11 Chapter 11

◇Level 5◇

After I left the zombie house, I roam around on the freezing floor.

Extreme cold is torturing the prisoners here. Frostbite and frozen to death are normal occurrences here.

Fortunately, I have a winter coat and various warm clothes to protect me from the cold.

I was just doing some maintenance with the zombies and corpses. To make sure everything is working.

Together with the room of extraction, these two places have become the worst place for the prisoners.

*Shivers*

"Hah.... Cold! it's so cold!.." (Shikage)

I couldn't help but rub myself to counter the cold. The Freezing hell isn't a joke!

Even If I'm wearing warm clothes.

Anyways, I just got out of the zombie house. And it seems that the quality of the zombies isn't up to par with the past zombies.

It's too bad that I don't have Hogback with me, So it's hard to make a good zombie.

I need to find someone to replace him in my ranks. My zombies aren't part of the Guild. It's my own strength and creation.

For now, Let's head back to my office. Can't wait to get back to my room.

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I've just arrived at the door and it was a pleasant surprise to see a hunter waiting for me.

Kalifa is waiting for me at the doorstep.

"It's been a while, Let's go in." (Shikage)

"We just met last week, Guildmaster. Also, that's sexual harassment..." (Kalifa)

Come to think about it, It does sound like harassment.

"Hah... just go in, Kalifa." (Shikage)

We entered my office and let ourselves comfortable. I sat at my desk while Kalifa chose to seat on the sofa.

Kalifa-san gave me the documents for this week's reports.

I scanned each of them while keeping attention to Kalifa's verbal report.

"Guildmaster, The Hunter's Creed had been considered as the cornerstone of our Guild. It's our Ironclad rule. The bounty hunters were amazed by the rules." (Kalifa)

I couldn't help but smirk. This is the most important thing in my Guild. An organization needed rules. Especially for the unruly bounty hunters.

It needs to be fair and also interesting for those individuals who only care for themselves.

"Yeah, It's thanks to you guys that we all came up with this. Being an informant and an agent had really help you guys to see the structures of an organization." (Shikage)

My Hunters Guild has a guidebook about the jobs and the hunts.

And this Hunters Creed is the main rule of the Guild.

Now then, Let's talk about this Hunters Creed.

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(a/n: Source: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Bounty_Hunters%27_Creed)

The Hunters Creed was the rule for the bounty hunters that joined the Hunters Guild.

All bounty hunters were required to abide by these guidelines. A bounty hunter who failed to uphold these rules would undergo the termination of their bounty hunting license.

The Creed served as a loosely defined set of enforceable principles, by which hunters conducted their trade and lived out their lives.

『NO Bounty Is Worth Dying For』

This rule emphasized that no matter how great a reward, a hunter should never take any undue risks to his or her life in order to make a capture. They should also consider how much of a risk whichever bounty was going to be and plan accordingly. A reward, even if enormous, could not be spent if a hunter was dead.

『People Don't Have Bounties, Only Outlaws Have Bounties.』

This single, cardinal rule, more than any other, defined the way in which bounty hunters approached their chosen profession. It reflected the idea that civilians, to some degree, must be accorded respect. If, however, an individual had a bounty placed on them, he or she ceased to be an individual with rights. An outlaw that has a bounty must have done something to earn those bounties.

『Capture By Design, Kill By Necessity.』

In keeping with the loosely defined hunter code of ethics, killing was sometimes necessary. That was business, pure and simple. However, unnecessary killing was still murder. The hunter, unless otherwise directed by those leveling the bounty, must attempt to deliver the outlaw alive. Often, those clients who gave the bounty had an interest in a live target — and the target might have been better off getting killed by the hunter.

『No Hunter Shall Slay Another Hunter』

Simply put, whatever their origin, bounty hunters saw themselves as a special breed. They took their lives (and those of others) into their hands each time they hunted. One may agree with another hunter's motives or insult them for the manner in which they carried out their hunts, but no bounty hunter would ever take up arms against a fellow hunter. This law applied only to hunters who followed the creed, not to those who had a bounty posted on their head becoming an outlaw. In such cases, the ex-hunter was no longer seen as a member of the Guild, and old scores could now be settled with impunity.

