Chapter 49: A Misunderstanding in the Calm Belt
Night had fallen over Impel Down. In the buildings above the waterline, where jailers and the visiting Marines were quartered, lights glowed against the inky black of the Calm Belt. The unnatural stillness of the sea was broken only by the occasional, distant splash of a massive Sea King breaching the surface, its bioluminescent scales briefly painting the waves with eerie light before it sank back into the depths.
On the rooftop of the main barracks, Vice Admiral Gion stood alone, arms crossed, staring out at the dark water. The screams from the lower levels had finally faded to an occasional, gut-wrenching whimper that the stone seemed to absorb. She was unaccustomed to this place—the pervasive despair, the clinical cruelty, and the unsettling presence of her new Admiral.
Did he forget? she wondered, a flicker of uncharacteristic vulnerability crossing her features. He'd promised to help her train with his Conqueror's Haki tonight. It was a bizarre request, born of desperation for a breakthrough, but he'd agreed. Now, he was undoubtedly still down in that hell, conducting his grotesque "research." She felt foolish for expecting him to remember.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't sense his approach.
Levi had just concluded his latest session on Level 6. The results had been… informative. Through careful application of Reiatsu Analysis and targeted spiritual "edits," he'd managed to enhance physical attributes in two subjects without causing systemic collapse. One had developed a vegetative state after an attempt to amplify his Conqueror's Haki conduit; the other had lost his arms when Levi attempted to force a logarithmic increase in muscular density. Minor setbacks in a productive evening.
His mind, however, was on another puzzle. As he'd swept the prison with his enhanced perception, he'd been unable to locate the fabled "Newkama Land," the 5.5th floor. The space between Levels 5 and 6 should exist, a hidden paradise run by Emporio Ivankov. Yet, his Reiatsu, which could map the soul-structure of a man, found nothing. It's not just a hidden room, he mused. It's a separated space. A pocket dimension or something woven into the prison's very fabric. Ivankov alone couldn't create that. There's older, more esoteric work here. The fact that even Magellan, an Admiral-tier fighter with powerful Observation Haki, had never discovered it spoke volumes. The Revolutionary Army had a formidable safe house right under the World Government's nose.
He considered tearing the floors apart to find it but dismissed the idea. The paperwork would be astronomical. And he had no particular quarrel with the Revolutionaries… yet. Let destiny, or Luffy's peculiar luck, handle that reveal.
Seeing Gion on the rooftop, he remembered his promise. He approached silently. "Vice Admiral Gion. Are you still interested in our… arrangement?"
Gion started, turning quickly. A blush, faint in the dim light, colored her cheeks. "I… I thought you had forgotten."
Before Levi could respond, Deputy Warden Domino approached, her steps purposeful, a coy smile playing on her lips. "Admiral Black Crow," she said, her voice sweet. "Your private quarters have been prepared. I took the liberty of ensuring they are to a standard befitting your rank." Her eyes held an open, hungry invitation. In the brutal, fleeting world of pirates and Marines, such direct propositions were not uncommon. Domino saw in Levi a perfect blend of power, beauty, and terrifying charisma. She wanted to experience it.
Levi nodded, indifferent to the subtext. "Acceptable. Vice Admiral, if you'll follow me?"
"Well… alright. Thank you," Gion said, the formal words feeling awkward.
Thank you? Levi thought, a mental eyebrow raised. For what? The training? Oddly polite.
They left a slightly pouting Domino on the rooftop. She watched them go, a mix of envy and resignation in her eyes. Maybe next time… she thought.
What Domino—and more importantly, Gion—could not have anticipated was what happened three minutes later.
BOOOOM-CRASH!
A blast of razor-sharp, pink-hued sword energy erupted from the window of Levi's assigned quarters, shredding the luxurious drapes, splintering the fine furniture Domino had arranged, and blowing a sizable hole in the outer wall.
Domino, who had been lingering nearby, jumped back in shock. "So… so intense?! But… wait?" Her confusion deepened as she saw a blur of white and black shoot out of the hole.
Levi, looking genuinely perplexed, was sprinting across the rooftop with fluid, effortless speed. Right behind him, her face a magnificent shade of crimson fury, was Vice Admiral Gion, her named sword, Konpira, drawn and gleaming with Haki.
"Gion! Momousagi! What are you doing?!" Levi called over his shoulder, dodging a slash that cut a clean groove in the stone. "You requested this! Are you experiencing some kind of hormonal imbalance?"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WITH THE IMBALANCE! YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE BLOODLINE!" Gion roared, her usual composure shattered. The sheer, mortifying embarrassment was a fuel more potent than any she'd ever known.
When they had entered the room, Levi had calmly stated, "The environment is secure. You may disrobe to whatever degree you are comfortable with for optimal spiritual contact. The pressure needs to be applied directly to the skin for the most efficient Haki resonance."
It had taken Gion a full five seconds to process the words. The look he'd given her every time she'd brought up the training… that faintly curious, assessing look… it hadn't been professional interest in her potential. He had genuinely, utterly misunderstood her request! He thought she wanted… that kind of private "training session"!
And she had thanked him for it!
The shame burned hotter than magma. In his eyes, she was some… some wanton woman! "I CAN'T SHOW MY FACE ANYMORE!" she shrieked, launching another furious, if slightly wild, attack.
Domino watched the chase unfold, her jaw slack. So… that wasn't what she thought it was. The Black Crow Admiral had, in his uniquely detached and literal way, made a catastrophic social error.
Levi, for his part, was rapidly recalculating. Her physiological and psychological responses indicate extreme anger and shame. Re-evaluating initial parameters. The phrase "surround me with your Conqueror's Haki" in a private setting was not a euphemism? Fascinating. Human social coding is inefficient and prone to catastrophic misinterpretation.
He ducked under another swing. "A simple clarification would suffice! Cease hostilities! This is a waste of energy better spent on actual training!"
"I'LL GIVE YOU 'TRAINING'!" Gion yelled, her pride and dignity in tatters, chasing the utterly confused architect of her humiliation across the moonlit roof of the world's greatest prison.
(End of Chapter)
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