"Charge! Take down anyone who dares to stop us!"
"I'm going to kill all those damn jailers!"
"Damn Marines! Bet you never thought I'd make it out of this hell alive!"
...
The impatient prisoners surged forward, flooding into the passage leading to Level 5.
If not for the last shred of reason left in them and the fear of each other's strength, they might have started fighting among themselves right there.
"We don't have any other choice now, do we? Our only hope is that guy wearing him down a bit. Hopefully, he can at least leave him with a little parting gift."
Shiryu gripped his sword tightly and followed the group into the passage.
The first wave of prisoners soon rushed into Level 5, only to be met with a massive ice mountain, built from countless frozen blocks, and a large hole in the ceiling where sunlight poured in.
Prisoners who hadn't seen the sun in who knows how long immediately went into a frenzy, completely ignoring Kizaru standing in front of the ice mountain as they charged toward the light.
"Wow, such enthusiasm. Let me give you all a proper welcome… Yasakani no Magatama."
Kizaru casually raised his hand. To ordinary people, the prisoners locked up in Level 6 were monsters. But to Kizaru? Maybe Barrett barely qualified. The rest weren't even worth calling small fry.
Zing! Zing! Zing! Zing! Zing!
Countless light bullets pierced through the prisoners' bodies in an instant. Even though Kizaru wasn't particularly serious, a casual attack from him wasn't something these small fry could withstand.
In just the blink of an eye, over a dozen prisoners in the front fell.
Those behind them either used Observation Haki to dodge in time or relied on decent Armament Haki to barely withstand a few shots. A few lucky ones managed to survive.
One prisoner, apparently a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, transformed into a massive berserk bear, trying to tank the attack head-on.
Unfortunately for him, his defense wasn't enough. His Zoan fruit wasn't awakened, meaning he lacked the near-immortal regenerative ability of awakened Zoans. He was simply torn apart, his body riddled with holes.
"A shame, really. Such a fine pelt… If I had skinned it first and sent it to the auction house in Sabaody, it could've fetched a few million Berries at least."
Kizaru sighed regretfully at the ruined bear carcass. He had reacted too quickly to stop himself.
Of course, he could have used his speed to substitute the attack, but a simple pelt wasn't worth the trouble.
"This guy…"
"As expected of a Marine monster!"
"Damn it! Did he get even stronger?!"
...
The prisoners hesitated, stopping in their tracks.
To the common jailers, these escapees from Level 6 were ruthless, mass-murdering monsters.
But to Kizaru? They were nothing. Ignoring the ones not even worth mentioning, there were only a handful who could provide even the slightest amusement. The rest? Even if they all attacked together, they wouldn't be enough for him to break a sweat.
"As I thought… Barrett was never your match... Damn it! If only that idiot had listened to me..."
Shiryu glanced at the completely devastated Freezing Hell. He had to admit—Barrett was even stronger than he had expected.
If that guy had just agreed to work together instead of charging in alone, they might have actually had a shot at taking Kizaru down.
"Hey, um... That guy over there with the big chin, what was your name again?"
Kizaru's gaze landed on Shiryu. Among the bizarrely dressed prisoners, Shiryu, who was still dressed like a proper officer, stood out.
Honestly, Kizaru did have some impression of Shiryu. But after decades in this world, remembering a random prison warden wasn't exactly his priority.
"Shiryu. Shiryu of the Rain."
Shiryu wasn't angry that Kizaru had forgotten his name. In fact, he felt relieved.
If Kizaru didn't remember him, that meant he hadn't considered him a real threat. Maybe, just maybe, he could use that to slip away unnoticed.
"Doesn't really matter what your name is. You and this bunch of fish bait better march back to your cells. Killing this many at once is a pain."
Kizaru sighed, sounding genuinely annoyed.
Impel Down wasn't just a place to imprison notorious pirates. More importantly, it served as a way to restrict the number of Devil Fruit users in the world.
Nearly two-thirds of the prisoners escaping from Level 6 were Devil Fruit users.
Since Devil Fruits reappear randomly in the world after their user dies, if Kizaru wiped them all out, in just a short while, over a hundred new Devil Fruits would start appearing across the seas.
If it were just basic Zoan-type Fruits, that wouldn't be too concerning.
