Luffy's infiltration of the base had caught Luo Wei off guard, but he reacted quickly. He would turn the situation to his advantage and trap Luffy inside!
So Luffy met little resistance along the way and easily reached the heavily guarded Underground Prison beneath the base.
A dim incandescent bulb hung from the dark blue-black walls every ten meters or so. Water dripped somewhere, the sound echoing through the silent prison and raising goose bumps. Dampness, darkness, and the mingled stench of decay made the place feel like hell.
The boy, who had struggled in Luffy's arms all the way there, suddenly went quiet. He clung tighter instead, peeking ahead.
Narrow, low-ceilinged cells lined both sides of the passage. Some were empty, holding nothing but a pile of moldy straw and a large stain left by some unknown liquid. Others held prisoners who raised their heads dully at the sound of movement. Their vacant stares made the boy shrink back.
Luo Wei belonged to the Marines' Hawk Faction. Akainu had deliberately assigned him to Loa's side to watch his actions, and Loa, who had no standing at the time, had no right to refuse. He had not cared, either.
The two had talked a great deal since then, and Luo Wei had gradually come to accept Loa, but not enough to change his hard-line ways. Naturally, the prisoners received no kind treatment.
Death would have been a release!
The saying could not have been more fitting here.
Even someone Luffy's size could not straighten his body in those cramped cells. Most criminals were burly men with brutish faces; inside, they could only curl up in discomfort. Forced to remain in one position for so long, they suffered terrible torment not just in body, but in mind.
Luo Wei knew his