•Black Hat•

•1•

We're in the calm belt, and somewhere in the middle you can spot the tip of the most feared prison in the world. Impel down. It has a total of six levels each one being worse than the other something that explains why the prisoners call them Hells. The first level is called Grimson Hell and it's for the least infamous criminals. The second one is called Wild Beast Hell and the third Starvation in which criminals with bounties over 50.000.000 berries are kept in near death state. The forth is named Blazing Hell and it's filled with lava (akainu's bathtub) while the level right beneath it, in a stark contrast, is freezing cold and it's called Frozen Hell. In these two levels criminals with bounties over 100.000.000 berries are tortured. And lastly we arrive to the sixth level, Internal Hell, where prisoners that have caused extremely atrocious crimes are kept.

And that's where I am. I'm Pearl a 16 year old girl with no criminal record who has already spend 8 years of her life in this dungeon. How do I know you'll wonder? Well... everyday I ask Magellan and he informs me of how many days, months and years I've spent in here. Right now I'm on 8 years two months and... I'm not quite sure about the days. I think it's 10.

Soon something will happen that is going to be the cause of my life changing completely.

• • •

All this time I was always alone. I stared at the ground without having anything in my mind. It was so plain empty that some moments I even thought I had forgotten how to speak. But sometimes, when I relaxed and paid attention to my breathing I would hear voices inside my head. That, used to make me scream in vain trying to make them go away. They were the voices of prisoners crying for mercy. But later on I learned to keep silent because the rest of the criminals that were being held with me would yell at me to shut up or make dirty comments that made me cry even more.

One day I heard my door being unlocked. I lifted my head while my eyes filled with hope. But it was only Magellan bringing in a prisoner. Quickly that hope turned into despair. At least all this time I didn't have to deal with all these scoundrels face to face. Magellan apologized but he promised me that this "varmint" wouldn't stay with me for long.

He cuffed his hands on the wall and left. Surprisingly though this person didn't look dangerous. He was a young man with black messy hair and a kind face. He looked like he would have a beautiful smile, but he was all beaten up so I was sure he wouldn't be smiling any time soon.

"Hello..." I said but my voice cracked so I wasn't sure whether he heard me or not. And either way I was too shy to address him again. 'There's no way he'll talk to you' I thought to myself and lowered my head again. But this silence drove me nuts! "Why are you here?" I said after gathering all the courage I had.

"I can't explain..." he mumbled.

"Then what's your name Pirate?" I asked him.

"How-" he asked and lifted his head to look at me.

"I saw the tattoo on your back. It looked like a skull so I thought..." I mumbled.

"Yeah you're right. I'm Ace... second division's commander in Whitebeards ship!" He muttered and lowered his head again.

"Who is this?" I asked and he chuckled.

"How is possible that you don't know. Do you leave under a rock?" He asked me and his words pierced my heart like a knife.

"Stupid". I hissed and turned my head the other way to avoid looking at him.

"Pff..." he groaned. "I'm not going to deal with your drama girl. I have enough of my own!" He muttered and I heard his chains clacking.

I wanted to tell him that it was useless but I decided it would be a waste of time.

Some time later that felt like an eternity to me, I started hearing these voices again. But this time I wasn't mentally prepared to deal with this in silence. I threw my head back and started screaming.

"GET OUT! STOP IT LET ME GO!" I cried in despair and the rest of the prisoners started yelling at me to go to hell! Tears filled my eyes, I just couldn't take it anymore. This was my daily torture!

"STUT UP ALL OF YOU!" Ace suddenly yelled and everyone lost consciousness. The voices disappeared too but I kept sobbing without being able to stop. "Are you okay?" He asked and I nodded negatively. "Why is even someone like you here?" He asked me. "I bet you aren't the most innocent girl existing!"

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

"What do you-"

"I DON'T KNOW" I yelled interrupting him. "I was just born in the wrong place the wrong time, from the wrong people. I didn't do anything! What could I possibly do? I was 8 when they locked me in here! Eight years of this madness and everyday I'm becoming even crazier. I just want to die!"

"Don't say that!" He hissed. "I'm going to be executed in a few days!" He admitted.

"Well I do feel sorry for you, but I actually hope I was in your place! And wait before you interrupt me! You have a reason why you want to live. You have people that love you and care about you, perhaps even a lover that awaits for you to return. I don't have any of this! Nobody remembers my existence apart from Magellan!"

"I don't have a lover-"

"Is that what annoyed you?!" I said and laughed.

"Don't laugh!" He hissed but left out a chuckle. "I'm going to die..." he said seriously and paused for a minute.

"Pearl!" I said after I realized he was waiting for me to tell him my name.

"I'm going to die Pearl!" He said and threw his head black.

"I'm sorry Ace... but why? What did you do?"