Just as Kaede was racking her brain for a way to slip into Impel Down's sixth floor, a massive shadow suddenly fell over her head—danger radiating from behind.
Her instincts kicked in. She sprang back, widening the gap, spun on her heel to face the enemy head-on, and in the same motion drew Skybreaker, bringing the blade up across her chest.
The moment she finished, the attack slammed down—a heavy iron axe crashing against Skybreaker's edge. Power roared down the blade, making her hands tingle painfully. She nearly lost her grip.
Only then did she see her attacker clearly—the infamous first-floor guard, Blue Gorilla. This beast was strong enough to butcher Sea Kings. No wonder the strike had almost knocked the sword from her hands.
[System]: Congratulations, Host. You have obtained Novice Physique Lv. 9.
The system's chime came a beat late, right as heat surged through Kaede's body. She tightened her grip, realizing her strength had doubled in an instant.
But the joy didn't last. Even after the huge boost, she was still Novice-ranked. The word alone dealt her a critical hit worth ten thousand damage.
"Hrrraaaugh!"Ignoring him had enraged the Blue Gorilla. It charged again with a furious roar.
"If you're that eager to die… I'll oblige."
Tearing Crescent Slash!
A razor-sharp crescent of sword energy exploded from her blade, ripping toward the charging guard.
Blue Gorilla didn't just stand there waiting to die. It swung its massive axe to cleave the attack in two.
"Heh, that kid's finished. Attacking Blue Gorilla? He's about to get chopped into little pieces."
From the nearby cells came the voices of gloating prisoners. They'd been jealous of Kaede since she'd arrived. Now that she was targeted, their jeers were merciless.
What happened next shut them all up.
The instant axe met sword aura, a deep crack split the weapon from edge to haft. A heartbeat later—crack!—the axe shattered completely. The crescent slash didn't slow. It tore through the guard's chest, sending a fountain of scarlet into the air before the massive body toppled with a thud.
Silence.
The first-floor prisoners stared in shock. Blue Gorilla was supposed to be untouchable here—a living wall of muscle and brutality. Yet this young inmate had just one-shot him.
Kaede was just as stunned. She'd only fused Tear with her Half-Moon Slash on a whim, curious what might happen. She hadn't expected this.
"Boss! Please—let me out of here!"
The quick-witted ones started begging immediately. Freedom from this hell was worth any amount of pride.
Kaede only snorted. She'd heard every insult they'd thrown moments ago. Now they wanted her help? Not a chance.
She hefted an unconscious guard over her shoulder and walked away without a word—leaving the howls of the desperate behind.
In a dark corner, she stripped the guard's uniform and slipped it on. Now, moving around would be easier—and she'd avoid constant "Save me!" pleas from random inmates. Less noise, less risk.
She swept the whole first floor, but the haul wasn't great: Beginner Swordsmanship Fundamentals Lv. 7 and Beginner Sword Skill: Cross Slash Lv. 5. The first wasn't even a real skill—just a grasp of sword basics.
Still, considering first-floor prisoners were only worth 10 to 20 million Berries—barely East Blue level—this wasn't bad.
The eerie quiet told her Luffy had probably made it to the second or third floor already. No way it'd be this peaceful otherwise.
"Looks like there's nothing left for me here. Time to head down."
In the anime, Luffy and Buggy had reached the second floor by falling through the central pit of Crimson Hell. The exact location wasn't shown—but Kaede could track it by sound. The screams from those thorn-tortured prisoners were loud enough to guide her.
She'd wandered the whole first floor already. She had a good guess where Crimson Hell lay.
Before long, a blood-red "forest" stretched before her eyes. The air stank of iron.
The "trees" weren't trees at all—every branch a thorned blade that shredded the flesh of all trapped within.
Kaede was glad she'd chosen Geppo earlier. Without it, this would be hell to cross.
Seeing no one nearby, she acted. Her feet tapped the air in rapid succession, launching her skyward on bursts of force.
Air rushed past her. The feeling was… intoxicating. She couldn't even put it into words.
On the ground, some spotted her. The guard uniform threw most off, but not everyone was fooled. There were only so many first-floor guards—and none of them could use Geppo. Even if they could, no one would fly over Crimson Hell without the special armor. And her direction of travel? Right where a prisoner had escaped earlier. Suspicious as hell.
"Hey! You up there! What section are you from? Get down here, now!"
So much for cover. Kaede had already spotted the dark pit in the center—the drop to the second floor. At this range, the guards couldn't touch her.
"Fire!"
Rifles cracked, bullets whistling past—but every shot missed.
"Captain! It's no good—too far!"
The guard captain grimaced. Whoever that was, his squad wasn't equipped to handle them.
"Find out who that is. Why are they in a guard's uniform? Are we dealing with a traitor… or an impostor?"