Chapter 492: The Third Floor of Impel Down: Shadows of Reputation

Zoro didn’t back down. He pressed his forehead forward, matching his opponent move for move. Both of their brows shimmered with Armament Haki, and when they clashed, sparks practically sizzled in the air.

“Hey everyone, ah, Luffy’s already run off!”

Chopper pointed his hoof toward the leftmost tunnel. Luffy was already dashing that way, his figure about to vanish into the shadows. Clearly, he had no intention of following the plan.

“What?”

“Next time, I’ll settle the score with you!” x2!

As soon as the words left their mouths, the group took off after Luffy. If they lost track of each other in this maze, there’d be trouble finding their way back again.

“Yohohoho! Kids these days really are full of energy!”

Brook trailed leisurely behind the pack, leaning on his cane without a hint of anxiety. They’d already slipped inside. As long as they rescued who they came for before Magellan showed up, everything would go smoothly.

No sooner had they crossed a narrow corridor than a wave of noise and suffocating heat hit them.

The third basement floor was Hunger Hell. All that heat rose from the scorching floors below, making this whole level a sweltering nightmare. Deprived of food and water, the inmates barely clung to life.

Wolf, who’d only been locked up for a little while, was still full of energy. He was busy bragging to the other pirates sharing his cell about his daring adventures.

“You know, back in West Blue, I was a famous pirate with a 17 million berry bounty—Wolf the Blood Blade! With just my great blade, I was unbeatable there. If it hadn’t been for a Navy Headquarters vice admiral showing up out of the blue, there’s no way I’d be locked up in here.”

When Sengoku ordered four vice admirals and a horde of elite marines to the Four Seas, they hauled in pirates like Wolf by the boatload. Shame they only kept up that campaign for a month. If they’d stuck with it, the number they’d have captured would be staggering.

“Yeah, right! There aren’t any big-shot pirates in West Blue. Besides, if you were so famous, why are you on the third floor? You know there are six floors in this prison?”

“Exactly! I heard only pirates with bounties over 100 million get sent to the fifth floor. Who knows what kind of monsters are locked up on the sixth.”

“I mean, barely any of the Four Emperors from the New World started out in the Four Seas, right?”

“Tch…” Wolf fell silent, stung by a question well outside his depth.

To reduce the Four Emperors’ influence over the sea, the Navy restricted any reports about them strictly to wanted posters.

Hardly anyone really knew where the Four Emperors lived or where they came from.

The only exception was Roger, the Pirate King. His fame was just too great, and since he surrendered himself for execution in Loguetown, the world learned his hometown was right there in East Blue.

Another pirate leaned in with a hint of secrecy. “Actually, I heard Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, is from West Blue too.”

This guy was obviously a New World pirate. Only seasoned pirates from there would know such rumors. Not that it really mattered. If anyone dared touch the hometown of a Four Emperor, all they’d get was a hurricane of vengeance.

Not everyone could be like Zephyr, letting pirates escape after his wife and kids were killed. Hearing it didn’t hurt—trying it would be a different story.

“Which sea is supposed to be the weakest then?”

“South Blue and North Blue are the weakest of the Four Seas. Not a single Four Emperor ever came from those waters.”

Though Luffy and the others overheard the chatter, they didn’t slow down. Their real target lay up ahead—floors five and six. They hurried past the cell and kept hunting for the next elevator.

“Hey, look over there!”

Wolf, just coming down from the sting of humiliation, watched wide-eyed as Luffy and his friends strolled right by their cell. Did these weirdos think this was their living room or something, just wandering around like they owned the place?

Truth was, they really weren’t afraid of being caught. Most of the guards had been shifted up to the ground floor of Impel Down.

So even though there were still monitoring rooms below, on the third floor, they figured any pirates caught here would just be dealt with once the guards came back. Unless something catastrophic happened, even Magellan wouldn’t be notified.

“They—they’re not guards, right?”

“Look at their outfits. No way are they guards. And there’s no navy escort, so they can’t be marines either. Maybe they busted out from another cell.”

“Hang on, I think I recognize him.” Wolf racked his brains, trying to remember where he’d seen Luffy before. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he shot to his feet. “Straw Hat Luffy!”

“Huh?”

“Hey, who are you?”

Hearing someone calling his name, Luffy skidded to a stop. He darted his eyes around until they locked onto Wolf.

“You’re that famous pirate who wrecked Enies Lobby, right? Straw Hat Luffy! Man, I’m a huge fan!”

“Ahahaha, you flatter me.”

“Luffy, we’re on a tight schedule,” Zoro warned, watching the image of themselves on the visual den den mushi lining the wall. It was clear they’d been spotted.

Time was running out. As long as Usopp could keep Magellan busy, they needed to rescue Ye Fan and Ace as quickly as possible. If Magellan realized what was happening and came back, they’d face all-out destruction. That was trouble they could do without.

“Let’s go! Charge!”

Luffy understood the gravity of the situation. He’d just been surprised someone called his name. Zoro’s nudge refocused him, and he took off into the depths with new vigor.

“Uh, could I…”

“No. Say another word and you’re dead.” Wolf raised both hands, feeling Zoro’s cold killing intent. Eyeing the blade at his throat, he swallowed hard.

Wolf’s clear eyes widened. He slapped an imaginary zipper across his lips, promising he wouldn’t say another word.

Shing!

Zoro sheathed his blade and was the last to follow as the group dashed deeper inside.

“Hey, do you know those guys?”

It wasn’t until Luffy’s group had completely disappeared that a fellow prisoner nervously whispered to Wolf.

Zoro’s aura had been so fierce, nobody dared breathe. For a moment, it felt like Death itself hovered in the corner, waiting to snatch them away.

“No doubt about it. That was Straw Hat Luffy and his crew—legends, all of them. He was the first pirate ever to storm Enies Lobby, take on the World Government, and make it out alive. He’s my hero! Five hundred million berry bounty!”

“Five hundred million?”

“What’s someone like him doing here?”

“Doesn’t look like they were dragged in. Maybe we could…”

“Drop it. Even if you did break out, you’d just end up as cannon fodder.” The speaker was a kid sitting far in the back. He’d been locked up for decades and was all but out of time, but his eyes still betrayed a longing for the outside world.

After plenty of chaos and commotion, Luffy and the others finally found the passage connecting the third and fourth floors.

“Oi, pirates! You lot broke out, didn’t you?”

Two guards wielding long whips strutted up, grinning with cruel anticipation.

After so long cooped up here, beating down pirates and listening to their screams was their only real fun.

Too bad for them—they’d just picked a fight with the worst possible opponents.