Lord Hannibal, why don't we go to Scorching Hell and take Magellan's bird's nest!

Through the magnificent and imposing Gate of Justice lay the Calm Belt.

The sky was dim and gloomy as the Prison Ship came to a halt before a stern, orderly fortress complex.

Impel Down had arrived.

The ship docked at the pier.

Personnel aboard—whether Marines or prisoners—transferred down in an orderly fashion.

The highest-ranking officer in charge of this prisoner transport mission was Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Momonga.

Vongola Storm followed behind Momonga, moving toward the gates of Impel Down.

A lone figure stood silently at the entrance of Impel Down, his appearance a grotesque blend of pharaoh and demon—ugly and fearsome.

As Storm and Momonga drew closer, the figure finally spoke.

"Welcome to—"

Hannibal said calmly.

"—my Impel Down."

Momonga had initially intended to extend a handshake in greeting.

Hearing those words, his motion involuntarily stalled.

If he remembered correctly, wasn't the Warden of Impel Down Magellan?

Just who was this potbellied, demonic-looking oaf?

Before Momonga could voice his question, Hannibal hastily grabbed Momonga's right hand and shook it vigorously.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I misspoke just now!

"Saying 'my prison' reveals a bit too much ambition.

"I am the Chief Jailer of Impel Down, Hannibal. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Momonga's eye twitched as he replied coldly.

"...Momonga."

"I've heard of you—this must be Vongola Storm, yes?"

Hannibal released Momonga's hand and turned his gaze to Storm behind him.

"My new subordinate—ah! There goes my ambition again!"

Momonga didn't linger long. Citing "pressing military duties," he took his leave directly.

Only Storm and Hannibal remained.

"Officer,"

Storm said, withdrawing the Transfer Order Aokiji had previously given him from his chest.

"This is the Transfer Order issued by Headquarters. Please review it."

"Don't call me Officer—call me Lord Chief Jailer!"

Hannibal took the paper Storm handed him, emphasizing seriously.

"If you'd rather address me as 'Lord Warden,' that's fine too."

"Truth be told, the moment I laid eyes on Lord Hannibal, I felt you had the makings of Impel Down's Warden,"

Storm suggested with a straight face.

"Lord Hannibal, why don't we storm the Warden's Office together and seize Lord Magellan's position!"

Huh?

Hannibal couldn't help but step back, as if startled.

Kid, I'm just an ambitious talker—you're actually serious?

"I think... you're a bit too radical, ahem."

Hannibal casually pocketed Storm's Transfer Order.

"Follow me. I'll give you a tour of my Impel Down."

Storm followed behind Hannibal as they entered the interior of Impel Down.

The moment he stepped through the gate, a pained howl rang out from nearby.

"A delightful scream, isn't it?"

Hannibal wore a satisfied smile, gesturing toward the iron railing beside the path.

"Prisoners sent to my Impel Down are first taken to the other side of the iron railing.

"They must strip naked and enter the 'Hell's Warm Water,' heated to 100 degrees, for disinfection and sterilization."

"This is also the 'baptism' that Impel Down gives to its prisoners."

Storm nodded calmly, then feigned curiosity as he asked.

"Lord Hannibal, why does Impel Down use boiling water instead of hot oil?"

H-hot oil?

The smile on Hannibal's face instantly froze.

Kid, are you trying to deep-fry all the prisoners?

"Because... it's tradition."

Hannibal wiped the sweat from his forehead, wanting to end the topic right there.

But Storm wasn't about to let him off so easily.

"Officer, if you ever become Warden in the future, could you turn 'Hell's Warm Water' into 'Hell's Warm Oil'?"

Kid, I think you're a bit too extreme!

Hannibal roared inwardly.

He finally understood.

Why this kid had been transferred from Marine Headquarters to Impel Down!

Hell was empty, and the devils were in the Marines!

"Newbie, not every prisoner in Impel Down is a death row inmate."

"Then why is that?"

Storm was genuinely puzzled this time.

"The government doesn't kill these scum—are they deliberately waiting for them to escape?"

"Escape?"

Hannibal looked as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Impel Down is built of iron walls and bronze barriers. It's the world's highest-security prison.

"There is absolutely no way any prisoner can escape from Impel Down!"

Storm glanced at Hannibal and directly dropped a name.

"Golden Lion Shiki?"

"Ah, well..."

Hannibal was startled again.

A piece of Impel Down trivia.

Hannibal had personally witnessed Golden Lion Shiki's escape process.

Golden Lion Shiki had even personally asked Hannibal where Impel Down had put his [Sakazuki] and [Karasuma].

Being stumped by a newbie one after another.

Hannibal's pride was starting to fray.

"Newbie! Impel Down has rules! Subordinates don't talk back to their superiors!"

Really? I don't believe it.

Storm curled his lip.

If subordinates in Impel Down really couldn't talk back to their superiors.

