Whether by coincidence or deliberate design, I couldn't tell, but our cell, the one housing the three of us, never received any new inmates even after a good while had passed.
Life continued with just me, Beauty, and Blume. Getting tortured, resting, griping to each other, chatting. The same cycle, day after day.
The environment here was still miserably dry and hot, as brutal as ever, but mentally I was in a much better place, and that alone had been enough to get me through so far.
My concern about losing too much weight from malnutrition, well, I did feel like my weight was dropping little by little, but surprisingly, my body was holding up without much visible change.
I'd worried that my "Superhuman" constitution and all that entailed would demand extra energy as my body changed, and that I might actually die of malnutrition as a result. But there was no sign of that happening either.
If anything, it was almost like what I'd said early on, what I'd "hoped" would happen. My body seemed to be maintaining its functions on minimal food and nutrition, running in some kind of energy-saving mode.
What did that mean? Was this latest "growth" oriented in that direction? Or was it because I'd "hoped" for it, and my body responded to that wish? Or maybe my body simply realized it was a matter of life and death and adapted on its own?
No amount of thinking would give me an answer, but either way, it was convenient.
I wasn't breaking down, wasn't losing dangerous amounts of weight, and could endure for now. That was enough.
And then there was one more thing. That man who watched us almost around the clock, sending those slimy, clinging gazes our way. Kisack.
He got dragged off for his own torture sessions sometimes, and he did seem to sleep at night, so it wasn't literally constant, but still. His eyes were always on us.
The fact that he never did anything beyond staring, never even spoke to us, that hadn't changed either. Setting aside how creepy it felt, one could argue he wasn't actually causing any harm. At least, not yet.
But I'd seen it multiple times: the front of his prison-issue trousers unmistakably deformed, pitching a tent. So it was certain that his head was swirling with exactly those kinds of fantasies and desires.
Because of that, the wariness I felt toward him, and the revulsion, even with the iron bars of our respective cells between us, would probably never go away.
All three of us shared that understanding.
And on another note, there had been a change in the content of our torture sessions.
As if it weren't bad enough that we were already stuck in this blistering environment, gasping and suffering, a new pattern had emerged. Not every time, but sometimes we were taken somewhere even hotter.
***
[Third-person perspective]
"GYAAAAAAHHHH!"
"Hot... it's so hoooot...!"
"Stop, please... somebody help meee..."
"Dammit... I can't breathe, my insides are burning...!?"
Level 4: Blazing Hell.
The entire floor was one massive Iron Cauldron, radiating heat that dwarfed even Level 3's oppressive temperatures. Simply sitting still inside a cell here was agony.
The sensation of lungs being seared made even breathing a struggle, and on top of that, every conceivable form of heat-based torment was inflicted upon the prisoners.
Some had white-hot iron rods pressed against their flesh.
Some were suspended over open flames, unable to move as fire licked at them from below.
Some were hurled into the boiling Blood Pond and sank beneath its surface.
Some were blasted with scorching steam erupting from below.
On top of all this, hauling the firewood constantly fed into the flames to maintain this hellish environment was itself a form of torture disguised as prisoner labor.
Worse still, depending on where you were, the iron or Seastone shackles on your wrists absorbed the ambient heat and became instruments of pain in their own right.
Screams and shrieks echoed through the space. Everyone said the same thing: just being here was worse than death. A floor that truly earned the name "Hell."
Into this floor, partly on a patrol to intimidate the prisoners with his presence, Chief Warden Magellan had come to inspect conditions.
Specifically, to personally observe the current state of certain prisoners who, for particular reasons, required special attention among the current inmate population.
"This the place? How are things, Hannyabal?"
"Sir! Please hurry up and vacate the Chief Warden's sea... ah, I misspoke, sorry about that. Good work today, Chief Warden! Everything is proceeding smoothly with no trouble whatsoevmash!"
"That's terrible, even for you. How do you even manage that kind of slip? Haah, never mind. Those three over there, correct?"
