Domino watched as the ship docked and the new prisoners started to disembark. Many of them had fearful expressions on their faces. Knowing what reputation this place had it was understandable.
One after another passed through the gates of the Great Underwater Prison, never to see the light of day again.
„Two hundred" said Domino thoughtfully „and even Captain Arthur from Whitebeard's former alliance" commented the blond woman as she watched the guards drag the man alongside other prisoners. Ever since Whitebeard's death the number of pirates has been increasing every year...at this rate even Impel Down wont have the needed capacity to hold so many inmates.
„Head Jailor Domino, the last of the prisoners are inside ready for inspection and placement" said on of the prison guards.
She nodded „Good. I will inform the Warden about them when we have relocated the new inmates to their levels and cells."
With a salute the guard left her on the pier. Ever since the Hunter attacked the Marine Headquarter's a constant state of fear and unease could be felt in the guards, and even the Warden himself. That lessened somewhat when they received substantial reinforcements from the Fleet-Admiral but it never fully disappeared.
Impel Down was housing many inmates with devil fruit abilities. To someone like the Hunter, this place wasn't a prison but a banquet full of siting ducks.
Gazing in the fog that covered the sea, she felt a shudder race down her spine. Somewhere out there was a tentacle monster that will sooner or later come here...
Jack watched as the guards marched the new guy's down the corridors, those who were like himself nobodies stayed on the first level of the infamous prison, the rest were moved to the levels further down.
When a pair of guards flanked by blugori stopped in front of his cell, he wisely move further back...those things had a rather nasty temper...its better to not give them an excuse to use those giant axe's they carried.
One of the two human guards used his key's to open the cell door and push in his new cell mate.
As the door behind the newcomer closed, and the Marine's followed the rest of the crowed further down the corridor Jack approached the new arrival.
„Ahoy there mate!" said Jack putting on the best, though somewhat toothless, smile he knew „names Jack, what's yours?"
„Aulus Agerius" said the newcomer without even looking at Jack, his gaze completely focused on the empty corridor.
„Aulus Agerius ehhh...well nice to meet ya, I'm Jack also called Salty Jack. If you need anything just ask old Jacky, yes siree, I know the in's and out's in this place, I do!" said the prisoner proudly, pumping out his, skin and bones, chest.
Though he lost some of his elation when Aulus appeared completely disinterested in his introduction. Well Jack wasn't giving up so easily, he spend two years alone in this small cell with not a soul to talk to, he would be damned if he didn't befriend the new guy.
„So where you from? West Blue?" though Jack aloud as he looked over his appearance „ya, I bet your from the West, so what you in for?"
Again Aulus didn't respond, Jack deflated at being ignored again and tried to think of something new to talk about...
„You said you know a lot about this place?" Aulus asked suddenly as he turned from the door.
A grin spread on Jack's toothless face „Aye that I do! Ask anything and old Jack will tell."
„Excellent" said the man as he rammed his fist through Jack's chest.
As the red and black tendrils consumed the unfortunate prisoner Mercers form shifted and changed, contracting until it reformed as a normal rat, it was a nuisance to compress his mass into such a small form but for now he will tolerate it.
Alex walked out through the cell, easily slipping through the bars.
Using Jack's memories he navigated through the dark, damp corridors of the prison. Though he doubted that the guard's would react in any way seeing a rat sneaking around on their monitors, he concluded that better to err on the side of caution and avoided all the den den mushi's that he could detect.
After too many twists and turns, and getting past the guard's scattered on this level, he found what he was looking for.
An area filled with kenju trees...
Both the needle like grass and the blade like leaves were no real threat to him so he easily continued onward. After a few minutes of searching he found the hole that would allow him to go to the second level.
Now I only need to find a monitor room...were his thought's as he jumped down.
Tom yawned as he watched the monitor's, it's was the same boring thing day in, day out.
Though he should probably be grateful, the breakout orchestrated by the infamous pirate Monkey D. Luffy and the Shichibukai Buggy was something he didn't wish to live through again.
Besides landing him into the infirmary for a month it also left a rather considerable black mark on the prisons record.
„Hey, no sleeping on the job" said Peter as he stopped watching his share of monitor's.
Tom sighed „Yes, yes...can't help from getting drowsy staring at this thing all the time."
„You want a cup of coffee? It would keep you awake" offered a third guard from further back.
„Yes please, make it with extra sugar"
„One for me also please" said Peter.
The guard nodded and took three empty cup's with him to the Coffee machine.
What none of the guard's spotted was a gray rat hiding in the shadows not that far away from the two guards, staring at a den den mushi on a table.
„Here's you coffee" said the guard as he handed Tom and Peter their cup's, the scent of the coffee beans filling the room.
„Ahh, thank you" said Tom as he carefully inhaled the fragrance and took a sip of the hot liquid.
