"Ah, that guy used to be locked up here in Eternal Hell. But yesterday—or maybe the day before? You know how it is in this godforsaken place, time feels meaningless—anyway, the Marines came and took Fire Fist Ace away."
Crocodile cast a sidelong glance at Luffy, silently speculating about the relationship between Straw Hat and Fire Fist Ace.
Ace was the commander of Whitebeard's Second Division. Under normal circumstances, he shouldn't have any connection to Luffy… right?
"What?! Where did they take Ace?"
Luffy's shock quickly turned to fury. He and Sabo had fought their way into Impel Down, defeated the prison guards and Marines alongside their allies, only to now hear from Crocodile that the Navy had already taken Ace away!
"Who knows? But if they really want to go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates, he's probably being taken to Marineford for execution."
Crocodile sneered. To him, the Navy was far too arrogant. Whitebeard wasn't some frail old man who could be taken down easily.
And then there were the commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates—if the Navy thought they could simply wipe out Whitebeard's crew, they might just end up getting their teeth kicked in.
"Well then, Crocodile-boy, I assume you'll be helping us out? If the Navy really intends to make a move on Whitebeard…"
Ivankov's expression darkened briefly upon hearing that Ace had been taken away. But a moment later, he flashed his usual cheeky grin and spoke up.
"Hmph! Of course! If anyone is going to take Whitebeard's head, it'll be me!"
Crocodile lit a cigar, taking a deep drag. There was no way he'd let Whitebeard die at someone else's hands.
"Iva, I don't have time to waste here—I'm going to Marineford to save Ace!"
Luffy bolted toward the passageway, but Ivankov quickly blocked his path.
"Don't rush! We're going to rescue Ace too. The more people we have, the better, right?"
After some persuasion, Luffy finally stopped. Impulsive as he was, even he knew he couldn't save Ace alone.
If there were no allies, he would've gone without hesitation—but now that so many were willing to help, Luffy forced himself to calm down.
While the battle in Impel Down was coming to a close, and the Revolutionary Army was temporarily shutting down their transponder snails to contact their allies outside—
No one knew that, deep in the cargo hold of a battered, forgotten Marine warship, a lone Marine was clutching a transponder snail, desperately trying to dial Marineford.
And just as the den-den mushi with horns went silent—
The call connected.
BANG!
Fleet Admiral Sengoku slammed his desk so hard it shattered into pieces.
The strategic genius of the Marines was furious—so furious that he couldn't even contain his emotions.
Impel Down had been raided by the Revolutionary Army.
Warden Magellan was gravely injured.
The prison's guards had been completely overwhelmed.
More than sixty percent of the prisoners had been broken out and taken by the Revolutionary Army…
This was nothing short of a humiliation for the Navy.
And it came right as they were preparing to deal with Whitebeard.
Even if they managed to defeat the Whitebeard Pirates, their reputation would already be in shambles.
"What's Magellan's condition? Can the guards at least compile a list of the escaped prisoners?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke up.
In front of her, the transponder snail displayed the terrified face of the Marine on the other end—still hiding in the ship's cargo hold.
Because of the warship's severe damage, the Revolutionary Army and escaping prisoners had ignored it, assuming it was useless. That's how this Marine managed to survive.
"Y-Yes, ma'am! The doctors are treating Warden Magellan, but his injuries are severe. His whole body is still leaking poison, making treatment extremely difficult… As for the escaped prisoners, the number is too high—Deputy Warden Hannyabal is unconscious, so we can't get an exact count yet. But based on the prison's records, we estimate that around sixty percent of the inmates have escaped…"
The Marine's voice trembled. He had only enlisted two years ago—he never imagined he'd experience something like this.
"What's Vice Admiral Strawberry's condition?"
Sakazuki had just returned to Marine HQ, his voice as cold and hard as stone.
If Sengoku's reaction was anger, then Sakazuki was like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Even through the transponder snail, the Marine on the other end could feel the suffocating heat and pressure—it was scorching, almost burning his face.
