"Director Magellan, have you forgotten what Vice Admiral Bai Yu told you?"
Hearing Koby's words, Magellan paused.
Of course—what Koby meant was Bai Yu's direct order: Do not intervene. Let me handle this alone.
"But he's—"
"Vice Admiral Bai Yu won't die."
Magellan was about to argue when Koby cut him off with firm conviction.
At that moment, Magellan glanced at the three young officers—Koby, Beru Bera, and Maya.
To his surprise, none of them looked worried. There was no panic, no grief.
Only unwavering calm.
As if... they had absolute faith in Bai Yu's survival.
It stunned Magellan. He couldn't understand their blind confidence. Even after witnessing countless battles in Impel Down, this level of trust was rare.
"Hahaha!"
"Won't die?"
"What do you think Bai Yu is? An Admiral? The Fleet Admiral himself?"
Killer laughter echoed through the air as Eustass Kid scoffed. "Then let me send you all down to keep him company!"
The self-proclaimed victors—Kid and his alliance—had just taken down the biggest threat: Bai Yu.
Aside from Magellan, who could put up some resistance, the rest weren't worth his concern.
Even Magellan? He had three elite combatants from the Donquixote and Beasts Pirates backing him up.
He wasn't afraid.
"Who exactly do you plan to send down?"
Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind Kid.
Shing!
The hair on his neck stood up. All six turned instantly.
Bai Yu—who was believed to have vanished, or worse—stood behind them.
Alive.
Unscathed.
Calm.
Feet sparking with lightning, twin swords crackling in his hands, Bai Yu smiled faintly, relaxed.
"You... you're supposed to be—"
Kid's grin disappeared instantly, replaced by a deep, bone-chilling fear.
How?!
How had he evaded their combined attack?
How did he disappear and reappear so silently?!
Thud!
All six combatants quickly assumed battle stances, powering up again for another round.
"Too slow."
Bai Yu's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Tap.
His foot touched the ground—and in the blink of an eye, he soared into the sky.
"Dual Blades: Solar Eclipse – Phantom Edge!"
Up in the air, Bai Yu crossed his swords, uttering the name of the technique softly.
ZHHMMM!
A brilliant flare of light burst from both blades.
"Aaargh!"
The light blinded the six below, forcing them to shield their eyes. They could barely see him through squinted lids.
And then—the light grew even brighter.
It blotted out the sun like a solar eclipse.
Flicker...
In that moment, Bai Yu's body fragmented in their sight. One split into two, then four...
Then eight. Sixteen.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Like a ghostly storm, countless phantom images of Bai Yu spread across the sky.
It was terrifying. The battlefield became a kaleidoscope of flashing blades and mirrored silhouettes.
BOOM!
All at once, the phantom Bai Yus lunged down at the six enemies, blades slashing.
Clang! Clang! Crash!
Metal clashed. Sparks flew. Each double image delivered a real, bone-splitting blow.
Kid and the others barely blocked the first round, gritting their teeth and bracing themselves.
But that was just the beginning.
More came.
Faster. Harder. Sharper.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Blood sprayed. Ghost images overwhelmed them, cutting through defenses with ruthless precision.
And finally...
The chaos fell quiet.
Bai Yu stood tall in front of the six.
His true form—the only one—calmly sheathed his twin swords.
The lights faded.
Plop.
The six collapsed one by one.
Blood mist erupted from their bodies, falling like crimson rain.
Breathless.
Lifeless.
Dead.
Each one had been slain—instantly.
Their corpses sprawled on the blood-soaked battlefield.
"Did he... really finish them in one move?"
Magellan muttered in awe, still recovering from the whiplash of what he'd just witnessed.
Six of the strongest pirates across three major factions.
Gone.
Just like that.
They were annihilated.
On the other side of the field, Bai Yu calmly turned and called out to his allies:
"Koby. Beru Bera. Maya."
"And every soldier of G5."
Everyone straightened up.
"Yes, sir!"
"Prepare to set sail."
"Any pirate who dares invade Impel Down—kill on sight."
"Not one shall escape!"
Bai Yu's voice was like steel in the wind.
"YES, SIR!"
With that, Bai Yu led the G5 troops aboard their large warship. Instead of holding position to defend Impel Down...
They launched a counterattack.
Charging straight at the chaotic fleet of pirates swarming the surrounding sea.
Despite being outnumbered, the pirates stood no chance without their six strongest.
One lone warship.
Versus a sea full of pirates.
And yet—it was the warship that became the hunter.
Maya, Koby, and Beru Bera fought valiantly, slicing through pirate after pirate.
Bai Yu? He destroyed ships entirely when things got messy.
He didn't even need to fight every enemy—he was saving the final blow for critical moments.
The younger troops, under his command, were gaining real battlefield experience.
That was what Bai Yu wanted.
To sharpen them in the fire of war.
The clash began at dawn.
It wasn't until the sun stood high at noon that the fighting stopped.
Most pirate ships were reduced to splinters. Countless corpses floated lifelessly in the sea.
Only a few escaped by sheer speed or luck.
Everyone else had joined the sea's grave.
After confirming no further enemies remained, Bai Yu's fleet returned to Impel Down.
Standing at the edge of the ship, Bai Yu glanced back at the battlefield.
Broken ships drifted across the red waters.
The air stank of blood and gunpowder.
The sea was still now.
The threat to Impel Down—eliminated.
And then—
Ding!
> [System Notification]
Mission: Defend Impel Down – Completed.
Final Completion Rating: S-Rank
Rewards:
Additional Knife Forging Slot: +1
Choose One Skill: Upgrade to Max Proficiency
End of Chapter.
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