For them, eating blood was impossible in the past.
Perhaps so pirates had this twisted hobby, but most couldn't even stomach the thought. Now, however, with their lives hanging by a thread and desperate to escape from Impel Down, consuming blood wasn't much of a concern.
Of course, Mio wouldn't do that.
After all... he had fire.
He took a step forward.
In a flash, Mio's figure appeared behind the massive army wolf. His right fist, covered in Armant Haki, clenched tightly as he drove it into the wolf's skull.
A thunderous impact burst out.
The beast's head exploded in an instant.
Blood splattered everywhere.
A red-haired pirate, who had just been gulping down fresh blood nearby, glanced over with a rare joke. "Fur like that won't fetch a good price, you know."
"It's fine as long as soone wants it." Mio shrugged casually, tore off a chunk of leg at, and held it in his palm. A flicker of fla gushed out from his hand, searing the at to a half-cooked state. Then, without hesitation, he took large bites, chewing with visible satisfaction.
The others stared in envy.
But envy was all they could afford.
No one dared to ask Mio to help them roast their at. That would shatter the illusion — the belief that they were still escaping, not settling in. That illusion gave them strength, a necessary drive for survival in the battle to co.
Once the al was finished, Mio stood and looked around at the others, his voice calm. "You can look around. There might be other pirates nearby. The ones locked up on the fifth floor are all strong. They could be useful."
"We've already found several," Barrett said, tossing aside the cleaned-off wolf bones. He stood up and glanced toward one direction. "There's a group of about ten over that way. Looks like they're clinging to each other for warmth."
"There's five over there," added the Red Earl, raising his hand and pointing.
A pirate who had just finished gnawing on a wolf leg wiped blood from his mouth and pointed off to another area. "Thirteen over there."
"Seven over here."
"Only three in this direction."
Mio cracked his neck, the crisp popping of bones echoing softly. He smiled faintly. "Alright. Let's split up and gather them all. We'll regroup back here. I'll take this route."
He pointed in the direction he chose for himself.
A pirate nearby shrugged. "Whatever. Anyone want to go with ? No? I'll take that way. Good chance to stretch the muscles before the real thing."
The Red Earl narrowed his eyes. "Don't kill too many. If there's not enough cannon fodder, it won't draw much attention from the Navy."
"Relax, I'll only kill one or two." The pirate grinned maliciously before vanishing from the spot.
Mio shook his head with a chuckle. He stepped forward and disappeared as well.
One after another, the pirates dispersed.
So stayed behind. Others left to scout, occasionally spotting more prisoners and heading out to gather them.
The Red Earl and Barrett, however, remained where they were.
The Red Earl tightened the wolfskin draped over his shoulders and glanced at Barrett with a smile. "With your kind of personality, I'm guessing you'll stir up a hell of a storm after you get out of here."
He'd fought against Roger more than once, so he had a good understanding of Roger's crew. Barrett was one of Roger's most powerful n — soone even comparable to Rayleigh. That kind of strength ca with ambition, and the Red Earl understood a bit about Barrett's goals.
Barrett had joined Roger's crew solely because of Roger.
His goal had always been to surpass Roger.
Now Roger was dead, and Barrett hadn't surpassed him yet.
Which ant Barrett would find so other way to do so after escaping from Impel Down.
Barrett's reply was cold. "I don't need to explain my actions to you. But what about you? Once you're out, the Navy and World Governnt won't ignore your presence."
"Heh." A trace of disdain flickered in the Red Earl's eyes. "They can try. I've been caught once — it won't happen again."
He had only been captured after a long battle with a forr Admiral. In the end, Garp had taken the opportunity to strike while the Red Earl was exhausted. But even then, it wasn't a loss — he'd won that battle before he fell.
One loss was enough. He wouldn't repeat the sa mistake.
To be fair, he was a proud man. If not for this chance to escape and his montary admiration for Mio's boldness, he never would have ford a temporary alliance with these people. He preferred to work alone.
"The World Governnt is more complicated than they appear," Barrett said calmly.
"They rarely show their full hand," the Red Earl replied, looking up toward the ceiling. "What they reveal is far less terrifying than what they keep hidden."
He understood the hidden strength of the World Governnt all too well.
But fear was no longer part of his life.
As he spoke, the Red Earl glanced in the direction Mio had gone, his expression tinged with interest. "If that guy manages to escape from Impel Down, he'll make a na for himself. Maybe that's what he's planning?"
"Could be."
Barrett's gaze hardened slightly at the ntion of Mio. "I used to think the new era was nothing special. But I'll admit — he's proven wrong."
"He's got guts and brains."
"I'm looking forward to seeing what the sea becos once he grows." The Red Earl chuckled and let the matter drop.
The old era was vanishing. Sengoku had taken over the World Governnt's command, the Golden Lion had retired, and Roger was dead. Only Whitebeard remained among the legendary pirates.
Rayleigh still existed, but like the Golden Lion, he'd completely withdrawn from the world.
To the Red Earl, the sea had grown dull.
Maybe, if a new powerhouse rose up, things would get interesting again.
anwhile, in the Freezing Hell—
Snow whipped through the air.
A bonfire burned dimly in the middle of a frozen cavern, barely holding back the biting cold.
A dozen or so pirates huddled close to it, their teeth chattering, hands held out for warmth.
"Damn it, how much longer do we have to suffer like this?" one pirate muttered bitterly.
"If we can escape, it'll be over," another said, almost dreamlike.
"Escape, huh? I'll be happy if I just make it through the week," grumbled soone else.
The murmurs of despair echoed in the icy cave.
Then—
A figure appeared without warning.
"Excuse ," Mio's voice rang out, calm and clear. "Are there any capable pirates among you?"
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