"R-Report! Vice Admiral Strawberry has suffered a severe head injury—his skull is fractured…"
The Marine mustered every ounce of courage just to finish his report. By the time he did, he was drenched in sweat.
"I'll go myself…"
Vice Admiral Garp barely had time to finish speaking before Sakazuki cut him off.
"I'll go instead! I'll send those damn Revolutionaries and escaped prisoners straight to the bottom of the sea! Let them taste what it's like to be swallowed by magma!"
Sakazuki's voice was filled with rage. Vice Admiral Strawberry wasn't just his subordinate—he was a like-minded comrade.
Even within the already aggressive Hawk Faction of the Marines, few were as extreme as Sakazuki and Strawberry—men who believed that pirates should be eliminated by any means necessary.
Strawberry's severe injuries weren't just a slap to the Navy's face; they were a direct insult to Sakazuki himself.
Garp hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn't argue. The only reason he had volunteered was because he'd heard that Straw Hat Luffy was involved in the attack on Impel Down.
Garp was already destined to lose Ace—he didn't want to lose his other grandson as well.
But duty reminded him that he couldn't show favoritism to pirates, even if one of them was his own flesh and blood.
Of course, that was easy to say from a distance. If he were to stand face to face with Luffy, Garp wasn't sure if he could truly hold the line.
"Sakazuki, stand down."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku finally spoke after a long silence.
To everyone's surprise, he didn't assign the mission to Sakazuki—he turned to the man who had remained quiet the entire time.
"Kizaru, I want you to go."
A major crisis like the attack on Impel Down required a Marine Admiral to take charge. Of course, Vice Admiral Garp or Vice Admiral Tsuru also had the authority to handle it.
But what mattered most was how the situation would be handled in a way that minimized damage to the Navy's reputation.
With Ace's execution drawing near, the threat of the Whitebeard Pirates loomed larger than ever. Opening up a second battlefield against the Revolutionary Army and escaped prisoners was not a wise move.
If Sakazuki went after them and failed to catch up, it wouldn't be a big deal. But if he did catch up, it would turn into an all-out battle to the death.
Even if the Marines won, they would suffer heavy casualties. Worse still, the damage had already been done—the world would remember that Impel Down had been breached.
It wouldn't matter how the Marines retaliated afterward. The only thing that would stick in people's minds was that the world's most secure prison had been broken into.
Kizaru, on the other hand, would only take action if he was absolutely certain of success.
His top priority would be to restore order at Impel Down as quickly as possible—ensuring that no one else got any bright ideas about attacking the prison.
"Alright, leave it to me."
Kizaru scratched his head. To be honest, he was still puzzled about where Kuma had sent Luffy.
At first, he had worried that Boa Hancock might take advantage of the situation. But surprisingly, Kuma had sent Luffy straight to Dragon's territory.
That move had been… unexpected.
And now, Dragon himself had led Luffy in an assault on Impel Down?
Was this really the same Dragon he knew?
"Hurry back once you're done. I'm moving up Fire Fist Ace's execution."
Sengoku's eyes burned with fury. Once the Marines took down the Whitebeard Pirates, their next target would be the Revolutionary Army.
"Hmm, I'll wrap things up quickly."
Kizaru stood up, preparing to board the fastest available warship to Impel Down.
If everything went smoothly, he could arrive before dawn.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I request permission to accompany Admiral Kizaru to Impel Down!"
At that moment, Vice Admiral Gion stood up and spoke. She wanted to recapture as many escaped prisoners as possible before they could flee too far.
If too much time passed, tracking them down would become nearly impossible.
"Go. Once Impel Down is secured, you won't need to return immediately. You'll be in charge of leading a team to hunt down the escaped prisoners."
Sengoku deliberated for a moment before giving the order, though he wasn't entirely happy about it.
A Marine Admiral's strength couldn't be wasted on chasing escaped prisoners. But losing one Vice Admiral wouldn't significantly impact the upcoming war.
If Gion could capture even a fraction of the escapees, it would be something.
"Yes, sir! I won't let you down!"
