This novel is finished, and I have posted all the advanced chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
Thunder Hell, Level 6 of Impel Down, usually existed in absolute darkness. Torches were only lit when personnel entered, keeping the hall pitch-black, damp, and claustrophobic.
Today, however, was different. Rowen had brought a sliver of light to this personal nightmare.
Unfortunately for the inmates, the arrival of light was never good news.
Boom… k-chā!
Surging clouds of lightning erupted and spread across the iron plates, electrifying the entire cell block. In an instant, Thunder Hell was filled with prisoners howling like wolves, compelled into an involuntary "electric boogie." The scene was truly spectacular in its agony.
Inside his cell, Lirisk leaned against the damp stone wall, his eyes wide, enduring the agonizing current tearing through his body. Only after several seconds, when the lightning finally subsided, did he release a long, shaky breath, a trickle of fresh blood running from the corner of his mouth.
He had bitten his own tongue to avoid screaming like the others.
Rowen felt no sympathy. 'If you knew this was the end result, why choose the path? Sympathy? Go ask the [Yama Raja] in the underworld for that.'
After a few shallow breaths, Lirisk finally had the strength to look up.
"Heh! I thought you were so full of confidence, Soryu (Azure Dragon), that you wouldn't bother coming to see me."
"On the contrary, I'm scared to death right now." Rowen didn't bother to feign composure. "But you know me well enough: I'm not the emotional type. I'm an entirely rational being. Even if I'm scared out of my mind, my hands won't stop moving."
As he spoke, Rowen cut off Lirisk's attempt to interrupt. "What do you want to tell me? If it's about Im's ability, forget it. I already have a lead."
Lirisk fell silent at the dismissal. After a beat, he spoke again.
"No… it's about my father."
"Oh? Do tell." Rowen genuinely was interested in Orrick; that bizarre ability was incredibly rare.
"My father ate a Devil Fruit that is not cataloged in any known encyclopaedia. He named it the Dream-Dream Fruit."
"Dream-Dream Fruit… quite an elegant name." Rowen mused silently. "And then?"
"He can invade someone's consciousness while they're asleep, and within the dreamscape, he can create whatever he desires, even killing the person. Doing so carries no direct physical damage at all. But as long as the victim does not realize the dream is controlled, everything that happens in the dream will become reality when they wake up, naturally, limited only to physical injuries."
So, he's a master of dream-killing? Rowen thought, his expression growing serious. He had to admit the ability was terrifying. Sleeping and dreaming were normal, vulnerable states. That they could be turned into methods of murder was practically impossible to guard against.
"Fish-Man Island being wiped out overnight… was his doing, right?"
"Correct." Lirisk nodded. "He can also forcibly pull sleeping people into his control, as many people don't dream naturally. He calls this ability Dream Control."
"Dream Control…?" Rowen shook his head slightly, pushing the odd humor aside.
"And his second ability is called Dream Invasion!" Lirisk seemed desperate to empty his mind. "While someone is awake, he can erode their spirit using the fruit's power. Once he succeeds, everything that person does is moved into the 'Dream World', meaning they can't affect reality and are completely controlled by him. That's the origin of the name 'Dream-Dream Fruit.'"
"Compared to Dream Control, Dream Invasion is stronger but has greater limitations. The target must be mentally weak or distracted for a critical moment. But since he can manipulate dreams, all he has to do is project an illusion, a scene he wants them to see, and he can create the opening he needs."
"I see." Rowen finally understood the mechanics of Jinbe's strange defeat. Consumed by the desire for revenge, Jinbe's inner defenses were momentarily wide open. Orrick successfully invaded his spirit, and using Dream Control, broke Jinbe's leg within the dream, forcing the translated injury to shatter Jinbe's limb in reality.
However, one thing still didn't make sense.
