Lucas glanced at his recently inflated private treasury.
After defeating Jack the Drought and acting first before reporting afterward, Lucas had received a 20 million-Berry bonus.
The deal with Blackbeard being canceled had earned him another 20 million Berries.
Later, when Blackbeard had forcibly attacked and caused Lucas to work overtime, 3 million Berries had been burned through, leaving him with only 37 million.
Then, after cutting Kizaru off, completing the deal with Blackbeard ahead of schedule, and bringing Fire Fist Ace back to Marine Headquarters, he had extorted another 20 million-Berry bonus.
Adding the 10 million Berries from this escort mission, he had finally accumulated a total of 67 million Berries.
Originally, Lucas had planned to wait until he completed this escort mission, then open three or five Gold Treasure Chests and try his luck as a European Emperor again.
He had never expected that the treasure chests available for redemption would receive an upgrade opportunity so soon.
Had the System decided to become a roadblock in front of his modest goal of 100 million?
However, when Lucas saw the description of the Platinum Treasure Chest, he couldn’t help feeling tempted.
[Upon its first opening, there is a high probability of obtaining top-tier skills and items from Another World, including rewards valued at the Diamond tier!]
As expected, capitalism was evil.
Every time, it targeted the weakest point of human nature.
Lucas glanced once more at his previously bloated private treasury and suddenly realized that he was still far too poor.
He had worked so hard for so long, yet he hadn’t even reached a mere 100 million.
"System, how long is the time limit for upgrading the treasure chests?" Lucas dispelled his thoughts and asked.
Whether it was the upcoming Marineford War from the original story or the Four Emperors who might appear later, these would all be battles at the pinnacle of the sea.
Lucas didn’t want to enter such battles with nothing but the Fusion Card he had yet to use as his only trump card.
Ding! The treasure chest upgrade deadline is 45 days from now. Once the deadline passes, the treasure chests available for redemption by the Host will be limited to the Gold tier.
Forty-five days?
Lucas was somewhat surprised.
He hadn’t expected the System to be so unusually generous this time.
Once he completed this escort mission, Lucas’s accumulated System Currency would reach 67 million.
He was still 33 million Berries short of his 100-million goal. As long as he gathered that amount before the treasure chest upgrade deadline, it shouldn’t be difficult.
As for the Fusion Card he had obtained from the treasure chest last time, it was also about time to put it to use.
It was the perfect opportunity to test that bold idea of his.
"Admiral Lucas, the Sixth Level is just ahead. The prisoners confined here are all great pirates whom the World Government considers extremely vicious. They have caused countless bloodbaths across the sea, and it took considerable effort to capture and bring them here."
The elevator suddenly came to a stop.
Looking at the number indicating the Sixth Level, Lucas hadn’t expected time to pass so quickly while he was haggling with the System.
Of course, this was also thanks to the special status of Fire Fist Ace and Jack the Drought. Given the current circumstances, they had temporarily been exempted from undergoing punishment, which had saved a considerable amount of time.
Otherwise, traveling from the First Level to the Sixth Level, combined with all the various forms of punishment along the way, would have taken at least half a day.
As for just how terrifying Impel Down was, Lucas only needed to glance back at Blackbeard.
The man bringing up the rear looked like a frightened stray dog, his entire head covered in cold sweat.
That alone was enough to tell him.
With a loud metallic screech, the tightly closed elevator doors slowly opened.
What appeared before them was a dim corridor lined with enormous cells.
The prisoners inside the surrounding cells had clearly heard the unusual noise and immediately became interested.
"Heh heh. I never thought someone would come down here at a time like this. Did some lucky bastard get sent in again?"
A sharp female voice rang out, accompanied by a mocking laugh.
"Sand boy, not long ago you were the new guy. Looks like someone has finally come to take your place."
"Shouldn’t you be saying something intimidating now?"
"Catarina, you old hag, shut your mouth."
From the darkness of his cell, Crocodile, dressed in a prison uniform, raised his head toward the corridor.
The moment he saw who had arrived, his pupils suddenly contracted.
"You people had better stop wasting your breath. Don’t delay that man’s time, or you’ll suffer the consequences."
Delay his time?
Suffer the consequences?
The prisoners froze for a moment before bursting into unrestrained laughter.
Catarina Devon laughed so hard that her body shook. She held her forehead and said,
"Sand boy, what are you so afraid of? We’re imprisoned on the Sixth Level. How much more suffering could we possibly endure?"
"Other than that perverted Head Jailer Shiryu, is there really anyone else who would dare open our cells and walk in here to make us suffer?"
"Basque, Sanjuan, Avalo, Head Jailer Shiryu—don’t you agree?"
There weren’t many prisoners confined to the vast Sixth Level.
But their contemptuous laughter instantly echoed throughout the entire corridor.
Magellan’s expression darkened.
"You bastards, shut up!"
"This is Admiral Lucas, the Marines’ newly appointed Fourth Admiral. He has been ordered to escort Fire Fist Ace, commander of the Whitebeard Pirates’ Second Division and a pirate with a 550 million-Berry bounty, as well as Jack the Drought of the Beasts Pirates, one of the Three Calamities with a 1 billion-Berry bounty, to the Sixth Level for imprisonment."
"These are not people you can afford to provoke."
"People from Whitebeard and Kaido?"
Catarina Devon froze.
The laughter in the corridor instantly fell silent.
They had been imprisoned on the Sixth Level for a long time.
But Whitebeard and Kaido of the Beasts had become rulers of the sea even earlier than they had.
Now the Marines had suddenly sent two of the most powerful subordinates of Whitebeard and Kaido of the Beasts to the Sixth Level of Impel Down.
It was simply earth-shattering.
Anyone could imagine that this would likely trigger an all-out battle between the three great powers.
Had Marine Headquarters gone insane?
"Whitebeard’s and Kaido’s men?"
A disdainful laugh suddenly rang out at this critical moment.
At the end of the corridor, a massive crimson figure appeared inside an isolated cell.
"Hahaha! Can your Marine Headquarters really withstand the wrath of two Four Emperors?"
"So you’re the Marines’ new Admiral? Turns out you’re just some yellow-haired brat."
"Don’t tell me you only managed to bring these people here because you had that old geezer Garp accompanying you."
"Looking at you, it seems you haven’t yet experienced the harsh lessons of the sea."
"Let this old-timer from the previous era teach you a lesson, then."
"Douglas Bullet, you dare!"
Magellan’s face turned ashen with rage.
As the highest-ranking authority in Impel Down, he was now being humiliated on his own turf, right in front of a Marine Admiral, without being able to salvage even a shred of dignity.
The humiliation sent Magellan’s anger soaring.
Unfortunately, before Magellan could make a move, Lucas had already taken a swig of strong liquor.
He spoke calmly.
"You’ve got three minutes left."
"You trash, I’m in a hurry to get off work. Whatever you’ve got, use it quickly."
"Otherwise, once my time is up, you’re out of luck."
Catarina and the others were stunned.
For prisoners confined here, one of the most torturous things was having no idea how time was passing.
But they also knew very well that whether it was Impel Down, Marine Headquarters, or even the World Government itself, none of them had any concept of getting off work.
So why was this newly appointed Admiral different?
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