"Ah, yes sir. They are currently in the middle of a scorching torture session, it seemash."
Looking up from where Hannyabal, Magellan, and Vice Warden Domino, who had accompanied Magellan, stood, they could see a massive wire-mesh structure suspended in the air with prisoners placed on top of it.
Though called a "mesh," the gaps were large and varied in size depending on location.
The overall shape was a large rectangle, more like a hammock really. Toward the edges, the gaps grew wider; toward the center, they became smaller and tighter.
Even where the gaps were smallest, they were still large enough for one person to barely squeeze through. Where they were largest, several full-grown men could easily slip right through.
In other words, while the difficulty of "falling" varied by location, whether standing or sitting, if you didn't hold on to the mesh properly, your feet could slip through the gaps and you'd plummet.
Below lay the boiling Blood Pond, and falling meant an even harsher hell, one that could easily cost you your life.
The heat and steam rising from below tormented the prisoners on the mesh, while the sweat pouring off their bodies made their hands and feet slippery, turning the simple act of holding on into a near-impossible task.
On top of all that, the mesh itself was thoroughly heated, adding yet another layer of suffering.
Prisoners scrambled toward the center where the gaps were tightest, desperate to reduce their chances of falling. They shoved, pushed, and fought over spots, refusing to yield an inch. One after another, prisoners lost the territorial battle and plunged downward, screams trailing behind them.
But among them were some who took the opposite approach. Exploiting the fact that most prisoners were rushing to the center, they positioned themselves near the edges where the gaps were wider, and by holding on firmly, managed to avoid the chaos despite the greater danger.
Sue, Blume, and Beauty were among those three today.
And they were precisely the three that Magellan's group had come to inspect.
Though these were facts already known from documents, Domino flipped through her files and read aloud each prisoner's profile, including their charges.
"Prisoner Number D0472. Venerdi Toto Sue. Known as the 'Pirate Literary Master.' A Paramecia Paper-Paper Fruit Paper Human. Originally a Bounty Hunter, she became wanted after engaging in Underworld transactions in fields prohibited by the Government. As a writer, she has published numerous works through both legitimate and underground channels. With fans worldwide and considerable influence over them, the Government has flagged her as an 'Instigator,' an influencer whose very existence is considered a threat."
"Prisoner Number D0400. Valerie Blume. Known as the 'Ghost of the Foggy Sea.' A Logia Mist-Mist Fruit Mist Human. Originally a member of a minor Pirate Crew, she betrayed them at some point, killing the Captain and most of the other sailors before fleeing. Using her Powers, she would shroud her base in mist and ambush passing Merchant Ships and Pirate Ships."
"Prisoner Number C9939. Frozen Beauty. Known as the 'Chef of the Winter Sky.' She is not an Ability User. Originally active as the head of a small-scale gang organization in a Non-Affiliated Nation, she eventually took to the sea and became an Underworld broker who also dabbled in human trafficking. She was designated a Pirate and placed on the wanted list after targeting an Affiliated Nation's Merchant Ships, and was subsequently arrested. A dangerous individual possessing high leadership ability, organizational management skills, and the capacity to manipulate people."
"They're all quite fearsome, given how attractive they are... beautiful, but still."
"Don't let appearances fool you. As long as they're in here, they're no different from any other inmate. Just prisoners. Though, that does partly depend on how those three respond to what comes next."
"Yes. All three are candidates for a certain plan currently under consideration by the Government and the Marines. The 'Pirate Literary Master' in particular has already been classified as an extremely high-priority prisoner, and direct recruitment efforts have been made. Her answer, however, remains unfavorable."
"Still won't nod her head, eh? Stubborn woman. If she'd just agree, she could be freed from this hell immediately."
"Sadi-chan... the Chief Jailer says she's happier this way, since it's more fun for her."
"Good grief... well, as long as she's doing her job properly, I don't care. But Domino, keep a close eye on Shiryu above all else. His tyrannical behavior has been getting worse than ever lately. Make sure those three don't become his targets. They may be prisoners, but they're high-priority ones."
