Chapter 27: A Hot Shower in Prison [Second Update]

Creak… The iron grating at the entrance of Impel Down descended, and as Shu Mingyuan stepped inside, countless wailing voices echoed through the cold, shadowy prison.

“Is anyone there?”

“Save me… I don’t want to die here…”

“Let me out!”

“Kill me… Stop torturing me… Please, just kill me…”

So this was Impel Down—truly a terrifying place. Shu Mingyuan exhaled deeply, but felt not the slightest trace of fear. Ordinary Devil Fruit users would lose all their powers here, but his ninjutsu was unaffected, more than enough to protect himself.

Of the pirates imprisoned alongside him, only Buggy managed a semblance of composure. The rest trembled uncontrollably at the thought of being locked away in this hell, likely to be tormented to death, unable to rein in their terror.

“No… I can’t be locked up here. I want out,” one pirate stammered. Suddenly, a shadow flickered out of nowhere; a glint flashed in its hand, and the noisy pirate was split in two, meeting a gruesome end. Witnessing this horror, the rest of the pirates instantly fell silent as mice.

This place was hell itself! The people here were executioners—devils!

Shu Mingyuan had seen that fleeting shadow clearly: blue fur covered its powerful frame, its movements agile, a double-bladed giant axe in hand. It was the Blue Gorilla, the absolute overlord of Impel Down’s first floor, a creature that fed on sea kings.

“Evil pirates, move along. Before you’re locked up, you’ll undergo a purification bath. Cowards, try not to wet yourselves from fear! Gya ha ha ha!”

A shiver ran through the pirates. Clearly, this so-called purification would be anything but simple.

They were led to a dimly lit hall lined with cells. In the center, a massive iron cauldron boiled with seawater. They watched as newly arrived prisoners were stripped naked and shoved into the scalding vat; screams of agony soon echoed throughout the prison.

After a series of supposed sterilization procedures, the victims were fished out of the cauldron, their bodies covered in blisters, flesh cooked through in places. When the scraping machine passed over them, strips of flesh sloughed off, exposing pale, ghastly bone. The prisoner’s breath was weak, clearly hanging by a thread.

“This is the purification bath?” a pirate stammered in terror. Who could survive such treatment? And this was merely the warm water baptism at the entrance—who knew what horrors awaited within?

But the prison guards cared nothing for their protests. Forcibly stripping them, they shoved each one into the boiling vat, the air filled with relentless screams.

Shu Mingyuan’s turn came. A guard glanced at the seastone cuffs on his wrists and sneered, “Hey, another Devil Fruit user. Let’s see how long you last in here.”

Shu Mingyuan cast him a sidelong glance, mocking, “Idiot, fetch a cleaner pot of water. I could use a good bath.”

“You little brat, what did you say? You dare insult me? I’ll smash your skull in!” The guard raised his iron club and swung it down at Shu Mingyuan’s head. Shu Mingyuan sidestepped, letting the club whistle past his face. He closed in, driving his shoulder hard into the guard’s chest, sending him flying over ten meters, several ribs snapping audibly.

“Bold, causing trouble in Impel Down. Not afraid I’ll kill you on the spot?” More guards converged, glaring at Shu Mingyuan with gritted teeth.

The commotion caught the other pirates’ attention. When they saw who was responsible, they gasped. “No wonder he’s called the most notorious villain of the East Blue. Even here, shackled with seastone, he remains defiant.”

“Why don’t you all come try your luck?” Shu Mingyuan stood by the cauldron, unruffled, ignoring the guards’ threats.

“Who are you, brat?” One of the more knowledgeable guards realized they were facing a real menace—after all, which Devil Fruit user wasn’t dangerous?

“Monkey D. Shu Mingyuan,” he replied coolly.

The head guard rifled through the dossiers for the new prisoners, finally fishing out a wanted poster for the man before him. He glanced at it, eyebrows arching, a cold smile on his lips. “So, it’s the most wanted man in the East Blue. Well, you’d better get used to spending the rest of your life here.”

“If you want me in your prison, you’d better fetch some clean hot water so I can bathe first,” Shu Mingyuan replied without even opening his eyes.

“A rookie who’s never even set foot on the Grand Line, with a measly fifty million bounty, reigning over the weakest sea—that’s your courage? You think you can act tough here? You have no idea. Even pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions have come in more arrogant than you, but ended up utterly broken. Still, since you were once a kingpin, I’ll let you have a fresh batch of hot water. Let’s see how long you last in hell’s cauldron!”

They led Shu Mingyuan to another pot, filled it with clean water, and waited for it to boil. He stretched out his hand, radiating an overwhelming aura. “Anyone going to undress me? I don’t like bathing with my clothes on.”

The guards seethed—this man was brazen even on the brink of death. Where did he get such nerve? One guard slashed at his clothes with a knife, leaving only a pair of shorts. Shu Mingyuan laughed, then leapt into the boiling cauldron.

The scalding water engulfed him, but the expected screams never came. Instead, after several seconds, Shu Mingyuan surfaced, shouting in delight.

Over the past month, Shu Mingyuan hadn’t wasted a single moment, pushing himself through all manner of physical training. His combat skills had surpassed five hundred, higher even than his ninjutsu. At such a level, his body didn’t register the heat—in fact, the water felt almost cool.

Everyone present, guards and pirates alike, stared in disbelief. Was this man a monster? How could he find such boiling water comfortable?

“He’s faking it! He must be faking! No one could be immune to boiling water!” they all thought.

“Hey,” Shu Mingyuan turned to the head guard, his tone indifferent. “The water’s a bit tepid. Turn up the heat, and get someone to scrub my back. It’s been ages since I’ve had such a comfortable hot bath.”