Chapter 66: Prison Break
In the first half of the "Grand Line," the great sea route, near the "Red Line" that separates it from the New World, lie the three great institutions of the World Government.
One is the island of "Enies Lobby," the seat of the World Governmentâs nominal judicial branchâits so-called "judiciary."
Another is the World Governmentâs only undersea maximum-security prison, the island where criminals from across the world meet their endâ"Impel Down."
And the last is the pinnacle of the worldâs "forces of justice," an island that also serves as the gateway to the Holy Landâ"Marine Headquarters."
Naturally, as these islands belong to the government, the military might stationed on each is not something a single pirate crew could hope to match. âŠFrankly, only a complete and utter fool would even consider attacking a government stronghold. No matter the reason, most would give up.
At Enies Lobby, thereâs CP9, government officials, and 10,000 stationed Marines. Impel Down boasts countless guards and jailers, and its location in the Calm Belt makes its defenses truly impregnable. As for Marine Headquartersâof course, itâs the Navyâs main base, swarming with Marines. None of these places should be conquerable under normal circumstances. Most wouldnât even dare think of trying.
But a few years ago, Marine Headquarters was half-destroyed by none other than "Golden Lion" Shiki, proving that sometimes, the unthinkable happens.
Nothing in this world is absolute. And as if to prove it once more, another incident occurred.
âImpel Downâs First-Ever Prison Break!! Pirate Fleet Admiral "Golden Lion" Shiki!!
The headlines that day sent shockwaves across the world.
The "invincible myth" of the undersea prison, Impel Down, was well-known.
In its entire history, not a single intruder had ever broken inânor had any prisoner ever escaped. Once thrown into Impel Down, a man was doomed to spend the rest of his days in its dark, deep cages⊠in hell itself.
Yet Shiki the "Golden Lion" escaped.
He cut off his own shackled legs, embedded his two beloved swords into his stumps as makeshift feet, and flew straight out of Impel Down.
Of course, the jailers, guards, and Marines gave chaseâbut Shiki could fly freely through the sky, making escape effortless.
However, by then, the once-mighty Golden Lion Piratesâonce counted among the four great powers of the New Worldâhad already weakened after Shikiâs arrest, their territory swallowed up by rival pirates and the Navy.
Thus, even a week after his escape, Shikiâs whereabouts remained unknown. Where was he nowâŠ?
The Answer, Naturally, Lay in the "New World."
"Ahahahaha!! Whatâs with that head and those legs?! A steering wheel stuck in your skull⊠and swords for feet?! Pfft⊠kukuku⊠AHAHA!! Youâve gotta be the weirdest guy Iâve ever seen!! Hell, you might even be more of a mystery than me⊠Pfft, kukuku!"
"Quit laughinâ, ya damn brat!! It ainât that funny!!"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
On the deck of a certain ship, a black-haired girl and a man with a steering wheel embedded in his skull bantered lightly, separated by a giant.
The giantâand the surrounding crewâwatched in silence. In particular, the giant himselfâthe captain of this ship, the Moby Dick, and the man now hailed as the "Strongest Pirate in the World," Edward "Whitebeard" Newgateâfurrowed his brow as he downed an entire bottle of liquor, a gift from his visitors.
But the two paid no mind, continuing to drink and chat across Whitebeard as if he werenât even there. The fact that they showed no fear of Whitebeard was proof enoughâthey, too, were legendary pirates whose names shook the world.
"No no, it IS funny!! How the hell do you even end up like that?! Ahahahaha!!"
"The steering wheel was an accident!! The legsâI cut âem off to escape!! Just stuck my swords in as replacements, thatâs all!!"
"Ohhh⊠So what about those weird eyebrows?"
"Yeah, spent my whole childhood traininâ normal eyebrows into this shapeâTHE HELL YOU MEAN 'TRAINED'?! I WAS BORN WITH THESE!! Shut the hell up!!"
"Ahahahaha!! Youâre hilarious!! Hey, Whitebeard, back me up hereâheâs ridiculous, right?!"
"Oi, Whitebeard!! Donât tell me youâre laughinâ too?!"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠFirst off, why the hell are you two even here?"
"Huh? UhâŠ"
"Hah? AhâŠ"
At Whitebeardâs question, both the girl and the man tilted their heads in thought. After a momentâs hesitation, they answered in unison:
""âŠJust felt like it?""
"GET THE HELL OFF MY SHIP, YOU DUMBASSES!!!"
