Chapter 3 : Betrayal!

The so-called 'Sword Tree (Kenju)' is a tree whose branches and leaves are as sharp as blades, capable of slicing through a person's body with ease!

The ground of the Sword Forest is also covered in 'Needle Grass (Haribarisō),' which is as sharp as needles and can penetrate human flesh effortlessly. It's safe to say that once you step into the Sword Forest, there's no place to stand safely!

However, the real danger lies in the fact that once a prisoner enters the Sword Forest, they're hunted down by venomous spiders and relentless jailers!

To survive, one must keep running. But running through the Sword Forest means enduring the agony of countless blades and arrows piercing your body. It's not just running; it's a nightmarish punishment that inflicts both mental and physical torment!

Raymond had experienced this horrific torture once when he first entered Impel Down and never wanted to go through it again. But the gorilla jailer disregarded Raymond's pleas and continued dragging him toward the Sword Forest!

Raymond, the blue gorilla jailer, was no stranger to such complaints. He heard them countless times a day: rumors of hidden treasures on certain islands, maps to legendary riches, or where various pirate crews might be hiding. These so-called secrets of pirates meant nothing to the blue gorilla jailer!

Seeing that the blue gorilla jailer remained unmoved, Raymond grew desperate and shouted, "Buggy! The Buggy in our cell is actually a Devil Fruit user! You didn't notice before?"

At this, the blue gorilla jailer paused and fixed Raymond with a cold stare. Raymond continued, "I swear on my life that I'm telling the truth! Even though Buggy concealed it well, I saw his handcuffs vanish and reappear last time. That's definitely a Devil Fruit ability!"

"And Buggy is exercising every day; he's definitely planning an escape!"

Raymond spoke earnestly, nearly tearing his heart out in his urgency. The blue gorilla jailer dismissed the notion of exercising as part of an escape plan, thinking it absurd. After all, Impel Down was an impenetrable fortress—who could possibly escape from there?

As for the exercise, it was a common sight. Prisoners had little to occupy their time, so working out was one of the few activities they could engage in.

However, after pondering Raymond's claim about the disappearing and reappearing shackles, the blue gorilla jailer decided to drag Raymond toward Cell 4.

Inflicting suffering on these prisoners was one way the jailers passed their time, and he had no qualms about bringing another prisoner along to add to the entertainment!

Soon, the blue gorilla jailer dragged Raymond back to the door of Cell 4.

"Why is it so quick this time?" one of the onlookers questioned, noticing the speed of the return.

"There's no sign of torture on Raymond! He's still conscious!"

"What in the world is going on?"

The other prisoners in the cell looked at the blue gorilla jailer, who had returned so unexpectedly, with a mix of disbelief and confusion.

Buggy turned around, his face tightening into a frown as he eyed the blue gorilla jailer with a growing sense of unease.

The blue gorilla jailer tossed Raymond roughly onto the ground, retrieved the key, and unlocked the cell door. He then turned his cold, steely gaze toward Raymond.

"It's him! It's him! That's Buggy!" Raymond stuttered, pointing toward Buggy at the back of the cell.

Raymond was acutely aware that betraying his fellow prisoners in such a dramatic fashion would likely lead to dire consequences in the future. 

However, given the situation, he knew that if he didn't point out Buggy, he might not make it through the day.

The blue gorilla jailer sneered, pulling a massive axe from his back and striding into the cell with menacing intent. He advanced directly toward Buggy.

The prisoners in this Level 1: Crimson Hell were all small-time pirates, none of whom stood a chance against the blue gorilla jailer. That was why the blue gorilla jailer felt confident entering the cell alone, without fear.

However, considering that Buggy might possess some hidden Devil Fruit ability, the blue gorilla jailer took out his weapon with caution.

Buggy's expression darkened as he watched the blue gorilla jailer approach, his unease growing.

Something's not right! Have I been betrayed?

But that can't be! With the aura of a protagonist that transmigrator possesses and the luck that Buggy himself possesses, is it even possible that it's ineffective?

Before Buggy could ponder further, the blue gorilla jailer was already upon him, swinging the axe with a deadly intent.

The blue gorilla jailer's strategy was straightforward: to determine if Buggy had hidden strength, he would find out through a fight!

If Buggy is concealing his true strength, then this axe is capable of forcing it out! If Buggy wasn't hiding his strength and Raymond deceived him, the axe would have left Buggy seriously injured, and afterward, Raymond would have been dealt with!

The blue gorilla jailer's suspicions were correct, and Buggy realized the moment the blue gorilla jailer approached him that his strength could no longer be concealed!

Buggy kicked out, striking the blue gorilla jailer in the stomach. With a resounding 'boom,' the large body of the blue gorilla jailer flew backward like a cannonball, crashing into the iron bars of the cell!

Blood trickled from the corner of the blue gorilla jailer's mouth; his neck was twisted, and he lost consciousness immediately!

Silence fell. 

A deathly stillness.

In cell 4 and the cells opposite, inmates gaped in disbelief at the sight before them, some wondering if they were dreaming. The blue gorilla jailer, who could have easily crushed them, had been effortlessly taken down by Buggy's casual kick!

This was beyond extraordinary!

Meanwhile, in the monitoring room on the basement level, alarms blared, and red sirens flashed!

"Attention! Attention all patrols on the basement level! A prisoner has attacked the Blue Gorilla Jailer. Immediate assistance is required!"

A calm jailer dispatched a support request via pager.

It's not uncommon for a prisoner to rise up now and then, but this was not considered a serious issue for Impel Down.

Unaware of the jailers' reaction in the surveillance room, Buggy stood up, freed his hands, and smashed the surveillance phone bug on the ceiling.

After disabling the surveillance phone bug, Buggy turned to the still-dazed prisoners in the cell and asked, "Hey, do you want to be free?"

A collective gulp echoed through the cell as everyone nodded instinctively.

Buggy pointed to the unconscious blue gorilla jailer and said, "The key is right there. What are you waiting for?"

Everyone looked on in amazement, their faces filled with astonishment!

"Long live Boss Buggy!" 

Dogleg No. 1 cheered and was the first to rush over to the blue gorilla jailer. He grabbed the key, unlocked his shackles, and freed himself!

Seeing this, the other doglegs hurried over, eager to free themselves from their own restraints!

Noticing the chaos, Buggy called out, "Go and release the rest of the prisoners too! We need more manpower right now!"

Understanding Buggy's command, the doglegs quickly grabbed the key and ran out of Cell 4 to unlock the other cells!

Once everyone had dispersed, Buggy's expression darkened. The chances of a successful escape were slim now!

But at this point, he knew they had to give it their all!

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