One Piece: From Marine to Legend

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop hitting me!"

Hannyabal forced his way between Storm and Sadi, using his body to break up their fight. His arms were outstretched in a desperate attempt to de-escalate the situation.

But Sadi had no time for him.

Her attention was locked on the Blugori in the distance, her expression laced with unease.

Initially, she'd only intended to test the strength of the newbie on a whim. She hadn't planned for the blue gorilla corps to escalate the situation into a full-blown riot. Bloodshed among jailers in Impel Down would be disastrous.

However, just before she and Hannyabal could issue an order to stop them—

The Blugoris abruptly halted their attack. 

Blugoris weren't known for their intelligence. Though they were a part of the "gorilla" family, they couldn't compare to the Kuraigana

Island's mandrill, known as "Humandrill".

The blue gorillas' actions were primarily dictated by external commands.

To put it simply, they were nothing more than wild beasts with low intelligence.

For creatures like them, an important factor in determining whether to attack was size.

Their gazes darted between the towering white gorilla, its massive frame nearly scraping the prison ceiling, and the unconscious comrade lying at its feet.

Faced with such an overwhelming display of strength, the remaining blue gorillas lost their will to fight.

Instead of attacking, they huddled together, releasing deep, guttural warning cries.

But not a single one dared to approach the white gorilla.

Seeing this, Storm let out a sigh of regret and withdrew his clay creation.

He had been so close.

If those blue gorillas had attacked him all at once, he could have earned dozens of silver trophies instantly!

But there was no rush.

There would be more opportunities.

Once Sadi successfully pacified the beast guards, the brief riot was officially over.

Hannyabal exhaled deeply, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"That was way too close!"

He clutched his chest, his breathing still uneven.

"My Impel Down was almost plunged into chaos!" He turned to Sadi with an exasperated glare. "Sadi! You were completely reckless!"

Crack!

Sadi didn't bother responding. Instead, she cracked her whip in the air, its sharp sound cutting through the heavy atmosphere.

Hannyabal immediately turned his frustration elsewhere.

"And you too, Storm!" He wagged a finger at him. "There should be harmony and friendship between jailers and guards! Fighting and killing—it's prohibited!"

Harmony and friendship?

Storm's gaze flickered toward Sadi.

She was currently whipping the unconscious blue gorilla—the very one that had been flattened by his white gorilla moments ago.

Her method of "waking up" the creature was nothing short of brutal.

The sharp cracks of her whip filled the room, accompanied by the occasional low groan from the beast.

Was this what Hannyabal called harmony and friendship?

Unless the blue gorillas were all masochists, there was no way this scene fit that description.

Hannyabal seemed to realize how absurd his words sounded.

Clearing his throat, he spoke in a hushed tone.

"Sadi only joined Impel Down last year. She's still young—just seventeen. Her personality is a bit... intense."

He hesitated before adding, "If you'd prefer, I could introduce my subordinate Domino to you. She's much gentler than Sadi."

Crack!

Sadi's whip cracked again.

"Don't think I can't hear you, Hannyabal!"

She turned, her high heels clicking against the stone floor as she approached.

"Do you want to taste my Red Demon Whip? Hmm!?"

Hannyabal tensed, immediately retreating behind Storm.

His voice wavered slightly. "You—You need to call me Lord Hannyabal! I'm the vice warden, you know!"

"Tch."

Sadi scoffed, rolling her eyes. She had no patience for Hannyabal's antics.

Instead, she turned her attention back to Storm, a playful smile curling at her lips.

Tilting her head slightly, she ran her tongue across the corner of her mouth.

"Finally, a handsome guy in Impel Down," she mused. "Such a shame we can't hear his screams."

Storm met her gaze, taking a moment to assess her.

Her bold demeanor, combined with her revealing leather outfit, certainly made her stand out.

"You enjoy this kind of thing, huh?" he asked.

"You could say that."

"So, you like it a lot?"

"Yes! I love it!"

Her grin widened, exuding a wild and untamed energy.

"Storm, want to play with me?"

"Hey, hey! Sadi!"

Before Storm could respond, Hannyabal stepped in.

"Storm's still new! You can't lead him astray!"

Sadi shot him a glare.

"Hannyabal, you are so unromantic."

