That was true enough. During Barn's six months in Impel Down, his fellow inmates had barely made a sound. If not for the occasional clink of chains, he would have suspected he was the only person there. Even so, he had almost come to believe everyone locked up here was deaf and mute.
Once the Marines secured the newcomer to the enormous steel plate behind Barn and left, rustling sounds spread throughout the sixth level, Infinite Hell, along with the clatter of chains against the floor.
Barn could not see, but the newcomer's uneven breathing told him the man was still alive.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Ha ha, Shiki! I wondered who it was. So it's you, you golden-haired dog!"
The voice came from directly in front of Barn. He had long known there was another prisoner there, but this was the first time the man had spoken.
Hearing the name and that peculiar nickname, Barn immediately realized the newcomer was none other than Golden Lion Shiki!
Golden Lion's here. Looks like Roger has already turned himself in. Damn.
The thought that Roger, a friend he had known only briefly, had surrendered and would soon face execution left Barn feeling melancholy, even though he knew the story. By comparison, he had little interest in Golden Lion's arrival.
Golden Lion barely reacted to the voice. Perhaps being restrained by Seastone had left him unable to muster any interest.
He rested his head against the wall behind him without opening his eyes, curled his lip, and sneered coldly.
"I wondered who it was. So it's you, the 'loyal hound' the Marines abandoned!"
The man fell silent at Golden Lion's words. He merely snorted coldly, then retreated into the darkness amid the clinking of chains.
Golden Lion had no intention of letting him off so easily. With a cold laugh, he continued.
"Leonard, you should feel honored that a Celestial Dragon took a fancy to your wife. How did you end up here? Tell me, Leonard, your wife must be quite a beauty."
Barn could not help frowning at Golden Lion's words. The man named Leonard suddenly lunged forward like a madman, violently shaking the bars of his cell as he roared.
"Enough! Shiki! Enough!"
But then his voice sank.
"Stop talking... stop talking..."
Clutching the bars, Leonard slowly slid down until he lay on the floor, still sobbing.
At that, Golden Lion said nothing more and merely snorted.
But Leonard's outburst had roused the other inmates...
"Leonard! You old bastard, what are you doing?"
"Who the hell disturbed my sleep?"
"Damn it, Bankross! What are you acting so cocky for?"
"Ha ha, Harrenz, want to fight?"
Listening to the prison's sudden uproar, Barn's brain froze. He even wondered whether he had been transferred to another prison.
Is this really the same prison that's been silent for an entire six months?
That was what Barn thought, but what slipped out of his mouth was:
"So there are this many people still alive?"
The voice that followed left him speechless.
"Huh? Kid, you're not mute?"
"Hey, you're right. He can talk."
Barn was utterly exasperated. Were they really blaming him for those six lonely months?
The absurdly silent prison had suddenly become noisy, though there were only a dozen or so people in Infinite Hell.
From their conversations with Golden Lion, Barn learned the broad outlines of their stories. Bankross and Harrenz, the two who had spoken earlier, were brothers. Cruel and bloodthirsty, they had eventually been defeated by Zephyr and thrown in here.
There was also a quiet man named Oniwood. From Golden Lion's remarks, Barn learned that he was a master swordsman who had crossed paths with Golden Lion before. Apparently, he had later formed his own pirate crew, only to be defeated by Garp. Though he had badly wounded Garp with his sword, he had still lost and been imprisoned here.
Leonard had once been a member of CP9 and had worked undercover aboard Golden Lion's ship. The intelligence he provided had allowed the Marines to successfully surround the Golden Lion Pirates. Though Golden Lion escaped, his forces suffered heavy losses. With his cover blown, Leonard was reassigned to the Marines, but upon returning home, he discovered that a Celestial Dragon had taken his wife by force. In a rage, he killed the Celestial Dragon. Zephyr handled the incident and, in recognition of Leonard's military service, spared his life, instead having him imprisoned in Impel Down for life.
The remaining inmates were notorious pirates from the New World, all captured after being defeated.
Golden Lion had little interest in joining their conversation. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Barn.
"Kid, you're so young, yet they locked you up on the sixth level? Who are you?"
Barn was briefly taken aback by Golden Lion's question, but he still answered.
"My name is Barn. I look young because I ate the Life Fruit, which froze my appearance at seventeen. But don't call me a kid. I'm already in my thirties, Shiki."
At Barn's answer, Shiki murmured.
"The Life Fruit? You said your name was Barn?"
"Yeah."
Barn nodded calmly and gave a brief reply.
"Oh, so you're 'Asura' Barn, the man who stormed the holy land of Mary Geoise, freed the slaves, and slaughtered nearly two hundred Celestial Dragons."
Barn had no patience for Golden Lion's mocking tone. He ignored him and simply leaned against the wall in silence.
Leonard, however, could not help taking another look at this outrageously young-looking criminal after hearing Golden Lion's words.
"Hey, Shiki, did Roger turn himself in?"
Golden Lion raised his eyebrows at Barn's question and demanded loudly.
"What? You're saying that bastard Roger surrendered?"
Only then did Barn remember that the Marines had publicly claimed to have captured Roger, without mentioning his surrender. Clearly, Golden Lion had been kept in the dark too.
"Yeah, he did. Otherwise, who in the Marines do you think could capture him?"
Golden Lion began to laugh. He seemed genuinely happy, like a child.
"Ha ha ha! I knew it! How could a man capable of defeating me be captured so easily by the Marines? But kid, why did Roger turn himself in?"
A vein bulged on Barn's forehead when Golden Lion called him a kid again, and he said coldly.
"Don't call me a kid, you golden-haired dog!"
Golden Lion did not get angry when Barn used Leonard's "affectionate" nickname for him. Instead, he said:
"All right, Barn. Just tell me why!"
Barn's eyebrow twitched, but he answered anyway.
"Actually, Roger was diagnosed with a terminal illness two years ago. Supposedly, he only had three years to live. He was someone who longed for freedom, and even learning he was terminally ill never made him give up on it. As for what he still wanted to do after becoming the Pirate King, only he knew. Maybe he simply wanted to do something of his own choosing."
"Want my treasure? You can have it all if you want. Go find it! I left everything in the world there..."
Barn still vividly remembered Roger's final words from watching One Piece in his previous life. He could not help thinking of the man who had ushered in an era in the last few dozen seconds of his life.
Golden Lion fell quiet after hearing Barn's explanation. He lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.
He was remembering the invitation he had extended to Roger during their clash, and Roger's reply:
"I'm not interested in ruling the world, Shiki. If pirates can't do what they want, then what's the point?"
Golden Lion had always considered Roger his greatest rival, and himself the man who understood Roger best. He had believed Roger shared his ambitions. Only today did he realize he had never understood Roger at all...
Golden Lion remained silent for a long time. Then he spoke to Barn in a tone completely different from before, leaving Barn momentarily stunned.
"Barn, want to get out of here with me and go see Roger?"