In the dungeon, numerous Marines from Sladepar Base huddled dejectedly in corners.

They hadn't eaten for days, they shit and pee within their cells.

Though the climate wasn't hot, the sea breeze made the dungeon unbearably humid.

The oppressive moisture caused constant sweating, compounded by the stench of human waste with no ventilation.

The air was putrid beyond description.

A fat Marine leaned against the wall, tear tracks staining his face as he gazed at their imprisoned commander in a separate cell.

His voice cracked with despair.

"Commander... will we survive this?"

The tearful question hung heavily over all the captive Marines.

Deep down, they knew the answer—given their crimes, survival was unlikely.

But no one wants to face such questions, right?

"I... I don't know."

After the last shred of illusion was shattered by the branch commander Slixus, the emotions of everyone present completely collapsed.

The fat marine who had tearfully questioned Slixus earlier was now bashing his head against the iron prison door.

"Tell me! Tell me! Why did you lead us to this depravity?! When I first joined the Marines, it was to eliminate all those damned Pirates! Why did you make me sink this low? Answer me!"

In moments of utter despair, people instinctively shift blame onto others to seek some psychological comfort.

But clearly, Slixus had no patience for this marine's behavior.

He simply stared coldly at the man, his voice cold.

"I didn't drag any of you down to hell. I merely opened the door. You're the ones who willingly followed me, step by step, into this abyss! Every footprint along the way is yours—no one forced you! You came here of your own free will!"

By the end, Slixus's voice trembled with suppressed fury.

Hell had descended upon them, and there was no escape.

How he wished he'd never opened that infernal gate in the first place!

When he'd joined the Marines, his noble ideals had been no less lofty than anyone else's here!

"This hell was created by you and me together—even this place! Take you, for example!"

Slixus turned his fierce gaze towards the fat marine who'd been complaining and snarl.

"Have you forgotten? Who was it that ensured this dungeon has no ventilation? Who proposed eliminating the sewage system?"

"It was you, Ogg! You told me prisoners and slaves don't need air or toilets—that merely letting them live was mercy enough! You said these criminals and unlucky wretches deserved no pity! That we shouldn't see them as human, just commodities for promotion and tools for our pleasure!

Your exact words: 'No ventilation makes it warmer—they should thank us for not letting them freeze to death!' And: 'No toilets forces prisoners to accept each other, reducing riots!' These were your ideas! Have you forgotten?!"

Each accusation silenced the complaining marine.

Now Slixus, as if triggered, turned his fury toward another tall, thin marine and roared.

"And you, Tuo! Have you forgotten? Who was the first to agree to collaborate with the slave traders? Who took the initiative to persuade everyone? Who contacted the slave traders first, and who was the first to distribute their money among us?! Who helped the slave traders pass the marines inspections, and who abused their authority to capture slaves?! Wasn't that you?"

"Do you think I don't know? Over the years, how many slaves have you captured in that uniform of yours?! A total of 138 people—am I wrong? Every time you caught someone, you received 100,000 Berries, right? But what if I told you those slave traders resold them for 2 million Berries or more? Would that upset you? And what if I told you they actually paid you 500,000 Berries, but I pocketed 400,000 of it?"

As Slixus revealed these truths, everyone was stunned, especially the man named Tuo.

Upon learning that 400,000 of his 500,000 Berries had been embezzled, he flew into a rage.

Forgetting he was in a dungeon and that Slixus was still his superior, he roared.

"You bastard! Give me back my money! Return every last Berry! If I'd had that much, would I have needed to stoop so low as to capture innocent civilians? You scum! You created this hell for me—it was the money you stole that dragged me into this!"

In response, Slixus only laughed hoarsely, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery.

"You're pathetic, Tuo. Do you really think I didn't know where your money went? Shall I tell you? The underground casino at No. 37, Queen's Street, in the Kingdom of Leox. You lost a fortune there, didn't you?"

"I know that casino. They specialize in loan-sharking. They lure people in with easy wins, then rig the final game to make them lose everything they've gained—plus their original stake. The smart ones walk away. The fools, the desperate ones, borrow from the casino and keep playing until they're penniless and drowning in debt."

"That's where your money vanished, wasn't it?"

Tuo stared at Slixus in horror, stammering.

"H-how did you know? No one else should've known about this!"

Slixus grinned faintly and whispered.

"What if I told you that the game you played was my trap all along?"

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