Chapter 70

Grandline, Paradise, Impel Down

After walking for a while, the warden still slumped over his shoulder, Azul reached the first level of Impel Down, making his eyes widen a little at the sight.

'What the f.u.c.k...?! What kind of sick f.u.c.k do you have to be to come up with shit like this?' He thought to himself. Even though Azul knew of the cruelties this world was infested by, to witness the abyss of such sick products of some persons mind was another matter all together.

Having observed the level from his alleviated position for a while and spotting the entrance to the next level, Azul began to walk forwards, straight towards the prison cells that were located at the edge of the blood red forest to go look for the first two of the crew he knew should be imprisoned here.

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Nami and Chopper hadn't been staying long in their cell before two guards arrived and pulled them out of their cell, bringing them over to the group of prisoners that were lined up before the entrance to the forest, to join the group as the newest arrivals for the upcoming daily blood red marathon that was about to commence.

"Time to bleed, maggots! huehuehue" the guards captain of this level spoke with a rough voice and lifted his arm as the signal for the prisoners to start running. Though just as he was about to drop his arm, a tall shadow fell upon the man, making him turn around, only to be greeted by a hand that speared right through the mans torso, making the captain spit up blood before he died.

At first nobody knew how to react but that was soon taken care of as a crushing pressure smashed all the guards into the ground, unconcious.

Nami and Chopper who had been scared witless at first at the prospect of having to run through the bloody forest were now weeping in relieve, knowing they were safe.

"A-Azul!" the two cried while charging over to Azul and throwing themselves into the man's arms, who only smiled softly.

"You two alright? I've seen you on the ship but could only check for superficial injuries..." he asked after the two had calmed down a little, the rest of the prisoners not being able to move a single muscle due to the pressure that pressed them to their spots.

"Ye, we are fine. I've checked us over while we were in the cell" Chopper said, wiping his moist eyes he had gotten from all the things that had happened in the last few hours.

"Good, then it's time for us to descend before we get the hell out of this place for good." Azul spoke, putting Chopper on his shoulder while Nami simply stepped to his side, the stifness of her shoulders alleviated a lot.

"P-Please, take us with you! We don' wanna die in 'ere" one man spoke, stuttering under the pressure, making Azul turn into his direction, making the man straightening his back on reflex under the young mans gaze.

"And why, pray tell would I do that?" Azul asked, eyeing the men up and down, making alot of them shiver under his gaze.

"M-Most o-of us are s-small time criminals on this level. Pickpockets, con artists and so on. N-Nothing like the l-lower levels with all the pirates you see." another man spoke up this time, and from his stature his words seemed believable as he was incredibly thin with no muscles to speak of that were a must to some level for every sailor.

Thinking it over Azul formulated a plan in his mind. After all, it would only be a matter of time until they would be discovered. So possibly, he could use the small gangsters to cause a ruckus on the lower levels to serve as a distraction for when they would be escaping later on...

"Fine, but you'll do as I say and once our paths seperate you'll be on your own..." Azul said, lifting the pressure of his presence from the men and women, while turning around and marching towards the exit for the lower level, making the group of prisoners breath out in relief.

"We'll need to find the rest of our crew! They should be somewhere on the lower level." Nami spoke while they walked through the bloody forest, sending shivers down her back when she thought about what would have happened had Azul not arrived in time.

"I know where they should be located. We'll only need to reach the lower level. Though, in the papers that I found, Robin wasn't listed in one of the five level, which means there must be another area for interogation or stuff like that in Impel Down." Azul spoke while walking next to Nami, until unexpectedly a woman spoke up from behind the trio.

"The one you're looking for may be in level six..."

"Oh please woman, that level is only a rumor. I bet they threw the person into a cell on level five or above and just forgot to fill out a form or somethin'" another man replied to the woman's words, sparking a conversation between the fellow inmates, until Azul interrupted them.

"What is that rumor all about?" he asked curiously, shutting up their heated conversation.

"It is said that below the fifth level, their exists another one, literally on the bottom of the ocean, dark like the abyss, reserved for the worst of the worst of prisoners, incarcerated to never see the light of day again. Forever tinged in darkness..." the woman finished, making the rest of the group shiver at the thought of such a level.

Azul meanwhile had a frown on his face. Did such a level exist? Possible. Could it be that Robin was at that level. Even more possible. Was he going to check if such a level existed? Hell ye.

And so they traveled further through the woods until they reached a steep stairways from which screams echoed all the way up. They had reached the entrance to the second level. Hell of the wild beasts.