âAnd so, aboard Whitebeardâs ship, there we wereâme, Whitebeard himself, and the newly escaped "Golden Lion" Shiki.
"Whew! Man, itâs been a while since Iâve had this much fun! âWhich means⊠OPENING!!"
"This ainât fun, and thereâs no damn opening!!"
"Aww~"
"!!?"
"Whaâ Did she just attack the old man?!"
I casually infused my spear with Haki and took a swing at Whitebeard, but he effortlessly caught itâas if heâd seen it coming from miles away. Hmm⊠Yeah, no surprise there. Still a monster, huh? The gapâs narrowed, but⊠no, because itâs narrowed, I can tell. In this era without Roger, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate is undoubtedly the strongest pirate in the world. Itâs almost laughable how absurdly strong he is.
Kaido and I have grown plenty strong ourselvesâthere are only a handful of pirates left who could challenge us. But even now, Whitebeardâs still a step ahead. I could put up a fight, sure, but my odds of winning? Maybe 10-20% on a good day.
Kaidoâs probably in the same boat. Around 20%. I might last longer thanks to matchup advantage, but Kaidoâs raw power edges me out. If we teamed upâŠÂ we might stand a chance? Even then, weâd still be at a disadvantage. Weâre not quite at Whitebeard and Rogerâs level yet. But⊠weâre close. Especially Kaido. Just realizing that made this trip worth itâ
âUgh, the peanut galleryâs getting noisy.
"Oh, quit fussing! This is just a little skinship between friends~"
"Then quit packing Haki into it, dammit!!"
"Oh, Marco~! Long time no see~! âȘ I love your Devil Fruit. Wanna join my crew? âHeyyy, Marco-chaaan~! Marco-chan, recruited~! âȘ"
"Like hell I will!! And stop with the weird nicknames!!"
"~âȘ Te-te-re-ret-te~ â« Te-re-re-te~re~te~re~te~ â« Te~te-re-ret-te~re~ â« Te-re-te-re-te-re-te-re-re-re-ren~ â« âThis is your theme song!! Come on, sing along!!"
"Sing along myâ! Ugh, whyâs it so damn catchyâŠ?!"
As the crew erupted over my "attack," a guy with a pineapple-shaped headâ"Phoenix" Marcoâdecided to butt in. Ah, nostalgia~. So, I graced him with a custom theme song fit for a phoenix. Sadly, Marco didnât seem to appreciate my masterpieceâbut since itâs stuck in his head now, mission accomplished. Wish heâd join me⊠Not happening, but a guy can dream. A phoenix? Thatâs pure romanceâ
"Zehahaha⊠Same as ever, Nue. But your strengthâs on a whole other level since last time. So, you and Kaido were the ones wrecking my turf, huh?"
"Duh. We mopped the floor with what was left. Honestly, it was kinda disappointingâthought thereâd be more of a fight."
"...Yeah, figures. If youâre this strong, Kaido mustâve grown even more. Zehaha⊠Shouldâve forced you two to join me back then. âOr maybe I oughta pay you back right now?"
"Mmm~? Fufufu, suit yourself~ But you just broke out of prisonâyou really wanna go straight back to Impel Down~?"
"ZEHAHAHA!! Look whoâs talking big now!! âŠNah, youâve always been a brat, huh?!"
"You mean Iâve always been adorable~ ⥠FufufufuâŠ!!"
Shiki poked, so I poked backâour Haki-laced glares clashing in midair. Damn, heâs still got it. Two years in prison, a steering wheel lodged in his skull (not sure if that counts as an injury), and self-amputated legsâyet his presence alone proves why he was once one of the four greatest pirates. But⊠fufufu~ ⥠I might just win now.
Not that Iâd underestimate himâthe gapâs not that wide. Losing his legs hurt, but the bigger reasonâs probably⊠that thing he was so hung up on. Still, if he wants a fight, I wonât hold backâ
"âYou two here to brawl on my ship? Keep it up, and Iâm tossing you both overboard."
âWelp, guess thatâs that. Not like either of us was serious, and Whitebeard knew it. He just didnât want his "family" worrying. I dropped the pressure with a grin, and Shiki burst into laughter.
"Oh, relax~! Just joking. I came for drinks and gossip. Yâknow, since the Great Pirate Era started, weâve all been busyâthought itâd be fun to catch up~ âȘ"
"Zehaha, same here. Just making the rounds after my jailbreak. Didnât expect you to be here, though."
"...Fine. As long as youâre not starting wars on my deck, do what you want."