"Yes sir, understood."
As Magellan's group exchanged these words, in their line of sight, Sue and the others had avoided the territorial melee by staying near the edge of the mesh. They'd positioned themselves at the cross-shaped junctions where cords intersected, securing what little stability they could as they sat.
In that state, they continued to endure, sweat streaming down their bodies, as searing steam blasted up from below.
***
"It's hooot..."
"Saying it's hot just makes it feel hotter. Shut up and tough it out, Blume. Complaining ain't gonna change a damn thing."
"Wow, pure willpower talk... but honestly, Beauty's right. There's nothing to do but tough it out till it's over. Ugh, all my precious moisture is just pouring out of me..."
"If yer gonna make us sit in a sauna, at least give us somethin' to drink... I'm gettin' tempted to drink from the Blood Pond at this point."
"I wouldn't recommend that. That mystery liquid is more like oil than water. Plus they never change it out, so prisoners' blood and sweat and everything else is mixed right in."
"Ugh, absolutely do not want to fall in there. It'd be agonizing, sure, but you'd probably catch some disease too. And now that you mention it, this steam does have a weird smell..."
"Yeah? I don't smell anything."
"Most people don't have the luxury of sniffing around when it's this hot. I can't... I'm done, I've hit my limit."
Mid-conversation, Blume suddenly said that.
Then she began removing her clothes without preamble and was completely naked before anyone could react.
Though her frame was childlike, her fair, beautiful skin was exposed from head to toe, marred here and there by what appeared to be marks from torture.
"Wha, Blume!? What are you doing!?"
"I can't take the heat anymore... the sweat's all sticky and gross... this is a tiny bit better."
"I mean, even so, you can't just... people can see us from all around, and there are male prisoners and guards..."
"Whoa!? That female prisoner just stripped!?"
"Is that the Public Spectacle punishment? No wait, in that spot... isn't that the 'Hell Sauna'?"
"She's got a kiddie body and flat as a board, but the face is cute... heh heh."
"Dammit, the steam's blocking the view of her face and body... hey, Guard! Put out the fire! Or at least put a lid on the Blood Pond!"
Sure enough, the surrounding prisoners, though the nearest cells were a fair distance from where Sue's group was in the torture grounds, started making a commotion.
Blume, however, paid them no mind whatsoever, letting out a satisfied sigh as if to say she felt a bit better.
She had at least draped her discarded clothes over the area where her legs met her torso to cover herself, but everything else was fully visible. And from below, even that covered area would be in plain sight, meaning the guards and jailers working on the lower passages had a completely unobstructed view.
"If anyone wants to look at this flat, pathetic little body, go right ahead. They'll either get their brains boiled or forget all about it during the next torture session anyway. Ahh, still hot though."
Blume said this with a scoff, even snorting through her nose.
Hearing that, Beauty, right beside her, said:
"...Yeah, fair point. It's not like looking costs us anything..."
She started stripping too. Same as Blume, her body was revealed, and unlike Blume's, it was voluptuous and womanly in its curves.
She similarly covered her groin with her clothes and quickly wrapped her discarded pants around her chest. Given the sheer size, the wrapping barely covered anything beyond the tips.
"Wait, Beauty too...?"
"Phew... ahh, that feels nice. Makes a real difference just taking these off."
"Right? The gross feeling of sweat-soaked fabric clinging to you goes away, and the sweat you're producing just rolls right off. Heat doesn't get trapped in your clothes anymore either, and with all this steam, you don't have to worry about drying out."
The deep-voiced cheers from the surroundings grew even louder.
The noise seemed to reach Beauty, and a flicker of displeasure crossed her face, but having shed even that single layer seemed to have eased her discomfort, because her expression quickly softened and she let out a breath.
Even from a distance, the piercing stares of the male prisoners were reaching them, but she no longer seemed to care.
As the two threw modesty to the wind and went bare, the last one remaining, Sue, watched them both settle into something that, while marginal, looked noticeably more comfortable. She was clearly torn between the suffering and her sense of shame.
