Asking for Wolf Meat

After killing the War Wolf, Ye Chen gave the wolf pelt he had skinned off to Olvia. Staring at the bloody wolf meat, Ye Chen fell into a daze again. He knew meat tasted better roasted, and there really was a patch of woods in the distance.

However, just as Ye Chen hesitated over whether to go out and gather some dry branches to make a fire, the howls of War Wolves drifted over again from nearby. Sure enough, before long, several more War Wolves with eerie gleams in their eyes appeared on the distant snowfield. Ye Chen immediately abandoned the thought of looking for firewood.

He had no idea how many War Wolves were still out there. He was already injured, and if he left the cell, he might not be able to return safely.

Giving up on that impractical idea, Ye Chen gritted his teeth and endured it. Even if he had to eat it raw, he had to survive. It was just that Olvia would have to suffer because of him.

Olvia was moved. She knew Ye Chen had obtained this with his life on the line. Besides, she had suffered plenty over the years she had spent at sea. Even raw meat was something she could endure.

To put Ye Chen's worries to rest, Olvia took the initiative to pick up a piece of wolf meat and put it in her mouth. Though the meat was bloody and gamey, she still took a bite and swallowed it. Then she smiled and praised Ye Chen. "Ye Chen, you're so brave. The wolf meat is delicious. You should eat some too."

Ye Chen smiled happily. He swore that he would take good care of Olvia.

Once his injuries had healed a little, he would kill even more War Wolves. Not only would he make sure Olvia would not freeze, but he would also make sure she could eat hot wolf meat. That was what he should do as a man.

"Hey, Ghost, I can smell wolf meat. Would you mind sharing some with me? I'd be grateful."

After Ye Chen had only taken a few bites, an old man's voice drifted over from the neighboring cell. Ye Chen immediately widened his eyes warily. He had traded his life for this wolf meat. It was not that he was stingy, but he knew that if he gave the meat to someone else and failed to catch another War Wolf, what would he eat?

Ye Chen selected the sharpest wolf bone from the War Wolf and tucked it into his belt. He even removed the two sharpest fangs from its mouth. There were no weapons here, so he had no choice but to arm himself.

"Ghost, give me some too. I'll be grateful as well."

"Hey, give me something to eat, Ghost. Don't be so stingy."

...The bloody scent from the War Wolf was quickly noticed by prisoners in the nearby cells. Most of them were extremely powerful pirates. Even imprisoned in Freezing Hell, their senses remained exceptionally sharp.

Ye Chen hesitated for a moment. Seeing that the War Wolves outside had already gone far away, he gathered his courage and crawled out of his cell.

Ye Chen followed the edge of the cells to the neighboring one. The moment the dozen or so prisoners inside saw him, their eyes lit up, and they eagerly crowded forward.

Ye Chen did not dare get too close. He hurriedly backed up several steps, his hand darting to his waist to grip the razor-sharp wolf bone.

"Ghost, have some pity on us. We're not bad people. We won't hurt you. We haven't eaten in a long time. Give us some meat." An elderly pirate spoke kindly, afraid of frightening Ye Chen.

But Ye Chen still did not dare lower his guard. Every one of them was tall and burly, some standing several meters high. Their bodies were covered in scars. It was clear that even with shackles on, they were highly capable fighters. A few looked vicious and ugly like Ghosts, their eyes glinting with malice. Those cold, sinister gazes alone filled Ye Chen with fear.

The prisoners held in Freezing Hell all had bounties as high as 100 million Beli. Every one of them radiated intense killing intent.

Though Ye Chen was young, he could sense that the aura around these people was far more terrifying than the War Wolves outside.

Sure enough, seeing Ye Chen keeping his distance, one pirate grew impatient. Licking his lips, he glared at Ye Chen with a vicious gleam in his eyes and threatened, "Kid, if you don't listen, I'll eat you. Bring me that wolf meat right now. Otherwise, if I catch you, I'll eat you until not even your bones remain."

"Hmph..." Ye Chen snorted coldly, turned, and left, deciding to ignore them.

"Hey, Ghost, why are you leaving? How about this? I'm a doctor. I'll bandage your wounds if you give me a piece of wolf meat, all right?"

Seeing Ye Chen about to leave, the old man who had spoken first hurriedly called out to stop him.

"A doctor? Can you treat illnesses?"

Ye Chen stopped, looking hopefully at the old man. He was deeply worried about Olvia's condition.

"I was a ship's doctor for more than ten years. What do you think?" The old man smiled kindly.

Ye Chen nodded and hurried back to his cell. He checked Olvia's symptoms, then took a piece of wolf meat and returned to the neighboring cell, tossing the meat to the old man from a distance.

The others' eyes all lit up at the sight of the wolf meat, and they even rushed to grab it. But though the old man was advanced in years, his skills were not weak in the slightest. In the end, those few men were beaten up badly by him instead.

Ye Chen stared in astonishment. This old man was truly formidable. Even at his age, he could knock five or six strong men to the ground.

"Ghost, I have a dagger here. How about trading it for a piece of meat?"

"Can I trade clothes for it?" One pirate drooled greedily as he promptly stripped off his clothes.

Seeing the old man eating with relish and knowing they could not snatch the meat from him, they turned their attention back to Ye Chen. They knew Ye Chen was clever and would not easily approach the iron gate. With no other choice, they could only practically beg Ye Chen to negotiate with them.

After finishing the meat, the old man beckoned to Ye Chen. "Ghost, I ate your meat, and I, Basan, won't go back on my word. Come over, and I'll examine you."

Ye Chen shook his head and told Basan about Olvia's symptoms. Basan nodded, stroking his beard as he pondered for a while. "It sounds like a cold ailment. Do you see that patch of woods in the distance? There should be Cold Fragrance Grass and Blood Lotus in those woods. As long as you can find those two herbs, her condition should improve. It's a pity this old man is trapped in a cell. Otherwise, a few needles from me would be enough. This sort of illness is nothing difficult."

Ye Chen nodded and bowed in thanks. As for the pirates who had tried to bargain with him, Ye Chen began doing business with them according to his needs. In any case, he absolutely could not give them wolf meat for nothing.

The prisoners in the cells were incredibly envious of those who got to eat wolf meat. Ye Chen also learned from Basan that Impel Down had six levels in total. This was the fifth level, with four more above it. The fifth level had no guards and no Den Den Mushi for surveillance. The guards only came once a month and normally did not appear, so it was fairly safe.