As Whitebeard took a swig of Shikiâs booze, I gave a cheerful "Okey-dokey!" and joined in. Mmm~ Not bad. Sasakiâs brew is great, but varietyâs nice too!
"Oh, speaking ofâwhat do you two think about the new 'Warlords' thing? Shiki, you might not know, butâ"
"Ah⊠The governmentâs pet pirates."
"Heard about it. Even in prison, the rumors spread. Theyâre just the World Governmentâs dogs. Callinâ that piracy? Pathetic. Iâd rather die than kneel to those bastards."
Iâd been curious what these two old-school pirates thought about the "Seven Warlords of the Sea" system. Whitebeard seemed indifferent, but Shiki? Pure disdain. Not surprisingâheâd never bow to anyone. Still, I added some context:
"Theyâre banking on the Warlords to suppress other pirates and thin out the competition~"
"Hah!! Only weaklings chasing treasure would bend the knee for that. What a joke."
"...That crocodile kid who showed up at my place recently had some fire in him, though."
"Oh! You mean Crocodile?"
"You know him?"
"Nah, just the name. âCrocodile kidâ kinda gave it away~"
Whitebeardâs offhand remark caught my attention. So Crocodile tried to take his head and got wrecked? I couldnât help but laugh.
"Ahaha!! Oh, come onâas if some rookie whoâs been pirating for a few years could take down Whitebeard!! If he were that weak, Kaido and I wouldâve killed him ages ago!!"
"Jihahahaha!! Damn right!! You crack me up, Nue!! If I were that weak, I'd have been the Pirate King ages ago!! What a riot!!"
"Don't laugh about something so dangerous!!!"
As Shiki and I burst out laughing, someone from the sidelines yelled at us. Geez, no sense of humor, huh? I mean, this kind of banter's totally normal, isn't it? Back in the day, there were guys who would've tried to kill you for saying half as much, and others who would trash-talk you way worse. So honestly, this is nothing. It's not like there's any real bloodlust behind it.
"Jiha... but still... Looks like the posers are running wild these days..."
"Hmm? Well, maybe so~"
"I don't care who sets out to sea. It's not something anyone can stop anyway..."
As I was thinking that, Shiki muttered it out loud. I just let it pass, and Whitebeard, for his part, downed his drink without really denying the state of the times.
Then, flashing a cocky grin, Shiki threw a question at himâa question directed at Whitebeard, the ruler of this era.
"âHow's the sea without Roger? The wall that used to block us is gone. Seems like itâs your time now, 'Whitebeard'..."
"If you came all this way just to spout crap, I'll sink you into the ocean right now, 'Golden Lion.'"
"Hey!! Don't ignore me, weird-eyebrows!! Whitebeard might be in charge now, but it's gonna be the era of the Beasts Pirates soon enough!!"
"Jihahahaha!! Glad to see you two are still as irritating as ever."
You're not even listening, are you? Shiki just laughed off both Whitebeardâs and my words. He said we pissed him off, but he honestly looked like he was having a good time. Then, for some reason, he deepened his smirk, stuck another cigar in his mouth, and said,
"âI'm thinking of disappearing for a while... It's time to show this lukewarm age what real pirates are made of."
"You're scheming something again, huh..."
"Wait, what? Planning to fix your eyebrows? I can recommend a great plastic surgeon if you want?"
"I ain't getting eyebrow surgery!!! And quit harping on my damn eyebrows already!!!"
"You guys never change, huh..."
When I said that seriously, Shiki shot back with a perfect retort. Yep, as always, Shiki's got great timing. That's one of the things I like about him: he's good at both throwing jokes and snapping back.
Watching us, Whitebeard seemed a little exasperated. Maybe he was starting to chill out a bit. When Shiki and I first showed up together, he definitely had his guard up... Oh, my drinkâs empty. Hmm, guess that means it's about time to call it a night.
I'd love to hang around longer for an alumni meeting vibe, but looks like Shiki's about ready to leave too. Just as I got up to wrap things up, Whitebeard spoke to me.
"...Hey, Nue. You and Kaido aren't plotting something again, are you?"
"Eh? Of course we are. We're pirates, duh. âBut don't worry!! We don't plan on laying a finger on your dear fa-mi-ly anytime soon. We'll behave for now, promise!!"
"...Tch. Not that telling you and Kaido would make a difference... but if you mess with my family or my territory, I'll sink you to the bottom of the sea."