But there were terrifying abilities like the Float-Float Fruit, the Press-Press Fruit, and even a Fruit similar to Newgate's. As long as their users weren't completely incompetent, these abilities could cause massive trouble for the Marines.
Not to mention Logia Fruits, or even rarer Mythical Zoans.
In a way, Impel Down wasn't imprisoning pirates—it was imprisoning Devil Fruits.
"You bastard! How dare you look down on us like that?!"
"Let's show him what we can do!"
"He can't stop all of us alone!"
…
Most of the Level 6 prisoners weren't exactly known for their patience. Seeing Kizaru's blatant disregard, they erupted like gunpowder barrels.
But after all the shouting, nobody actually stepped forward. The scene turned awkward.
They weren't stupid.
First, the "Demon Heir" Douglas Barrett had been killed without a sound. Then, over a dozen prisoners were slaughtered in seconds. No matter how arrogant they were, they had some self-awareness.
Many of them had even been captured by Kizaru himself in the past. Those who had already experienced his power were cowering at the back, too afraid to meet his gaze.
Clang!
Seeing the hesitation, Shiryu suddenly unsheathed his sword and slashed apart a nearby ice formation.
"Do you want to rot in a cell for the rest of your lives?! Look at that sunlight! Think about the ocean beyond Impel Down! If we kill this monster, nothing can stop us from being free!"
Shiryu shouted, trying to reignite their fighting spirit. He wasn't about to let their escape fail at the final hurdle.
"Gyurururu… I'm not going back to that rat-infested hellhole!"
"Ahahaha! I wanna drink more booze!"
"Hmph. A man like me dying here? Unthinkable, meow!"
…
Catarina Devon, Vasco Shot, and Avalo Pizarro stepped forward. With their leadership, the other prisoners began to steady themselves.
"Kizaru, if you let me go, I'll help you capture all of them."
Just as the prisoners were preparing for battle, Redfield suddenly spoke up.
While the others were entranced by the sunlight, he had sensed something terrifying through the hole in the ceiling—an overwhelming force that could erase him from existence.
Using his extraordinary Observation Haki, Redfield could even visualize how he would fare against such power… and the result was grim.
"Have you lost your mind?! Why the hell would he let you go?!"
Shiryu was dumbfounded.
This was the consequence of being too focused on brute force. If Kizaru were in his place, he'd probably say, 'We were ready to die fighting—why are you surrendering first, Your Majesty?'
Redfield was the undisputed leader of the Level 6 prisoners. Only "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World could match him.
Unfortunately, World wasn't exactly sane. All he cared about was blowing up Marineford, not the Marine standing right in front of him.
And now their strongest leader was throwing in the towel before the fight even started? The prisoners didn't know how to react.
"Idiot."
Redfield snorted, ignoring Shiryu, and fixed his gaze on Kizaru, waiting for an answer.
"You're 'Aloof Red,' right? If I remember correctly, you were the last big shot captured by Fleet Admiral Kong. Hah… I used to work under Kong, you know. Maybe if you just go back to your cell willingly, I can put in a good word and get you a better living space?"
Kizaru was momentarily stunned by Redfield's shamelessness.
For a split second, he considered taking the deal—let Redfield help capture the others, then arrest him again afterward.
Fortunately, what little integrity he had stopped him.
"You'll regret this!"
Redfield's pale face darkened as he gripped his sword.
"All together! Kill him!"
Shiryu cursed and shouted.
A red blur shot toward Kizaru's throat at lightning speed.
"Tenrō no Tsurugi!"
Kizaru drew a lightsaber from the void and slashed straight toward the red figure ahead.
Clang!
The red figure suddenly halted in midair. Ledfield gripped his umbrella sword tightly, exerting force in an attempt to overpower Kizaru.
An umbrella sword was not suited for slashing. Even when imbued with Armament Haki, its primary attack method remained thrusting.
But Ledfield was proud and arrogant—he didn't believe he would lose in a contest of strength against Kizaru.
"You really are an arrogant guy. No wonder Vice Admiral Garp looks down on you, saying you're not worthy of leaving your name in history…"
The moment their blades clashed, Kizaru saw through Redfield's thoughts and couldn't help but laugh.
