Beast Hell

It had been seven feeding cycles since Wang Gao arrived in this world—roughly thirty-five days.

Out on the open sea, Pirate King Roger's story should have ended a month ago. Roger had probably been executed sometime between May and June of Grand Line Era 1498.

Wang Gao had calculated this based on Ace's birth date—January 1st, Grand Line Era 1500. Portgas D. Rouge had carried Ace for twenty months before giving birth.

In other words, Roger had definitely still been in the South Blue in April of Grand Line Era 1498. He had not left the South Blue and turned himself in to the Marines until he confirmed that Rouge was truly pregnant.

According to intelligence Wang Gao had gathered by eavesdropping on Impel Down's internal communications, Roger had been executed on June 13th, while Golden Lion had been imprisoned on June 8th.

After thirty-five days, it was now July 13th.

At this point, the Drought Algae Vine under Wang Gao's control had spread from the third level, Hunger Hell, to the second level, Beast Hell.

Compared to Hunger Hell, Beast Hell's environment was far more hospitable. The Drought Algae Vine could produce more nutrients and water there.

Beast Hell also contained many interesting creatures, such as the "sea fighters," Blue Gorillas, Small Hippos, Giant Mantises, Combined Scorpions, Sphinxes, Snake Chickens, and more.

Of course, Scorching Hell on the fourth level also housed five Jailer Beasts with "awakened Devil Fruit powers," and they were equally valuable for research.

However, Wang Gao was extremely wary of the fourth level because it housed the warden's office. The current warden, Columbus, Deputy warden Magellan, Chief Guard Shiryu of the Rain, and others were frequently active there.

Wang Gao had no intention of casually testing Columbus, whose abilities were unknown.

Besides, the Jailer Beasts were not permanently stationed on the fourth level. Based on his observations, the Cow and Rhino often guarded Beast Hell.

Furthermore, prisoners on the second level were frequently attacked by Jailer Beasts and other monstrous creatures, making it far more convenient to collect genetic samples.

At the same time, he manipulated the Drought Algae Vine to spread toward Crimson Hell along the vast central chasm between Beast Hell and Crimson Hell.

He successfully obtained the genes of two special plants: Sword Tree and Needle Grass.

Acquiring the genes of Sword Tree and Needle Grass further enriched Wang Gao's gene bank. After integrating portions of those genes into the Drought Algae Vine, the vine, which had previously possessed only a few basic forms, underwent another comprehensive enhancement.

Several new forms emerged: Drought Algae Vine—Vine Needle, Drought Algae Vine—Thorn, Drought Algae Vine—Blade, Drought Algae Vine—Tunnel Boring Machine, Drought Algae Vine—Meat Grinder, and so on.

For example, Drought Algae Vine—Vine Needle could not only thrust like a spear, but also fire its needle tips.

As for Drought Algae Vine—Shield Tunneling Machine, Wang Gao had only experimented with it and had not put it into use. Hunger Hell was too quiet, and the sound of the shield tunneling machine breaking through rock was too loud. The moment he used it, he would definitely be exposed.

After more than a month of corrosive excavation, the rock wall behind him had been hollowed into a cavity roughly two meters in diameter and 3.4 meters deep.

Part of the excavated earth and stone had been used as nutrients for the Drought Algae Vine, while the rest had been disguised as the inner rock wall of the cell.

After all, these cells were usually five to ten meters wide, five to ten meters long, and three to ten meters high, with some even larger ones.

Wang Gao stood 2.73 meters tall. In this world, that was merely average height, so his cell was of medium size.

The excavated tunnel was only two meters in diameter, but that was not much of a problem. Through the Chain-Chain Fruit, he could now actively adjust his body size, becoming larger or smaller as needed.

To prevent any accidents, Wang Gao's true body had already entered the tunnel. The rock wall had been covered with Drought Algae Vine leaves, forming a hardened wooden camouflage layer.

Meanwhile, the "Wang Gao" wearing shackles inside the cell was merely a Clone he had created.

For that, he had to thank the genes of the Den Den Mushi, which allowed him to remotely control the genetic organisms he created wirelessly.

With a Clone in the cell, even if he encountered Shiryu of the Rain again, he would not need to worry about being killed.

The tunnel was pitch-black, without even a hint of light, but that did not affect Wang Gao. His vision, hearing, and powerful Observation Haki were all sufficient to let him move freely through darkness.

As he sensed the improved Drought Algae Vine continuously using Acidic Excavation, he found that it could now dig forward fifty to seventy centimeters per day, six times faster than before.

Yet that speed still did not satisfy him.

Compared to Giant Morley's Push-Push Fruit, the Drought Algae Vine's Acidic Excavation was simply too slow. He had no intention of wasting his time digging holes. He had to find a way to speed it up.

Rubbing his chin, he activated Quantum Computing again and analyzed every available method.

A few minutes later, Wang Gao had already thought of several solutions.

Someone might ask: couldn't he change his body size? Why not just shrink down and sneak out directly?

In truth, his ability to grow and shrink had to follow one principle: "The form may change, but the substance remains the same."

Simply put, the total number of cells in Wang Gao's body could not change. He could only shrink himself by altering the shape of his body.

For instance, his normal body size was 2.73 meters and 473 kilograms. If he wanted to become one meter tall, he could only divide into three or four sub-bodies; the total weight of 473 kilograms could not change.

His brain cells in particular could not be casually altered, nor could the structure of his brain. At the very least, he did not yet have complete confidence that he could fully restore it after changing its structure.

It was not that he could not alter it at all. He simply had to consider the lifespan of cells. After all, biological cells could divide only a limited number of times.

If he did not preserve the excess cells while shrinking and instead discarded them outright, then when he needed to enlarge himself again, he would either have to use externally cultivated genetic organisms to fill out his body or accelerate the division of his own cells.

And accelerating the division of his own cells would shorten his lifespan.

Naturally, Wang Gao would not discard his own cells merely to shrink his body size. The human body was an organic whole. Before he found a way to achieve immortality, it was best not to take reckless risks.

That was also why, when cultivating and modifying the Drought Algae Vine previously, he had used only dead skin and hair as nutrients rather than other cells.

Therefore, he could shrink his body size, but he could not become as small as an ant. The existence of his brain determined the lower limit of his size reduction.

Still, he adjusted the excavation plan. A two-meter-diameter tunnel was too large. He could completely transform into a snake form, and a tunnel around fifty centimeters in diameter—slightly larger than his head—would allow him to slither through.

The tunnel's destination was the passage Giant Morley had excavated years ago. Based on Wang Gao's careful surveys over the past few days, the nearest Giant Tunnel lay in the rock strata to his left, roughly 322 meters away.

After reducing the tunnel's diameter, the excavation speed could increase to around 1.5 meters per day.

That speed was still not good enough.

But Wang Gao had other backup plans. He closed his eyes and, through the Drought Algae Vine connected to the soles of his feet, quickly extended vines toward the inner rock wall of an empty cell in Hunger Hell.

The inner rock wall of that empty cell was only 8.32 meters away from the Giant Tunnel. Once he dug through there and let the Drought Algae Vine enter the Giant Tunnel—

As long as the Drought Algae Vine entered the Giant Tunnel, it could excavate toward his location from the other side.

With work proceeding from both ends, the construction time could be cut in half.

Furthermore, allowing the Drought Algae Vine into the Giant Tunnel would let him scout its interior in advance and prepare for whatever he might encounter.