After getting familiar with the system, Qin Chuan stood up and surveyed his surroundings. He was locked in a narrow cell, surrounded by cold iron walls on three sides and thick iron bars at the front. Even within Red Lotus Hell, the top floor of Impel Down, the suffocating stench of blood lingered.
From the memories he had just absorbed, Qin Chuan already knew what was coming—he would soon be forced into a brutal life-and-death battle.
This system was born from the chaos following Roger's execution. His final words ignited the sea with madness. Pirates surged from every corner of the world, flooding the Grand Line and overwhelming the World Government.
With more and more criminals being captured, the prison population in Impel Down swelled rapidly. Due to its unique and isolated location in the Calm Belt, expansion was impossible, and the prison quickly became overcrowded.
Faced with this dilemma, the sadistic Sadi-chan, assistant warden of Impel Down and a twisted lover of screams, proposed a gruesome solution—let the prisoners fight to the death.
Under her system, each prisoner was assigned a number. Every day, two numbers were drawn randomly from each floor, and the chosen prisoners were forced into deadly duels. The only rule—kill or be killed.
But the nightmare didn't end there. Even if you survived, you could be chosen again the next day. The cycle never stopped.
The official goal was to reduce the prison population. After a high-level meeting, Warden Magellan reluctantly approved the plan. To him, most of the inmates were irredeemable monsters, and their deaths meant little. However, he firmly prohibited any duels on Level Six.
Even Magellan feared the monsters on that floor.
Impel Down had six levels. Level Six was known as Eternal Hell. Only the most heinous and powerful criminals were imprisoned there—pirates erased from history, living legends buried in chains.
It was from this hell that the infamous Golden Lion Shiki once escaped. In later arcs, members of the Blackbeard Pirates, having defied fate itself, were imprisoned there too. Even Shiryu of the Rain, the prison's former head jailer, was kept locked on Level Six.
Magellan knew better than to unleash those beasts. But on the other floors, the slaughter began.
Qin Chuan, now identified as Prisoner Number 55, had been selected for today's duel.
To add twisted entertainment, the jailers provided the chosen fighters with a hearty meal beforehand—to ensure they were in top shape for the carnage.
Looking at the cold, spoiled rice dumped on the floor, Qin Chuan sneered.
"I'd rather starve than eat this trash."
Ten minutes later, the jailer returned.
"Hey, have you eaten yet? You've got thirty minutes left. Get ready."
"It's almost done," Qin Chuan replied coolly as he swallowed a piece of barely edible meat.
Half an hour passed quickly. He had eaten just enough. After all, no warrior enters battle on an empty stomach.
When the time came, two jailers unlocked the cell and dragged him out, fitting him with heavy shackles on his wrists and ankles.
As he walked along the cold stone corridor, the chains clinked against the ground, producing an eerie echo.
Cells lined both sides of the corridor. Behind the bars, countless inmates gathered, eager to witness the bloodbath.
"Hey, you're dead meat. Your opponent's Number 38—he's killed five in a row!" someone shouted gleefully from a nearby cell.
"Shut your mouth or you'll be the one in the ring next!" barked the jailer, silencing the prisoner with a glare.
The inmate fell quiet, but his eyes followed Qin Chuan with a look reserved for the condemned.
Everyone believed he wouldn't live to see another sunrise.
Moments later, Qin Chuan arrived at the temporary arena, a circular ring built in the center of Red Lotus Hell. Around it, jailers gathered like spectators in a coliseum, ready to feast on death.
Above the ring, in the highest seat, stood a short man with a double-horned hat and a trident in hand, his eyes fixed on Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan recognized him instantly—Saru Daisi, head officer of the first floor of Impel Down.
He also commanded the Bruglee, known as the "Blue Gorillas," the elite guards of Red Lotus Hell.
Inside the ring stood another prisoner. Though clad in the same tattered uniform, his towering figure and the gruesome scar across his face gave him a terrifying presence.
As their eyes met, a fierce killing intent surged from his opponent like a wave.
"No wonder he's killed five men. His bloodlust is overwhelming," Qin Chuan murmured.
"Get in," ordered the jailer behind him, shoving Qin Chuan toward the ring.