…
Seastone bullets and Seastone prison nets were designed to suppress Devil Fruit users by disabling their abilities and causing them physical harm.
In theory, they were the ideal weapon for non-powered individuals to control even the most dangerous users of Devil Fruit abilities.
But this was Impel Down, the World Government's most secure prison.
Here, they didn't play with tactics. They relied on sheer volume.
"HAHAHA!!!"
"If you dare to strike at me…"
'Then all of you can stay here forever!'
Rokuya licked his lips and sneered.
The heavy barrage earlier? Annoying, but harmless.
He had over a million lives stored in his River of Death. One round of fire wasn't going to change anything.
And if nothing else, this was proof of that.
Proof that his powers had fully taken root.
His long, blood-red cloak shimmered into existence once more.
Before the stunned eyes of the guards, Rokuya stood tall and unharmed — unchanged by their futile efforts.
Fear rippled through the ranks.
They had already used everything they had: Seastone bullets, prison nets, and their most powerful counters.
And it had done nothing.
They were frozen in place, their confidence shattered.
But Rokuya wasn't going to let them off the hook that easily.
They had made their choice — now they would face the consequences.
"Now..."
Let the banquet begin.
"Enjoy it while it lasts."
He raised one hand.
WHOOSH!
A thick black mist exploded outwards, flooding the corridor with swirling darkness.
Then came the screeching — high-pitched, sharp and unnerving.
Waves of shadowy bats, cloaked in black fog, burst out of the smoke like bullets from a chamber.
The air itself vibrated. The bats' sonic screeches exceeded 10,000 Hz, slicing into the guards' ears like knives.
The front line collapsed almost instantly — guards dropped to their knees, clutching their heads and screaming in agony.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The bats descended like predators in the dark, their eyes glowing and their fangs bared.
They swarmed over the helpless guards, tearing into them with inhuman speed and accuracy.
The corridor became a slaughterhouse.
The guards had no chance — the bats were too fast, too small and too numerous.
They couldn't tell where the next attack would come from.
Within moments, the passageway between Levels 2 and 1 had transformed into a literal hellscape.
Screams. Screeches. Blood.
One by one, the guards were ripped apart, drained and consumed.
Only Deputy Warden Hannyabal and a few remaining beast guards were still standing, and only just.
Meanwhile, Rokuya stood tall, unmoved and unharmed.
At his feet, blood flowed freely.
Streams of red gathered beneath him as if the entire prison were bleeding towards his feet.
He was drinking it in, feeding on it.
DING!
Congratulations, Host. River of Death life count +1…
DING! Life count +1...
DING! Life count +1...
The voice echoed in his mind over and over again.
These bats were his summoned avatars. Their kills were his kills.
He didn't even need to move; his health bar just kept rising.
This was Rokuya now: standing still and harvesting lives.
The swarm faded.
The ordinary guards had been slain by the bats.
Only Hannyabal and a few monstrous jailer-beasts remained.
Rokuya stepped forward.
'This farce is over.'
His voice was quiet, but final.
Hannyabal lay on the floor, gasping for breath, his entire body covered in wounds.
And yet...
"Huff… Huff…"
"I won't let you pass."
His blood-soaked face twisted into a grimace, half in pain and half in fury.
'I can't let anyone escape.'
If you do, innocent people will live in fear of losing their loved ones.
"I swore to protect those people."
'To lock away scum like you!'
"This place is the final bastion of hell."
'If we fall, the world will drown in terror!'
He screamed like a madman, his eyes blazing even as his body broke down.
Rokuya looked at him as though he were a fool.
'How naïve…'
'If you knew the truth about God Valley, or how the Kingdom of Atlanta was wiped out…'
You wouldn't speak of justice so blindly.'
The truth was well hidden:
The Celestial Dragons' genocidal 'hunting games'... their plundering of non-affiliated nations...
It was all covered up so well that the world never questioned it.
Every report. Every broadcast. Controlled.
'Blazing Hell Chariot!'
Hannyabal roared as he spun his massive naginata.
The blade ignited with flames and turned into a fiery whirlwind as he charged forward.
Despite his injuries, he attacked.
'Your choice.'
Rokuya snapped his fingers.
The bats surged back, forming a spiralling shield of wings and fangs that spun like a vortex.
They encircled Hannyabal, trapping him inside a storm of darkness.
He couldn't advance. He couldn't retreat.
Rokuya raised his gun to finish him off.
But just as he was about to pull the trigger—
— a massive, venomous purple serpent tore through the air.
It swallowed the entire swarm of bats in one gulp.
SLURP!
"Oi, oi, oi, oi!"
"Rokuya!"
A loud, smug, amused voice called out.
'Don't kill the guy who's supposed to inherit my job!'
They hadn't seen the person yet.
But his voice had arrived.
And it sounded dangerous.