『No Hunter Shall Interfere With Another's Hunt.』

While it was allowed for hunters to work as a team, the hunt for a chosen outlaw was most often seen as a form of a personal duel between the two. In such a deal, the hunter matched skill and courage against all the resources one's opponent could bring to bear. If the hunter won, it was a personal triumph denoting superior skill and intellect, and not simply a question of luck. To interfere with another's hunt unless first invited, was to leave the question of "who is better" open and, perhaps forever, unresolved. Of course, competition between hunters was often fierce and there was often a very thin line between "competition" and "interference". This being true, while a hunter was constrained against taking direct action against another hunter, there was nothing to constrain a hunter from hiring others to do the dirty work. Of course, if such an action, successful or not, could be traced back to the original perpetrator, serious consequences inevitably followed.

『In the Hunt, One Captures or Kills, Never Both.』

In cases where the outlaw had been taken alive, that "choice" could not be altered. To kill an outlaw in the course of the hunt was one thing, but to purposely kill an unarmed, helpless being already subdued and unable to resist was seen as simple slaughter and wanton butchery. An Outlaw "killed while attempting to escape" however, would be an entirely different matter altogether.

『No Hunter Shall Refuse Aid to Another Hunter.』

While no hunter had the right to interfere with another's hunt, there came times when even the best of master hunters required assistance. In extreme cases, any hunter could have asked for and expected aid and assistance from another hunter, even if it meant that the latter must temporarily suspend his or her own hunt in the meantime to render such aid. Whatever personal grievances or animosities that would be involved between the two parties, it is known and understood that hunters took care of their own. Of course, such assistance was not without its price tag, and the arbitration of payment after the fact could often put a substantial dent in any expected profit.

(a/n: I just found it in a wiki, and it really fits the Guild I wanted to make. Sorry for the info dump.)

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So far, Those are the rules we've created in the past three months we're together.

These rules would increase the kinship between each of the Bounty hunters that are affiliated with my Guild.

"How many guidebooks did we make already?" (Shikage)

"A little less than 1000, we still don't have enough budget. So you really need to do another hunt." (Kalifa)

Ow ow... My head hurts! Budgeting is really hard. Our only financial source is to hunt a pirate for now.

"I understand. Kalifa, We'll need a person who's good at making money. A treasurer or something." (Shikage)

We ended up brainstorming what to do. Kalifa-san is back in her secretary mode. She's really competent enough to list down my schedule for the whole month.

After leaving this prison, I would be so busy because of the Guild. I even shivered when I saw Kalifa's list.

It's already nighttime after we finished our discussion.

Kalifa was getting ready to leave my room. And suddenly, An awkward moment happened when the Head jailer, Domino entered my office with a sexy outfit she borrowed from Sadi-chan.

"""Eh?"""

My mind went blank.

I'm sure, the other two are also the same.

"A-ah! Kalifa! it's not what you think it is!!"

And I blurted out a lame excuse.

"Fufu~ I guess Guildmaster is enjoying himself in this hell-like prison... I feel sorry for the Cat burglar." (Kalifa)

She said as she shakes her head.

Then she said her goodbye and went to the guest room to rest.

Leaving me and Domino-san alone in my office.

"Ara~ Did I do something bad? Honorary warden? Aren't you the one who suggested the outfit." (Domino)

I look at the blonde woman on my side, She has a nice figure and when she wore that sadist-like dress, Her figure went up a notch.

"No, Don't mind it... Hmm... You do look hot, Domino." (Shikage)

"Shika, You really do have a silver tongue, Come here~ Let's have fun~." (Domino)

She started to grab my face and slowly move her lips towards mine.

I gulped and blushes. I'm a healthy young boy. Of course, I would have a reaction. And Yes, We are doing something kinky stuff at my office.

