A Jailer in Impel Down

A pure white shirt, a beige coat.

A wide-brimmed hat on his head, a curved blade at his waist.

The young man in the mirror wears a uniform. He looks to be about twenty years old, tall and upright, muscular and full of vitality, his appearance heroic and spirited, save for a gaze that is slightly hollow and lost.

He bends his arm slightly and clenches his fist, his bicep bulging to the point of nearly bursting the fabric. The overwhelming sense of power, something he has never experienced before, leaves Figo feeling even more at a loss, unable to describe the sensation.

He has become younger, stronger, and his hairline is even healthier than it was before.

Because he has transmigrated.

Figo grew up reading web novels and often fantasized about this, but now that it has truly happened, he finds it hard to accept for a moment. In the half-hour since his arrival, Figo first assumed he was dreaming as per the usual tropes, then, after confirming it wasn't a dream, nervously familiarized himself with his new environment, only just now thinking to find a mirror to take a look.

"This body, what a massive steal..."

Smiling at himself in the mirror as if to console himself, Figo steps back, sits on the wooden bed, and continues to sort through the memories of his predecessor.

His full name is Gaston Figo.

As of yesterday, his status was a Captain in the Marine Headquarters; now, he has become a jailer in the Underwater Great Prison Impel Down, currently located in his own jailer quarters.

Impel Down, Marine Headquarters—these iconic names make it clear: this is the One Piece World!

"It's not Gus D. Figo?"

That doesn't quite fit the transmigration rules.

Figo had watched the anime, though he dropped it during the Doflamingo arc due to the pacing. However, he had learned bits and pieces of the later plot through highlights and fan fiction, giving him the advantage of a transmigrator familiar with the story.

But his memories tell him it isn't that simple.

In his memories, the current Fleet Admiral is not Sengoku, he has never heard of the Three Admirals, and the Marine Hero Garp is also a person who does not exist. The seas are in total chaos; there are no Kings, and certainly no legends of a Great Treasure!

What year is Marineford Calendar 1414?

Who actually remembers the years when watching an anime?

Figo cannot confirm it; he only knows that the start of the plot is likely a very long time away, so far that he might not even live to see Luffy born—transmigrating is one thing, but to transmigrate into an ancestor?

What kind of situation is this?

"Captain! Captain Figo! Why haven't you gone to eat breakfast? Are you awake? The first batch of Level 1 prisoners is arriving soon; we need to head to the Baptism Room!"

Just as his thoughts began to drift, the shouting from outside the quarters jolted Figo awake. He pauses for two seconds and says in a deep voice, "I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, Captain!"

More immediate memories surface. Figo discovers that he is not just a jailer, and not a simple one at that. This Impel Down, known in later generations as the Impenetrable Great Prison, has only just been completed half a month ago, and Figo is one of the first jailers to actively respond to the recruitment drive!

By virtue of his previous rank as a Captain, Figo also obtained a minor position—Captain, managing a small squad of twenty men responsible for the vast majority of operations on Level 1 of Impel Down.

The term is one year, and only after a year can he choose to transfer, a fact that makes Figo even more distressed.

A jailer... isn't that much different from being a prisoner, is it?

Damn his luck, what a hellhole this is!

Thinking is useless. Figo adjusts his attire, leaves the quarters, and follows his memories toward the entrance of Impel Down, remembering along the way what the Baptism Room is.

His expression turns somewhat heavy.

The so-called baptism is to strip the newly arrived pirate prisoners naked, hoist them up with a pulley, and lower them into a giant cauldron filled with boiling water, using the high temperature to eliminate all bacteria and toxins from the pirates' bodies!

In the One Piece World, the boiling point of water is also one hundred degrees! It's called a baptism, but it's written as torture!

He soon witnesses this torture.

When a pirate is stripped naked and hoisted above the boiling water, realizing what he is about to face, he lets out a terrified howl, which turns into a short, sharp scream as he hits the water with a splash.

"Ah—"

Followed by the sounds of struggling and the gulping of water.

The struggling gradually weakens.

Once it stops completely, the pirate is pulled out of the water.

