Chapter Thirty: Raising Chaos in the Hell of Magical Beasts! [Second Update]

A blood-red bird appeared in the sky above the Crimson Lotus Hell, immediately attracting the attention of everyone present. Countless pirates looked up in astonishment at the scarlet bird, incredulous that anyone could possibly escape from this abyssal prison.

“Control room! We’ve caught sight of the Ghost Hunter Monkey D. Shu Mingyuan. Requesting permission to open fire!”

“Bring down that bird—let’s see how he keeps flying then!”

Hidden cannons and guns around the Crimson Lotus Hell unleashed a barrage; bullets filled the sky, raining down like a storm.

Standing atop the bird’s back, Shu Mingyuan clenched his palm. The ten-meter-long Millennium Spear flashed with dazzling electricity as he swept it through the air. Under countless watchful eyes, all incoming shells and bullets vanished before his power.

This man faced gunfire with such calm, his strength seemed almost excessive.

Shu Mingyuan advanced like a hot knife through butter—no stray bullet could touch him. Riding the blood-colored bird, he carved a crimson streak through the air, plunging down the deep escape route in an instant.

“Control room, latest report: Ghost Hunter Monkey D. Shu Mingyuan has broken through the blockade and is headed to the second basement floor via the escape passage. Damn it, how could such a powerful pirate have been kept on the first floor above the sea?”

The first basement of Impel Down was known as Crimson Lotus Hell; the second basement was called Beast Hell. Here, all manner of powerful beasts from the demon world were kept—massive in size, bizarre in appearance, but undeniably terrifying in strength. Any unruly pirates in the prison could be fed to them as punishment.

The blood-red bird had just burst from the escape passage when a terrifying shadow descended—a huge bird’s maw snapped shut, swallowing the scarlet bird whole. Shu Mingyuan sprang up, and upon seeing the creature clearly, his arm instantly enlarged and he slammed a fist toward it.

The monstrous beast had the body of a rooster and the neck of a snake, exuding a fierce aura.

Shu Mingyuan recalled the image of a Cockatrice in his mind. Yet, despite its reputation as a magical beast, his punch smashed its enormous body, destroying many cells along the way.

One blow to dispatch a magical beast. Shu Mingyuan surveyed his surroundings: the overall structure resembled the first floor, but the space was vastly larger—clearly designed to let these huge beasts roam freely.

His actions quickly attracted the attention of other magical beasts. Sure enough, within seconds, countless man-faced man-eating lions appeared in his field of vision.

“Manticore!”

Shu Mingyuan’s gaze sharpened. Being chased by a pack of beasts was not his intention.

“Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique!”

His fingers shifted—hands forming the seals for the Grand Fireball: Snake–Goat–Monkey–Boar–Horse–Tiger. In less than half a second, six hand signs were completed. A torrent of flame erupted from Shu Mingyuan’s mouth, instantly swelling into a fireball that filled the passage, rolling forward to crush all in its path.

A scorching heat rose, and inside the flames echoed shrill screams. These beasts were, after all, wild creatures; their fur was the perfect fuel, and the smell of scorched flesh permeated the air.

Roar!

After the agonized howls came furious snarls. From the fiery inferno, burning figures suddenly leaped forth, their bodies ablaze, fierce and savage, making their presence even more terrifying.

“It seems the Grand Fireball alone can’t stop you.”

Muttering to himself, Shu Mingyuan spread his legs, sank his waist, and let chakra surge wildly into his arms. In the eyes of the man-eating lions, the diminutive human’s arms suddenly grew enormous.

“Partial Expansion Jutsu: Super Push!”

A deep growl rumbled from Shu Mingyuan’s throat. Chakra-enlarged hands slammed forward, unleashing powerful wind pressure and force, swatting the foremost manticores aside. The whole pride scattered, unable to withstand his overwhelming strength.

“Out of my way!”

Shu Mingyuan withdrew his hands and stood tall, raising his head to glare at the few remaining weak lions. His explosive shout nearly shattered their courage; after whimpering, the manticores retreated.

Apart from the imprisoned criminals, Beast Hell held only these magical monsters—but none were Shu Mingyuan’s match. The scenes here were relayed by surveillance Den Den Mushi back to the control room; the bare-chested man’s image left a demonic impression in their minds.

Lightning abilities, fire powers, the capacity to enlarge his body at will, even the ability to paint things into existence—so many astonishing powers resided in this man, leaving everyone in shock.

They couldn’t imagine what kind of Devil Fruit could grant multiple abilities simultaneously. Such a phenomenon was unheard of, unseen—a tale fit for legends.

Nearly all the magical beasts of the second basement had been defeated; only the floor’s guardian, Sphinx, remained. Most of the prison staff hoped the leader of the beasts might subdue him.

Although Shu Mingyuan defeated the beasts, the guards found some comfort in the fact he hadn’t used his powers to release the prisoners of the second basement. Instead, when a convict pleaded for help, he ruthlessly killed them—just as he had on the first floor above the sea.

What was his aim?

He had gone to great lengths from the upper floor to the second basement—what was his purpose?

If he meant to escape, he should have freed all the prisoners, causing chaos and increasing his chances of breaking out.

But he did not do this; instead, he kept killing, targeting pirates with notably high bounties. According to records, he began his escape attempt within minutes of being imprisoned, as if it had all been planned. Judging by his movements, he seemed intent on descending even deeper.

If he had willingly allowed himself to be captured, what could be drawing him here, risking his life to reach this place?

Could it be...

His goal was to release those pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million—the ones known as the most evil?

With this thought, the guards in the control room broke out in cold sweat and hastily reported the situation elsewhere.

Shu Mingyuan wandered at his leisure, occasionally unleashing a Chidori Spear to dispatch pirates he deemed valuable. After a few minutes, he finally found the staircase to the third basement, guarded by a colossal lion—far larger than the manticores before.

“Sphinx!”

ps: [Thanks to Xi Du, Wei Liang, Uzumaki Naruto for the recommendation votes, and Yaya for rewarding 100 book coins! Mengmeng continues to ask for collections, rewards, and recommendations!]