Gion was overjoyed. Every prisoner recaptured meant hundreds—if not thousands—of innocent civilians saved.
"Perfect. I'll hitch a ride on your ship."
Kizaru patted Gion's head, approving of her decision.
As the two left, Sengoku finally allowed himself to exhale.
With Kizaru and Gion working together, they should be able to stabilize the situation at Impel Down.
Now, he could focus entirely on Whitebeard.
"Get me a direct line to Mary Geoise. I need to speak with the Five Elders."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Sengoku decided to be cautious.
The Revolutionary Army's sudden move was too suspicious.
And with the power of the escaped prisoners added to the mix, they now had enough strength to shake Marineford's foundations.
In this situation, Sengoku needed every possible advantage.
No matter how many schemes were at play, absolute power would always be the final deciding factor.
---
Impel Down, Level 4
Inside the Warden's office, a group of doctors in full-body protective suits and gas masks checked on Magellan's condition at regular intervals.
Facing an onslaught from Dragon, Ivankov, Belo Betty, Morley, Lindbergh, and Karasu all at once, Magellan had fought with everything he had.
Even in Impel Down—an environment that suited his abilities perfectly—he was still ultimately overwhelmed.
Fortunately for him, Dragon hadn't intended to kill him. Instead, Magellan was left critically wounded but alive, with prison guards assigned to tend to him.
Both his arms had been shattered, one of them twisted unnaturally. His body was covered in deep gashes, as if sliced apart by countless blades. His usually stern face was now a mangled mess of blood and torn flesh, barely recognizable.
By all rights, Magellan shouldn't have been defeated so quickly, even if he wasn't a match for Dragon.
But in his near-berserk state, he had thrown himself into battle without regard for his own survival. Though he caused plenty of trouble for the Revolutionary Army, his recklessness nearly cost him his life.
"How is the Warden?"
Outside the office, a bruised and tattered Sadi stood watch. Most of Impel Down's gas masks had been taken by the Revolutionaries due to their own supply shortages.
The few remaining masks had to be reserved for the doctors, so Sadi could only wait outside anxiously.
"Warden Magellan is incredibly resilient. He's out of immediate danger. As long as he receives proper treatment, he should regain consciousness soon."
The prison doctor removed his mask, speaking with deep respect. Magellan had served in Impel Down for decades, his conduct and strength unquestionable.
He was, without a doubt, the most respected Warden in the prison's history.
Even the newer staff members looked up to him.
"That's a relief… as long as he's okay."
Sadi and the other guards standing watch let out a collective sigh of relief. If even Magellan had died, they wouldn't have known what to do.
"Marines incoming! Admiral Kizaru is on his way and will arrive at Impel Down soon!"
A group of excited guards from Level 1 rushed in with the news. They had finally managed to restore the prison's communication lines, which had been severed by the Revolutionary Army.
"This is great!"
"Admiral Kizaru himself is coming!"
"Those damn Revolutionaries! If they hadn't cut off our signals…"
The guards, still shaken from their ordeal, cheered while cursing their attackers.
"Let's go. We should be there to welcome Admiral Kizaru."
Domino, regaining her composure, took charge. She hadn't been strong enough to fight to the end and had ended up as a Revolutionary Army captive.
But because of that, she wasn't as severely injured as the others and was still capable of organizing the remaining guards.
Under her leadership, the surviving prison staff hurried toward Level 1 to greet their reinforcements.
Strictly speaking, Impel Down wasn't under direct Marine command.
But in a crisis like this, nobody cared about technicalities.
"Salute!"
Despite their injuries, the guards stood at attention as Kizaru and Gion stepped off the warship.
"Ohhh, no need to be so tense… who's in charge here now?"
Kizaru's tone was as casual as ever.
"Sir! Acting Warden, Vice Warden Domino, reporting!"
Domino stepped forward, doing her best to maintain her composure.
As Kizaru took in the sight of the tall, blonde woman before him, his eyes lit up.
But before he could make a comment, he felt a sharp, dangerous glare from behind him.
"Ahem… you've done well. How's Warden Magellan?"
°°°
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