Chapter Six: The Truth Behind the Devil's Invitation

He wore the headdress of an Egyptian pharaoh; his face was elongated, with brow bones jutting out like horns, eyes as large as beans, and a sunken nose. When he spoke, his mouth shaped itself into a trapezoid, making his entire face resemble that of an ancient demon. His upper body was bare, and in his hand he carried a steel trident nearly two meters long—fitting, as he himself stood close to three meters tall.

The newcomer was none other than Hannibal, the Deputy Warden of Impel Down.

Aozora stood up, straightening his posture, and said respectfully, “Greetings, Warden Hannibal. I am Aozora Shimura from Branch G-6, here to deliver pirates to Impel Down.”

Upon hearing Aozora address him as "Warden," Hannibal’s rather fearsome face immediately bloomed with delight. He came closer, throwing an arm around Aozora and saying, “Actually, I’m still just the Deputy Warden. Do you think I have the aura of a true warden?”

Feigning confusion, Aozora replied, “Ah… my apologies. This is my first time here, and outside, I’ve only ever heard of Deputy Warden Hannibal. Your presence just now was so commanding that I instinctively thought you were the warden yourself.”

“I’m truly sorry.”

Hannibal burst out laughing, patting Aozora on the back with enthusiasm. “You have a good eye, my friend. That position ought to be mine anyway.”

“So, you mentioned something interesting earlier—what was that?”

“I know Impel Down like the back of my hand. Wherever you want to go, I can take you.”

Aozora watched his expression—it seemed Hannibal had taken the bait. His ambition was no secret; he’d always coveted Magellan’s position as Chief Warden, and such praise had clearly pleased him beyond measure.

Aozora continued, “Actually, I don’t know whether this place truly exists. I’ve only heard rumors that there’s something unclean within Impel Down—a so-called devil’s invitation.”

“It’s said that sometimes, prisoners vanish without a trace in the fortress. Is that true, Deputy Warden?”

Hannibal hesitated briefly but nodded. “That’s happened before. The devil’s invitation does exist.”

Aozora pressed on, “Do you believe in this so-called ‘devil’?”

“Of course not.” Hannibal slammed his trident onto the ground, sending sparks flying. “Inside Impel Down, I am the devil!”

After a brief pause, Aozora asked, “Is it possible that those missing prisoners managed to escape?”

Hannibal shook his head firmly. “Impossible. Absolutely impossible! The ones who vanished were just insignificant small fry. Impel Down is built in the Calm Belt, surrounded by Sea Kings. Without a ship, there’s no way anyone could escape.”

“So where did they go?” Izuna Mizuno, listening intently, couldn’t help but interject.

Hannibal began to sweat; he didn’t know where those pirates had disappeared to. But he was certain they hadn't left Impel Down—a question that had plagued him for years.

That such rumors had spread about Impel Down was, in itself, a source of shame.

At that moment, Aozora suggested, “Is it possible they dug out a new level themselves?”

Hearing this, a spark lit in Hannibal’s large eyes. “A new level?” he murmured, stroking his square chin.

Indeed, there had once been a pirate who escaped from Impel Down—what was his name… Mori? His Devil Fruit power allowed him to tunnel through walls, and that was how he broke free.

If that was truly the case, it was far from impossible. Hannibal felt a surge of excitement in his chest and turned away, muttering under his breath, “If I can catch them, that would be another great achievement. My time as Chief Warden is near.”

After a moment’s thought, Hannibal said, “Brother Aozora, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll leave you all for now.”

“Feel free to explore…” he called out as he poked his head through the doorway.

Aozora smiled faintly and nodded.

Watching Hannibal depart, Izuna Mizuno remarked, “He’s probably gone off to look for the tunnel entrance himself.”

Aozora replied, “Of course. But it’s not so easy to find; otherwise, it wouldn’t have gone undiscovered for so many years.”

Izuna asked curiously, “Do you know where the entrance is?”

Aozora shook his head. “Not really. Let’s wander around and see what we can find.”

“All right, let’s go!” Izuna’s spirits were fully restored.

Tanino and the others, however, looked uneasy. He muttered, “It’ll be bad news if we run into the devil…”

With Izuna at his side, Aozora left the rest area and headed downward.

They boarded the lift, which automatically descended.

He remembered that Luffy and Bon Clay had accessed the “Newkama Land” from the Freezing Hell—in other words, Level 5.5, the paradise of song and dance hidden within the inferno.

So they might as well try their luck on Level Five.

The lift descended, finally coming to a thunderous halt at the fifth floor. As they exited, a jailer stopped them and handed them thick winter coats.

“The Freezing Hell is unbearably cold—please wear these before entering.”

“Thank you,” Aozora replied politely, slipping on the heavy coat.

He smiled and said, “Ah, that’s much warmer. Could you open the door for us?”

The great doors swung open with a roar, and a blast of bone-chilling wind greeted them. The coats, which had felt warm a moment ago, now seemed almost inadequate—there was still a biting cold.

Once they stepped inside, the doors to the Freezing Hell closed behind them.

Izuna exhaled a plume of white breath. “Wow… it’s freezing in here.”

Aozora explained, “This is the Freezing Hell, the place for punishing pirates with bounties over one hundred million. Of course it’s brutally cold.”

“Everyone, split up and search the area. There are snow wolves in the woods—be careful, but they shouldn’t attack us unless provoked.”

“Yes, sir!”

Tanino’s group divided into pairs and fanned out.

Aozora and Izuna made a team. First, they approached the cells where prisoners were held.

Inside, a group of pirates of various ages huddled in their thin black-and-white prison uniforms, curling into corners or pressing together for warmth.

In this temperature, if it weren’t for the extraordinary resilience of people in the pirate world—and the fact that these were all powerful pirates—they would have frozen to death in less than a day. Surviving here for so long was a feat in itself, almost terrifying.

“Help me! Please, just let me wear a coat for a few minutes, just a few minutes…”

“Damn Marines—did you come to laugh at us, you b—ds…”

“Ow!”

A shadow flew past; Aozora and Izuna dodged aside, and Aozora called out loudly, “Hey, what’s with throwing filth at people?!”

He moved on to another cell.

Izuna asked, “Is the tunnel entrance inside a cell?”

Aozora shook his head. “Of course not. I just wanted to see a particular pirate.”

“A pirate?”

Aozora nodded. “He’s a Newkama—a former subordinate of Crocodile. His name is Bon Clay. Though he’s committed crimes, he also has qualities worthy of respect.”

“I just wanted to see him.”