„Appreciated" responded Peter before taking a newspaper and walking back to his own monitor's, stepping in some water on the floor in the process.
He sat down and looked at the front page, the minute he read the title of the article the hot coffee in his other hand was completely forgotten
„What the hell?!"
The other guards turned around from their monitors and looked at Peter „What's wrong? Did you see something?"
„Nothings happening like usual, but have you read this?" he said as he showed them the newspaper.
„Donquixote Doflamingo's resignation from the Shichibukai was a false report?! Damn! The guy's been doing really a lot of headlines in the paper lately. Just a week ago he announced a tournament on Dressrosa..." Tom mumbled to himself „the main prize is apparently the Mera Mera no Mi."
„That's Fire Fist's fruit isn't it?" asked one of the guard's. Most people knew that Ace of the Spade pirates was imprisoned here before his execution, a VIP so to say...though one might be intrigued why the man picked the name of Ace of Spades, a well-known death card in the playing card deck.
„Yeah it is...he was a prisoner here before his execution" added another „Doflamingo is making a lot of headlines lately...I wonder what his game is..."
Tom scratched his head „Your are right, first he resigned as a warlord and now this?"
Peter shrugged „Who knows...but I bet that people from far and wide will be rushing to get to Dressrosa now because of the tournament."
„I don't know, I think that an admiral will be going to have a chat with Doflamingo over his resignation even if it is a false report" said another guard with a smile „perhaps he will still get his own room on level six."
That statement made the guard's chuckle.
„Okay enough lollygagging, whatever the Shichibukai is attempting to do is not our concern, let the Fleet-Admiral handle it" said the senior guardsmen „Tom, Peter, since you two are apparently bored why don't you make a few rounds across the level, that way you will walk off that surplus of energy."
„Yes sir" both men gave a lackluster salute before taking their weapons and exiting the monitor room.
„So what do you think about all this?" asked Tom as he marched beside Peter.
„About what?"
„About everything really" said the guard as he gesticulated with his arms „The Straw Hat's returning, the attack on the Navy Headquarter's, that Hunter guy, Doflamingo's resigning mistake and making a freaking tournament with the Mera Mera as the prize! Its like one thing after another."
Peter shrugged „The world is big, of course there will always be something interesting happening."
„Yeahhh but none of the recent news looked good...every time I open a newspaper I see something that pushes the world further away from justice. Like that Hunter guy, just appears out of nowhere and almost kills the Fleet-Admiral for crying out loud!"
Peter snorted „Don't get hysterical on me, the criminal was simply lucky. I have heard that he tricked Akainu into the sea where he was powerless, even my eight year old nice could have won there. I bet that if they fought somewhere like a desert the guy would have burned like a matchstick."
The duo tuned a corner and found themselves heading to the last corridor on this side of the prison.
„Really? Guess the news was a bit blown out of proportion to catch the readers attention" mused Tom.
„Probably, though that doesn't mean that we should underestimate him" said Peter „ this Hunter can change appearances, and after the stunt Bon Kurei pulled with Magellan and the disaster that caused, we learned not to underestimate the harm that such a person can bring, no matter how weak. For all I know you could be the Hunter and there would be no way for me to find out."
Tom chuckled nervously as they approached the door to the elevator-shaft „Y-you have a point...d-do you think that those reinforcement will be enough?"
„More like useless" was Peters reply as they came before the elevator entrance.
„Wha-" was all Tom managed to say as a hand pierced his chest, tendrils spreading and consuming the guard.
With the guard consumed Mercer turned to the large door, utilizing his muscle mass he grabbed the door and ripped it from the hinges, the wood splintering under his strength. Thanks to him leaving a little present in the monitor room on this floor while he was in his rat form the guards were not a factor...something that will give him just enough time to do what he wanted.
Not mentioning some other surprises he brought with him...
Thankfully the monitor room's were designed so each guard was facing away from the others, giving him the opportunity to quickly consume one of them without the others realizing it. Though it was a close call, that 'What the hell' would have unmade all the effort of stealth he put in the plan, luckily he was able to shift the guards last words into astonishment at the newspaper.
Not that he wasn't curious, or rather thrilled...if someone won the prize and ate it, it would give him the opportunity he missed with Fire Fist...
A grin spread on Mercer's face as he entered the elevator shaft, using his whipfist he pulled himself upward, directly under the elevator. His biomass spread out, engulfing it and ultimately consuming it, leaving only a useless cable hanging in midair.
Before he consumed Wapol, blacklight could only consume a small amount of inorganic matter...zippers on clothing or glass on mask's, but now anything in contact with him was fair game...even the different gases in the air could be now converted into biomass. That made it much easier than having to depend on consuming different microorganism that came in contact with his body, the so called passive regeneration.
That done Alex let himself drop down the shaft.
Down he fell, racing though the level's until he crashed on the last level of the prison, creating a large dust cloud from the impact.
