Impel Down, the world’s greatest prison.
Located in the Calm Belt of the first half of the Grand Line, its security is extraordinarily tight.
This prison houses dangerous criminals and is a place of eerie terror. It is filled with various beast guards and monitored by visual Den Den Mushi.
The structure of Impel Down is a massive tower submerged in the sea, with its foundation deep underwater. Due to its location in the Calm Belt, it is surrounded by gigantic Sea Kings and protected by a fleet of Marine warships.
Within the dark sections of the prison, there are various cells and interrogation rooms for the inmates. These cells are made of Seastone to prevent prisoners with Devil Fruit abilities from escaping.
Additionally, the underwater area outside the prison is teeming with large Sea Kings, giving Impel Down its reputation as an impregnable fortress.
Since its establishment, no prisoner has ever successfully escaped from Impel Down.
For this reason, it is known as the world’s greatest prison.
However, the myth of this prison will soon be shattered as a formidable figure is about to break out from here.
He is the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki, a man who once arrogantly sought to recruit the Pirate King and only survived thanks to a storm.
If not for that storm, there might not have been a Pirate King, or even if there were, it would not have been Gol D. Roger.
Moreover, Golden Lion Shiki was a man who ruled the skies.
His Devil Fruit ability was catastrophic, and combined with his mastery of all three types of Haki and great swordsmanship, it made him a top-tier figure.
To this day, many people do not understand why the Marines do not execute these pirates upon capture but instead waste countless resources to build such a massive fortress.
The purpose of Impel Down is unique and essential.
The primary goal is deterrence. Imprisoning infamous pirates here for eternity serves as a punishment more terrifying than death.
Sometimes, death is not the scariest thing; what’s more frightening is endless torture with no hope in sight. Entering this prison signifies being cut off from the world, accompanied by solitude and despair. Moreover, the tortures in Impel Down are unimaginable.
When even the most notorious pirates are locked up here with no hope of escape, it is a stark warning to other pirates, proclaiming the authority of the World Government and the Marines.
Another reason is containment. Impel Down houses many Devil Fruit users. If the Marines were to execute them, their Devil Fruits would reincarnate elsewhere, possibly falling into the hands of other pirates.
By imprisoning these Devil Fruit users, they can prevent the fruits from reappearing worldwide, thus reducing the number of ability users in the seas. While the effect might not be immediate, it is effective in the long run.
The most crucial reason is research. Every criminal entering Impel Down is an excellent research subject. Instead of killing them, they can be used for scientific advancements.
Given the tenacity of these criminals, any research breakthrough could be significant for the World Government.
Impel Down officially has six levels, each with its unique meaning and torture methods.
The first level, Crimson Hell, involves piercing.
The second level, Beast Hell, involves exhaustion.
The third level, Starvation Hell, involves hunger and thirst.
The fourth level, Blazing Hell, involves burning.
The fifth level, Freezing Hell, involves extreme cold.
The sixth level, Eternal Hell, involves despair.
When prisoners enter Impel Down, they first undergo a ritual on the surface level, where they are “cleansed” in boiling water at 100°C.
The ultimate purpose of Impel Down is to break the spirit of all prisoners, turning them into soulless enslaved people similar to those outside.
Once their will is broken, some prisoners are sent to three common destinations:
The first is being brainwashed and turned into members of other World Government organizations, often used for assassination, cannon fodder, and various dark missions. If discovered, the World Government can easily discard them.
This creates a significant force valued by the World Government.
The second is the laborer kingdom.
The laborer kingdom is a nation on a bridge in the East Blue, where people from non-World Government nations and criminals are forced to labor on building the bridge.
Many of Impel Down’s prisoners are also sent there.
The third is being used as research subjects.
Thus, Impel Down doesn’t offer prisoners a quick death but instead uses them as enslaved people or expendable resources.
If there is a hell, it must be Impel Down.
Within Impel Down, prisoners endure constant torture, leading some to go insane or suffer mental breakdowns.
New prisoners often face bullying from older inmates.
Though the new prisoners suffer severely, the old prisoners fare even worse. Guards frequently kill or maim prisoners for the slightest infractions.
Boiling, stabbing, insect bites, beheading, and mauling by beasts—Impel Down is like the eighteen levels of hell, mirroring the horrors of the actual hell.
Darkness, cruelty, and madness are rampant, with humanity lost.
Prisoners often go mad under the torment, while the guards become even more ruthless.
Therefore, Impel Down is also called the Asylum Prison, as any criminal sent there eventually becomes deranged.
Only a few know the true purpose of Impel Down. Given the massive investment by the World Government, the benefits must outweigh the costs.
In Eternal Hell’s sixth level, only the most notorious individuals are imprisoned, those erased from history for their heinous crimes.
The prisoners here are legendary figures sentenced to death or life imprisonment. Their deeds are so horrific that the government covers them up, erasing their existence from newspapers.
Effectively, they are erased from history, and the world forgets about them after ten or twenty years.
In this place, prisoners endure endless darkness, solitude, and despair.
For those who once ruled regions or were mighty conquerors, being forgotten is the most severe punishment.
Several months ago, a significant figure was imprisoned here: Baloric Redfield.
Recently, another kingly figure arrived: Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King.
The transfer process was smooth. Despite the escort slowing their pace, the journey was uneventful, with no one attempting a rescue.
This left the well-prepared Marines feeling frustrated.
Become a Patron read up to 40 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