Then Hannibal would have been thrown into Infinite Hell by Magellan on the very first day his ambition was exposed.

Still, Storm rather liked this blustering Officer Hannibal.

Seeing Hannibal about to lose his temper, he pinched his thumb and index finger together and drew them across his lips, meaning "zip it."

With that, Hannibal nodded in satisfaction.

The sea-level first floor of Impel Down wasn't all that large.

Hannibal led Storm on a tour around.

From the initial Baptism Room, to the Generator Room, Medical Room, Surveillance Room, Jailer Dormitory, and so on.

As they passed by Impel Down's Jailer's Mess Hall.

Storm saw a large group of Blue Gorillas dragging enormous chunks of meat toward the kitchen's back entrance.

The leader of these Blue Gorillas was a woman wearing a pink leather jacket with a head of wavy orange long hair.

"My Sadie-chan."

Hannibal waved enthusiastically at her.

"Did today's food supply work go smoothly?"

"Of course!"

Sadie-chan's orange bangs covered her eyes, but her vision didn't seem hindered by them.

She easily spotted Storm standing beside Hannyabal.

"Mm-hmm?! So this is the new guy taking over my job?"

As she spoke.

Sadie-chan gave a slight twist to the long-handled pitchfork in her hand.

The pitchfork's head promptly fell off, and a long, thin leather whip appeared in her grasp.

Crack!

Sadie-chan snapped the whip in the air, producing a sharp, ringing report.

"New guy, what's your name, huh?"

"Vongola Storm."

Storm stepped forward, looking at Sadie-chan.

"Officer?"

"Call me Sadie-chan!"

In the blink of an eye, Sadie-chan lashed out with her whip, striking through the air toward Storm.

Her mastery of the long whip far surpassed Peacock's.

The black whip, made of some unknown material, gleamed with a dark, oily luster.

Looking closely, one could see the sharp barbs lining its surface.

If that whip landed, the consequences would be dire.

Yet faced with such an attack, Storm didn't even raise an eyelid.

Though he made no move, layers of white ripples spread across his body.

The next moment.

A white snake made of clay flew out from Storm, lunging straight at the incoming whip.

Crack!

Sadie-chan's whip struck the snake's head precisely, and the soft clay burst apart instantly.

But the snake didn't "die" from that.

On the contrary.

The exploded snake transformed directly into a dense, impenetrable clay net, firmly ensnaring the black whip.

Storm controlled the clay like a white chain, engaging in a tug-of-war with Sadie-chan.

"Sadie-chan! Vongola! Stop fighting!"

Hannyabal shouted nervously from the side.

"If you keep this up, the Blue Gorilla will go berserk!"

Sadie-chan jolted in surprise.

She turned her head and saw one of the Blue Gorillas that had been carrying food charging straight toward them.

Blue Gorillas, true name "Burger."

They were massive in size, terrifyingly strong, with skull-like patterns on their faces, earning them the title "Sea Fighters."

The Blue Gorilla now charging had a clear target—

Storm, who was still fighting Sadie-chan!

"Roar! Roar!"

The Blue Gorilla wielded a huge double-bladed axe, swinging it ferociously at Storm.

Storm's expression remained utterly unchanged.

He raised his right hand, and white clay surged forth endlessly, piling up beside him into a small mountain in an instant.

Then, the clay mountain writhed.

A colossal white gorilla, its head nearly scraping the ceiling of Impel Down, burst forth from the clay!

The Blue Gorilla swung its massive axe in a full-power strike.

Due to height limitations, it only managed to slash the white gorilla's knee.

The Sea Fighter's combat strength was no joke.

Even the Sea Kings of the Calm Belt could be easily "cleaved in two" by a Blue Gorilla.

The clay-made white gorilla couldn't match the axe's hardness, and its knee was severed cleanly.

But a clay creature feared no damage.

Even with its knee cut off by the "Sea Fighter," the white gorilla's upper body remained completely unharmed.

Storm manipulated the White Gorilla, which raised its enormous fist and slammed it downward with tremendous force.

Boom!

The Blue Gorilla that had launched the earlier attack couldn't dodge in time; the clay fist smashed directly into its head.

With a thunderous crash, the Blue Gorilla was knocked flat and completely lost consciousness.

[Silver Trophy: Burger]

[Trophy Star Rating: ★★★★]

One Blue Gorilla was a Silver Trophy!?

Storm stared at the group of Blue Gorillas charging toward him from the distance.

In his eyes, they weren't a pack of Blue Water Monkeys—they were a row of Silver Trophies!

An auditory hallucination seemed to echo in Storm's ears.

Main Quest triggered!

Dominate Impel Down, starting with the Blue Water Monkeys!

Contract status updated.

Please keep reading, please support!

--

In Grand Line Era 1522, Hannyabal served as the acting Deputy Warden of Impel Down.

But this was 1518, and Hannyabal was still the Chief Jailer, not yet promoted.