„Huh? What was that?" asked one of the dangerous level six's inmates „I think I heard something big crash."
„Its probably the elevator and some new prisoner's" responded another inmate without much interest.
The silence after the crash was broken when footstep's started to resonate over the level.
When the prisoners saw a single guard stroll down they started to laugh and taunt him, from mocking him being here alone to trying to persuade him to come closer to their cell's.
But they were all ignored, Alex had only one priority now if his plan was to succeed. This was a risky move but he was confident that it will bear fruit.
The virus stopped in front of the last cell.
The human inside had long blond hair, two wooden legs and a steering wheel on top of his head.
Shiki watched the man stop in front of his cell, it was unusual that a guard was alone, even more so on level six where a mook is never allowed without the Warden's explicit command.
The elderly pirate was surprised when the guard grabbed the cell bars, bars made from seastone in fact, and with one pull broke them out from the wall.
Alex dropped the nuisance to the floor and strolled inside Shiki's cell.
„Impressive" said the Golden Lion „so what do you want?" people rarely make the effort of busting someone out from here.
„Your power" was the last thing the man heard before Mercer snapped his neck and consumed his corpse, leaving only a pair of useless seastone cuffs on the cell floor.
Excellent...now let's see what else is here to eat while I wait...using the telepathy he gained from consuming the den den mushi Zeus proceeded with his plan.
He ran as fast as he could, he had to get to the Warden as quickly as possible! With one swift push he entered the office and saw Hannyabal siting at the desk, doing the paperwork usually associated with running a prison. The Warden wasn't alone though, both Sadi-chan and Saldeath were there waiting for him to finish the documents they needed done.
Since his appointment to the position of Warden, Hannyabal has gained a lot of weight because most of his time was spend siting in the office, so many considered him now a no-factor in any kind of battle. Though that also freed Magellan to be a far more active figure in the prison again, which was a good thing.
Hannyabal lazily looked from the paper he was holding and glanced at the door, only to be surprised when he saw a guard with a blood stained uniform and sword panting heavily.
„W-Warden! I-I-I'ts the Hunter! He's here!" shouted the guard.
Time passed as Hannyabal continued to stare at the guard...then the paper from his hand slipped and fell down.
„NOOOOOOOOO! WHY ME!" he screamed as he slammed his fists repeatedly on the table „and everything was going so well!"
„Stop your drama Warden this is a crises!" said Sadi-chan „you should call upon those Pacifista reinforcements that the Fleet-Admiral send us."
In a blink of an eye the Warden was back siting on his desk like nothing happened „That's right, the reinforcements..." mused Hannyabal even as he was taking the den den mushi from his table „though I should still warn the Fleet-Admiral..."
While this was happening Sadi-chan made a blood test on the guard, with the Hunter's ability to shapeshift nobody was above suspicion.
„Marine Headqurter's this is Chief Warden Hannybal, Marine Headquarter's please respond"
After a few silent seconds a voice answered back „Headquarters here, what is the emergency"
Now how to phrase this...probably the short, direct way „The Hunter is here."
Another pause „Understood, hold him there until additional troops arrive."
When the connection was cut every single person was ready to face the intruder that dared to attack their domain.
„I will take the Demon Guard's and use the elevator to get to level six!" growled Sadi-chan.
Hannyabal's serious expression didn't change „Our orders are to prevent him from escaping, call Domino and her soldiers, we will plan a way to push back when all officers are here..."
„But...we would be abandoning our duty if we left the lower levels undefended..." commented Saldeath.
Hannyabal shook his head „I know it's not an ideal decision, but we have very few alternatives. I saw the report's, the Hunter thrives on chaos. If we try to fight him independently he will kill us all, instead we will form a blockade on level two and when we are ready attack him in full force."
„That will give him free reign of the lower levels...ten's of thousands of defenseless prisoners to change into those beasts...and many a devil fruit user..." said Saldeath „if we leave him alone our situation will go from bad to worse."
„I can't deny that, but we have no better option" hissed Hannyabal „we have to keep him here until reinforcement arrive. I will tell Magellan to block the exits with his poison, I hope that if it doesn't stop the Hunter, it will at least delay him."
„The best we can hope for is for Magellan and a group of Pacifista to go alone and defeat the Hunter...the rest of us would only be a obstacle...also better not to sound the alarm, we will quietly gather our troop's without him knowing that he is exposed."
Saldeth and Sadi-chan sighed in resignation, but complied.
Seeing how the discussion was over, everyone except Hannybal and the bloodied guard ran out to do their part.
„What a mess" sighed the Warden as he extracted a seastone strong-box from a safe behind him. If Magellan's going to be fighting, then a few antidotes will be necessary in case of friendly fire.
Then the box fell from his hand.
Looking down he noticed the tip of a saber sticking out from his chest. Glancing back he saw the bloodied guard holding the weapon...
