"—How did you know he was Zephyr-sensei's student!?"

Magellan's panicked, high-pitched voice shattered the suffocating silence of the prison. He stared in disbelief at the eerie, pale-haired figure before him.

The man's lips curled into a wicked smile.

"It was just a guess before," he said softly, "but now I'm certain."

Magellan froze, his face draining of color.

Daren: "..."

He massaged his chest in frustration, then shot Magellan an exasperated glare. The poor man flinched, shrinking his neck like a scolded child.

With a shake of his head, Daren turned his gaze back toward the deepest cell of the prison.

The flickering oil lamp cast faint, wavering light, struggling to pierce the surrounding darkness. At last, it revealed a pale, gaunt face—refined, composed, and hauntingly calm.

Despite sitting in the lowest, most sinister, and blood-soaked depths of the world's greatest prison, the man exuded an effortless poise. Cross-legged upon the cold, blackened stone, he smiled faintly, a trace of aristocratic elegance flickering beneath the menace.

Daren recognized him instantly.

A fastidious, old-fashioned gentleman—the kind who, even with broken limbs, would keep his collar straight and cuffs neatly pressed.

"Red the Aloof" Patrick Redfield.

The legendary Great Pirate who, on his own, had once stood on equal footing with Roger and the Whitebeard Pirates.

As his calm voice echoed through the dungeon, every other pirate fell silent. It was clear—he ruled this hell.

Daren exhaled a thin stream of smoke and smiled faintly.

"'No matter who the enemy is, never let your guard down. Strike with the full ferocity of a lion hunting a rabbit.'" His tone grew heavier. "That's what Zephyr-sensei taught me."

He paused, and a sharp, violent battle spirit burned to life in his deep, predatory eyes.

"And that's exactly what I've done."

"But if I recall correctly," Redfield replied smoothly, the golden chain across his lips swaying faintly as he spoke, "you're no longer a Marine... are you, Rogers Daren?"

The moment the name left his mouth, the entire Eternal Hell erupted in shock.

"Rogers Daren!?"

"No way! That can't be true!"

"He's that Rogers Daren!?"

"The one who fought the Five Elders—who nearly tore them apart with his bare hands!?"

"But he's wanted by the Marines and the Government... for five billion Belly!"

"How the hell is he here—as the warden of Impel Down!?"

"Does that even make sense!?"

"..."

The pirates stared at the bat-helmed man in utter disbelief, their expressions frozen in a mix of awe and terror.

Rogers Daren—the "World's Most Dangerous Criminal"—was standing right in front of them, in the deepest level of Impel Down?

Even locked away here, they weren't completely cut off from the outside world. Every day, guards brought in newspapers, letting them piece together fragments of what was happening beyond these iron walls.

But lately... the news had grown utterly insane.

Reports of Celestial Dragons being slaughtered, the Five Elders torn apart by hand, the Holy Land of Mary Geoise bombarded by flying warships, and even the entire North Blue seceding from the World Government's political system...

Each headline was more absurd than the last.

At first, most had laughed it off—sure the guards were messing with them, or that the papers were filled with fabricated "fake news."

But there was one thing they all knew was real—

That name.

Rogers Daren.

Even if the stories were lies, the bounty wasn't. A five-billion-Belly bounty didn't just appear out of thin air.

And now, that same man—the nightmare of the World Government—was standing before them, alive and well.

Worse yet, he wasn't here as a prisoner. He'd walked in freely... as Impel Down's warden.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought it a fever dream.

Wait a damn second—everyone here's a criminal! So why are we the ones chained up, starving in the dark, while he strolls in, puffing cigars and flaunting his Haki like a showman?

What kind of twisted justice is that!?

For the first time, these "world-class criminals" felt an absurd, almost comical urge—to call the Marines.

"Honestly..."

Daren sighed and shook his head, lifting a hand to remove the bat-shaped mask. A faint, amused smile curved his lips.

"As I thought, this disguise only works on idiots."

For a heartbeat, Eternal Hell went completely still.

Then—

"Damn brat!"

"What did you just say!?"

"You looking to die!?"

"Let me out, and I'll tear your head clean off!"

"..."

Raging shouts erupted from every direction, crashing through the darkness like a storming sea.

Daren, however, looked completely bored. He idly dug at his ear.

Without so much as a motion, a streak of blue lightning snapped through the air.

Shhhk!

Instantly, every pirate fell silent.

"Gulp..."

The faint sound of nervous swallowing echoed across the cells. The prisoners froze stiff, their bodies trembling, too terrified to move.

Because a razor-sharp metal spike had burst through the iron bars, pressing coldly against each of their throats.

The suffocating proximity of death sent beads of cold sweat rolling down their faces.

Only then did they remember—this man wasn't some ordinary warden of Impel Down. He was a reaper, one whose methods were far crueler than any of theirs.

"Ah, that's better. Quiet now... I'm trying to have a conversation."

Daren raised his index finger to his lips in a light "shh" gesture, smiling faintly.

"I'd rather not have to kill you all so soon."

The prisoners' pupils constricted sharply, their hearts pounding.

That look in his eyes—he wasn't bluffing. The killing intent that had flashed just now was all too real.

Daren turned his attention back to Redfield, his tone calm and measured.

"Marine or criminal—it's all just a title given by the world."

"Allegiances, sides... for people like us, do they really matter?"

Redfield's lips curved into an intrigued smile.

"You see things more clearly than Garp or Zephyr ever did. Zephyr taught himself quite the student."

He slowly raised his hands. The heavy, cold shackles around his wrists clanked together, the metallic rattle echoing through the silence.

"So then... before we fight," he said softly, eyes glinting with interest, "will you be the one to unlock my chains?"

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