But this wasn't our first time being together.

(Hah... I hope Kalifa's would not do anything stupid.) (Shikage)

In my defense, Nami and I are still without a label. And Domino-san was the one who seduced me.

Anyways, It will just last until the end of my term here in Impel down. I would end this right away and would be more serious about making a relationship.

A hot night ended with Kalifa's suspicion and an embarrassing moment for me.

◇The next day◇

I woke up and prepared myself to go to the eatery. I arrived there and took a table for myself. An intense gaze was directed at me.

My senses warned me and I turned to the gaze. With just a glance, I immediately look away.

I saw Kalifa there and her eyes are scary.

I couldn't even look at her due to the shame of getting caught.

"Warden Shikage, Come with me."

My name was called out. I turned to look and saw someone. It was the poison man.

"Sure... Why don't you join me first, Vice Warden Magellan." (Shikage)

"No need, I'll wait for you to finish your food." (Magellan)

O-oh. I think it's hard to eat when two intense gazes are pointing at me.

Never mind, I'm quite hungry after the workout last night. I ended up finishing it fast.

◇◇

"Magellan? Why's he here?"

"O-Oi... Look at his side... Isn't that the new warden?"

"What's happening right now?!"

At the moment, We are currently at Level 6.

Magellan and I have something to do here.

A lot of the prisoners here were purged by the breakout of Blackbeard. The remaining ones are those who were unconscious, Prisoners who are spared by those who left the prison, Brand new prisoners, and former prisoners of Level 6 who were captured again.

Our task here at the lowest level is to steal the shadows of the bigger and dangerous prisoners.

Prisoners who can't go to the room of extraction and prisoners who aren't allowed to get out of their cell blocks.

"Where should we start?" (Shikage)

"At the giants' cell first."

Here it is~!

The shadows who I really wanted to monopolize!

A fitting shadow for my special zombies!

Giants are naturally good at using their huge figures. And if it's the size of Oars, The giant's shadow would be able to make use of its greatest asset. The sizes!

"Okay. I'll need assistance. Please make them immobile. It's my first time taking a shadow that big." (Shikage)

With Magellan's poison, It was an easy task for him. We would make a good combi. The thought of making him a hunter crossed my mind.

But I think it's quite hard to recruit him.

After Magellan submerged the giants' cell with his poison, we went inside of it carefully and saw two giant prisoners who were having a hard time because of the poisons.

"Alright, I'll do it. Magellan-san please press the apex of that shell."

Magellan pushes the top of the shell and a bright light envelope the giants' cells.

A flash dial I traded with Usopp.

Making the shadows of these two giants even clearer. I began uprooting their shadows with my left hand.

*Snap*

I took my dagger in my right hand and cut their shadows. It's the same dagger that I used to kill Hogback and the others. I think I may end up using this always. It's a reminder of my beginnings! I came to like this weapon.

Then I commanded the shadows to go inside of my [Doppelman]'s belly. Then we injected them with an antidote. They would be unconscious for two days.

Depending on their will, some would be awake much earlier like the Straw hats.

We repeated these procedures for a while. After an extraction, Magellan-san would document the procedure and update the list of prisoners who are shadowless.

For these prisoners who are eternally kept here, Our light was unusual for them.

And the irony in this is that the light is terrifying for them.

"I think that's all for now... phew... I need to work out more." (Shikage)

My hands are a little bit sore after ripping all those shadows.

"Good job, Honorary warden. let's go to the lift." (Magellan)

*Gurgle*

Magellan's face quickly distorted, I know this scene, We dashed to the lift and I regretted joining him in the lift.

A stinky smell drifts the air of the lift. And we're the only ones using it.

I stopped breathing to avoid the toxic smell.

Damn you, Magellan!! You and your diarrhea!!

I should've stayed at Level 6.

Urgh... Hurry up! I wish I can use [Geppou] here!

I can't believe I'm in a disgusting situation.

I want to leave this prison already!!!

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