'Oh, to hell with it! There's safety in numbers!'
In the end, she too resolved to throw caution to the wind.
She pulled off her top and bottom in one decisive motion. Her shapely breasts bounced free, and for the briefest moment, everything that had been hidden was on full display.
She quickly mimicked Beauty, covering her groin with her top and wrapping her pants around her chest, but even so, the sheer amount of bare skin on display was an erotic, bewitching sight that could have been mistaken for pornography.
The relief must have been considerable. She let out a low, guttural groan of satisfaction, her expression easing as she dangled her legs and swung them idly, looking relaxed.
Faced with a strip show from three beauties, the prisoners' excitement reached a fever pitch.
The guards and jailers watching from below didn't cheer, but their reactions ranged from staring fixedly, unable to look away, to clearing their throats while stealing repeated glances.
Most of them had visible deformations in the front of their trousers, and many were walking hunched forward. Some prisoners found the sight of the guards' predicament hilarious and were laughing at them.
The prisoners' trousers were in the same state, of course, but they weren't even trying to hide it.
A small minority, it should be noted, included prisoners and guards who seemed genuinely impressed, muttering things like, "Being that relaxed in that kind of heat is lowkey impressive."
"Well, I expected this, but what an onslaught of stares... this really is embarrassing."
"Doesn't bother me much anymore, honestly. I used to take care of kids, bathe with 'em and all that, so now that I think about it, I'm kinda used to being seen naked."
"Huh... so the Public Spectacle torture doesn't faze you either?"
"Nah. All they do is look, nothin' else. If you stop caring, it's basically a break. ...The part where they don't let you go to the bathroom and you gotta just let it flow, that's still embarrassing though."
"It doesn't bother me either. Out in the real world, nobody ever gives me sexual looks, so seeing these guys get hard over someone like me being naked or peeing actually makes me feel like I've won."
"That's a pretty weird way to feel about it..."
"I mean, from a guy's perspective, this is the kinda thing they'd pay money to see... so maybe we should start charging a little? Not to toot our own horns, but we're pretty easy on the eyes, don't you think?"
"I'd rather have food and water than money."
"Same here... though obviously there's zero chance of that."
"Opportunities to see a beautiful girl in the nude are rare even on the outside. I think it's worth at least that much."
"Beautiful girl? Blume, you're 38. You're actually the oldest of us three."
"I'm 34 and Beauty's 29, so the age order is the exact reverse of how we look. When I heard Blume was almost ten years older than Beauty, I was shook."
"I thought she was a little girl at first too. She was lookin' all pitiful and hungry, so I shared my food with her... then she dropped the truth bomb and I about fell over. Playin' those big puppy eyes, actin' all needy, trickin' me."
"I admit it was deliberate, and I did feel bad afterward, so I apologized, didn't I? Out in the world, I had to make the most of this flat, childlike body to get by, so it became half habit at that point."
"Now, now, you could say that whole thing was actually what broke the ice between us."
"I guess, but it still doesn't sit right..."
"Men are all the same anyway, they only look at appearances. Case in point, ninety percent of the stares are aimed at Beauty and Sue's hourglass figures. The ones looking at me are a select few gentlemen and the, shall we say, niche enthusiasts. ...I'm starting to feel the urge. Mind if I pee here?"
"Don't go adding more weird stuff to the Blood Pond."
"There's a limit to how much shame you can throw away, Blume... there are people suffering down there in that pool, you know."
"For some of them it'd be a reward, so there's no problem really... nnh... phew."
"That was way too vivid... wait, HEY!? She actually did it!"
"Oh gross... and she looks like she's totally loving it too."
The three chatted away, so relaxed it hardly seemed like they were being tortured.
They appeared to have stopped caring about the surrounding stares entirely.
"BWAHAHAA! I can't take it!"
"I was shocked when they started stripping outta nowhere, but this is the best show ever! Woo-hooo!"
