One Piece: King of the World

The Great Deep Sea Prison—Impel Down.

Today, Magellan was still suffering from diarrhea, while Shiryu had been suppressing his murderous urges lately. Magellan had even noticed the change, thinking Shiryu was genuinely trying to reform himself. In response, he eased up on Shiryu, reducing the monitoring to avoid applying too much pressure.

What Magellan didn't know was that Shiryu was actually holding back a far bigger plan. He felt that staying in Impel Down was no longer feasible. If he didn't restrain himself, he'd either end up killed by Magellan or locked up again before his plan could succeed.

Shiryu wasn't trying to change; he was simply trying to lower Magellan's guard, find an opportunity to create chaos, and escape from the prison that had become his shackles.

Standing before a prison cell, Shiryu gazed at the prisoner inside, who cowered in fear. A scarlet gleam flickered in Shiryu's eyes, but he resisted the urge to draw his blade, Rain.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, took a cigar from his pocket, and lit it. The familiar sensation helped him relax, slightly.

"Damn it... this feeling is so damn irritating," he muttered.

Just then, a group of jailers escorted two prisoners to the fourth level. The prisoners were Edward Weevil and his mother, Miss Buckin.

The jailers visibly trembled upon seeing Shiryu. Even in the sweltering heat of the Blazing Hell, his presence sent chills down their spines. To them, he was the embodiment of bloodlust.

Shiryu glanced at the group, his gaze landing on Weevil with slight surprise. Not because Weevil was locked up here, given his lack of intelligence, he wasn't dangerous enough for Eternal Hell. The Freezing Hell wasn't suitable either since headquarters had ordered that Weevil remain alive, and the icy environment was too risky.

So, it made sense for Weevil to be held on the fourth level, which was also where Magellan's office was located.

Impel Down's security was trusted implicitly. Not even the Golden Lion's escape decades ago had diminished its reputation as an unbreakable fortress. The alleged escape of the revolutionary army's giant, Morley, was widely dismissed as a baseless rumor.

What genuinely surprised Shiryu was that Edward Weevil had been captured at all. The guy was known for his brute strength, not his brain.

Shiryu exhaled a puff of smoke and motioned for the jailers to approach. They did so cautiously.

"What's the story here?" Shiryu asked, pointing to Weevil.

"Ah... uh... Chief Warden Shiryu, sir," one jailer stammered. "This is Edward Weevil. He was supposed to be delivered here earlier, but there was a delay at Marineford. It's said that a CP-0 agent, accompanied by two admirals, captured him. We were ordered to ensure his survival no mistakes allowed."

"Ensure his survival?" Shiryu's brow furrowed. His voice turned cold. "Are you implying something?"

"No, no, not at all, sir!" The jailer nearly wet himself. "This was a direct order from above. Weevil is to be held here for one or two months at most before being transferred back to Marineford for public execution."

"Public execution?" Shiryu's frown deepened. Since when did the Marines execute people like Edward Weevil publicly?

The World Government rarely staged public executions unless the target had committed particularly heinous crimes or held symbolic importance. The last such execution had been Gol D. Roger's, 17 years ago in Loguetown. That had been a miscalculation; instead of deterring piracy, Roger's final words ignited the Great Pirate Era.

Since then, even high-profile captives like Big Mom and Douglas Bullet had simply been imprisoned without fanfare.

So why now? And why Weevil?

His curiosity piqued, Shiryu pressed further. "Is it just these two? What's the reason behind the public execution?"

The jailer hesitated before responding. "Well... there's another prisoner being brought in soon. We don't have all the details, but they'll be placed in Eternal Hell alongside Weevil. It seems... these two are connected."

"Connected?" Shiryu's interest grew. "Go on."

"Yes, sir," the jailer swallowed. "The other prisoner is Thatch, the fourth division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. He was captured and sent here recently. Headquarters has ordered us to keep him alive. It's said that within one to two months, Vice Admirals will escort both Thatch and Weevil to Marineford for a public execution."

Shiryu's eyes narrowed. "Thatch... and Weevil? Together?"

The jailer nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. It's not confirmed, but... well, given who Thatch is, we're guessing the World Government is preparing to provoke a certain force."

"Whitebeard," Shiryu muttered.

The pieces were falling into place. Impel Down was full of secrets, many of which never left its walls. But this was different. If the Government was publicly executing Thatch and Weevil, they were likely planning to provoke the Whitebeard Pirates.

Shiryu's mind raced. Marshall D. Teach.

The name had been on his radar. Teach had recently become the second division commander after Thatch's disappearance, a sudden rise that had caught Shiryu's attention.

"Who captured Thatch?" he asked.

"Uh... it wasn't the Marines," the jailer replied nervously. "Apparently, there was a betrayal within the Whitebeard Pirates."

Shiryu's eyes sharpened. "A betrayal?"

The Whitebeard Pirates were notorious for their loyalty and familial bonds. Treachery was almost unthinkable.

"Yes, sir," the jailer said. "According to Thatch, it was his own subordinate. Marshall D. Teach. He stole a Devil Fruit and turned him over to the Marines. In exchange, Teach was granted the title of Warlord, filling the position left by Gecko Moria."

Shiryu's suspicions were confirmed. Teach... so that's what you're after.

His expression turned cold as he exhaled a stream of smoke. "I see. Get back to work."

"Yes, sir!" The jailers saluted and hurried away, relieved to escape Shiryu's oppressive aura.

Shiryu remained still, his thoughts churning. A public execution, a betrayal within Whitebeard's crew, and Teach becoming a Warlord... This is going to turn the world upside down.

He flicked his cigar to the ground and crushed it underfoot before turning away, disappearing into the shadows of Impel Down.

***

This book is completed so you can read all chapters on: /Blownleaves.