"This young prison guard is different from ordinary Marines. His attitude toward pirates is a little ambiguous," Mia said bluntly.
"So you're saying we have a chance of turning him to our side?" the One-armed Pirate asked, his eyes lighting up.
"Not necessarily. This guy doesn't seem like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old at all. He's very mature, so he won't be easy to fool." Mia thought it over before answering.
"What should we do, then?" the Fat-as-a-ball Female Pirate asked.
"This young prison guard just used a piece of meat to start a fight among the prisoners. He was watching from the sidelines, too. I think he's looking for an opponent."
"Looking for an opponent? Is he trying to make an example of someone?" the One-eyed Pirate asked, looking startled.
"That's most likely it. If I'm right, this young guard will probably run a few more tests over the next several days. Once he's picked his opponent, he'll make his move. That's our chance."
"Mia, are you saying we should help him?" the Fat-as-a-ball Female Pirate asked.
"Exactly! I've thought it over. We don't have much chance of turning him to our side, but there's still a chance we can submit to him.
"Besides, he'll probably need a few 'dogs' to keep an eye on these prisoners. After all, there's no way to install Den Den Mushi in Impel Down 5th Layer," Mia reasoned.
"But if we help him and he refuses to honor his word later, won't the other prisoners completely isolate us?" the One-eyed Pirate said.
"Do you think the other prisoners haven't already isolated us? Before you three were captured, one of you made a living robbing other pirates, another used the Flying Pirate Group's name to protect his country, and the most ridiculous one called himself a pirate while doing a Marine's job. Was protecting ordinary people really your job?"
After hearing Mia's words, the three looked a little awkward. They really weren't exactly respectable pirates.
The One-armed Pirate was named Richard Ian. He'd killed a noble from his country who had abducted a woman, and had been forced to go to sea as a result.
After going to sea, Ian couldn't bring himself to prey on ordinary people, so he spent his days robbing other pirates. Eventually, he and one pirate crew fought each other to a standstill, and the Marines arrived and captured him.
The One-eyed Pirate's story was even more outrageous. His name was Michael, and he'd once been a Marine. While on a mission in Sabaody Archipelago, he couldn't stand the Celestial Dragons' behavior and attacked one of them. Then he deserted the Marines.
But after leaving the Marines, Michael kept doing their job. He'd been captured because he protected civilians from a pirate crew. The fight between them had grown so loud that the Marines noticed and arrested him.
The Fat-as-a-ball Female Pirate was named Paddy. Her former crew had been one of the subordinate pirate crews in the Golden Lion Flying Pirates. She'd joined the Flying Pirates for one reason only: to use the Golden Lion's name to protect her country.
She'd been captured because the Golden Lion had attacked Marineford alone and been captured by Garp and Sengoku working together. The remaining members of the Flying Pirates naturally became a major target for the Marines.
Paddy was strong, but she'd run into the Marine newcomer Kuzan, a monster in his own right. The two had fought to a standstill, but the Marines had far more people than Paddy's crew, and in the end she was arrested.
"We four were already ostracized by the other prisoners. We've been locked up for so long that we've probably lost most of our pride, too. There's nothing wrong with being a 'dog' if it keeps us alive. You all agree, right?" Mia asked the three of them.
The three pirates exchanged glances, then nodded together.
"Good! Then it's settled. Once that young prison guard decides which prisoner to target, we'll help him!"
Meanwhile, Mosen really was thinking back in his room to the scene of the pirates fighting over the piece of meat he'd thrown, searching for someone to make an example of.
Mosen first ruled out the Fat-as-a-ball Female Pirate. She was definitely among the strongest prisoners in Extreme Cold Hell.
He also left Mia, the female pirate who had spoken to him that day, off his list of targets. Mosen felt she might become an ally.
As expected, one test isn't enough. Looks like I'll have to try a few more times.
Over the next several days, Mosen used various excuses to toss out food and provoke the prisoners into fighting over it, while he watched quietly from the sidelines.
In the end, Mosen chose a burly pirate who stood nearly three meters tall.
The pirate wasn't weak compared with the other prisoners. He was probably a little above average, and quite a bit stronger than the short pirate Mosen had killed just after awakening his Frozen Lineage Factor.
Mosen chose him as the target because he felt he wasn't strong enough yet to handle the very strongest prisoners. Killing someone too weak wouldn't mean anything, either. A prisoner who was a little above average was the best choice.
There was another reason, too: Mosen had noticed that this prisoner always looked menacing and was extremely hostile toward the others. He often beat and tormented prisoners weaker than himself.
A troublemaker like that, who refused to follow orders and did whatever he pleased, would only cause problems if left alone.
After settling on his target, Mosen didn't attack him right away. Instead, he carried on as usual, just as he had before, giving nothing away. Then, on the afternoon of the third day, while Mosen was further developing his Frozen Lineage Factor, a scream suddenly came from the prisoners' side.
Mosen ran over and saw that his chosen target was beating another prisoner.
No time like the present. Mosen didn't hesitate any longer. He snapped his fingers, and the ice and snow around him swiftly condensed into a series of glittering ice arrows that shot toward the burly pirate.
The burly pirate sensed Mosen's attack with Observation Haki, and his expression darkened. Armament Haki covered his arms as he raised a hand and smashed the incoming ice arrows.
"Are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?" the burly pirate asked coldly.
"Prisons have rules. You broke one," Mosen replied with the look of someone simply doing his job.
"Hmph! You're asking for it! I've been sick of you for ages. These cowards are too scared of Military Wolf to lay a hand on you, but today I'll kill you and take your keys!" With that, the burly pirate pushed off with his right foot and charged at Mosen.
Mosen was trying to make an example of him, so he needed to kill the burly pirate head-on, cleanly and decisively. Winning by keeping his distance and wearing the man down wouldn't mean much.
So Mosen neither dodged nor retreated. He crossed his arms in front of himself and activated Iron Body, one of the Six Powers.
The burly pirate's fist slammed straight into him.
BANG! After a tremendous crash, Mosen's body swayed slightly as he took the blow head-on.
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