The world's largest prison, Impel Down.
"Ahhhhh!"
"No, please!"
Plop, plop
In the Baptism Room on the first floor of the sea level, a line of naked men and women, their faces filled with terror and despair, stood trembling in a long queue.
Every time they heard the splashing sound and the agonizing screams from the front, their bodies would involuntarily shiver.
Surrounding them were prison guards, wielding whips or firearms, watching their every move with expressionless faces.
The cold indifference in their eyes starkly contrasted with the steamy, sweltering atmosphere of the room.
At the front of the line, several prisoners hesitated, trembling and unwilling to take another step forward.
Because less than a meter ahead, there was no more path.
Below the edge was a massive black cauldron large enough to hold dozens of people.
Inside, boiling hot water churned, along with the desperate wails, contortions, and struggles of the 'Red Shrimp.'
"Get in."
At that moment, a burly prison guard, standing over two and a half meters tall, impatiently walked over.
With a loud thud, he kicked the terrified prisoners into the cauldron.
Then, with a single motion, he grabbed the neck of the next female prisoner.
Completely disregarding her alluring figure and frantic pleas for mercy, he casually tossed her into the boiling water.
"Ahhhhh!!"
On the other side of the massive cauldron, several guards holding what looked like fishing nets took turns scooping up the 'steaming Red Shrimp' who had been boiled unconscious.
They carelessly flung them onto the ground nearby.
There, others would dress them in clean striped prison uniforms before handing them over to another group of guards to be dragged to their respective floors and cells.
This was the entire Baptism process.
Surprisingly, none of the prisoners, after being 'sterilized' in the 100-degree Celsius boiling water for five minutes, had been scalded to death.
At worst, they passed out.
Some even managed to stagger out on their own, their bodies steaming, despite their continuous screams! However, as they walked, they couldn't help but glance back at a certain figure still sitting in the cauldron.
The guards around them did the same.
Their eyes filled with astonishment and even a hint of admiration, all focused on the figure sitting cross-legged in the boiling water, meditating with closed eyes.
Not only did he not make a single sound, but his expression was also remarkably calm.
It was as if he were here to enjoy a comfortable hot spring bath.
"Tsk tsk tsk, impressive, truly impressive. Why are so many strong individuals coming in lately? How many prisoners have treated the 'Baptism' as nothing now?"
"Let me think. Since last year, aside from the Pirate King Roger, who received special treatment and didn't undergo the Baptism or change into a prison uniform, there was 'Golden Lion' Shiki, 'Devil's Descendant' Bullet, and... ahem, our current colleagues Moria and Taklama."
The guards chatted and laughed among themselves.
They completely disregarded the prisoners who were continuously falling into the boiling water like dumplings, screaming in agony.
"And this one? What's his story?"
"Hmm... I heard he's 'Desert King' Crocodile, with a bounty of 320 million Berries, a Logia user of the Sand-Sand Fruit. Rumor has it he challenged that 'Whitebeard' two years ago and lost. No idea how he got caught, though."
"By the way, how much time does this guy have left?"
"Two minutes and twenty seconds."
Meanwhile, Crocodile, submerged in the boiling water, couldn't help but feel that life was unpredictable.
Everything had happened too quickly. To be honest, he still hadn't fully processed it all.
Two years ago, after becoming another silver-tier contender in the 'New World,' he had retreated from those waters, battered and bruised.
Since then, he had aimlessly wandered the major routes of 'Paradise.'
When he was hungry, he would dine and dash. If anyone challenged him, he would casually eliminate them. He truly lived as he pleased, unstoppable.
He didn't even need to use Haki; his abilities alone were enough to instantly crush these small fries.
Yet, deep down, he was tormented.
He began to doubt his own potential, wondering if he would ever become the strongest.
The overwhelming power displayed by 'Whitebeard' was simply too much.
Gradually, he came to believe that relying on his own strength was hopeless.
Until one day, a month ago.
He had overheard a rumor about the ancient weapon, the 'Dark King,' from an old con artist selling fake antiques in some kingdom.
The legend claimed that it could obliterate an entire island with a single shot. Instantly, Crocodile felt that if he could find it, he might stand a chance against 'Whitebeard.'
And then there was the military power!
Back in the day, the 'Admiral' of the Flying Pirate Fleet, 'Shiki' the Golden Lion, had surrounded the 'Pirate King' Roger with his massive fleet. If it hadn't been for that world-shaking storm, Roger and his crew might have been wiped out.
If he could make the 'Dark King' his flagship and command a million-strong army, forming an unprecedented fleet that far surpassed the Flying Pirate Fleet—such a tantalizing vision reignited his ambition.
With his goal clear once more, he began recruiting subordinates who he deemed somewhat useful while simultaneously investigating leads about the ancient weapon.
Finally, a relatively solid piece of intelligence pointed directly to the Kingdom of Alabasta! He even delved into the kingdom's history.
When he learned that its royal family was one of the twenty that had founded the World Government eight hundred years ago, he felt that everything he desired might be within his grasp.
Seven days ago, Crocodile arrived at the port city of 'Yuba' in this desert kingdom, accompanied by a crew he considered the least useless among the small fries.
They sailed in on an unremarkable white-sailed ship.
After a few hours of reconnaissance, they purchased a map of the kingdom, enough fresh water, food, and a dozen camels.
He had decided to cross the desert sea to reach the capital, 'Alubarna.'
"I'm starting to like this country. It's quite nice," Crocodile remarked as he rode his camel, with 'Yuba' fading behind him.
Ahead lay an endless expanse of golden desert, and above, the blazing sun radiated boundless light and heat.
Yet, he felt comfortable, his mood lifting considerably.
Behind him, his motley crew of subordinates, who looked like a bunch of misfits, overheard their boss's comment.
Sweating profusely in the scorching heat, they twitched their lips and silently cursed in their hearts:
"Of course you'd like it! A sandman in the desert—it's like a devil returning to hell. You're right at home!"
As they moved further away from Yuba,
and ventured deeper into the desert,
they crested a sand dune and saw a white figure ahead.
"What's that!"
"It looks like a white dot, completely still. What could be white in the desert?"
"It's a person!!"
As Crocodile and his crew continued to approach, someone finally got a clear view of the white figure.
It was a man nearly two meters tall, dressed in a white suit, white gloves, and a white top hat, with a white mask that completely covered his face.
Though they couldn't see his face, it was clear from the direction he was facing that he was waiting for them.
This raised their alertness and caution, and they quickly reined in their camels.
"He looks like he's here to cause trouble. What should we do?"