NOVEL NEXT Chapter 447: As Everyone Knows, I Have a Superpower
At Daren's command, Magellan immediately turned around and opened the massive door leading to the frozen hell of Impel Down's fifth underground level.
Rumble...
The heavy, iron door groaned as it swung open, its deep echo sounding like the sigh of ancient years.
A burst of bone-chilling air poured in from the outside, carrying countless snowflakes that made Magellan shiver uncontrollably. Fine flurries danced through the empty prison corridor, carried by the cold wind, slightly dispersing the dark, damp stench that filled this Eternal Hell.
The instant the massive gate opened, countless pairs of eyes within the cells suddenly gleamed with a ghostly green light.
Even the battered prisoners lying on the floor, their faces swollen and bruised from Daren's earlier "training," instinctively stopped their groaning. All eyes fixed on the light spilling through the open doorway.
For Magellan, what lay beyond that door was simply the frozen wasteland of the Frigid Hell.
But for the prisoners imprisoned here, that light represented the path to freedom.
More importantly, at this very moment, their Seastone shackles had been removed, and the cell doors were unlocked.
That meant every barrier that once stood between them and escape... was gone.
If only... if only...
A dangerous thought began to stir in their minds—growing, spreading, taking root—until...
The dark-haired man with shackled wrists turned his head slightly, giving them a half-smile filled with amusement.
He didn't move a single step.
Yet that faint, mocking smile, those blood-stained hands, and the network of scars across his body—just standing there silently—was enough to send a chill down every spine in the corridor.
In that moment, they all remembered what had happened a few days ago—the prisoner who'd tried to ambush Daren from behind right after he'd put on the Seastone shackles.
The bloodstains from that incident were still on the floor.
Redfield, who had been quietly observing the entire scene, shook his head with a small, helpless smile.
Just then, the heavy doors finally opened all the way.
A group of guards dragged in box after box of supplies, their movements cautious and trembling. They didn't dare glance at the unshackled prisoners, nor did they linger a second longer than necessary.
After hauling all the crates into the corridor of Eternal Hell, they hurriedly turned and fled.
Rumble...
The doors slammed shut once again.
Under the desperate gazes of the prisoners, Magellan locked the gates tightly and sat down heavily on the floor to stand watch.
"You've all worked hard these past few days. Cooperating with my training certainly wasn't an easy task."
Daren smiled as he spoke.
Upon hearing that, nearly every prisoner in Eternal Hell couldn't help but twist their mouths in silent frustration, muttering under their breath.
"Not an easy task," he says... It was pure torture!
According to that old devil, Red the Aloof's arrangement, ten prisoners were chosen every hour to spar with Daren.
As a result, these infamous, world-class criminals—feared across the seas—had suffered more beatings in the past few days than they had in their entire lives.
Yes. Beatings.
Forget "sparring" or "combat practice." It was nothing but beatings.
Against the "Indestructible Body," even without their Seastone shackles, few could ever break through Daren's defenses.
And even if they did manage to land a hit, their strength was far from enough to cause real harm—if anything, it only made Daren more aggressive.
Which meant they got beaten even worse.
"Though I'm not a pirate, in the eyes of the World Government, I'm no different from any of you here—just another unforgivable criminal. So, to thank you all for your cooperation, I've prepared a little token of appreciation."
Daren smiled as he spread his arms wide.
No sooner had his words fallen than someone let out a derisive snort.
"Tch, Daren, you think doing this will change anything?"
"What could you possibly get in this godforsaken place like Impel Down?"
One voice sparked the others, and soon the crowd joined in.
"Yeah, right! At best, it's just some half-frozen salted meat that's been here for years!"
"Or that cheap liquor that tastes like horse piss!"
"If you could get me a box of premium cigars, maybe then we'd have something to talk about."
"I'll take South Blue whiskey!"
"..."
The prisoners confined in Eternal Hell truly lived up to their reputation as vicious, unrepentant criminals. Even after being beaten to a pulp, they still spoke with the same arrogant defiance.
Daren merely shrugged in response to the rising noise and said with a smile,
"Seems you gentlemen still don't fully understand what I'm capable of."
"As everyone knows, I—Bruce Wayne—ah, no, Rogers Daren—possess an ability beyond imagination."
That statement immediately piqued the prisoners' curiosity. They squinted at him, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"What do you mean?"
"You're saying, on top of your indestructible physique, power greater than the Giants, and lightning-fast speed... you've got something else?"
"Impossible!"
"You're bluffing, Daren!"
"..."
Daren chuckled lightly.
"I'm being serious."
The prisoners shouted in unison,
"Then what's your special ability!?"
Daren's grin widened slightly.
"I'm very rich."
The prisoners: "..."
They paused, silent for a moment—because they couldn't argue with that.
After all, the man standing before them was the one who ruled the entire North Blue and commanded a fleet of flying warships unmatched across the seas.
In the past, they'd boasted about their own bounties with pride, comparing who among them was worth more. But compared to Daren's, their sums were utterly insignificant.
Not to mention, the upkeep cost of maintaining just one flying fleet was a number so astronomical that none of them could even imagine it.
Daren gave a faint smile as he walked over to the towering stack of crates and casually flipped one open.
"Weil cigars from the West Blue—nobles' exclusive brand."
The prisoners' eyes lit up instantly.
He pried open another crate.
"Fresh seafood from Fish-Man Island—sashimi, chilled oysters, and cheese-baked lobster."
For a moment, every prisoner froze, staring in disbelief.
"Premium whiskey, vodka, and wheat beer from the South Blue... and of course, grilled meat from the East Blue."
As Daren continued opening crate after crate, the prisoners' breathing grew heavier, their eyes turning bloodshot with desire.
Having been locked away in this hellhole for so long, it had been ages since any of them had even seen such luxuries.