Chapter 34: The Changes in Moria and Shiloh!

Impel Down, Level 4, Blazing Hell.

The environment here remained as sweltering and dry as a deep-earth abyss, with the nauseating stench of blood permeating the air.

Prisoners clad in zebra-striped uniforms, under the scolding and whipping of ferocious guards, endured the searing pain beneath their feet. They carried bundles of dry wood toward the boiling blood pools, lining up to toss them into the sea of fire beneath the great cauldrons.

At this moment, Gecko Moria, who had just become a lowly jailer, was moving in and out of the cells, clutching a two-meter-long pair of giant scissors.

Just like now, he stepped out of one cell and opened the next. Under the terrified gazes of the prisoners inside, he would grab one's upper body with his left hand like a small chicken, snip the shadow beneath them with a *click*, toss the body against a nearby wall, and then casually throw the struggling shadow into the shadow box he carried, as if it were mere trash.

This shadow box was actually shaped and created using his own shadow—the "Shadow Asgard." Because to preserve a shadow, aside from a physical body, only a box made of shadows could do the job.

Compared to the former, the latter could store a nearly infinite number of shadows; after all, shadows lacked substantial mass and could be stuffed into the box with a bit of kneading.

He had prepared four such shadow boxes, intended to store the prisoner shadows from "Blazing Hell," "Starvation Hell," "Wild Beast Hell," and "Crimson Hell."

Chief Columbus had decreed that he could only operate between these four levels.

This was because the prisoners held in Level 5, "Freezing Hell," were all great pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million, while the prisoners in Level 6, "Eternal Hell," were even more formidable—each a monster-class pirate erased from history due to their extreme ferocity.

Moria didn't care. The prisoners in these four levels were enough to keep him snipping for several years; having two fewer levels was actually quite good, as it made him appear very obedient on the surface.

Furthermore, he found the environment of Impel Down very suitable for his lifestyle. This place, where the sun was never seen, was quite comfortable for a member of the Onimuzoku (Demon Tribe); it was just difficult to perform his "Light Funeral" shows here.

Just as Moria walked out of the cell with a cold face, preparing to head to the next one, two colleagues in jailer uniforms, carrying muskets, were chatting while on patrol.

Though they lowered their voices, their words were still quite audible in this environment.

"Chief Warden Shiryu is actually being transferred out!"

"That's wonderful. Once that killing machine leaves, we low-level jailers won't have to worry about dying at the hands of our own people one day."

"Tell me about it. But the prisoners must be the happiest. Over the years, how many have died at Chief Warden Shiryu's hands? Not a thousand, but at least hundreds, right?"

Moria paid no attention to this, as he didn't know anyone named Shiryu. On the contrary, Deputy Chief Magellan had left a deep impression on him; that aura of spreading poison was quite terrifying.

As for Chief Columbus, his presence was unfathomable—certainly not someone the current Moria could contend with!

However, one problem remained: how does one get promoted in a place like this?

By merit? But where would the merit come from?

At this thought, Moria stopped in his tracks, stunned. He thought to himself, *"This is bad. It seems that as long as the World Government wishes, I'll never be able to level up in my entire life. Does this mean I'll likely be stuck here for the full twenty years?"*

For some reason, his mind began to wander, inexplicably projecting into the future. If he was still a jailer ten years from now...

What would he be then? The strongest jailer in the history of Impel Down?

***

In the Chief's office in the distance, Shiryu of the Rain had already completed his resignation procedures with the Chief and was walking out carrying a paper bag filled with various documents.

As he emerged, he saw a man nearly five meters tall, dressed like a demon with long, curved horns on his head and devilish bat wings on his back, standing there.

"Yo, Deputy Chief Magellan. I didn't expect you to come to see me off. It seems you don't hate me that much after all," Shiryu teased.

"No, I hate you very much."

Magellan gave his departing former colleague no face whatsoever, saying coldly, "I only came to see you roll out of Impel Down with my own eyes, to ensure I truly won't see you again in the future."

"Ara, how heartless."

Shiryu wasn't angry; he simply grinned, pulled an expensive cigar from his coat pocket, put it in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, and took a deep drag of smoke.

He glanced at the harsh environment of "Blazing Hell," exhaled a cloud of thick smoke, and sighed, "Actually, I quite like this place. I wonder if I'll still be able to feed 'Raiu' once I get to the Navy."

With that, he brushed past Magellan and walked toward the elevator leading to the first floor above sea level.

Magellan watched his receding figure and shook his head with a sigh.

"I don't know what's wrong with the Navy, taking this bastard in. I hope someone over there can keep him in check, otherwise, it'll be a bloodbath."

But looking at it from another perspective, it was indeed great news for Impel Down.

***

Carrying a sense of regret and nostalgia, Shiryu took the elevator to the first floor above sea level.

The place was as bustling as ever, with newly captured prisoners lining up to undergo the "cleansing ritual."

Yes, a full-body cleansing in hundred-degree boiling water—definitely stimulating.

Then, they were changed into brand-new black-and-white striped uniforms and sent to "Blazing Hell" on Level 4 for a second round of disinfection via high temperatures.

Finally, once they were half-dead, they were thrown into different "Hells" based on their bounties.

When the jailers and other staff members saw Shiryu, not a single person dared to approach him to say hello.

At most, they watched him leave with eyes full of fear or relief.

Shiryu didn't care.

In his eyes, these were all the weak.

And the weak were not worthy of his concern.

They were only suitable for passing the time and letting "Raiu" drink blood.

Beyond the iron bars, the gate leading to the outside world was visible.

It was a gate embedded within high walls, constructed entirely of solid steel.

The subsequent events were simple.

He successfully boarded a Navy warship sent to collect him, and the ship slowly sailed away from this undersea great prison where he had stayed for many years.

Strangely, despite his seemingly nostalgic demeanor just moments ago, Shiryu didn't even turn back to look.

Instead, his eyes were filled with anticipation for the future.

Regardless, getting out of here was equivalent to being free!

If things didn't go well in the Navy, he could leave whenever he wanted, right?

Therefore, Shiryu was currently in a very pleasant mood.

He was so elated that his eyes even turned slightly red as he looked at the surrounding Marines, suddenly feeling a bit of an itch in his hands...

However, once the warship passed through the first Gate of Justice, he sensed something was wrong.

Because the ship was not following the triangular current toward the next Gate of Justice.

"Aren't we going to Marineford to report?"

Shiryu asked the Major in command, while simultaneously becoming wary.

"That was the original plan. However, because you have been assigned as an adjutant to Vice Admiral Akainu, and since Vice Admiral Akainu has just received a mission, he instructed us to take you directly to him. We will return to Marineford together after the mission is completed."

Since Shiryu had been appointed to the rank of Navy Captain, the Major naturally answered using honorifics.

"Vice Admiral Akainu?"

Shiryu's expression froze. Although he had been serving in Impel Down, he wasn't truly ignorant of the outside world.

The *World Economic Journal* was delivered punctually every issue, and given the harsh environment, reading the newspaper had become his primary leisure activity.

Thus, he was aware of the three new Admiral candidates in the Navy.

"That Logia-type Magma Fruit user, Sakazuki?!"

"Yes."