Whether by coincidence or deliberate design, I couldn't tell, but our cell, the one housing the three of us, never received any new inmates even after a good while had passed.
Life continued with just , Beauty, and Blu. Getting tortured, resting, griping to each other, chatting. The sa cycle, day after day.
The environnt here was still miserably dry and hot, as brutal as ever, but ntally I was in a much better place, and that alone had been enough to get through so far.
My concern about losing too much weight from malnutrition, well, I did feel like my weight was dropping little by little, but surprisingly, my body was holding up without much visible change.
I'd worried that my "Superhuman" constitution and all that entailed would demand extra energy as my body changed, and that I might actually die of malnutrition as a result. But there was no sign of that happening either.
If anything, it was almost like what I'd said early on, what I'd "hoped" would happen. My body seed to be maintaining its functions on minimal food and nutrition, running in so kind of energy-saving mode.
What did that an? Was this latest "growth" oriented in that direction? Or was it because I'd "hoped" for it, and my body responded to that wish? Or maybe my body simply realized it was a matter of life and death and adapted on its own?
No amount of thinking would give an answer, but either way, it was convenient.
I wasn't breaking down, wasn't losing dangerous amounts of weight, and could endure for now. That was enough.
And then there was one more thing. That man who watched us almost around the clock, sending those slimy, clinging gazes our way. Kisack.
He got dragged off for his own torture sessions sotis, and he did seem to sleep at night, so it wasn't literally constant, but still. His eyes were always on us.
The fact that he never did anything beyond staring, never even spoke to us, that hadn't changed either. Setting aside how creepy it felt, one could argue he wasn't actually causing any harm. At least, not yet.
But I'd seen it multiple tis: the front of his prison-issue trousers unmistakably deford, pitching a tent. So it was certain that his head was swirling with exactly those kinds of fantasies and desires.
Because of that, the wariness I felt toward him, and the revulsion, even with the iron bars of our respective cells between us, would probably never go away.
All three of us shared that understanding.
And on another note, there had been a change in the content of our torture sessions.
As if it weren't bad enough that we were already stuck in this blistering environnt, gasping and suffering, a new pattern had erged. Not every ti, but sotis we were taken sowhere even hotter.
***
[Third-person perspective]
"GYAAAAAAHHHH!"
"Hot... it's so hoooot...!"
"Stop, please... sobody help ee..."
"Dammit... I can't breathe, my insides are burning...!?"
Level 4: Blazing Hell.
The entire floor was one massive Iron Cauldron, radiating heat that dwarfed even Level 3's oppressive temperatures. Simply sitting still inside a cell here was agony.
The sensation of lungs being seared made even breathing a struggle, and on top of that, every conceivable form of heat-based tornt was inflicted upon the prisoners.
So had white-hot iron rods pressed against their flesh.
So were suspended over open flas, unable to move as fire licked at them from below.
So were hurled into the boiling Blood Pond and sank beneath its surface.
So were blasted with scorching steam erupting from below.
On top of all this, hauling the firewood constantly fed into the flas to maintain this hellish environnt was itself a form of torture disguised as prisoner labor.
Worse still, depending on where you were, the iron or Seastone shackles on your wrists absorbed the ambient heat and beca instrunts of pain in their own right.
Screams and shrieks echoed through the space. Everyone said the sa thing: just being here was worse than death. A floor that truly earned the na "Hell."
Into this floor, partly on a patrol to intimidate the prisoners with his presence, Chief Warden Magellan had co to inspect conditions.
Specifically, to personally observe the current state of certain prisoners who, for particular reasons, required special attention among the current inmate population.
"This the place? How are things, Hannyabal?"
"Sir! Please hurry up and vacate the Chief Warden's sea... ah, I misspoke, sorry about that. Good work today, Chief Warden! Everything is proceeding smoothly with no trouble whatsoevmash!"
"That's terrible, even for you. How do you even manage that kind of slip? Haah, never mind. Those three over there, correct?"
