Chapter 169: The Impel Down is now under control

"Heh heh heh..."

The fifth level, Freezing Hell.

In the midst of the icy wasteland, snowstorms raged, with fierce winds tearing through the air.

"Squawk!" "Squawk!"

Two enormous, jet-black pterosaurs let out thunderous screeches, flapping their massive wings and creating powerful gusts.

"Whuuuum—!" The force was like a storm, blowing snow in every direction and scattering it far and wide.

Even wolves in the distance were lifted like leaves, thrown off balance by the violent wind.

Moments later, the two immense shadows shot up, wings slicing through the air.

"Heh, that's... a bit extreme, isn't it?"

At the entrance to Level 5.5, Moss, Uthan, Barry, Ryan, and others observing couldn't help but widen their eyes, caught off guard.

Despite their distance, the sheer force of the winds was almost enough to topple them.

Gales whipped at their faces, forcing them to shield their eyes.

"It seems like things are going well," Gerd observed with a satisfied grin, hands on her hips.

For giants gifted with Ancient Zoan powers, such a display was to be expected. Otherwise, it would've been a waste of two such exceptional abilities.

After all, flight-based powers were rare enough, let alone Ancient Zoans—like the Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus Pterosaur, which offered unparalleled speed.

"Boom... boom..." In no time, the two massive pterosaurs' size and speed became an issue.

Despite the spacious area, it was still too narrow for their giant forms.

Before they could adjust, they crashed headfirst into the thick ice walls, each impact resonating through the entire prison.

"Rumble—"

The entire Impel Down prison trembled from the force.

The sudden quake left guards and prisoners alike shaken. In the Blazing Hell on Level 4, Warden "Blood Prison" Ian felt it too, as reports quickly came in from his subordinates.

"Don't worry about it. There's nothing strange on the surveillance, and there's been no breach in any levels, including the Eternal Hell. That means everything's fine…"

"Blood Prison" Ian sat back, arms crossed, his voice dripping with confidence. "Besides, as long as I'm here, this prison isn't going anywhere!"

"Enough jumping at shadows—you lot are too spineless!"

"Yes, Warden."

Relieved, the guards and staff members sighed, wiping sweat from their brows as they reluctantly left.

Meanwhile—

In the Freezing Hell, the two giant brothers, Gace and Jace, reverted to human form.

"This won't do, Boss El… It's way too cramped in here! We barely started, and we've already crashed into walls!"

Heavy footsteps shook the ground as they approached El, grumbling all the while.

"It's expected," Gryffin Moss, himself an Ancient Zoan user with flight abilities, chuckled. "It takes time to master any new power. You'll get the hang of it with some practice outside."

Indeed, for beings of their size, the space here was restrictive, especially with their new winged forms. The Ancient Zoan powers had granted them extreme speed, but the confined space left them no room to maneuver.

"So, Boss El, when do we get out of here?"

Dropping down heavily to the ground, Gace stirred up snow and asked impatiently.

"Yeah, I'd rather not stick around here," Jace added, scratching his head.

"No need to rush. We'll first sift through the remaining prisoners, replace a few more guards, and secure the entrance to Impel Down from the top floor," El replied with a smirk. "Besides, we're still waiting for the deputy warden to return from his break. His power and soul make him an excellent target. The rumors say he's as strong as Blood Prison Ian, his predecessor, and the one next in line for warden. We can't miss that."

It wouldn't do for the entire crew to be made up of Homies; they'd be too vulnerable to certain types of powers. And El intended to carefully handpick a few additional recruits from the remaining prisoners—no more than a few hundred.

They wouldn't be searching for virtuous "good people" with spotless records, but he was clear that he didn't want ruthless killers who'd go wild on Totto Land's future streets, causing trouble.

After all, once his kingdom was established, he'd need disciplined warriors, not untamed brutes. Any offenders would only be a liability, forcing him to waste resources later.

Naturally, they'd still need to be of a certain caliber; the weak, the old, and the infirm had no place in his plans. He was only looking for the true elite.

…

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

Within Impel Down, everything seemed calm and undisturbed.

Since the guards responsible for delivering meals to the fifth level, the Freezing Hell, and the sixth level, the Eternal Hell, had been replaced by "Warden" Sally, none of the prison staff noticed anything unusual.

Although some thought it was strange that there hadn't been any of the usual guard dog interrogations or beatings of the prisoners in the Eternal Hell, none dared question Warden Blood Prison Ian's authority, which had been built over decades of service.

Unbeknownst to them, "ghost" incidents became frequent, and prisoners across all levels were mysteriously disappearing in increasing numbers. A few guards patrolling the prison noticed something unusual, but all reports were swiftly suppressed.

A significant number of prison staff were called away for "inspections" and were quietly replaced, including even high-ranking officials like the assistant warden and head guard. Sally, posing as the warden, lured them to a soundproof interrogation room, where they were replaced one by one with newly recruited members from among the prisoners. These replacements were then stationed on the ground floor to guard key locations, giving the Fallen Angel Pirates complete control over Impel Down.

From the fourth level, the Blazing Hell, to the third level, the Starvation Hell, to the second level, the Wild Beast Hell, and finally to the first level, the Crimson Hell…

Gerd, the giantess, had turned into a relentless soul harvester. In just five days, she had claimed tens of thousands of souls from the lower levels of the prison, including the majority of the guards and the failed awakened prison beasts.

Moreover, the Crimson Hell's sharp Bladed Trees and Needle Grass were all infused with souls by Gerd, transforming them into living Homies.

Impel Down was slowly being dismantled and turned inside out.

…

Thousands of angelic Homie troops now filled Impel Down.

Over the past days, through Barry's Mirror-Mirror Fruit ability, a few resource islands had been located. With this discovery, Ryan devoured vast amounts of minerals, creating over ten thousand additional angelic robots.

Gerd then infused each with souls, transforming them into Homies—a staggering force.

Early one morning…

Outside Impel Down, on the calm, windless sea, the towering Gates of Justice loomed, shrouded in mist. Slowly, the massive gates began to open.

Deputy Warden Adrian, back from a two-week leave, arrived on a Navy warship.

"Warden Adrian, welcome back!"

Soon, as the warship docked, several guards greeted him at the entrance with respectful smiles.

"Hm, thank you for holding down the fort," Adrian replied, visibly pleased.

He had started in Impel Down over twenty years ago, working his way up from an unremarkable junior guard to the position of Deputy Warden after years of persistence and patience. In recent years, he had effectively managed the prison as the acting warden. However, despite his efforts, he had not yet received an official promotion to warden, while Sharptooth Buck, with whom he didn't have the best relationship, had already been formally appointed as Captain Guard. Naturally, he felt a bit slighted.

Yet out of respect for Blood Prison Ian, who had served as both his mentor and benefactor and was set to retire in a year, he kept his frustrations to himself. Now, being referred to as "Warden" was a welcome, if unofficial, acknowledgment of his work.

"Deputy Warden Adrian, Warden Ian requests that you take the elevator to the fourth level, the Blazing Hell, immediately to meet him," a prison staff member reported, saluting him.

"In such a rush?"

Adrian frowned slightly, having intended to change into his guard uniform first. But without hesitation, he replied, "Understood, I'll head there now."

~~~

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