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Magellan knew his request was bold and likely to be denied, but he still made one last attempt to persuade him.
However, Graeme gave a firm response, leaving no room for further discussion.
"Not a chance."
With that, he and his team pushed through the crowd and headed toward the door.
"Wait, Captain of CP0, let's sit down and talk—"
"We don't want this to escalate. Give us a chance to make it right."
"As long as you agree, all the female prisoners in Impel Down will be at your disposal, should any catch your eye."
"Our director has been in contact with the Marines and promised to round up all those pirates."
"This is just a small favor. If you agree, all of us will owe you."
Not only Magellan but also the other senior officials were trying their best to stop him.
At this moment, they were utterly humbled for the sake of Impel Down's reputation.
It was obvious that everyone felt uncomfortable. Usually, this kind of desperate attitude came from pirate prisoners hoping to avoid torture, but today the roles were reversed.
Despite the humiliation, they kept trying.
Even Deputy Director Hannyabal, who had always coveted the position of director, was making his best effort to retain Graeme for Impel Down's sake.
But unfortunately for them, someone who could rise to the rank of CP0 captain wasn't easily swayed.
Graeme didn't stop.
He had already decided to report everything to the Five Elders once he returned to Mariejois.
As the CP0 members walked away, the wardens of Impel Down watched with heavy hearts.
Magellan slumped helplessly in his chair.
He could already foresee that he would go down as the director with the shortest and most humiliating term in 800 years.
Impel Down, too, would be branded with shame, viewed with disdain for a long time to come.
The disgrace was inevitable.
After all, pirates breaking out of Impel Down from the inside and escaping successfully was akin to pirates storming Marineford, the headquarters of the Marines, and escaping unscathed after facing powerful forces like Fleet Admiral Akira.
If such an event occurred, Fleet Admiral Akira and the entire Marine force would be ridiculed by the world.
If that were the case for the Marines, how much worse would it be for Impel Down and its director?
Squeak.
The door creaked open.
Magellan, staring down at the ground, suddenly noticed something strange.
Why had everything gone so quiet?
The footsteps had stopped. Weren't the CP0 members about to leave?
Magellan looked up in confusion.
Everyone was standing silently, but the way to the door was blocked by a tall figure.
"Fleet Admiral Akira…"
"Y-You…"
Graeme was clearly shocked by the sudden appearance of Akira.
He instinctively began to kneel in respect but quickly caught himself.
This wasn't an empty space. Behind him were the staff of Impel Down.
What would they think if they saw the Captain of CP0, the elite intelligence agency of the Five Elders, kneeling before the Fleet Admiral of the Marines?
If word of this reached the Five Elders, everything would fall apart.
Graeme quickly stopped himself and signaled for his members to do the same.
"Fleet Admiral Akira, long time no see," Graeme greeted him, doing his best to remain composed.
"Ah, long time no see," Akira responded with a smile and a nod.
But Akira wasn't here for pleasantries. After exchanging those brief words, his focus shifted to Magellan.
"Fleet Admiral Akira, I'm glad you're here, but..." Magellan began, taking the initiative to greet him.
The sudden appearance of Akira, who was supposed to be busy at Marineford, signaled that the Marines were willing to entertain Magellan's personal request. Normally, this would have lifted his spirits, but Graeme's firm refusal had already dashed his hopes.
With CP0 unwilling to cooperate, even Marine assistance in capturing Golden Lion Shiki and the other escaped prisoners wouldn't make a difference.
Magellan's face showed his disinterest.
Noticing this, Akira narrowed his eyes slightly. Adjusting his glasses thoughtfully, he then turned to Graeme with a soft smile.
"Shall we talk?" Akira asked.
"Of course," Graeme agreed without hesitation.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Akira and Graeme moved to a corner for a private conversation.
"Fleet Admiral Akira, what's going on?" Deputy Director Hannyabal scratched his head, clearly confused by Akira's decision to pull Graeme aside.
Not just Hannyabal, but the other wardens, including Magellan, looked over with puzzled expressions.
Suddenly, someone in the room muttered, "Do you think Fleet Admiral Akira is planning to negotiate with CP0 on our behalf and ask them to reconsider?"
The moment those words were spoken, everyone's expressions froze.
While common sense told them it was unlikely—after all, even if the Marines wanted to help, they wouldn't go that far—it left them wondering. Agreeing to quietly capture the escaped pirates was already a big favor. Could Akira really be willing to go the extra mile and ask CP0 for leniency on their behalf?
It seemed far-fetched, but the thought lingered in the air.
No one in the room believed that their relationship with the Marines was strong enough to expect such intervention.
Even Magellan had the same thought. If it were Sakazuki, who had a close rapport with the Marines, maybe it would be possible.
But Fleet Admiral Akira…
Despite their doubts, everyone couldn't help but hold on to a sliver of hope.
Maybe…
Maybe he really was there to help.
"Let's hope," Magellan muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, Akira and Graeme had stopped in a far-off corner, well away from where anyone could overhear them. Contrary to what Magellan and the others imagined, Akira wasn't begging Graeme for leniency.
"My lord, what are your orders?" Graeme asked, his tone now respectful.
Akira took two cigars from his pocket, offering one to Graeme before lighting his own. Wasting no time, he went straight to the heart of the matter.
"The Five Elders don't know about the Impel Down jailbreak yet, do they?" Akira asked.
"No, sir," Graeme replied. "I received word in Mariejois that there was unrest here and that our forces suffered heavy casualties. I came immediately, but I haven't had time to report it yet."
Graeme held the unlit cigar in his hand, his mask preventing him from lighting it. His tone remained as formal as if he were reporting directly to the Five Elders.
"My original plan was to assess the situation here before reporting anything."
Akira, narrowing his eyes slightly, flicked the ash from his cigar before continuing.
"Keep this quiet. Do not report the full situation to the Five Elders," he instructed firmly.