Getting into Glaive Prison turned out to be easier than... parking a ship at Mad Hat harbor. Strangely, there were no guards at the gate, no alarms, and no deadly traps. What they did find were loud voices, cheering, and the smell of broth wafting from behind the tall walls.
"I feel like... this is too easy," Juno whispered, hand gripping her sword.
"Easy? This is cheating. We haven't even snuck in yet, and I already got free noodles," Arthur replied, holding a bowl full of ramen he'd somehow acquired.
Peeking through a crack in the wall, they saw the prison's main courtyard. There, the entire security staff—from gatekeepers to the warden—was seated in a circle, hosting the 6th Annual Glaive Prison Mukbang Ramen Tournament. There was a commentator with a megaphone, a huge banner reading "Who Eats the Most Gets a Day Off!" and even... a dancing living noodle mascot.
"Is this a trap?" Juno asked, still suspicious.
"If it were, they wouldn't be serving ramen in buckets," Bastien said wisely. "Focus. Our target's in the west wing. Don't get caught. Don't get tempted to join the tournament."
Ravi raised his hand. "What if I disguise myself as a noodle pot?"
"One more word about disguises and we leave you here," Juno sighed.
Arthur immediately disguised himself as a "lost" inmate, complete with black-and-white striped clothes he'd found in the prop storage. He walked in, waving at the guards.
"Hello! I'm a weak, lonely criminal! Which cell has an ocean view?"
No one responded. They were all too busy stuffing their faces and cheering for their favorite contestants.
Ravi turned into a wooden chair. Unfortunately, a guard almost sat on him, prompting Ravi to cough. The guard only muttered, "Huh, this chair's alive, must be a bad omen," and moved to sit on a rock instead.
Bastien and Juno moved quickly through the corridors, occasionally dodging airborne noodles launched during chopstick duels between guards. One leftover chopstick stabbed into the wooden door frame right next to Juno's head.
"The world has gone insane," she muttered.
They finally reached the target cell—a dark room with rusted bars. Inside sat a woman in a tattered uniform, short blonde hair, eyes sharp like freshly sharpened kitchen knives, and a cut scar on her cheek.
"I'm Mia. Former Cipher Pol agent," she said coldly. "And you... are idiots."
Arthur appeared from behind, beaming. "We're your idiot rescuers. We come with a budget plan, bonus laughter, and 20% off if you join now!"
Mia rolled her eyes. "Then you'll be the first I use as bait if we get caught."
"Uh... negotiable?"
Bastien picked the lock with one of Ravi's hairpins—which turned out to be an actual nail.
"Ravi, since when is your hair hard as nails?"
"Since I started living with you guys."
With Mia behind them, they continued their escape. Ravi briefly disguised himself as a mop bucket, only to trip over himself because he forgot he had feet.
As they neared the exit, Bastien stared at a large door marked: "TOP SECRET DATA – DO NOT OPEN, SERIOUSLY DON'T"
"I... feel called," he whispered. "Doors with explicit warnings always hide the juiciest stuff."
"Bastien, don't—"
Too late. Bastien opened it. Inside was a large room filled with confidential documents, file stacks, and one table covered in cake. They turned to a pile labeled: "MOST WANTED LIST & TRAITOR AGENTS."
Bastien opened one folder and froze.
"Gerald Lazhar. Ex-Roger Pirate. Still alive. Last known location: Mad Hat Island."
Everyone turned. Even Mia.
"You... know him?" she asked softly.
"Sometimes," Arthur replied, his mouth full of stolen ramen. "When he's in the mood to kick people into the mast."
"And... this you?" Juno pointed at a photo of Ravi labeled: "Unidentified subject. Extremely odd. Possibly new species."
Ravi just smiled proudly. "I'm famous... for being weird."
Bastien grabbed the important documents, then looked at Mia. "You in? We've got a small ship, a crazy crew, food that's sometimes burnt, but... we're free."
Mia looked at each of them—Ravi wearing a bucket as a helmet, Arthur stuffing noodles into his pants, and Bastien cradling a bomb like a baby. She sighed. Then chuckled.
"You're idiots. But... I like that type."
They bolted out—and somehow, Bastien sat on his emergency detonator, using it as a butt cushion.
"Eh... I thought it was a bench."
"THAT'S A BOMB!!" everyone yelled in unison.
BOOM.
The explosion shook the sky. Arthur's hair tips caught fire. Ravi floated briefly like a dry leaf. Juno wrote in her notebook: Don't sit on anything Bastien brings.
They escaped to the ship, bringing with them one spy agent, top-secret world documents, and ramen that somehow stayed warm.
The Freebone Crew...
Now louder, crazier, and officially... more wanted.