Wolf Meat Trade

Basan asked Ye Chen how he had been locked up here. Ye Chen chuckled and did not hide anything. The old man was decent, and he had even taught Ye Chen quite a few acupoint massage techniques.

Ye Chen went back and tried them on Olvia a few times. Though he was clumsy and unfamiliar with the techniques, they really worked.

He traded the prisoners for quite a few things: a dagger, several sets of clothes, and two books. He had no idea where the prisoners had gotten them.

Ye Chen gave all the clothes he had acquired to Olvia to shield her from the cold. As for himself, after eating and drinking his fill, he was freezing so badly that he had no choice but to train hard. Even with injuries, moving around would at least warm him up a little.

At night, Ye Chen obediently curled up in a corner. Olvia was weak, and even though she was a stunning beauty, Ye Chen had no improper thoughts. He knew this was the Prison, and he had to get out as soon as possible.

To get out, he first had to stay alive. To stay alive, he had to master his skills. Only then could he live better.

At daybreak, Ye Chen began running outside the cell. He never dared to go too far, afraid that a War Wolf might appear. That way, if he encountered one, he could quickly duck back into the Prison.

When Basan saw Ye Chen running through the snow, his eyes widened in shock. A while later, Ye Chen began practicing his punches. Basan was not the only curious one; even the prisoners in several nearby cells gathered by their iron doors to watch.

For no apparent reason, Freezing Hell had suddenly gained a six-year-old Ghost. On his first day, he had killed a War Wolf, and now he was practicing martial arts and throwing punches outside the Prison. Everyone was astonished, though most were simply watching for entertainment. A few people smiled approvingly, and Basan was one of them.

Ye Chen had possessed a foundation in martial arts in his previous life, and now he also had the Martial Arts Codex. His progress was fairly quick, and he placed great importance on building a solid foundation.

The wind and snow here were fierce, and the temperature was terrifyingly low. If his movements slowed even slightly, ice would immediately form over his body. To Ye Chen, this had become an excellent training ground. The brutal cold alone forced him to keep training, steadily strengthening his physique. The harsh environment also tempered his will tremendously.

"Ye Chen, what exactly are you practicing? I don't think I've ever seen it before." Ye Chen did not stop until Noon, when Basan finally asked curiously.

Ye Chen proudly puffed out his chest. Panting heavily, he answered with pride, "Kung fu!"

Over the following days, War Wolves frequently prowled around the area. There were so many that they could not be counted. Ye Chen fought several lone War Wolves, but every time he was badly injured and gained nothing.

These War Wolves were fast, strong, equipped with sharp fangs and vicious claws. The reason he had managed to kill one the first time had mostly been luck. After that, the War Wolves never came near the Prison again, making Ye Chen frown anxiously. He had no choice but to train even harder.

As time passed, the prisoners became more familiar with Ye Chen. Some even joked that they would teach him their skills, as long as he gave them meat to eat. They were willing to teach him everything they knew, and Ye Chen was overjoyed.

He knew that, compared to him, these people were all monsters. Basan had mentioned that every one of them had a bounty exceeding one hundred million. They had been imprisoned on the fifth floor because they were all ruthless figures who gave the World Government headaches. Some were pirates, some were "traitors" to the government, and some were high-ranking officials. No matter what, every one of them was terrifyingly powerful.

The guards of Impel Down only delivered food once a month, and it was always stale, disgusting bread. Compared to wolf meat, it was like heaven and earth.

Knowing that Ye Chen liked training, these people did not mind teaching him their skills. They understood that no matter how capable they were, they would eventually die here. If they could eat a little better, it was well worth it.

Besides, once Ye Chen became stronger, they would live more comfortably too. They might even get to eat roasted wolf meat.

Though tempted, Ye Chen knew that once he mastered the Martial Arts Codex, he would become very strong as well. Still, there were many things he needed to ask others about. For example, the Rankyaku that CP9 agent had unleashed, and why Saul's fists had been so powerful.

"Rankyaku? Ghost, you've seen CP9? Heh, to be honest, that's one of the Six Powers. I used to be a Marine vice admiral. I know those techniques too. As long as you keep me supplied with meat, I'll teach you all of them."

A burly man with a thick beard sneered disdainfully after hearing Ye Chen's question.

"Ghost, do you know about Haki?" Basan suddenly interjected.

Over the past few days, he had been watching Ye Chen. He could tell that Ye Chen was promising. Since he could not get out anyway, Basan also wanted to pass his skills on to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's eyes immediately lit up. Basan nodded. "Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you. But first, get this old man a whole wolf leg to eat. Sigh, I've become addicted to wolf meat these past few days. If I go without it, the cravings become unbearable." Basan deliberately stretched lazily, then comfortably leaned back against the wall.

Ye Chen ran back to check. After more than ten days, there was not much wolf meat left—only two wolf legs remained. Gritting his teeth, Ye Chen still picked one up and gave it to Basan. There were plenty of War Wolves outside. As long as he became strong enough, he would catch another sooner or later.

Seeing Ye Chen completely ignore him, the former Marine vice admiral slumped to the ground like a deflated ball.

It was not that Ye Chen refused. If he had enough wolf meat, he would be willing to learn any useful skill. Unfortunately, he and Olvia still needed to eat the remaining meat. He could not give it all away.

Besides, the Haki Basan had mentioned sounded formidable just from the name. Basan was the strongest person in the Prison, understood medicine, and was kind-hearted. Naturally, Ye Chen was willing to learn from him.

Ye Chen understood that this was merely an exchange. Basan alone had eaten nearly half of an entire War Wolf. The price Ye Chen had paid was not small, and he did not think Basan would be kind enough to teach him for free.

Besides, these people were prisoners. Ye Chen had to remain on guard against them at all times. Treating prisoners as good people would mean he had rocks for brains.

The next day, Basan did not break his promise. He first explained what Haki was to Ye Chen.

Basan seemed highly experienced and was proficient in both Armament Haki and Observation Haki. As for Conqueror's Haki, he only mentioned it in passing.

Even he sighed and said, "That is the quality of a king, possessed by only one person in a million. This old man has never seen it either. Next, I'll teach you Armament Haki and Observation Haki. As for why the kick from that CP9 agent had such tremendous power, that was the application of Haki! First, you must comprehend the breath of all things."