"Ah, yes sir. They are currently in the middle of a scorching torture session, it seemash."
Looking up from where Hannyabal, Magellan, and Vice Warden Domino, who had accompanied Magellan, stood, they could see a massive wire-sh structure suspended in the air with prisoners placed on top of it.
Though called a "sh," the gaps were large and varied in size depending on location.
The overall shape was a large rectangle, more like a hammock really. Toward the edges, the gaps grew wider; toward the center, they beca smaller and tighter.
Even where the gaps were smallest, they were still large enough for one person to barely squeeze through. Where they were largest, several full-grown n could easily slip right through.
In other words, while the difficulty of "falling" varied by location, whether standing or sitting, if you didn't hold on to the sh properly, your feet could slip through the gaps and you'd plumt.
Below lay the boiling Blood Pond, and falling ant an even harsher hell, one that could easily cost you your life.
The heat and steam rising from below tornted the prisoners on the sh, while the sweat pouring off their bodies made their hands and feet slippery, turning the simple act of holding on into a near-impossible task.
On top of all that, the sh itself was thoroughly heated, adding yet another layer of suffering.
Prisoners scrambled toward the center where the gaps were tightest, desperate to reduce their chances of falling. They shoved, pushed, and fought over spots, refusing to yield an inch. One after another, prisoners lost the territorial battle and plunged downward, screams trailing behind them.
But among them were so who took the opposite approach. Exploiting the fact that most prisoners were rushing to the center, they positioned themselves near the edges where the gaps were wider, and by holding on firmly, managed to avoid the chaos despite the greater danger.
Sue, Blu, and Beauty were among those three today.
And they were precisely the three that Magellan's group had co to inspect.
Though these were facts already known from docunts, Domino flipped through her files and read aloud each prisoner's profile, including their charges.
"Prisoner Number D0472. Venerdi Toto Sue. Known as the 'Pirate Literary Master.' A Paracia Paper-Paper Fruit Paper Human. Originally a Bounty Hunter, she beca wanted after engaging in Underworld transactions in fields prohibited by the Governnt. As a writer, she has published nurous works through both legitimate and underground channels. With fans worldwide and considerable influence over them, the Governnt has flagged her as an 'Instigator,' an influencer whose very existence is considered a threat."
"Prisoner Number D0400. Valerie Blu. Known as the 'Ghost of the Foggy Sea.' A Logia Mist-Mist Fruit Mist Human. Originally a mber of a minor Pirate Crew, she betrayed them at so point, killing the Captain and most of the other sailors before fleeing. Using her Powers, she would shroud her base in mist and ambush passing rchant Ships and Pirate Ships."
"Prisoner Number C9939. Frozen Beauty. Known as the 'Chef of the Winter Sky.' She is not an Ability User. Originally active as the head of a small-scale gang organization in a Non-Affiliated Nation, she eventually took to the sea and beca an Underworld broker who also dabbled in human trafficking. She was designated a Pirate and placed on the wanted list after targeting an Affiliated Nation's rchant Ships, and was subsequently arrested. A dangerous individual possessing high leadership ability, organizational managent skills, and the capacity to manipulate people."
"They're all quite fearso, given how attractive they are... beautiful, but still."
"Don't let appearances fool you. As long as they're in here, they're no different from any other inmate. Just prisoners. Though, that does partly depend on how those three respond to what cos next."
"Yes. All three are candidates for a certain plan currently under consideration by the Governnt and the Marines. The 'Pirate Literary Master' in particular has already been classified as an extrely high-priority prisoner, and direct recruitnt efforts have been made. Her answer, however, remains unfavorable."
"Still won't nod her head, eh? Stubborn woman. If she'd just agree, she could be freed from this hell imdiately."
"Sadi-chan... the Chief Jailer says she's happier this way, since it's more fun for her."
"Good grief... well, as long as she's doing her job properly, I don't care. But Domino, keep a close eye on Shiryu above all else. His tyrannical behavior has been getting worse than ever lately. Make sure those three don't beco his targets. They may be prisoners, but they're high-priority ones."