With a scoff, she turned on her heel and strutted away, the sound of her high heels fading into the distance.

As she disappeared into the corridor, the blue gorillas followed after her, their presence vanishing into the darkness.

Storm watched her go, deep in thought.

He had no interest in her invitation to "play."

But her big trophy was another story entirely.

After their brief fight, he had a decent estimate of her strength.

Roughly speaking, she was a silver trophy.

And honestly, who would complain about having too many silver trophies?

"Hey! Storm!"

Hannyabal waved a hand in front of his face.

"Stop staring! You'll see her again later tonight."

Apparently, Impel Down was throwing a small welcome party for him.

Despite being from the Marines, he was still a new addition to the prison staff. The jailers wanted to acknowledge that.

"Oh, right—there's one more thing."

Hannyabal scratched his head.

"You still need to complete a small test."

Storm raised a brow. "Test?"

"The Marines were very impressed with your abilities. Admiral Kuzan recommended you as the chief guard of Crimson Hell."

Hannyabal crossed his arms.

"Normally, new jailers have to defeat one blue gorilla as a test. It proves they're capable of managing them."

He exhaled in defeat.

"But after seeing what you did just now... that test feels pretty pointless."

Storm chuckled. "Sadi mentioned I was here to take over her role. So, what happens to her now?"

"She got promoted."

Hannyabal gestured toward the ground.

"She'll be overseeing the Jailer Beasts from now on. That job is way more dangerous than guarding Crimson Hell."

Jailer Beasts?

The name immediately conjured images of half-human, half-beast monstrosities.

Rumors claimed that Impel Down's Jailer Beasts were all failed Awakened Zoan users.

Though they looked ridiculous, they were nothing short of cold-blooded monsters.

Throughout Impel Down, only Magellan stood at the very top in terms of power.

But the Jailer Beasts?

They were second only to him.

Storm's eyes gleamed with interest.

Even a blue gorilla was worth a ★★★ silver trophy...

How high would the Jailer Beasts rank?

Four stars? Five stars? Maybe even six?

"Hey, Lord Hannyabal!" Storm asked excitedly

.

"I don't mind taking risks. Can I oversee the Jailer Beasts instead?"

Hannyabal palmed his face.

"You're insane," he muttered. "But Magellan makes those decisions. You just got here, so focus on not dying first."

Storm sighed.

After the little episode caused by Little Sadi, the atmosphere gradually settled.

Storm continued his tour of Impel Down under Hannyabal's guidance.

However, their visit remained confined to the first floor above sea level.

Despite his curiosity, Storm was not permitted to explore the Crimson Hell below, nor any of the deeper levels of the prison.

The so-called "notorious prisoners" of Impel Down—the infamous pirates locked within its depths—were nowhere in sight.

Storm had hoped to at least encounter one or two of them, just to get a sense of what it was like to be around such criminals.

But today, that chance never came.

As the tour neared its end, Hannyabal suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned toward Storm with an unusually serious expression.

"Listen carefully. The work at Impel Down is actually quite simple," Hannyabal began, lowering his voice.

"If there's a problem, your subordinates will handle ninety percent of the trouble. The remaining ten percent? Magellan takes care of that."

He crossed his arms and nodded to himself as if his own words carried great wisdom.

"You are about to become the Chief Guard of Crimson Hell, and the blue gorillas will work under you."

"With their strength and numbers, no prisoner in Crimson Hell will dare to challenge your authority.

"But there are some things you must absolutely keep in mind."

Hannyabal took a deep breath, his expression unusually solemn.

"First—do not mess with the five Jailer Beasts. No matter what you may think, they are no longer human!"

"Second—never wander too deep into the lower levels without preparation. The prisoners in each level vary in strength, and the deeper you go, the more dangerous it gets."

"Third—and this is crucial—stay away from Shiryu of the Rain. That guy… he's even more cold-blooded than the monsters locked away in Infinite Hell."

Hannyabal paused for a moment as if debating whether or not to continue.

Then, with an exaggerated breath, he straightened his back and declared with utmost seriousness:

"And finally, the most important thing!"

He placed both hands on Storm's shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Storm! You are a man that I, Hannyabal, personally acknowledge!"

"Whatever you do, do not—DO NOT—let yourself be won over by that venomous bastard Magellan!"