"What's the point of all this?" Rowen asked, gesturing toward the surrounding cells. "He lost. Im even wiped his memories clean…"
Rowen glanced at Orrick in the distance, who had been jolted awake by the thunder. The former Celestial Dragon was staring at them with terror and confusion. The "Celestial Dragon Tyrant" clearly had impressive physical durability; even after being struck by Rowen's lightning day after day, and without any defenses, he was still alive and relatively well. His soul quality was clearly poor, but his physique was utterly ridiculous.
"And this still isn't a compelling enough reason for you to summon me here?"
If all Lirisk wanted was to discuss the Devil Fruit of a defeated man, Rowen would have to remind him what "times have changed" truly meant. Once, Lirisk was a Celestial Dragon Rowen had to kneel before, daring not to fight him seriously. Now, he was nothing more than Rowen's prisoner. Just that.
Lirisk did not hesitate. "I want to beg you to save my father. He's about to die!"
"…Huh???"
Rowen snapped his head back to Orrick.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Seeing how healthy the man looked, Rowen felt he would go insane long before Orrick died.
"I'm not lying to you. To confirm whether he truly lost his memories, I've been observing him daily."
"His heart stops beating for a few seconds every day, and in recent days the frequency has been increasing… and more importantly, " Lirisk took a deep, ragged breath. "Haven't you noticed, Soryu (Azure Dragon)? He's wearing Seastone handcuffs."
A serious criminal like Orrick would naturally be restrained by Seastone. Even if he weren't a Devil Fruit user, its sturdiness made it the best choice.
But that was precisely the problem.
Rowen silently frowned and walked toward the cell door.
Boom!
The Seastone-reinforced cell door was ripped off the hinges by brute force with a deafening crash. Magellan glanced over at the noise, saw it was Rowen, and calmly returned to standing guard.
"You… what are you doing?" Orrick whimpered.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Zizzz…
Rowen grabbed Orrick, melted part of the iron bars into a makeshift key, and stuck it into the keyhole of the cuffs.
K-chā!
The Seastone handcuffs popped open. Orrick stared blankly, trembling all over as he watched Rowen.
Rowen glanced down at the open cuffs, then suddenly offered a small, terrifying smile.
"Don't be afraid. Tell me, how do you feel?"
"N-nothing… nothing unusual." Orrick answered cautiously.
Rowen frowned, picked up the Seastone cuffs, and immediately felt the familiar wave of weakness wash through his own body. They were the real deal.
K-chā!
He cuffed Orrick again and asked: "And now?"
"…A little heavy."
Rowen stared at the man.
"The Devil Fruits you all revere are nothing more than seeds. Seeds meant to help me seize this world," Rowen muttered, recalling the ominous words Im had spoken. His expression turned grim.
"A seed must be eaten by someone before it can sprout and grow. And naturally, once it grows, it will bear fruit, for someone else to eat."
Taking a deep breath, Rowen turned his head and shouted: "Magellan!"
"Lord Soryu (Azure Dragon)!" Magellan responded, quickly walking over with a steady step.
"Take him to the intensive care unit. His heart has problems. Do not let him die."
Even Impel Down had a medical staff; the large number of ordinary jailers required it. Magellan didn't argue that this violated protocol; Soryu (Azure Dragon) held absolute authority. His word was the protocol.
Seeing the urgency, Lirisk finally let out a breath of pure relief.
"You were silent earlier because no matter what, revealing that would expose a weakness in Im, and you were worried I might develop a wicked scheme, correct?" Rowen asked, looking back at the prisoner.
Lirisk offered no answer.
"But you still chose to speak." Rowen turned to face him fully, then after a tense silence, he grinned. "You're lucky. Right before I came here, a woman explained to me what a family is… and what family means. For the sake of your feelings toward your father, I'll spare you this once."
Lirisk let out a long sigh and bowed his head. "Thank you."
Rowen didn't reply. He followed Magellan out. Just before the massive gate sealing the elevator shaft closed, he suddenly paused and chuckled.
"You know… I am a completely rational being."
Lirisk froze for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter, self-deprecating smile.
"That… is probably the difference between him and me."
Even if it means dying, I will still go forth!
It wasn't that the result didn't matter; it was that the courage to act was even more precious.
(End of chapter)