"Yes sir, understood."
As Magellan's group exchanged these words, in their line of sight, Sue and the others had avoided the territorial lee by staying near the edge of the sh. They'd positioned themselves at the cross-shaped junctions where cords intersected, securing what little stability they could as they sat.
In that state, they continued to endure, sweat streaming down their bodies, as searing steam blasted up from below.
***
"It's hooot..."
"Saying it's hot just makes it feel hotter. Shut up and tough it out, Blu. Complaining ain't gonna change a damn thing."
"Wow, pure willpower talk... but honestly, Beauty's right. There's nothing to do but tough it out till it's over. Ugh, all my precious moisture is just pouring out of ..."
"If yer gonna make us sit in a sauna, at least give us sothin' to drink... I'm gettin' tempted to drink from the Blood Pond at this point."
"I wouldn't recomnd that. That mystery liquid is more like oil than water. Plus they never change it out, so prisoners' blood and sweat and everything else is mixed right in."
"Ugh, absolutely do not want to fall in there. It'd be agonizing, sure, but you'd probably catch so disease too. And now that you ntion it, this steam does have a weird sll..."
"Yeah? I don't sll anything."
"Most people don't have the luxury of sniffing around when it's this hot. I can't... I'm done, I've hit my limit."
Mid-conversation, Blu suddenly said that.
Then she began removing her clothes without preamble and was completely naked before anyone could react.
Though her fra was childlike, her fair, beautiful skin was exposed from head to toe, marred here and there by what appeared to be marks from torture.
"Wha, Blu!? What are you doing!?"
"I can't take the heat anymore... the sweat's all sticky and gross... this is a tiny bit better."
"I an, even so, you can't just... people can see us from all around, and there are male prisoners and guards..."
"Whoa!? That female prisoner just stripped!?"
"Is that the Public Spectacle punishnt? No wait, in that spot... isn't that the 'Hell Sauna'?"
"She's got a kiddie body and flat as a board, but the face is cute... heh heh."
"Dammit, the steam's blocking the view of her face and body... hey, Guard! Put out the fire! Or at least put a lid on the Blood Pond!"
Sure enough, the surrounding prisoners, though the nearest cells were a fair distance from where Sue's group was in the torture grounds, started making a commotion.
Blu, however, paid them no mind whatsoever, letting out a satisfied sigh as if to say she felt a bit better.
She had at least draped her discarded clothes over the area where her legs t her torso to cover herself, but everything else was fully visible. And from below, even that covered area would be in plain sight, aning the guards and jailers working on the lower passages had a completely unobstructed view.
"If anyone wants to look at this flat, pathetic little body, go right ahead. They'll either get their brains boiled or forget all about it during the next torture session anyway. Ahh, still hot though."
Blu said this with a scoff, even snorting through her nose.
Hearing that, Beauty, right beside her, said:
"...Yeah, fair point. It's not like looking costs us anything..."
She started stripping too. Sa as Blu, her body was revealed, and unlike Blu's, it was voluptuous and womanly in its curves.
She similarly covered her groin with her clothes and quickly wrapped her discarded pants around her chest. Given the sheer size, the wrapping barely covered anything beyond the tips.
"Wait, Beauty too...?"
"Phew... ahh, that feels nice. Makes a real difference just taking these off."
"Right? The gross feeling of sweat-soaked fabric clinging to you goes away, and the sweat you're producing just rolls right off. Heat doesn't get trapped in your clothes anymore either, and with all this steam, you don't have to worry about drying out."
The deep-voiced cheers from the surroundings grew even louder.
The noise seed to reach Beauty, and a flicker of displeasure crossed her face, but having shed even that single layer seed to have eased her discomfort, because her expression quickly softened and she let out a breath.
Even from a distance, the piercing stares of the male prisoners were reaching them, but she no longer seed to care.
As the two threw modesty to the wind and went bare, the last one remaining, Sue, watched them both settle into sothing that, while marginal, looked noticeably more comfortable. She was clearly torn between the suffering and her sense of sha.