Though the wound was fatal, he wasn't about to go down easily. His opponent expected that the first strike will be the last, so he didn't bother about the naginata that was placed beside Hannyabal.
Grabbing his Kessui , the Warden immediately slashed at the traitorous guard, but missed when the target dodged the slash.
With the sword removed, Hannyabal's blood started to escape his body leaving little doubt that he will bleed out before his left lung collapsed. While he was thinking about that, the traitor attacked again forcing Hannyabal to parry the cuts and thrusts from his opponent.
But while the guard was rather skilled with the sword, his weapon lacked both reach and maneuverability of the naginata. With quick trusts he forced his opponent on the defensive.
Hannyabal gasped for air, a courtesy of the wound in his lunge...I don't have a lot of time left...he feinted a high cut forcing the traitor to parry it, only to reverse his weapon and do a low cut with his blades other end.
The guard stumbled backwards, but contrary to Hannybal's expectation the traitor didn't fall down...in fact for a disemboweled person he didn't seem to be hindered or in pain by the fatal wound.
The Warden hissed when the guard came back with renewed tenacity, one slash after another.
Hannyabal felt down on his knee, his strength all but spend by the internal and external bleeding.
He defiantly glared at the traitor, and then the saber came down.
The guard stood over the Warden's defeated body, blood spilling over the ground. He kneeled down and searched Hannyabal's uniform until he found the key to the strong-box.
Walking over to the dropped item he carefully inserted the key and turned it twice. With a click the box opened...
In it were numberous small vial's filled with the antidote that his master needed...
As the guard was about to leave with the box the door opened.
A squad of soldier's entered the Warden's office only to stop in their tracks when they saw Hannyabal's motionless, bloody body on the floor and a guard holding the box with the antidotes.
In a blink of an eye the soldiers had their guns and swords pointed at the most likely suspect...well, the only suspect.
„What happend here?! Did you do this!" one of them shouted.
The traitor didn't bother with a reply as he rushed the whole group, sword raised...it would be rather hard to talk himself out of this predicament when his stomach could easily be seen through thanks to the Warden.
The soldiers immediately opened fire, but the guard easily evaded the projectiles..and those that were to close to evade were easily ignored...bullets hitting his organs were nothing than an inconvenience.
With one slash a soldier found himself bisected and another disarmed..literally and figuratively.
The group panicked but in a matter of seconds four more soldiers died by the traitors saber.
Only one guard was still alive, but with a missing arm and the shock that griped him, he will probably be dead very quickly from the blood-loss.
The traitor didn't want to take any chances, he raised his weapon to deliver the finishing blow, when suddenly a blade pierced his chest.
The wound was irrelevant but the traitor was curious who did he miss to finish off.
Turning his head he spotted Hannyabal, blood dripping from his mouth...impossible, the wounds he received should have killed him already!...
Hannyabal smiled „Just returning the favor" and used his Hannya Carnival: Shonetsu Jigoku Guruma to set his weapon...and the impaled target on fire.
As the traitor's body burned the Warden spotted tentacles emerging from the guards mouth. Whatever it was quickly shot out from the burning corpse and landed a few feet away from them.
It looked like a snail...or rather a slug with tentacles and a leech like mouth filled with a horror show full of teeth.
It quickly made its way to the closest whole corpse.
Seeing this Hannyabal dropped his Kassui and the burning body and grabbed a gun from the floor.
Just as the mutated invertebrate was about to enter the corpse a shot blasted it away, and another followed when it tried to move again.
Shot after shot was fired, probably alerting the upper levels that something was wrong, normally the Warden's office was sound proof, but the opened door made sure that the noise was easily heard over the whole first level.
The Warden didn't stop firing on the parasite even as he lost the ability to see with his eye's...the hole in his lung helped him against suffocating in his own blood...but that only meant that he will die from blood-lose rather than internal bleeding and suffocation.
He didn't see if he managed to kill the thing before he died but he could only hope so.
As his body fell to the ground, life left it for good...the disarmed soldier would live for a while longer before he bled out, but it was safe to say that he was the last living thing in the room for the moment.
For the mutated den den mushi has failed in its task.
Alex Mercer will have to face Magellan without the antidote.
A/N:
At first I was hoping for a lengthy filler arc so these can fit in wit the canon story...Oda didnt play along. Since I needed some sort of time-span I thought:
1. Dofy going to PunkH was faster than SH going by boat - so I took that any sort of flight was faster than sailing.
2. Dofy made the tournament with the Mera Mera when Luffy and Law blackmailed him.
3. Dofy needed to persuade the Gorosai to print the fake newspaper.
4. The fighters (and the Marines) had to come from other islands by ship + preparations.
So when I mix this up in my head, the whole trip to Dressrosa had to take at least a few day's (one week max) time.