Immortal Prison
Looking at the endless wasteland, it felt like a vast cage. The entire world was dark, empty, and lifeless.
Crocodile sat on the ground, staring blankly.
No handcuffs. No physical restraints.
The moment he arrived, he noticed something unusual—his hands and feet had fully recovered. Even the left hand, which had been replaced by a golden hook, was restored.
He was whole again.
Impossible.
"Where the hell is this?!"
"Bai Yu, come out!"
But no matter how far he ran or how loud he shouted, there was no response—only silence.
And a snot-nosed man.
Bai Yu, standing at the edge of existence, was constantly searching for opportunities to strip away his captives' wills.
No matter how much the place was damaged, the ground would instantly regenerate.
There was no end to the sky.
The only things in sight were pools of blood and torture instruments. Aside from the prison itself, there was nothing.
It seemed as if he would never feel tired, thirsty, hungry, or even sleepy—almost as if he were trapped in a dream.
"Pfft."
Daz Bonez collapsed.
But the next moment, his body instantly healed.
Seeing this, Crocodile's eyes widened.
"Bonez, how did you get in here?"
"Boss?!"
Before he could even process the shock of his restored injuries, Daz Bonez immediately straightened up and spoke with deep regret.
"I was defeated… by a female swordsman under Bai Yu. I have failed you."
Crocodile sighed.
"It's fine. Everyone loses sometimes. Even I…"
His voice trailed off.
He had always been the type to deceive his enemies with a sly grin.
But at this moment, even he couldn't lie to himself.
He was… too weak.
"Were Mr. 3 and the others captured?" Crocodile asked.
Bonez shook his head. "I don't know."
Just then—
"Crocodile!"
A voice echoed.
The two looked up and saw Bai Yu walking toward them lazily.
Bonez clenched his fists, his anger flaring up again.
But Crocodile stopped him with a cold snort.
"Are you here to mock me?"
Bai Yu ignored the remark and spoke as if to himself:
"In this place, you don't need to eat or drink. You won't feel tired, you won't feel sleepy, and you can't die."
"Even if I kill you, I can simply revive you and kill you again."
Both Crocodile and Bonez frowned deeply.
Where the hell is this place?
Bai Yu continued, his tone casual:
"My goal is simple. Serve under me."
"Impossible!"
Before Bai Yu could finish, Crocodile snapped.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! I will never be anyone's subordinate!"
Bai Yu remained indifferent.
"Your strength is too weak."
He let a scroll fall before them.
"This is the true essence of Conqueror's Haki."
"When you become strong enough, I'll let you out. Until then…"
"As long as you're alive, you'll remain imprisoned here."
"An endless void."
"Perhaps you can make the best of it? Rule this place? Become the King of the Prison?"
He chuckled.
Crocodile gritted his teeth.
He wanted to rip the scroll apart in frustration, but no matter how furious he felt, his anger was powerless.
He could only suppress it.
Crocodile's face remained arrogant. "Are you done talking?"
Bai Yu smirked.
"Weak. Pathetic. Unable to even see the sun—what a miserable excuse for pride."
"That ancient weapon you're so obsessed with? Pluton? I don't even care about it."
He saw Crocodile's face darken.
Bai Yu continued:
"The legendary Rocks Pirates…"
"Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Kaido, Big Mom—each one of them was stronger than you."
"Following the strong isn't shameful."
"That's all I have to say."
With that, Bai Yu disappeared.
Crocodile stood frozen.
He clenched the scroll tightly, his jaw tightening until his gums bled.
Bonez hesitated. "Boss…"
Crocodile took a deep breath.
"I lost."
"I lost completely."
He looked down at the scroll.
"We have to become stronger, Bonez."
"Without strength, dreams are nothing but a joke."
At last, he understood.
Bai Yu: Anime characters sure are easy to manipulate.
Mouthpiece persuasion: +1.
Back Outside the Immortal Prison
As Bai Yu stepped out, the sudden brightness of the world made him squint.
"Oh? Where did this guy come from? Another dimension?"
A laid-back voice spoke.
On the bow of a ship, a tall man in a yellow-striped suit stood, making an exaggerated expression.
"You really have spatial abilities… That's terrifying. The Demon King, Bai Yu…"
"Bai Yu! He appeared out of nowhere!"
Nami's eyes locked onto the man, tension rising in her body.
That overwhelming pressure!
Vivi, Kaya, Nojiko, and Makino immediately became alert as well.
Tashigi, who had just regained consciousness, nearly dropped her sword in shock.
Robin shuddered.
"It's… Admiral Kizaru!"
A Marine Admiral?!
The girls were stunned.
But then… something felt off.
This Admiral… why did he seem so unreliable?
Tashigi, in particular, lowered her head, avoiding eye contact.
She felt embarrassed—yet also a little relieved.
Kizaru lazily glanced at Robin.
"Ohhh~~ This beautiful lady… You look familiar."
"Where have I seen you before…?"
A long pause.
Then, suddenly—
"Oh~~ sorry, I forgot."
His voice dragged on with exaggerated nonchalance.
Robin sighed.
Unlike Aokiji, who had always paid close attention to her, Kizaru seemed to only have a vague familiarity.
"So, you really came."
Bai Yu motioned for Nami to take the girls away.
Then, he casually turned to Kizaru.
"Did Sengoku at least pay you overtime for this?"
Kizaru raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? I don't think so."
Bai Yu shook his head in mock sympathy.
"Man, that's rough. Low pay, constant overtime."
Kizaru rubbed his chin. "Ahh… My salary really should go up."
Then, he shrugged.
"Brother Bai Yu, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, would you mind surrendering peacefully?"
"Nope. Sengoku would kill me for sure."
"No, no. Just imprisonment."
"Yeah, right. I called him a few names the other day—he's probably waiting to strangle me."
"Oh? What did you call him?"
"Want to learn? I'll teach you."
"…"
What kind of ridiculous exchange was this?!
From a distance, Vivi and the others were utterly dumbfounded.
Isn't he supposed to be an Admiral? Then why isn't he fighting?!
Even Tashigi, who deeply respected the Marines, felt her image of an Admiral…
Completely shattered.
This wasn't an Admiral.
This was just…
A shady old man.
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