'Oh, to hell with it! There's safety in numbers!'
In the end, she too resolved to throw caution to the wind.
She pulled off her top and bottom in one decisive motion. Her shapely breasts bounced free, and for the briefest mont, everything that had been hidden was on full display.
She quickly mimicked Beauty, covering her groin with her top and wrapping her pants around her chest, but even so, the sheer amount of bare skin on display was an erotic, bewitching sight that could have been mistaken for pornography.
The relief must have been considerable. She let out a low, guttural groan of satisfaction, her expression easing as she dangled her legs and swung them idly, looking relaxed.
Faced with a strip show from three beauties, the prisoners' excitent reached a fever pitch.
The guards and jailers watching from below didn't cheer, but their reactions ranged from staring fixedly, unable to look away, to clearing their throats while stealing repeated glances.
Most of them had visible deformations in the front of their trousers, and many were walking hunched forward. So prisoners found the sight of the guards' predicant hilarious and were laughing at them.
The prisoners' trousers were in the sa state, of course, but they weren't even trying to hide it.
A small minority, it should be noted, included prisoners and guards who seed genuinely impressed, muttering things like, "Being that relaxed in that kind of heat is lowkey impressive."
"Well, I expected this, but what an onslaught of stares... this really is embarrassing."
"Doesn't bother much anymore, honestly. I used to take care of kids, bathe with 'em and all that, so now that I think about it, I'm kinda used to being seen naked."
"Huh... so the Public Spectacle torture doesn't faze you either?"
"Nah. All they do is look, nothin' else. If you stop caring, it's basically a break. ...The part where they don't let you go to the bathroom and you gotta just let it flow, that's still embarrassing though."
"It doesn't bother either. Out in the real world, nobody ever gives sexual looks, so seeing these guys get hard over soone like being naked or peeing actually makes feel like I've won."
"That's a pretty weird way to feel about it..."
"I an, from a guy's perspective, this is the kinda thing they'd pay money to see... so maybe we should start charging a little? Not to toot our own horns, but we're pretty easy on the eyes, don't you think?"
"I'd rather have food and water than money."
"Sa here... though obviously there's zero chance of that."
"Opportunities to see a beautiful girl in the nude are rare even on the outside. I think it's worth at least that much."
"Beautiful girl? Blu, you're 38. You're actually the oldest of us three."
"I'm 34 and Beauty's 29, so the age order is the exact reverse of how we look. When I heard Blu was almost ten years older than Beauty, I was shook."
"I thought she was a little girl at first too. She was lookin' all pitiful and hungry, so I shared my food with her... then she dropped the truth bomb and I about fell over. Playin' those big puppy eyes, actin' all needy, trickin' ."
"I admit it was deliberate, and I did feel bad afterward, so I apologized, didn't I? Out in the world, I had to make the most of this flat, childlike body to get by, so it beca half habit at that point."
"Now, now, you could say that whole thing was actually what broke the ice between us."
"I guess, but it still doesn't sit right..."
"n are all the sa anyway, they only look at appearances. Case in point, ninety percent of the stares are aid at Beauty and Sue's hourglass figures. The ones looking at are a select few gentlen and the, shall we say, niche enthusiasts. ...I'm starting to feel the urge. Mind if I pee here?"
"Don't go adding more weird stuff to the Blood Pond."
"There's a limit to how much sha you can throw away, Blu... there are people suffering down there in that pool, you know."
"For so of them it'd be a reward, so there's no problem really... nnh... phew."
"That was way too vivid... wait, HEY!? She actually did it!"
"Oh gross... and she looks like she's totally loving it too."
The three chatted away, so relaxed it hardly seed like they were being tortured.
They appeared to have stopped caring about the surrounding stares entirely.
"BWAHAHAA! I can't take it!"
"I was shocked when they started stripping outta nowhere, but this is the best show ever! Woo-hooo!"