Leaving aside whether Redfield even had the qualifications to challenge him in strength, the fact that this guy had been imprisoned in Level 6 of Impel Down for more than twenty years and still insisted on using an ability he wasn't proficient in—Kizaru found it laughable.
Not everyone was like Barrett, who trained relentlessly even while locked away in prison, persisting with courage and determination for over two decades.
Perhaps Redfield had been determined when he was first thrown into Impel Down, but judging by the sharpness and force of his blade now, it was clear he hadn't lasted long before giving up on himself.
Otherwise, no matter how strong Kizaru was, this fight wouldn't have been this easy.
"Garp just got lucky! If we fought again, I would never fall into his hands!"
Redfield roared. Being captured and locked away in Impel Down due to exhaustion and defeat was a reality he still couldn't come to terms with.
Because of that loss, he was imprisoned in the Great Deep-Sea Prison, spending decades in Level 6—Eternal Hell!
The pain of defeat, the loss of freedom, the feeling of growing weaker day by day while being powerless to stop it…
He had had enough of Eternal Hell. Even if he died this time, he would break out of Impel Down!
"Too bad Fleet Admiral Kong has already been promoted to Commander-in-Chief. Otherwise, I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you another fight. But this time, you wouldn't be his match."
Kizaru began exerting more strength. Without even getting serious, he easily overwhelmed Redfield, his lightsaber's blade about to fall upon Redfield's neck.
"Mo Mo—Hundredfold—Flying Dagger!"
At that moment, a flying dagger shot toward Kizaru. Normally, such a weapon would pose no threat to an admiral, but if it were imbued with Armament Haki—its speed, power, and even size multiplied a hundredfold…
Clang!
Kizaru kicked Redfield away and swung his lightsaber at the massive flying dagger, which was now the size of a giant siege hammer.
Although World had infused it with Armament Haki, he wasn't even at the level of a swordmaster, let alone a true great swordsman. His Haki wasn't as strong as Barrett's either. The dagger shattered into pieces upon impact.
"Aye heh heh—Liquor Firestorm!"
Big Drinker Vasco Shot took a deep swig of liquor and sprayed it toward Kizaru. The alcohol mist ignited instantly, turning into an intense blaze surging toward him.
As the flames surged, an inconspicuous prisoner clapped his hands onto the ground.
"Spider Web Bind!"
There were no weaklings in Eternal Hell. This one was clearly a Paramecia-type Net-Net Fruit user who had already awakened his Devil Fruit.
Under his power, both soil and stone transformed into massive nets, descending upon Kizaru from above.
"Poison Scales!"
Another prisoner, a Zoan-type Moth-Moth Fruit user, transformed into an enormous moth, scattering vibrant, toxic scales into the air.
As the poisonous scales descended into the fire, they ignited instantly, further intensifying the flames and completely engulfing Kizaru's location.
"Did he die?"
Seeing Kizaru swallowed by the toxic flames, many prisoners showed hopeful expressions.
If it had been them ensnared in the net and then consumed by deadly flames, even the strongest among them would have no chance of survival.
"Idiots."
Shiryu couldn't help but curse. These prisoners had been in Eternal Hell so long that their brains had rotted.
Did they really think such a simple method could kill a Marine admiral? If not for needing their help to escape Impel Down, Shiryu wouldn't have wanted to associate with this bunch of fools for even a second.
Boom!
Before Shiryu could warn them not to lower their guard, the area covered in toxic fire exploded violently. Chaotic air currents, infused with poison and searing flames, burst outward.
Prisoners who failed to dodge were caught in the blast, their bodies incinerated before they could even scream.
But not everyone was so weak. Shiryu swung his sword in a flurry, blocking everything that flew toward him.
Redfield's umbrella sword moved so fast it left afterimages, shattering every incoming flame.
World took a deep breath, his chest expanding greatly. Then, using his Mo Mo Fruit, he magnified his exhale a hundredfold, transforming it into a powerful gust that blew away the toxic fire.
The remaining prisoners also showcased their abilities—some dodging, some blocking with Devil Fruit powers, while most simply relied on Armament Haki to withstand the blast.
"Hmm… You guys actually have some tricks up your sleeves. I guess I'll get a bit more serious… Just try not to die too quickly."
°°°
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