Minotauros trudged through the depths of Blazing Hell, carrying the two children on his shoulders.
Ahead, the view suddenly opened up.
An enormous pool of blood boiled and churned below, its orange-red liquid constantly bubbling and bursting, releasing scorching white mist.
Groves of Flame Trees towered along the pool's edge, their trunks pitch-black, their branches burning with undying flames that cast flickering light across the entire space.
Lying atop the bull's head, Luffy's curiosity gradually gave way to distress.
"Hey, Ace."
His voice lowered as he pointed at the figures struggling to move beside the blood pool below:
"They look so miserable!"
The barefoot prisoners hauled fuel across the scalding ground. With every step, wisps of smoke rose from their soles.
Someone collapsed to his knees, unable to hold on, only to be whipped back to his feet by a nearby jailer. Screams, wails, and the crackling of flames echoed above the blood pool.
The heat was almost enough to sear their insides. With every breath, they could feel scorching air rush into their throats, burning their windpipes and lungs. Their exposed skin had already begun to redden.
But Ace's attention wasn't on the prisoners' suffering.
His gaze was grave as he stared at the roasting prisoners.
"Their vitality and physical toughness are what's ridiculous, okay!"
There was a trace of undisguisable shock in his voice. Despite such torture, those prisoners hadn't died or collapsed. They could even move and scream. That sort of vitality was already beyond the bounds of ordinary humans.
Magellan walked ahead with an impassive expression, ignoring the misery around him.
"Their crimes warrant their suffering."
His voice held no inflection, as though he were stating the most ordinary fact:
"Hauling fuel and taking turns being roasted-that's the only routine left for the rest of their