"...Fufufu, okayyy⥠I mean, it's not like Iâm obliged to listen, since we're part of a different crew now, but you can rest easy. If we ever do move against your territory, it'll be when we're strong enough that you can't sink usâĄ"
"You little..."
"Jiha! C'mon, Whitebeard. Still treating them like rookies? Not that I'm taking sides, but these two are proper pirates now. Even if you warn them, it's not gonna change anything."
"Exactly!! I'm the world's cutest, most mysterious idol pirate, after all!! Which means, I donât listen to orders, okayyyâĄ"
"Tch... yeah, guess that's true."
Whitebeard clicked his tongueâpretty rare for him. Well, once you've sat down and shared a drink like this, unless someone openly shows hostile intent, you can't just pick a fight. That's the code. Pirate law. The way of the world. And if anyone takes that lightly, especially someone like Whitebeard who values that code more than anyone, they'd lose all respectâfrom former crewmates, from me, from his family. No one would recognize him anymore. âEven if I am a potential threat down the line.
Honestly, Whitebeardâs way smarter and more cautious than he looks. He doesnât make reckless moves. ...That said, underestimating him would be a huge mistake. He's kind, sure, but take advantage of that kindness and you'd better believe he'd crush you without mercy. You can never let your guard down.
Still, if we grow our power and influence a little more, it'll eventually get to the point where Whitebeard can't just casually take a swing at us either. Of course, the same goes the other way too, but... well, I'll handle that when the time comes. I'm looking forward to it, honestly. Fufufu... things are gonna get so fun~âȘ
"Jihahahaha!! Anyway, see ya, 'Whitebeard,' Nue!! Good catching up after all this time!! âNext time we meet, Iâll be the one ruling the world!!!"
"Blehh!! Bring it on if you think you can!! Kaido and I aren't gonna lose, you weird-eyebrow, rudder-leg, blade-foot old man!!"
"It's true, but don't mash all that into one nickname!!"
"Oh, right! I forgot to teach you Whitebeardâs theme song!! Here we go!! Just one phrase for now!! âTerere tererere~ tetete~ tererereten tetenâ«"
"Hey, donât just ignore me!! And why the hell is it another one of those damn catchy tunes!? ...Also, donât I get a theme song too?"
"You donât."
"I donât!?"
"...Just go home already. Talking to you guys is giving me a headache."
With my blunt reply, Shiki threw in a quick comeback, and Whitebeard groaned, rubbing his templesâfinally bringing our meeting to a close. Man, that was fun! Itâs been so long since I got to mess around with Whitebeard and Shiki! ...Though honestly, Shikiâs kind of hard to joke with lately. Heâs still hung up on Rogerâcompletely obsessed, really. It's a little pathetic... but, well, I get it, so I let it slide. If he ever manages to break out of it and actually surprise me, maybe Iâll treat him seriously. Until then, he's no threat. Better to just leave him be.
As for Whitebeard, it was reassuring to see heâs still as strong as ever. Though, well... itâs kinda sad when you think about it.
âBecause in just two more years, heâs going to lose a brother he treasures more than anything.
âWano Country
While news of Shikiâs escape was making waves overseas, and Nue was away from Wano, two figures made their way through the land of Kuri.
"Come on, move it, move it!! Beyond here, there are no factories or farms, y'know!!"
"...None?"
"That's right, none!! So hurry it up!!"
There were two figures, but clearly neither of them were from Wano. One was a tall, well-built woman with white hair, wearing a black and purple coat and a horned mask. Perched on her shoulder, giving her orders, was a tiny girl. Dressed in red, in a kimono-like outfit, she had two horns jutting from her head and even a tail.
Apparently, the tiny one was the boss, giving the orders. The woman under the mask frowned slightly, though not out of angerâjust mild confusion.
"We're here!! This is Kuriâs farm!!"
"...Didnât you just say there werenât any?"
"Ah, I made a mistake... There aren't!! Everything you see here isnât a farm at allâ Ah! You!! Slacking off again, huh!? Move it, move it!!"
"Uwah, a-a little person!?"
"S-Sorry!!"
The two had arrived at Kuriâs farms. Locals forced to work there were startled by the sudden approach of the tiny girl. Those seeing her for the first time froze in shock, while the ones who knew her quickly bowed their heads in apology.
After all, that tiny girl was also a member of the Beasts Pirates.
"Move it!! Hurry up!! The right field's not finished yet!! Go to the riiiiight!!"
"U-understood..."
As the workers tried to head right like they were told, the little girl immediately exploded.
"Wrong!! I said right, but I didnât mean right!!"
