Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ninja Art! Super Beast Imitation [First Update]

After slaughtering over a hundred notorious pirates in the first floor prison of the sea fortress, Shu Mingyuan found himself utterly bored. Even if he continued until every pirate on that level was dead, there wouldn’t be many justice points to gain. Moreover, the more he killed, the more likely the guards would notice him. He hadn’t forgotten how Shiryu of the Rain, in the original story, was imprisoned in the sixth basement level for his bloodthirsty habit of indiscriminate killing.

Shu Mingyuan had come to Impel Down not only to collect justice points, but more importantly, to learn Haki and the Six Powers of the Navy. This place was filled with pirates from the New World, including many legendary figures, all of whom possessed unique skills. Surely, there was much to gain from them.

Yet, after barely ten minutes, Shu Mingyuan was discovered—not by the surveillance Den Den Mushi on the walls, but by the pirates imprisoned alongside him, who secretly reported him. The sudden appearance of a powerful, ruthless killer capable of moving freely through the prison had terrified many pirates. They never knew when the man with the mysterious lightning spear would suddenly appear and strike them down.

Fearing for their lives, the pirates banded together and reported Shu Mingyuan.

...

“How the hell did they find me?” Shu Mingyuan muttered to himself. He was certain he hadn’t been caught by any surveillance Den Den Mushi, but never imagined that his fellow pirates would betray him.

With his Chidori Sharp Spear piercing yet another Blue Gorilla’s heart, four or five corpses lay sprawled at his feet. For others, these Blue Gorillas were boss-level threats, but Shu Mingyuan dispatched them with ease. The Chidori Sharp Spear was an exceptionally handy ninjutsu, with high damage and wide attack range. His current chakra reserves were more than sufficient to wield it freely.

Against the power of an A-rank ninjutsu, only those with bounties nearing a hundred million or possessing their own special techniques could hope to withstand it; ordinary pirates stood no chance.

All the Blue Gorillas on the first floor began to move. Now, Shu Mingyuan no longer cared about being discovered—his jailbreak was a foregone conclusion. In the prison, his presence grew more formidable by the moment.

He ignored the pirates on the first floor, his mind focused solely on reaching the fifth basement level as quickly as possible. Evading the pursuing Blue Gorillas, he relied on his memory to smash through a wall with a single punch. Below, he saw the endless blood-red forest and felt a surge of delight.

“The first basement—Crimson Lotus Hell is indeed here.”

He glanced back at the pursuing Blue Gorillas, a smile curling at his lips. With his back to the Crimson Lotus Hell below, he let himself fall.

...

The scene was transmitted in its entirety to the guard room via the surveillance Den Den Mushi. The guards hadn’t expected that Shu Mingyuan, the notorious villain from East Blue, would break out of prison barely ten minutes after being locked up, causing a massacre within the facility. If not for the pirates’ report, they might not have noticed at all.

Yet, as the series of pursuits unfolded, Shu Mingyuan proved far more troublesome than anticipated. All the Blue Gorillas sent after him were easily slain. This man’s abilities were truly terrifying.

With that lightning-wreathed spear, he couldn’t be effectively countered by the defenses of the first floor. They had expected capturing him to require extensive effort, but now, seeing Shu Mingyuan plunge into Crimson Lotus Hell, the guards collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

From the first floor to the first basement—Crimson Lotus Hell—the drop was several hundred meters. Below lay the Crimson Lotus Hell, filled with blade-sharp Sword Trees and needle-like Grass Spears capable of piercing flesh with ease.

Anyone falling from this height—mere mortals—would surely die!

Thus, there was no need to pursue the escaped convict further; they only needed confirmation of Shu Mingyuan’s death.

With a smile tugging at his lips, Shu Mingyuan rotated his suspended body, stripped off his shirt, tore it open and spread it flat. He bit his finger, sending chakra surging through his body, his fingers moving like phantoms as he sketched on the prison uniform.

In moments, a lifelike giant bird materialized beneath his fingers—a speed almost beyond comprehension.

“Ninja Art! Super Beast Imitation!”

Shu Mingyuan formed rapid hand seals. With a resounding cry, a blood-red giant bird tore itself free from his prison uniform, spread its wings, soared through the air, and caught his falling body.

“What... what kind of ability is this...?”

The guards, who had just thought Shu Mingyuan’s leap from the first floor to the basement was suicide, stared in stunned disbelief at the images. The man had stripped off his shirt, waved his arms casually, and conjured a giant bird out of thin air to carry him aloft. Was this another power of his Devil Fruit? But his abilities were supposed to be lightning-based!

...

Faced with Shu Mingyuan’s bewildering array of abilities, the guards were already at a loss, but now, with the escaped convict still alive, they couldn’t ignore him. At any time, a powerful Devil Fruit user with unique abilities breaking out of Impel Down was a major event. And it was clear that this man was much more than he appeared.

They recalled the jailbreak twenty years ago that shocked the world—a fortress said to be impenetrable was treated as a joke by a legendary figure. That incident not only disgraced Impel Down, but made it a laughingstock to the world. Ever since, the deep-sea prison had become stricter than ever in preventing similar escapes.

Under such strict supervision, twenty years had passed without a single successful jailbreak. No matter how defiant the pirates, all who entered were imprisoned for life.

To prevent another incident like that caused by the Golden Lion, this man had to be suppressed!

The first floor guard room quickly made several calls, reporting that the East Blue’s most notorious villain, Mengqi D. Shu Mingyuan, had successfully escaped and fled into Crimson Lotus Hell, requesting reinforcements to capture him.

Dead or alive!

Seated atop the blood-red bird, Shu Mingyuan wiped the cold sweat from his brow. This method of escape had been carefully planned. The Super Beast Imitation, a B-rank ninjutsu, was exchanged in the system for 8,000 justice points after he mastered Chidori Sharp Spear.

This ability, reminiscent of the legendary brush of Ma Liang, had long been coveted in his previous life. Although its offensive power was not great, it excelled in reconnaissance and intelligence. In this world dominated by the sea, possessing aerial superiority was an unparalleled advantage.

He patted the bird beneath him, and with a thunderous crane’s cry, flew toward the central escape passage of Crimson Lotus Hell.

That was the entrance to the second basement level!

ps: [Thanks to the support of Fire Hidden Ninja, xm, and Sword Traveler for their recommendation votes! Thank you all! Dear readers, keep the collections and votes coming~ There will be one or two more chapters this afternoon, depending on your enthusiasm!]