The pirate, who previously had a fierce expression, now looks like a boiled shrimp. Blisters of various sizes cover his skin, his hair has fallen out in large patches, and his esophagus is severely burned from drinking the boiling water. His mouth hangs open, saliva drooling out unconsciously, his eyes rolled back, and his limbs twitching—a horrific sight!

Immediately after, two jailers find a set of prison clothes of the right size to put on the unconscious pirate. Their movements are extremely rough; the scalded skin peels away with the slightest touch, revealing bright red flesh, and the air is even filled with a faint scent of boiled meat mixed with a stench that makes one's stomach churn!

The intense pain causes the unconscious pirate's body to twitch continuously, and the terrifying torture makes the other pirates waiting for their baptism tremble.

However, the chains locking their limbs, days of starvation, and the jailers' long blades mean they can only issue meaningless curses and pleas.

Which are met with beatings.

As Captain, Figo even gestures for two jailers to take action, just to hide the fact that his heart is beating at nearly 200 beats per minute.

He never studied medicine, nor is he some kind of special forces soldier; how could he have ever seen such a scene?

Fortunately, the unique art style of the One Piece World helps Figo overcome some of his psychological discomfort.

Look at the second guy being hoisted up.

He must be over three meters tall, his waist thicker than a water vat, weighing at least 300 kilograms. His facial features are completely disproportionate, with a giant mouth stretching to his ears that takes up almost half his face, and two sharp fangs protruding from his upper lip.

Can you even call this a human?

The jailers looked decent enough, but the pirates were such rare specimens that one had to wonder if they were even human.

This isn't human, this isn't human...

Boar Demon, Boar Demon...

Figo practiced self-suggestion, and his heart felt much better for it. When the Boar Demon was fished out after being boiled for a while and the scent of meat wafted over, Figo was shocked to find himself feeling a bit hungry.

It was probably because he hadn't eaten breakfast...

Ugh!

Figo's face turned a sickly green, and he hurriedly spoke up:

"Those not operating the hoist, don't just stand there watching. Take the pirates who have finished their baptism and send them away immediately." Having said that, Figo grabbed the first pirate who had cooled down after the baptism, left the Baptism Room, and strode toward the Prison Area on his own.

The jailers were stunned for two seconds before replying:

"Yes, Captain!"

They were a little puzzled; why did the Captain insist on doing the delivery himself?

Figo was naturally afraid of losing his composure in public.

Once he left the Baptism Room, he took several deep breaths to suppress the nausea, feeling fortunate that his current body was in such excellent shape.

According to his memories, the baptism was merely a welcoming gift for the prisoners; they would be subjected to even bloodier punishments regularly in the future. Impel Down was truly a hellish place! He had to leave; he had to find a way to get transferred!

But... where could he go?

After a moment of silence, Figo carefully glanced at the pirate whose face had been scalded out of shape. This was a sturdy fellow weighing over 200 pounds, yet Figo was carrying him with one hand and barely felt any strain.

He definitely possessed the strength to lift a cauldron now; in ancient times, he would have been a figure like Xiang Yu, but in a world like One Piece, he was just a small fry. Furthermore, the world had unreasonable weather changes, frequent shipwrecks, bloodthirsty pirates, and all sorts of bizarre diseases...

In this world, where was there a safe zone?

The residential area of Marine Headquarters?

Figo arrived at Cell 1, opened the gate, tossed the pirate inside, and locked it.

As he turned back, two jailers were walking toward him, carrying the Boar Demon who had been dressed in a jailer's uniform.

"Captain!" they greeted from afar.

Figo was busy planning his future and nodded at them distractedly, but suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over his brain.

A nameless, green-covered book seemed to emerge from the depths of his mind, flipping open to a blank page and branding it with the image of the prisoner Figo had just locked away, followed by text.

[Prisoner: Bard]
[Level: N7]
[Status: Imprisoned]
[Crime Index: 12]
[Capture Participation: 5%]
[Reward: Physique +4 → 98 (Level 1 Ordinary)]

Thump-thump-thump—

This time, Figo's heart rate instantly exceeded 200 beats per minute!