"Huh? Then... the field on the left?"
"Yes!! It's not the left field either!!"
"Ehhh!? Then which is it!?"
"Lies!! âAh, no, that wasn't a lie!! ...Wait, was it?"
"Uh..."
The little one tilted her head, confused by her own words, leaving the worker utterly lost. But after a moment, she shook it off, launched herself at the worker, andâ
"âJust go already!!"
"Hehbuh!!?"
âand punched him flying left with astonishing force for her size.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of the surrounding guardsâother Beasts Pirates crew membersâwho rushed over, panicked.
"Hey, hey, Lady Doubt!! Youâll get in trouble if you kill workers outside of official punishments!!"
"But this guy!! He's too obedient!! Way too obedient!!"
"Uh... isnât that a good thing?"
"Argh!! You too!! Youâre way too obedient!! You dummy!!"
"Uwaah!! Please, anything but chopping me up!!"
"You idiot, listen up!! Lady Doubtâs a liar!! Whatever she says, you gotta assume the opposite is true!!"
A more seasoned crewmate quickly whispered advice to the panicking newbie. As if on cue, the tiny girl called Doubt immediately relaxed her anger.
"Thatâs right... Iâm a liar!! And I'm the worst of the worst!! Iâm the baddest of the bad among the Tontatta tribe!!"
Beasts Pirates Officer â âHeadlinerâ (Self-Proclaimed Baddest Liar of the Tontatta Tribe) Doubt
Puffing out her tiny chest proudly, Doubt declared her title. The crew around her just nodded.
"I see... so even that was a lie!"
"So sheâs not really a bad person, huh... makes sense."
"Thatâs not a lie!! You dummy!!"
Doubt, furious that even her honest words were being doubted, stomped in frustration.
And watching this scene from behind was a newcomer to the Beasts Piratesâher. Even though she knew she had no right to feel this way, even though she knew she mustnâtâ
(Sheâs... adorable.)
Beasts Pirates Officer â "Headliner" (Archaeologist) Durac
Yes. Durac loved cute things.
But she considered that a grave sin. Something unforgivable. She hated the fact that cuteness could soothe her, and that guilt gnawed at her heart.
She let out a faint sigh. She had to stay sharp. She couldn't afford to let herself be softened.
From now on, she would have to do terrible things. Things that would hurt people. She had to steel herself. No hesitation. No sadness. She would have to act coldly, efficiently.
As she tried to recommit herself, someone else approached, bringing a handful of subordinates alongâlikely to inspect the farm. Durac looked up at the figure, a towering man she recognized.
"âDoubt. Durac. What are you doing here?"
"We're giving the newbie a tour right now!! Ah, newbie, this is King-sama!!"
"...I know."
"...Hmph."
Introduced to him, Durac offered a simple greeting. Theyâd met once before, but in the world of pirates, she wasnât sure what kind of greeting was appropriate. She just went with something normal.
In return, he simply snorted through his nose.
Was it resentment? After all, she had joined the crew and immediately been made an officer. Maybe that bred hostility. Or maybe in their world, this kind of exchange was perfectly normal. Durac couldnât tell.
...But there was one thing she could tell.
"Iâll finish the introductions and then weâre off to the next place. I need to get back to my own work too."
"...Before that, thereâs something Iâd like to ask him."
"Huh?"
Durac furrowed her brow behind her mask, looking up at King. She knew she wasnât exactly welcome, and dragging things out probably wasnât smart. Still, maybe it was just her nature as an archaeologistâshe couldnât leave a lingering question unanswered.
"...Mind if I ask?"
"...Say it. Though Iâm not promising Iâll answer."
"You really shouldn't ask."
It sounded like a flat-out rejection, but... maybe it was fine. Probably. She wasnât confident, but curiosity won out.
She asked:
"âWhy are you guys so focused on farming?"
"!!?"
She had barely finished the question when the surrounding crew members' faces twisted in shock. Had she touched on something she wasnât supposed to?
Still, it had been bothering her. They were pirates. And yet, they were investing serious effort into agriculture.
She just wanted to understand why. But what she got back was a smirk.
"Hah... You donât know a damn thing, do you..."
"Well, you're a newbie, so itâs natural you wouldn't know... but we definitely gotta teach you properly."
"...Eh?"
â
Several hours laterâand the next dayâDurac found herself in hell.
Her entire body, every inch of it, screamed in pain.
And through that agony, Durac got her first real glimpse into the incomprehensible terror that was the Beasts Pirates.
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