Impel Down's Hidden Strength

Inside the Beast Hell hunting chamber.

A figure burst out of the pool, dragging a huge chunk of Sea King flesh behind him with iron chains.

Deputy Hicks Zachary hurriedly handed over a towel. "Lord Cook, I've already had the kitchen prepare your food."

Casually tossing the enormous slab of sea beast meat aside, Cook took the towel and dried himself before asking indifferently, "Anything happening in Hunger Hell?"

"No, everything is normal. However, Chief Jailer Hannibal hopes you'll take part in the routine inspection the day after tomorrow," Hicks Zachary reported.

"Mm, got it."

Inside the Beast Hell jailer cafeteria.

The several-hundred-kilogram chunk of meat had been roasted crisp on the outside and tender within. With the sweet-and-spicy sauce prepared by the chef, Cook took one bite and devoured a quarter of it.

Once the roasted meat entered his stomach, it was rapidly converted into a special kind of High-Energy Calories. This was a new compound Wang Gao had developed after researching the high-energy calorie molecules found within the organisms of this world.

Though Cook was only 2.8 meters tall, the energy within his body at this moment was unquestionably terrifying. He had even evolved a Calorie Heart. This Calorie Heart and his normal heart nestled on the left and right sides of his chest cavity.

Someone who could eat several hundred kilograms of food in a single meal was unimaginably terrifying, because food represented energy.

Yet in his daily life, Cook's body did not actually need to consume much energy. Thus, the overwhelming majority of that energy was stored within his Calorie Heart.

The energy density of calorie molecules in this world's organisms was already very high. After Wang Gao's continual improvements and adaptive evolution, the High-Energy Calories molecules that emerged possessed roughly 28.3 times the energy density of ordinary calorie molecules.

The energy stored in Cook's Calorie Heart had reached 35.72 million calorie units.

Meanwhile, Ordinary People on Blue Sea Star needed to consume 7,000 to 13,000 calorie units each day.

Of course, that referred to Ordinary People. For Zoan Users and Taijutsu experts, the calorie molecules within their bodies would undergo further changes to meet the demands of battle.

That was also why those powerhouses could fight for days and nights at a time.

The calorie molecules in Cook's Calorie Heart had been developed further using the strongest calorie molecules found in Taijutsu experts as their research basis.

In his normal state, even if he continuously used high-consumption attacks, he could still fight for around a hundred days without food or water.

Not that he would ever go without food or water, since Cook possessed passive abilities such as photosynthesis and a perfect body—an enhanced version of Life Return. These abilities further increased his endurance and stamina.

Since there was a normal state, there was naturally an abnormal state as well.

Cook's everyday state was not actually that powerful, roughly equivalent to an established vice admiral. Yet even then, he had activated only 5% of his body's cells.

His strongest form was 300% of all cells. But that also meant his energy consumption would skyrocket. Even with the Calorie Heart supporting him, he could probably only fight for around thirty hours.

However, entering the 300% all-cells state also meant Cook's combat power would increase by more than a hundredfold.

Sadi, who was also eating nearby, looked at Cook stuffing himself like a Fantong and reminded him with a snicker, "It's time for the monthly routine inspection again. Are you planning to keep taking leave? Hannibal seems a little unhappy."

After swallowing the final piece of meat, Cook patted his swollen belly, which immediately began to slowly flatten.

"Burp... No. If I keep taking leave, Chief Jailer Hannibal is going to blow up. But I'll come here once a month to catch enough Sea Kings."

"Hehe! Do whatever you want!" Sadi did not care.

Though someone like Cook, who ate several hundred kilograms of food in one meal, seemed terrifying in the eyes of Ordinary People, the large magical beasts in Beast Hell also needed to eat a great deal every day.

Impel Down could afford this much food.

After eating, Cook put on his Chief Jailer uniform and returned to Hunger Hell with Hicks Zachary.

Under Impel Down's organizational structure, every post was staffed by a principal and a deputy, with two deputies occasionally assigned.

For example, the current Warden was Columbus, with Magellan as deputy warden; Chief Guard Shiryu of the Rain, with Dagama as deputy chief guard.

Currently, in the first underground level, Crimson Hell, Domino was the Chief Jailer and Saludes was deputy chief jailer; in the second underground level, Beast Hell, Sadi was the Chief Jailer and Benson Dait was deputy chief jailer; in the third underground level, Hunger Hell, Hannibal was the Chief Jailer, while Cook was the deputy chief jailer.

The fourth level, Scorching Hell, had no Chief Jailer, because it housed the Warden's office and was directly under the Warden's jurisdiction.

The fifth level, Extreme Cold Hell, was managed by Deputy Chief Guard Dagama. It had previously also been managed by Shiryu of the Rain.

The sixth level, Infinite Hell, was managed by Deputy Warden Magellan.

Impel Down's current situation differed greatly from the Impel Down of over twenty years later. Domino, Saludes, and the others were still quite young, even a little younger than Cook. As for little Sadi, she was probably not even born yet.

Of course, this was also Warden Columbus training new blood, and one of the reasons Wang Gao was wary of Columbus.

That was because among the former Chief Jailers, aside from the two transferred away by the World Government and Hannibal, the deputy chief jailer who had been promoted to Chief Jailer, there were three more beings at the Chief Jailer level.

They were Butcher—Sacodra, a swordsman; Executioner—Benson Martin, Benson Dait's older brother and a Taijutsu expert; and Wizard—Torresd, a Paramecia-type Curse Fruit user.

Although these three were semi-retired due to their age, they still remained in Impel Down. They belonged to the special guard directly under Warden Columbus and often helped deal with matters on the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels.

As for Columbus himself, he was a Munch-Munch Fruit user as well as a Taijutsu expert, proficient in Rokushiki and Two Colors of Armament.

If not for his advanced age—he was already seventy-one this year—and the considerable decline in his stamina and physical functions, Golden Lion likely would not have had the chance to escape Impel Down.

This was Impel Down's formidable strength at this time.

Before returning to his office in Hunger Hell, Cook first went to see Hannibal and informed him that he would resume his normal work schedule.

As Hunger Hell's deputy chief jailer, his authority there was second only to Hannibal's, and he also had subordinates directly under his command.

They included Deputy Hicks Zachary and seven trusted members of his personal guard.

They were Guard Captain Gol John; guards Banks Joseph, Soland Daniel, Green Charles, Parkinson Sydney, Baken Alexander, and Spelling Herman.

After meeting with his subordinates, Cook looked at the group sitting stiffly upright, then closed his eyes and said calmly:

"As my subordinates, I'd be very troubled if you're too weak. Gather at the third training ground later. I'll personally test your strength."

Everyone's expressions changed. Though they had no idea how strong Cook had become, his suicidal training regimen over the past four months had put enormous pressure on them.

But they had no choice but to obey their superior's orders. They could only steel themselves and head to Hunger Hell's third training ground, which had previously been Cook's personal training ground.

After arriving at the training ground, Cook took off his shirt. It was as though a prehistoric beast had awakened, his terrifying presence seemingly freezing the air around him.

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