"Luffy... I should go see him."
Shuu muttered to himself.
After all, he had personally guided and trained Luffy for several years.
With that thought, he stood up, straightened his uniform, and prepared to head toward Zero Division Headquarters.
As he stepped out of the office building, the sunlight struck his eyes.
Having spent so much time buried in paperwork, Shuu found the brightness slightly uncomfortable.
He narrowed his eyes for a moment before quickly adjusting.
"Fleet Admiral Shuu!"
"Good afternoon, Fleet Admiral!"
Respectful greetings echoed from every direction.
Shuu nodded lightly.
"Hello."
"Thank you all for your hard work."
"And don't slack off while you're on duty."
The Marines immediately straightened up, energized by his words.
This wasn't the first time Shuu had done something like this.
For years, he had deliberately maintained close ties with ordinary Marines.
In his view, even the highest-ranking commander should never forget the people standing on the front lines.
Who knew?
One of those ordinary soldiers might become a future prodigy.
Building goodwill early was never a bad investment.
The idea was simple, but over the years it had earned him the loyalty of countless subordinates.
Most of Zero Division's members had been personally selected and promoted by Shuu himself.
As for the possibility of Zero Division rebelling?
That was practically impossible.
The moment a Zero Division member used Spiritual Pressure, they became permanently tied to Shuu's system.
Should they ever betray the Marines, there would be only one outcome waiting for them.
Complete destruction.
Lost in thought, Shuu eventually arrived at the gates of Zero Division.
Creaaak.
The guards had already sensed his presence.
The massive gates opened immediately.
"Fleet Admiral Shuu!"
Ten Zero Division members stood on each side of the entrance.
Twenty voices rang out in perfect unison.
Shuu clicked his tongue.
"Come on, isn't this a bit excessive?"
"And I told you before, your job is guarding Zero Division."
"You don't all need to come out and greet me."
"Back to your posts."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
The members instantly vanished using Flash Step.
Shuu sighed helplessly.
Everything about Zero Division was excellent.
The only problem was that they were far too enthusiastic whenever he showed up.
Still, it wasn't exactly a bad problem to have.
Shrugging, he continued toward the prison complex.
The prison beneath Zero Division was vastly different from the six levels of Impel Down.
It shared the same cold, damp atmosphere.
But beyond that, it possessed layers upon layers of specially designed Kidō barriers.
Some served as alarms.
Others restrained movement.
Some were offensive spells capable of instantly suppressing escape attempts.
Every measure had been created for one purpose:
Preventing prisoners from escaping at all costs.
And even if someone somehow managed to break free from their cell, there was no need for concern.
The entirety of Zero Division Headquarters was protected by powerful barriers personally established by Shuu.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if the headquarters itself were somehow breached, Shuu had prepared a final safeguard.
Beneath Zero Division lay a sealed fragment of Ryūjin Jakka's power.
Once activated, it would unleash Scorching Inferno, reducing everything in the surrounding area to ashes.
Even more frightening was the fact that every Zero Division branch possessed the same contingency measure.
It was a defense system personally developed by Shuu.
Although Sengoku frequently argued that it sounded more like a doomsday weapon than a security system.
Shuu didn't care.
As far as he was concerned, if it could eliminate dangerous criminals, then it was effective.
And civilian safety had already been considered.
Evacuation procedures would begin long before the final safeguard was ever activated.
Shuu wasn't reckless enough to build such a system without preparations.
Lost in his thoughts, he eventually arrived at the prison entrance.
A voice emerged from the shadows.
"Fleet Admiral Shuu, identity verification is required."
Shuu nodded approvingly.
Now this was how things should be.
No exceptions.
Not even for him.
Beside the gate, a pale blue circle rose from the floor.
It was a Spiritual Pressure scanner that Shuu had personally designed.
He casually released a small portion of his Spiritual Pressure into the circle.
Moments later, the prison gates opened.
"My apologies, Fleet Admiral."
The guard immediately bowed.
Shuu waved him off.
"You did exactly what you're supposed to do."
"Make sure everyone continues following these procedures."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
"Would you like an escort?"
"No."
Shuu shook his head.
"Stay at your post."
"Understood!"
With that, Shuu entered the prison.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a Kidō barrier swept across his body.
It recorded the identity of every visitor for future security investigations.
The prison itself consisted of only one level.
However, each cell had been expanded internally through advanced Kidō techniques.
The enlarged spaces allowed far more prisoners to be housed than the exterior suggested.
As Shuu walked deeper inside, his crimson eyes scanned the cells one by one.
Compared to Impel Down, the prison population was relatively small.
Still, there were plenty of dangerous criminals confined here.
Eventually, his footsteps paused.
Inside one of the cells stood a man with moss-green hair.
Roronoa Zoro.
And Zoro was staring directly back at him.
Shuu approached the bars and smiled faintly.
"Training even inside prison?"
"That's exactly what I'd expect from you, Zoro."
"Still dreaming about escaping?"
Zoro's expression darkened.
He knew perfectly well how slim their chances were.
But pride wouldn't allow him to back down.
"I trust Luffy."
Shuu blinked.
"...What kind of answer is that?"
Trusting Luffy wasn't exactly a strategy.
Rolling his eyes, Shuu moved on.
As he continued through the prison, he passed every member of the Straw Hat crew.
Sanji.
Robin.
Franky.
Brook.
Chopper.
Each of them glared at him with open hostility.
Shuu couldn't have cared less.
They were pirates.
He was a Marine.
Capturing them was his duty.
If they hated him for it, so be it.
Their hatred changed nothing.
In fact, there was a certain satisfaction in watching enemies struggle against an outcome they couldn't change.
Eventually, Shuu reached one of the deepest cells.
His footsteps stopped.
Behind the bars sat a familiar figure wearing a straw hat.
A faint smile appeared on Shuu's face.
"Luffy."
"It's been a long time."
Luffy slowly raised his head.
His brows furrowed.
"Shuu..."
"What are you doing here?"
Shuu shrugged.
"After two years of running free, you ended up here anyway."
"So?"
"Do you still think being a pirate is fun?"
Luffy snorted.
His hand instinctively touched the straw hat resting on his head.
To him, it was more than a hat.
It was inherited will.
A promise.
A source of courage.
"Big Brother Shuu..."
"You'll never understand what freedom feels like."
Shuu raised an eyebrow.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
Yet the words that followed were colder than ice.
"I see."
"Since that's how you feel..."
"Then let me formally announce it once again."
His crimson eyes locked onto Luffy's.
Every trace of warmth vanished from his expression.
"Monkey D. Luffy..."
"You are hereby sentenced to death."
-----------------------------
Enjoying the chaos, action, and wild adventures? Don't stop here! You can unlock 20+ advanced chapters and exclusive content by joining my P@treon! Every powerstone counts if we reach 300 powerstones, a BONUS CHAPTER will be released!
Be the first to witness the next epic battles, shocking twists, and hidden secrets before anyone else!
Join the crew on P@treon and set sail beyond the horizon!
[email protected]/_sey
Change @ to a