Impel Down.
A sharp alarm echoed throughout the prison.
Magellan, the warden, hurriedly wiped himself and came out of the restroom, still not even bothering to wash his hands. "What's going on? What happened?"
He spent nearly ten hours every day suffering from diarrhea. He spent more time in the bathroom than in his office.
"Warden! There's a riot in Level 6 Eternal Hell! The prisoners have taken over the elevator. Even though we cut the power in time, they've already reached the fifth level!!"
His secretary reported immediately.
"They are now releasing prisoners on the fifth level!"
"What?"
Magellan's eyes widened in rage.
The sixth level?
That's where the most dangerous criminals were held!
Each one was a rare powerhouse on the seas!
What exactly was happening?
Magellan gritted his teeth.
"Where's Shiryu? And Hannyabal?"
Magellan rushed out, shouting, "Gather all guards! This is an unprecedented situation!"
Even during the Golden Lion's prison break, it was never this bad.
If they weren't careful, the entire Impel Down would be lost!
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, Magellan gathered all his forces and headed down the stairs.
Then, between the stairs from the fourth to the third level, the two sides met.
"What?"
Magellan's face suddenly changed.
Patrick Redfield and Douglas Bullet — just these two alone were terrifying enough.
What was even more shocking was that two others stood beside them.
"Crocodile! Gecko Moria! Why are you two here?!"
Magellan practically gritted his teeth in fury.
Why would two Warlords of the Sea show up here?
He quickly realized the truth. "It was you two who did this!"
Everyone here was a prisoner. The only ones capable of releasing them… were these two monsters!
Crocodile gave a cold sneer. "Magellan, the man said to be Impel Down's strongest... would you be so kind as to step aside?"
"Never!"
Magellan's gaze was resolute. "Behind us stands justice itself! If we let you return to the seas, who knows how many people will live in fear!"
"Oh, is that so?"
Crocodile smirked. "Then I guess we have no choice. The world is still waiting for our answer. We don't have time to waste on the likes of you."
"Heh heh heh! I want his shadow!"
Moria licked his lips hungrily.
"Let's settle this with our fists,"
Redfield said with a calm smile.
It had been far too long since he last fought. His body was starting to rust from the silence.
Behind Magellan, a man known as Shiryu of the Rain stood silently, his gaze flickering uncertainly.
Not long after...
The surface level above Impel Down.
The cheers of pirates echoed across the sea.
In the end, this iron-clad fortress had been breached.
The pirates swept through the prison like a storm, overwhelming the guards and seizing control of the harbor. Along with it, they took every ship anchored there.
At the port—
"That ship is mine!"
Without hesitation, Bullet leapt onto a small navy vessel, ready to leave.
"Bullet!"
Crocodile called out to his back, "Don't forget, you still owe me a favor."
Bullet didn't respond. He simply activated his ability.
A purple substance spread across the ship's surface. With the power of the Clank-Clank Fruit, he merged with the ship itself. No crew, no wind—yet the vessel was already moving.
"Then I'll be taking my leave as well."
Redfield spoke calmly, "Whenever you want to call in that favor I owe you, just let me know."
"Why not repay that favor right now, Red?"
Crocodile suddenly interjected.
"What?"
Redfield turned around in surprise. "Crocodile, what do you want?"
"Stay."
Crocodile said, "Form an alliance with us."
Moria froze, then looked at Crocodile like he was an idiot.
What the hell was this guy saying?
Did he forget who Redfield was? The man known as the 'Red the Aloof'? He was even more of a lone wolf than Bullet!
He had been sailing solo from the very beginning, never once having a companion!
At least Bullet had spent some time on Roger's ship!
It would've made more sense to invite Bullet just now.
As expected, Redfield scoffed at Crocodile's offer, replying indifferently, "I'm not interested in your little 'happy family' games."
"Neither am I."
Crocodile replied coolly, "I never said we'd be partners."
"Oh?"
Red the Aloof showed a flicker of interest.
"I told you—we're only forming an alliance."
Crocodile said, "Going it alone is bound to have its inconveniences. Doing everything by yourself is exhausting and rarely rewarding. Red, don't you have something you want to achieve?"
"Hmm."
Redfield's brow furrowed slightly.
Truth be told, there was something he wanted.
But finding it alone would be extremely difficult.
"The age of lone wolves roaming the world is over," Crocodile said seriously. "Every monster in the New World commands powerful crews and rules vast territories."
"Red, don't think of us as your comrades. And we won't think of you as one either. Just see it as a band of misfits clinging together for warmth."
"We can help you, but you'll have to return the favor. Likewise, when we need your help, we'll make sure to repay you."
"If there ever comes a time you're not satisfied, you're free to walk away."
Unlike that guy Bullet, Red is someone you can actually talk to.
Bullet's just a maniac.
Redfield studied Crocodile closely.
"Well then," Crocodile's lips curled into a slight grin, "Is this favor of mine enough to convince you?"
Redfield's mouth also began to curl into a smile.
Then, another voice rang out nearby.
"Hahaha, this sounds like fun! You guys planning something big?"
It was a man dressed in the uniform of Impel Down, wearing a beret, a cigar in his mouth, and holding a knife in his hand. He beamed as he spoke, "Then how about letting me join in too?"
"You—"
Even Crocodile couldn't help but take a second look at the man.
To be able to act like nothing happened after that incident… That had to be a kind of talent, too.
Hive Island.
Ian learned from Morgans that Crocodile and Gecko Moria had attacked Impel Down.
However, Morgans didn't know the full details of what happened, so someone who did soon arrived.
"Crocodile and Gecko Moria infiltrated the sixth level of Impel Down and released the criminals imprisoned there,"
Miss Stussy said, her tone filled with emotion. "Among them were monsters like the Red the Aloof, Patrick Redfield, and the Demon Heir, Douglas Bullet."
"Is that so?"
Ian couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Those two fools, Crocodile and Moria, ended up doing something big without even meaning to.
But wasn't this out of order?
If they raided Impel Down ahead of schedule, what's Blackbeard supposed to do in the future?
**********
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