"Hey, look over here ladies! Get rid of those clothes blocking the view and give us a better look!"
"Just watching is killin' ... dammit, I wanna go at it...!"
"You couldn't buy a night with girls that fine even if you had the cash..."
"Hand 'em over, guards! Do that and we'll behave ourselves real nice and quiet. Till they break, anyway!"
Shaless, displaying themselves before others, prisoners though they might be.
Watching the three from below, Domino, as a fellow woman, thought exactly that, directing a scornful gaze at them from behind her sunglasses.
At the sa ti, she sighed, not just at the prisoners howling their vulgar cheers, but at the guards and jailers who were either hunched forward or blatantly gawking.
"Honestly, what an unsightly spectacle. And the staff are just as pathetic... wouldn't you say, Chief Warden?"
"BWAHAHAA! I can't take it!"
"..."
A slight headache began forming behind Domino's temples.
This Chief Warden, long feared as the Boss of Hell itself, was, she rembered and was now being forcefully reminded, a man with a surprisingly casual side in his off monts.
Still, those three were indeed renowned beauties whose nas ca up in so circles as pri examples of beautiful Pirate won, so perhaps the reaction was, in a sense, understandable.
But amid all this, sothing caught Domino's attention.
In situations like these, as always, there was a man even more casual than the Chief Warden, one who would normally be the first to join in the ruckus. He was unusually quiet.
Normally he'd either be cheering along with everyone else or seizing the chaos as an excuse to shout sothing completely unrelated like "Hey, hand over the Chief Warden's seat!"
Puzzled, Domino glanced to the side.
"Vice Warden? Is sothing the matter?"
There stood Hannyabal, looking up at the three, his face inexplicably pale.
At that exact mont, Sue happened to glance downward, and her eyes t Hannyabal's.
"Oh, Magellan's here. Hannyabal and Domino too."
"Seriously? Oh, you're right... here for an inspection or sothing?"
"...Should I have aid my pee in their direction? Wonder if I can squeeze out a little more."
"Stop it."
"What are you, five?"
Sue, for her part, had rely looked their way, without any particular awareness that their eyes had t. But in that instant, Hannyabal's face went even paler.
"V-Vice Warden?"
"It's... it's nothing. Sorry, Domino, I'm not feeling well. I need to rest for a bit."
"O-oh... take care of yourself."
***
After leaving the scene, Hannyabal made his way to a staff-only area within Level 4, sectioned off by insulated walls where the temperature was considerably lower. He sank into a chair in the break room and let out a long breath.
He recognized that under normal circumstances, the sight he'd just witnessed would have been cause for celebration on his part, and yet...
"What is this unease in my chest? Love!? No, absolutely not... I just feel terrible..."
It wasn't an act. Cold sweat wouldn't stop flowing.
And he couldn't understand why.
Looking up at Sue and the others naked from below... no, it had started before that.
Even when they were still clothed, sothing had felt off.
Bewildered by the inexplicable feeling, he took deep breaths to steady himself, and then, suddenly...
"...Oh."
A scene flashed unbidden through his mind.
It was from twenty years ago. From his ti at this very Impel Down, a place where he'd been working since back then. Right after he'd started as a trainee.
'You haven't seen my swords, have you? "Oto" and "Kogarashi"... fine blades.'
'No offense to you lot, but I'll be taking my leave from this place...'
'I don't need my legs anymore... you can have 'em.'
'Two years... thanks for the hospitality.'
'Vice Warden Magelaaaan! I found Shiki, please heeeelp!'
"Why am I rembering sothing that old, now of all tis...?"
Twenty years ago. The mory of standing before Shiki the Golden Lion, history's only escapee.
Just like with Sue, he'd been looking up then too, at Shiki sitting on a beam near the ceiling.
The mont his eyes t Sue's, that terror from back then had co flooding back in a flashback.
The reason, however, remained completely unknown. Nothing he could think of that would explain it.
It wouldn't be until sowhat later, when a certain fact ca to light, that Hannyabal would finally understand.
To be continued...
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