"Quick! Clear the passage!"
"If that doesn't work, smash it!"
"We must not let any prisoners escape. The Undersea Prison is their final destination!"
The sounds of Marine officers shouting grew louder, accompanied by the rolling of cannon wheels echoing through the ship. The sudden gunfire and blocked corridors had thrown the Marines—especially those on the escort warship—into a state of panic.
Buggy grinned, feeling a rush of excitement he hadn't felt in a long time. The last time was when the hospital was bombed.
He sat on the slippery wooden floor, casually rummaging through the sack Arne had brought back, searching for anything useful.
A paring knife? A kitchen knife?
Why were there kitchen knives here? Buggy paused for a moment, then pressed one against his chest.
Using the powers of the Bara Bara no Mi to conceal objects was incredibly practical.
He could even make himself into a bomb if needed. Well, at least it could be reused.
In the darkness, no one knew who would blink first.
Just as Buggy had said, this was a deadly game of chicken.
Think of a name the other wants to be called.
It was nothing more than who would chicken out first.
What if they didn't surrender?
Inside his cage, Joseph prayed that the hot barrel of a Marine pistol wouldn't be pointed at him. After barely surviving the Marine attack, he would be thrown into the infamous Undersea Prison—nicknamed "Pirate Hell"—he was resigned to a lifetime of torment.
That was the best-case scenario.
Not an ideal outcome... But still, he would live.
Joseph glanced sideways at his cellmates, wondering how many would chicken out first.
Once a few gave in, the pressure on the rest would double.
No one wanted to be the lamb led to slaughter.
Judging from Buggy's ruthless killings, the last few survivors wouldn't have a good fate.
"This kid is more nervous than us," Joseph sneered at his cellmate.
"Catch him if you can," the cellmate growled. His rough face was scarred from countless knife wounds.
Suddenly, he stood, chains clanking as he slammed his tall frame against the iron cage's ceiling—like a giant mixed with a man.
The little giant Habler had a 110 million Berry bounty. Despite his simple, honest appearance, he was cruel and brutal.
Joseph was somewhat impressed.
Rumor said Habler's oppressive rule drove his own crew to mutiny, and they reported his location to the Marines during a break after a raid.
With his vicious temper, Habler would surely mock the fools around him, right?
They were all pirates feared by the Marines—bloodstained men who could silence a crying child in the first half of the Grand Line!
Playing chicken with them?
That was like pretending to be a god before Roger and playing with a knife before Hawkeye Mihawk!
How amusing! Joseph was sure to see the panic on Buggy's face once he lost control.
But his heart still pounded.
Could this wild man with thick hair and big eyes really be that bad?
Suspicion was the biggest trap in this game.
Habler lowered his head and glanced calmly at his cellmate.
"On this train to hell, you're lucky to have a choice," he said softly.
Then he gripped the thick iron bars and shouted, "Captain!"
It was a signal.
At Habler's call, the prisoners quickly made their decisions.
"Damn it, I knew you, the thick-browed one, would be the first to kneel!" Joseph snapped, shouting almost immediately after Habler.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
"...Captain!"
The prisoners shouted in unison, ignoring Joseph's sarcastic tone.
Habler was right—they were doomed to eternal hell, but now at least they had a choice.
"It's Captain Buggy!" Arne's eyes lit up with a fanatic gleam as he corrected them.
"Captain Buggy!"
"Captain Buggy!"
Gunfire echoed from the passage leading to the upper decks.
It seemed the Marines still didn't dare fire cannons inside the lower decks.
A hole in the hull would mean disaster for everyone aboard.
Buggy's lips curled into a satisfied smile. His deadly game of chicken was working perfectly, but time was short.
If he had more time, he would design a more intricate test of human nature.
Like a literary masterpiece, a true work must explore the depths of the human soul.
But for Buggy, nothing was more entertaining than watching someone's tortured face when forced to choose.
It was pure amusement.
He hadn't forgotten what his 'ear' had overheard:
Once they passed through the Gate of Justice, escape would become nearly impossible.
Buggy chuckled darkly. "Alright, alright, my navigator candidate," he said.
"Please release our dear crew members quickly."
"They should be eager to take command of our pirate ship."
"That's good."
Arne nodded quickly. The word "candidate" no longer sounded so harsh coming from this madman.
It wasn't difficult at all.
These cunning pirates only needed a knife or a wrench to pry open their prison doors.
A group of burly prisoners gathered behind Buggy, and in the dim light, it was as if a pair of black wings spread behind him.
"So, Captain, what are your next orders?" Habler asked, shaking off the heavy chains. His eyes flickered with unspoken plans.
Buggy wasn't surprised by their look.
No matter how thick their filter of hot-blooded piracy was, these sea dogs had no sense of loyalty or honor.
Their current compliance was only because Buggy's pressure forced them into it.
But to him, they were merely tools.
"Only if you defeat the enemy will you earn the right to live," Buggy said with a chuckle, his voice low but clear enough to stir the prisoners.
"If you seize this warship, you'll sail the seas again—returning with a presence so terrifying, your enemies will be frozen with fear..."
Strength.
Survival and revenge.
For these pirates, the most primal and direct motivations.
Habler thought of the crewmates who had betrayed him.
His fist clenched tightly.
A dull thud echoed suddenly between the lower deck and the upper levels.
Boom—
The last barrier blocking the lower passage was sliced open by a crescent-shaped blade.