SR and Character Event

The one-year term at Impel Down was up.

Some left, some arrived, some rose.

After two days of upheaval, Impel Down settled back into calm, and time began to pass quickly.

Another month slipped by in a flash.

After receiving a call from headquarters, Figo—rarely excited—came to the Baptism Room with the Vice Warden, Seazer, accompanying him.

Because the person they were receiving was a pirate who needed to be imprisoned on Level 5 of Impel Down!

"Pirates who need to be locked up on Levels 5 and 6 are different from those on the first four levels. They're the ones who can be called Great Pirates, with bounties generally over a hundred million. To capture them, the Navy usually has to send a commodore with a warship," Seazer explained.

Money was worth more in this era—or rather, pirates on the seas weren't as rampant as they would be in later generations.

The highest bounty on a pirate at sea right now had just barely exceeded one billion, so a pirate with a bounty of a hundred million was already a formidable Great Pirate.

"That's why the Warden and I didn't agree to let you participate in escorting Level 5 and Level 6 pirates before—we were afraid something might go wrong. But since you showed enough strength in your fight with Kinch, we're happy to lighten our load. I'll take you along twice. If there are no slip-ups, from then on, the escort and imprisonment work will all be handed over to you!"

Figo nodded in agreement.

A month ago, he'd revealed his full strength precisely to earn the chance to participate in capturing Level 5 and Level 6 prisoners.

And the five-year limit was a self-imposed restriction. He worried he wouldn't be able to endure Impel Down's solitude, that he'd run out in two years without having raised his strength enough.

Five years later, he'd only be twenty-six, still in the prime of youth. He could go out, land a cushy Vice Admiral post, marry a few beautiful wives—nothing would be wasted...

Ahem, back to business.

From what Figo had learned over the past year or so, Level 1 prisoners at Impel Down were generally N5 to N9 grade, Level 2 was N7 to R3, Level 3 was R1 to R6, and Level 4 was R6 to R9.

There were rarely any pirates misjudged or misplaced.

At least so far, there hadn't been a single case of an SR-grade appearing on Level 4—the very thing Figo most hoped for.

So the prisoner being locked up today was likely to be Figo's first SR-grade catch. How could he not be excited?

A dozen minutes later, the transport ship finally docked outside Impel Down, and Figo saw the target destined for Level 5.

A very thin, middle-aged man, ordinary in appearance, but he clearly showed something different during the baptism.

No cries of pain. No screams.

After five minutes boiling in the hot water, he finally couldn't hold back and started struggling, choking as he couldn't hold his breath.

Another two minutes passed before he was fished out. A full seven minutes, and his skin hadn't even been cooked through. That scrawny body clearly hid a physique and strength surpassing Figo's! And after they put the prison uniform on him, he could even stagger to his feet!

No curses, no pleas for mercy. He just looked at Figo and Seazer with eyes like a starving wolf, chilling to the bone!

Clearly, he was thinking that if he ever regained his freedom, he'd repay them with even harsher torture.

The two were very frightened, so they struck first—broke both his legs, dragged him away.

Locked him up in Impel Down Level 5.

[Prisoner: Doham]

[Grade: SR3]

[Status: Imprisoned]

[Crime Index: 55]

[Capture Participation: 3%]

[Selectable Rewards: Theft, Navigation, Observation Haki]

[Character Event: Activatable (Complete the Character Event to choose one more reward from the prisoner, gaining a second ability)]

As Figo had hoped, he was SR-grade.

The rewards were still a three-way choice, but one of them was an ability that thrilled Figo.

Observation Haki!

Haki—the unique power of this pirate world—had been on Figo's mind for a long time.

Armament Haki to strengthen attacks.

Observation Haki to predict attacks.

There weren't many prisoners on Levels 5 and 6, and not all of them necessarily mastered Haki. The chance of picking up both abilities was slim, and raising them would be tough. But for Figo, just activating them was huge—once he had a basic grasp, he could actively train them!

Over the next five years, practicing on his own should get him somewhere, right?

Besides Observation Haki, SR-grade prisoners also had one clear difference from R-grade: an extra entry that R and N grades didn't have.

'Character Event? Complete the Character Event, and I can choose another reward... This thing feels a bit like a quest system?'

Figo pondered for a moment, then in his mind, he activated the option marked 'Activatable.'

Suddenly, an image flashed in Figo's mind: 'Beneath an ancient towering tree, the newly imprisoned SR3-grade prisoner Doham dug soil with a shovel, burying two small boxes in the ground...'

The image was incredibly vivid.

Figo could even faintly smell the earth's fragrance and hear the chirping of birds—it seemed to be a real memory from Doham's mind!

After the image faded, the Character Event entry on Doham's Prison Archives had changed.

[Character Event (Activated): Doham once hid most of his plundered treasure under an ancient tree on Huoyu Island, but before he could retrieve it, he was captured by the Navy. Had he known, he would rather have cast the treasure into the sea than let some future lucky bastard get it for free.

Event Requirement: Make Doham, or help Doham, cast his treasure into the sea.]

Figo blinked: ???

When his focus locked onto the Prison Archives, he could even faintly sense a phantom arrow pointing toward where that treasure lay!

"What the hell is this? Wish fulfillment?"

Figo was speechless for a moment, then shrugged it off.

"Still, it's a good thing. Once I get out of Impel Down, I'll find a way to go there. A Great Pirate's stash should be pretty sizable—basically unclaimed wealth." Whether he actually threw it into the sea or not would be entirely up to him, wouldn't it?

Little did he know, the most outrageous Character Event content was still to come.

A month later, another R-class pirate was imprisoned on the fifth level of Impel Down.

Figo activated the Character Event again.

Fierce shouts, clashing blades, boarding combat.

This R-class pirate fought a fierce battle against a Marine draped in a cloak of justice before being captured.

The scene ended, and the Character Event shifted.

[Character Event (Activated): Lucien Bailey was defeated at the hands of Vice Admiral Hobby and imprisoned in Impel Down, burning with rage and unwilling to accept it.

Event Requirement: Make Lucien Bailey, or help Lucien Bailey, kill Vice Admiral Hobby.]

Figo: "..."

Another month passed.

The Character Event activated, and a scene appeared.

Beautiful women.

Women of every charm and grace.

Some were delicate and clinging, faces streaked with tears. Others were seductive and alluring, stirring the soul. All wore expressions of fear as they danced, pouring wine and playing music to entertain this Great Pirate newly locked in Impel Down.

[Character Event: The Great Pirate Nisjeski has long heard that the princess of Alabasta is the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, but has never had the chance to see her.

Event Requirement: Help Nisjeski capture the princess of Alabasta, or capture the princess of Alabasta to dance and pour wine for yourself.]

Figo: "...Alabasta? Vivi... her great-grandmother? A family tradition of beauties?"

No, that wasn't the point.

Wasn't he supposed to be a nemesis of crime?

5000 words, begging for recommendation tickets.