The aftermath of Number 38's corpse still lingered like a stain across the blood-soaked arena floor.
Shun Kaien stood in the silence that followed his victory, the oppressive weight of the entire level pressing down on him. The prisoners in the surrounding cells, the wardens, even the Blue Gorillas—they all stared. Not in respect. Not yet.But in fear.
He had upset the delicate, brutal balance of Level 1.
And now, the system reminded him in its cold, indifferent tone:
System Notification:Target eliminated: Number 38.Reputation Points gained: 500.Total Reputation Points: 500.
Shun barely glanced at the number.It wasn't enough.Not nearly.
He could waste days in these deathmatches, clawing scraps at a time...Or he could escalate.
He turned his gaze upward, toward the VIP platform where Saldeath still stood.
The dwarf-like head of the guards sneered down at him, his toy trident twirling idly.A facade.
Shun could already see it—the crack in his bravado.Saldeath was no fool.He understood what Shun had just done.And more importantly, what it meant.
A prisoner who upset the balance couldn't be tolerated.Not in Impel Down.Not anywhere.
Saldeath jumped down from the platform with surprising agility, landing heavily beside the fallen corpse of Number 38.
He didn't even glance at the dead man.Instead, his cold eyes locked onto Shun.
"No more games, pirate," Saldeath spat, spinning his trident to a combat stance."You've outlived your usefulness here. Whether you fight back or not—you die today."
The wardens stirred, tightening their grip on their weapons.Shun could almost taste the tension rippling through them.
They were used to prisoners dying quietly.Not openly challenging the command structure.
But Shun wasn't a normal prisoner anymore.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Good," Shun said, his voice calm, devoid of bluster."Let's skip the theater."
Saldeath's face darkened."You really think your little trick back there scares me?"
Shun didn't answer.He didn't need to.
He flicked a thought toward the system.
System Notification:Synchronizing with Might Guy.Possession Tokens Remaining: 9.Duration Remaining: 1 Hour.
The heat returned, flooding his limbs.His muscles tightened, his senses sharpened.The familiar surge of discipline, precision, power.
Saldeath lunged forward, his trident aiming straight for Shun's heart.His speed wasn't impressive—by shinobi standards—but it was lethal enough for this world.
Shun sidestepped, his body vanishing in a blur.
Leaf Flicker Technique.
When he reappeared behind Saldeath, the dwarf's face twisted in confusion, realizing too late that his strike had only pierced empty air.
Shun's foot rose smoothly, silently.He didn't announce his technique.There was no need.
Dynamic Entry.
The impact reverberated through Saldeath's face with a sickening crunch.
The warden flew backward like a rag doll, crashing into the far wall.Blood splattered. Bones cracked.The force drove the breath from the guards watching.
Shun exhaled slowly, lowering his leg.
Saldeath didn't get up.
He wouldn't.
For a long, heavy second, no one moved.
Then, the prisoners erupted into howls of laughter and roars of rebellion.The man who had tormented them day after day now lay broken on the cold stone floor.
But Shun ignored the noise.His gaze remained fixed on the guards.
They stumbled back, shaken.
"Inform Sadi," one of them barked, his voice trembling."Alert all units. Get her down here—now!"
The guards scrambled.
Shun made no move to stop them.
He knew the whole prison was already watching.The surveillance Den Den Mushi would have captured everything.He wasn't hiding anymore.He was declaring war.
System Notification:Target eliminated: Saldeath.Reputation Points gained: 5,000.Total Reputation Points: 5,500.
Shun's lips curled, just slightly.
Better.
But still a long way to go.
The guards surrounding the arena leveled their rifles at him.
"Open fire!" one shouted.
Bullets tore through the air.
Shun's body blurred again, slipping through the barrage with ease.
Leaf Flicker Technique.
In the blink of an eye, he was among them.
His fists moved like steel hammers, breaking bones and crushing ribs with every blow.
They dropped like insects.
Within seconds, the line of guards was reduced to moaning bodies sprawled across the cold floor.
Shun didn't gloat.He didn't posture.
He turned, surveying the chaos he'd unleashed.
The prisoners rattled their cells, chanting, screaming.
"Free us!""Let us out, brother!""Kill the wardens!"
Shun looked at the locks, then at the Den Den Mushi mounted on the wall.
He smiled coldly.
He would let them out.But not for some noble cause.
He would use them.They would be the fire he'd light to burn this level down.
He stepped toward the first set of bars, gripping the hinges.
With Might Guy's strength flowing through his limbs, the metal groaned, twisted, and snapped.
The prisoners spilled out, a mob of snarling, frenzied men starved for blood and chaos.
Shun said nothing.
He didn't need speeches.
He let the riot spread like wildfire.
One layer at a time.That's how you tear down a fortress.From within.
And this was only the beginning.