Asking for Wolf Meat

After killing the War Wolf, Ye Chen gave the skinned wolf hide to Olvia. Staring at the bloody wolf meat, Ye Chen fell into a daze again. Though he knew meat tasted better cooked, there really was a Woods in the distance.

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

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

He simply abandoned that impractical thought. Even if he had to eat it raw, as long as he could survive, Ye Chen would grit his teeth and endure it. It was just that Olvia would have to suffer along with him.

Olvia was touched. She knew Ye Chen had obtained this with his life, and besides, she had endured plenty of hardship during her years at sea. Even raw meat was something she could bear.

To ease Ye Chen's worries, Olvia took the initiative to pick up a piece of wolf meat and put it into her mouth. Though the meat was bloody, 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 have 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 keep Olvia from freezing, he would also make sure she could eat piping-hot wolf meat. That was what he ought to do as a man.

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

After they had only taken a few bites, an old man's voice drifted over from the neighboring Prison. 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 others and failed to catch another War Wolf, what would he eat?

Ye Chen picked out the sharpest wolf bone from the War Wolf and tucked it into his waistband. He even pulled out 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 smell of the War Wolf was quickly detected by the prisoners in the nearby Prisons. 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 the Prison.

Ye Chen followed the edge of the Prisons to the one next door. The moment the dozen or so prisoners inside saw him, their eyes lit up with excitement, and they eagerly crowded over.

Ye Chen did not dare get too close. He hurriedly retreated several steps, while one hand swiftly reached for his waist and gripped the razor-sharp wolf bone.

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

Yet Ye Chen still did not dare lower his guard. Every one of them was huge, some several meters tall. They were all covered in scars. It was obvious that even shackled, they were highly capable fighters. Some looked vicious and ugly as ghosts, their eyes gleaming with menace. Those icy stares alone filled Ye Chen with fear.

The prisoners held in Freezing Hell all had bounties of up to 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. He licked his lips, his eyes flashing viciously as he glared at Ye Chen and threatened, "Ghost, if you don't behave, I'll eat you. Hurry up and bring me that wolf meat. Otherwise, if I catch you, I'll eat you without leaving even your bones behind."

"Hmph..." Ye Chen snorted and turned to leave, choosing to ignore them.

"Hey, Ghost, why are you leaving? How about this? I'm a doctor. I'll bandage your wounds in exchange for 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 at the old man expectantly. 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, hurried back to his Prison, checked Olvia's symptoms, then took a piece of wolf meat and returned to the neighboring Prison. From a distance, he tossed the meat to the old man.

The others' eyes immediately lit up when they saw the wolf meat. They even rushed to seize it, but despite his age, the old man was not weak at all. In the end, those few men were the ones who got badly beaten by him.

Ye Chen watched in stunned amazement. This old man was truly formidable. Even at his age, he could knock five or six burly men to the ground.

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

"I'll trade you my clothes, all right?" One Pirate drooled with craving as he readily stripped off his clothes.

Seeing the old man eating with great relish, and knowing they could not take the meat from him by force, they turned their attention to Ye Chen again. They knew Ye Chen was clever and would not easily approach the iron bars. With no other choice, they could only practically beg Ye Chen to negotiate.

After finishing the meat, the old man waved at Ye Chen. "Ghost, having eaten your meat, I, Basan, will not go back on my word. Come here, 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 she has a cold-related illness. Do you see that 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 Prison. Otherwise, a few needles from me would make this ailment no difficult matter."

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 own needs. In any case, he absolutely could not give them wolf meat for nothing.

The prisoners in the Prisons 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. There were no guards on the fifth level, nor were there any Den Den Mushi for surveillance. The wardens only came once a month and normally did not visit, so it was relatively safe.