"Hey, look over here ladies! Get rid of those clothes blocking the view and give us a better look!"
"Just watching is killin' me... dammit, I wanna go at it...!"
"You couldn't buy a night with girls that fine even if you had the cash..."
"Hand 'em over, guards! Do that and we'll behave ourselves real nice and quiet. Till they break, anyway!"
Shameless, displaying themselves before others, prisoners though they might be.
Watching the three from below, Domino, as a fellow woman, thought exactly that, directing a scornful gaze at them from behind her sunglasses.
At the same time, she sighed, not just at the prisoners howling their vulgar cheers, but at the guards and jailers who were either hunched forward or blatantly gawking.
"Honestly, what an unsightly spectacle. And the staff are just as pathetic... wouldn't you say, Chief Warden?"
"BWAHAHAA! I can't take it!"
"..."
A slight headache began forming behind Domino's temples.
This Chief Warden, long feared as the Boss of Hell itself, was, she remembered and was now being forcefully reminded, a man with a surprisingly casual side in his off moments.
Still, those three were indeed renowned beauties whose names came up in some circles as prime examples of beautiful Pirate women, so perhaps the reaction was, in a sense, understandable.
But amid all this, something caught Domino's attention.
In situations like these, as always, there was a man even more casual than the Chief Warden, one who would normally be the first to join in the ruckus. He was unusually quiet.
Normally he'd either be cheering along with everyone else or seizing the chaos as an excuse to shout something completely unrelated like "Hey, hand over the Chief Warden's seat!"
Puzzled, Domino glanced to the side.
"Vice Warden? Is something the matter?"
There stood Hannyabal, looking up at the three, his face inexplicably pale.
At that exact moment, Sue happened to glance downward, and her eyes met Hannyabal's.
"Oh, Magellan's here. Hannyabal and Domino too."
"Seriously? Oh, you're right... here for an inspection or something?"
"...Should I have aimed my pee in their direction? Wonder if I can squeeze out a little more."
"Stop it."
"What are you, five?"
Sue, for her part, had merely looked their way, without any particular awareness that their eyes had met. But in that instant, Hannyabal's face went even paler.
"V-Vice Warden?"
"It's... it's nothing. Sorry, Domino, I'm not feeling well. I need to rest for a bit."
"O-oh... take care of yourself."
***
After leaving the scene, Hannyabal made his way to a staff-only area within Level 4, sectioned off by insulated walls where the temperature was considerably lower. He sank into a chair in the break room and let out a long breath.
He recognized that under normal circumstances, the sight he'd just witnessed would have been cause for celebration on his part, and yet...
"What is this unease in my chest? Love!? No, absolutely not... I just feel terrible..."
It wasn't an act. Cold sweat wouldn't stop flowing.
And he couldn't understand why.
Looking up at Sue and the others naked from below... no, it had started before that.
Even when they were still clothed, something had felt off.
Bewildered by the inexplicable feeling, he took deep breaths to steady himself, and then, suddenly...
"...Oh."
A scene flashed unbidden through his mind.
It was from twenty years ago. From his time at this very Impel Down, a place where he'd been working since back then. Right after he'd started as a trainee.
'You haven't seen my swords, have you? "Oto" and "Kogarashi"... fine blades.'
'No offense to you lot, but I'll be taking my leave from this place...'
'I don't need my legs anymore... you can have 'em.'
'Two years... thanks for the hospitality.'
'Vice Warden Magelaaaan! I found Shiki, please heeeelp!'
"Why am I remembering something that old, now of all times...?"
Twenty years ago. The memory of standing before Shiki the Golden Lion, history's only escapee.
Just like with Sue, he'd been looking up then too, at Shiki sitting on a beam near the ceiling.
The moment his eyes met Sue's, that terror from back then had come flooding back in a flashback.
The reason, however, remained completely unknown. Nothing he could think of that would explain it.
It wouldn't be until somewhat later, when a certain fact came to light, that Hannyabal would finally understand.
To be continued...