bolt in the gloom. The lethargic, half-mad atmosphere of the floor shattered. Prisoners who had been slumped in corners or staring blankly at walls stirred. Silvers Rayleigh was a legend among legends. Even here, at the bottom of the world, his name commanded a terrible respect. He was a top-tier presence, a ghost from an era most of these men had failed to conquer.
"Is it true?!"
"Pluton Rayleigh, captured? By who? Garp?"
Eager, invisible tendrils of Observation Haki reached out from dozens of cells, probing the newcomers.
Akainu's response was immediate and violent. A pulse of fierce, disruptive Armament Haki—Emission—blasted from him, shattering the delicate spiritual probes like glass. "Know your place, scum," his voice rumbled, laced with volcanic contempt.
"Red Dog! Don't get cocky! When I get out of here, I'll skin you alive! I'll slaughter your whole bloodline!" a prisoner shrieked, unhinged and fearless. Death held no terror here; endless, meaningless existence was the true torture.
Akainu ignored the rant. They were insects buzzing behind bars.
In a distant cell, Douglas Bullet paused mid-pushup, his chains rattling. He looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Vice Captain…?"
Nearer the entrance, in a cell still bearing the psychological scars of Alabasta, Crocodile's bored gaze sharpened as the prisoners passed. His hook tapped against the stone floor. "Huh? Straw Hat brat… hahaha! You made it here too, you arrogant little fool!" There was a twisted sense of cosmic comedy in this reunion.
Luffy, shuffling in his seastone cuffs, blinked. "Sand Crocodile? What are you doing here?"
Crocodile's eye twitched. The idiot's genuine confusion was more insulting than any mockery. "Where else would I be, you moron?" he snarled.
"It really is Rayleigh!" an ancient, toothless pirate cackled, his voice full of malicious glee. "Old man! You're the one who sent us down here! How does it feel to join us?!"
Rayleigh paid the taunt no mind, his calm demeanor unbroken.
A more analytical voice, scratchy with disuse, called out, "Interesting. Something seismic must have happened topside. Marine wouldn't risk capturing him otherwise. Hey, Rayleigh! What stirred the hornet's nest?"
Rayleigh offered no reply, his silence more eloquent than any answer.
From the deepest, darkest cell, a figure who seemed more a part of the shadows than a prisoner stirred. Wang Zhi, the "Red Earl," once a rival to Whitebeard and Roger, opened eyes that had seen empires rise and fall. His Observation Haki, the rare "Kenbunshoku" that could hear voices and influence memories, passively absorbed the emotional torrent of the new arrivals. "It seems the quiet days are over… Has our age truly washed away at last?" he murmured to himself, a hint of weary finality in his tone. He had fought Kong to a standstill, only to be overwhelmed by Garp. His era was dust.
"Take Fire Fist and Rayleigh to isolated cells," Magellan commanded, his toxic body a looming threat. "Straw Hat, Kid, and Law can share one. Let them keep each other company."
"YES, WARDEN!"
As the jailers led the prized prisoners away, a cacophony of questions and insults followed them down the corridor.
"You're all so noisy!" Luffy suddenly shouted, his voice ringing with pure, unadulterated annoyance. He wasn't afraid of the monsters in the dark; he was irritated by their lack of volume control.
A prisoner barked a laugh. "Brat's got spirit! What'd you do to earn a spot in hell?"
"I punched a Celestial Dragon!" Luffy declared, as if stating he'd eaten a large meal.
The resulting laughter was ragged, incredulous, and tinged with a hint of respect. "A lunatic! A genuine young lunatic! Hahahaha!"
After a moment of walking, Rayleigh broke his silence, addressing the jailer behind him with a polite smile. "Excuse me. Is my captain's old cell… occupied?"
The jailer blinked. "Gol D. Roger's cell? That's… it's kept empty. The highest security tier. Why?"
"A simple request," Rayleigh said, his voice gentle. "I would like to spend my time there. A first mate should, in the end, rest where his captain once did. It is not too much to ask, I hope."
The jailer exchanged a look with Magellan, who gave a slow, considering nod. A final sentimentality for a captured legend was a small price for compliance. "Suit yourself. Don't cause trouble."
"My thanks," Rayleigh said, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
As the group dispersed, the whispers among the ancient prisoners grew more frantic, fueled by snippets overheard from the new arrivals.
"Black Crow Admiral? A fourth Admiral?!"
"Rayleigh was taken by him? Has Marine grown so strong?"
"He's here? I'd like to meet this so-called 'Black Crow.' Heard he's barely twenty."
"What?! Impossible! Rayleigh fell to a junior? It wasn't Garp?!"
In the shared cell being prepared for the three younger captives, Eustass Kid listened to the echoing disbelief, a savage grin spreading across his face. Even in defeat, even in hell, their captor's name was sowing a new kind of legend. The world above was changing, and the ghosts below were taking furious, fascinated note.
(End of Chapter)
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