Chapter 37: Wood's Two Suggestions

"Rat Plague Dick, bounty: 17 million Berries, non-Devil Fruit user, confined in Level 1—Scarlet Hell."

"Spring Hand Babe, bounty: 30 million Berries, non-Devil Fruit user, confined in Level 2—Beast Hell."

"Plague Eo, bounty: 130 million Berries, an extremely vicious and cunning pirate with a bounty over 100 million. Devil Fruit user of the Logia type, Sick-Sick Fruit, confined in Level 5—Freezing Hell."

...

As the Navy provided the information, the warden began ordering the blue ape-like Blugori to shackle the criminals.

For non-Devil Fruit users, they used regular shackles, but for those with Devil Fruit abilities, Seastone shackles were used.

Seastone is a relatively rare resource, even for Impel Down, so they couldn't afford to give every prisoner Seastone cuffs.

"Isn't it a bit reckless to decide if someone's a Devil Fruit user just based on the Navy's reports? What if... and I'm just saying, what if... they're hiding their abilities?" Wood couldn't help but voice his concern as he watched the pirates being shackled and sent to their cells.

If he remembered correctly, Buggy the Clown had managed to hide his Devil Fruit abilities, which allowed him to roam freely within Impel Down in the original story.

Wood had always thought this was just a plot device, but now he realized the intake process at Impel Down really was pretty careless.

"So, do you have a different opinion? Or are you questioning the Navy's intelligence?" The warden of Impel Down, Saldeath, who wielded a trident, suddenly flew over to Wood, clearly intrigued by what he'd said.

To be honest, Saldeath wasn't too fond of the Navy headquarters. They'd been increasing his workload recently, so hearing a Navy officer like Wood question the Navy's intelligence didn't anger him. Instead, it caught his interest.

"No, no, I'm not doubting the Navy's intelligence... I just think a bit more caution wouldn't hurt," Wood quickly clarified, waving his hands to indicate that Saldeath had misunderstood him. He was still looking to advance his career, not to get labeled as a troublemaker.

"Pirates are tricky by nature, so it's not impossible they might hide their abilities."

"As everyone knows, a Devil Fruit user's weakness is seawater. So, why not pour a bucket of seawater over each of them before they enter their cells...?"

Saldeath left with the Blugori and a large group of categorized pirates, but before he departed, he glanced back at Wood, indicating that he would discuss Wood's other suggestion with the Chief Warden of Impel Down.

Given that Wood's seawater suggestion wasn't too troublesome, Saldeath decided to give it a try and had the Blugori pour seawater over the prisoners.

To their surprise, one of the prisoners, previously categorized as a non-Devil Fruit user, collapsed to the ground, utterly weakened as if all his energy had been drained.

Realizing he had been exposed, the Devil Fruit user glared angrily at Wood from within the crowd.

His Devil Fruit ability wasn't suited for breaking out of prison, and even without Seastone shackles, he wouldn't have been able to escape Impel Down. But as a Devil Fruit user, he loathed the idea of being exposed to seawater or being shackled with Seastone.

Originally, even while serving his sentence, he could still have remained lively like an ordinary person. However, now that he was shackled with Seastone cuffs, his state immediately turned frail, even weaker than a normal human.

As for Wood's second suggestion to Saldeath, he recommended considering additional restraints for particularly powerful Devil Fruit users—not just leg cuffs but also wrist restraints.

Wood recalled that Shiki the Golden Lion had severed his own legs to escape Seastone shackles, allowing him to use the power of the Float-Float Fruit. If his wrists had also been shackled, it's doubtful even Shiki would have gone so far as to sever his hands.

Later, Impel Down did implement such precautions, shackling both the hands and feet of prisoners, a practice adopted after Shiki's escape. Wood was merely suggesting it earlier than usual.

However, Saldeath, as the warden, did not have the authority to make such decisions. Creating Seastone shackles was a complex process, and even adding one more set of cuffs for each prisoner would involve considerable costs.

"You've got guts, speaking to Saldeath like that. Don't be fooled by his small stature. Just because he works at Impel Down, dealing with dangerous criminals daily, and commanding those monster-like Blugori, doesn't mean he's someone to mess with."

As Wood and a group of new recruits were being led around by a senior Navy officer stationed at Impel Down, the veterans took the opportunity to remind them not to provoke the staff of the prison.

While talking, the senior officers particularly emphasized to Wood how dangerous Saldeath truly was, despite his seemingly harmless appearance.

"Do you know what those blue ape-like creatures are? They're called Blugori, also known as the Warriors of the Sea. Each one has strength comparable to a pirate with a bounty of over ten million Berries."

The Navy's office within Impel Down was a small room located just above Level 1—Scarlet Hell. The room was filled with various documents and files, mostly concerning the pirates imprisoned within the facility.

Although technically part of Impel Down, the Navy's office was considered to be in the outer area. The Navy operated under a different system from Impel Down, and even those stationed here had to go through rigorous checks to enter the prison's lower levels.

However, the Navy officers stationed at Impel Down had little interest in the prisoners. Unless absolutely necessary, they preferred not to venture into the lower levels of the prison.

Impel Down had six levels, each more hellish than the last. The deeper you go, the harsher the environment and the more brutal the punishment for the prisoners.

Though the Navy officers themselves weren't subjected to these punishments, witnessing the torment of the prisoners was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

And then there were the terrifying, inhuman beasts that roamed the prison—every encounter with them left a lasting sense of dread.