Chapter 48: The Laboratory Opens
"Forget it," Levi said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Securing Blackbeard was troublesome enough. Shiryu is your problem, Magellan."
He had no interest in bureaucratic wrangling over a disgraced jailer. His goals were simpler, more direct. If Magellan was competent, he would handle the internal threat. If not, a jailbreak would be Magellan's failure, not his. Levi was here for the resources, not the management.
Shiryu remained stoic, but internally, he breathed a sigh of relief. Being targeted by the "Black Crow" was a death sentence. Magellan's suspicion was a manageable obstacle; Levi's attention was not. He filed away Blackbeard's ambitious whispers for future use. The man's plans had been intoxicating, but survival came first.
The prisoners, forced back into their cells, watched the proceedings with a mix of terror and grim amusement. "Blackbeard got locked up too?" one muttered. "And he's supposed to be a Warlord! Serves him right for trusting Marines. Glad I kept my secrets to myself."
The riot was over. The would-be escapees were re-secured. Magellan, after a thorough inspection of cells and keys, approached Levi with a heavy ring of master keys. "These provide access to the individual cells on Level 6," he said, his voice grave. "Their use requires authorization from the Fleet Admiral or the Five Elders. I trust you understand the responsibility."
"Understood," Levi replied, taking the keys without ceremony. He didn't need them, not truly. His Reiatsu, at its current density, could likely warp or shatter the specialized seastone-infused materials if he truly wished. But the keys were a symbol of permission, of sanctioned access to his new laboratory.
Sakazuki and Gion had retired to the administrative levels of Impel Down, above the sea. Sakazuki had intended to depart immediately for Marineford, but a nagging suspicion about Levi's intentions kept him anchored. He needed to ensure the "Black Crow" didn't simply depopulate Eternal Hell in a fit of "research." He would stay a day or two, monitor the situation, and await definitive orders from above regarding Blackbeard's imprisonment.
His report to Sengoku had been… interesting.
"Fleet Admiral," Sakazuki's voice had been flat over the Den Den Mushi. "Your assessment of the Black Crow's temperament may be inaccurate. He is volatile, ruthless, and acts on impulse."
On the other end, Sengoku had chuckled. "Sakazuki, are you sure? He's the son of an old comrade. A good lad, really. A bit passive, perhaps…"
"He used his Conqueror's Haki to subdue the entirety of Level 6. Single-handedly."
"Oh! Impressive! The lad's got spirit!"
"…He executed two prisoners and maimed another in a… creative fashion."
"He must be reined in! Those are valuable assets!"
"He then detained Marshall D. Teach, a Warlord of the Sea, and had him imprisoned on Level 6."
"…What?"
Sengoku's subsequent silence was profound. Levi had, in a few hours, caused more upheaval in Impel Down than most Admirals did in a decade. Yet, a swell of pride, irrational and paternal, warred with the Fleet Admiral's professional alarm. He's taking initiative. He's decisive. Like his father… but sharper, colder.
After a long moment, Sengoku made his decision. "I concur with his assessment of Blackbeard's suspicious behavior. Given the circumstances, holding him is a prudent security measure. I will handle the Five Elders. Your priority is to ensure Levi does not… overindulge his curiosity."
"Understood," Sakazuki replied, hanging up. He noted Sengoku's uncharacteristic lack of concrete evidence to support Levi's action. It was bias, plain and simple. The Fleet Admiral was shielding the new variable.
Sengoku's call to the Five Elders was brief. They agreed to postpone a formal celebration for Levi until after the war with Whitebeard. Their interest, however, was piqued. "We wish to meet the Fourth Admiral privately before the conflict," the cool voice on the line stated. "Arrange it."
"Of course," Sengoku agreed. This was expected. The elders wanted to take the measure of this new, terrifying weapon, to see if he was a sword they could wield or a danger to be contained. They were especially concerned about his interest in the Level 6 prisoners—valuable test subjects for their own clandestine projects.
They had no idea that Levi was already far ahead of them.
On Level 6, Levi stood before a newly occupied cell. Inside, Marshall D. Teach cowered in the corner, his bravado utterly gone. The man in the adjacent cell was a twisted, whimpering ruin—a former New World captain who had been Levi's first "volunteer" for advanced Reiatsu Analysis. His body had undergone a series of horrific, non-viable transformations: bones elongating and fracturing, organs shifting, skin hardening and softening in patches. Levi had been testing the limits of somatic alteration via direct soul manipulation. The results were… instructive, if messy.
"STAY BACK! DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Blackbeard screamed, his eyes wide with primal fear. The sight of his neighbor's fate had shattered any remaining defiance.
"Mom… why is this Marine Admiral scarier than Magellan?" another prisoner whispered, trembling as he watched from his own cell. "What kind of hellish experiments is he running?"
Levi inserted the key, the lock clicking open with a sound like a final verdict. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, a faint, utterly calm smile on his lips. To Blackbeard, it was the grin of a demon.
"Now, Mr. Teach," Levi said, his voice soft in the stifling silence of Eternal Hell. "Let's discuss your repeated, hostile visual assessments of my person. And then, we can explore the fascinating structural resilience of the soul of a Darkness logia user. I have so many questions."
The door swung shut behind him.
The screaming began shortly after.
In the corridors of Impel Down, Magellan listened, his toxic face unreadable. Sakazuki, in his quarters above, felt the distant, psychic tremor of terror and stopped mid-sip of his tea. The Soul Surgeon was in session, and the subjects of Eternal Hell had just learned a new, profound meaning of despair.
(End of Chapter)
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