Impel Down
The vast underwater prison was silent and oppressive.
Since the day the pirate Yujin suddenly appeared in Eternal Hell and stole a large number of antidotes, Impel Down had begun a full-scale, carpet-style investigation.
It was an enormous undertaking.
Because if they recklessly damaged even one section of the wall, seawater could flood the entire deep-sea prison.
Even so, the jailers eventually found a clue.
It came from a corner surveillance Den-Den Mushi.
But the figure it captured was not the pirate Yujin.
It was Inazuma, dragging his poisoned body as he struggled back toward Level 5.5.
" So there was an ability user like this… "
In the surveillance room, Magellan suddenly understood.
" No wonder that guy vanished after running out of the kitchen. So there is someone secretly moving around inside Impel Down. Someone who can break through walls at will? "
Magellan turned to the subordinates beside him.
Now that Shiryu had been personally thrown into Eternal Hell by him, and Hannyabal had been slashed into critical condition by Shiryu…
The only usable forces left were the three Jailer Beasts, plus Sadi-chan and Domino.
" All of you, start breaking through the wall sections. If you find any trace, report to me immediately! "
" Yes, sir! "
Outside, the thick walls echoed with the constant pounding of fists and tools.
Inside Level 5.5, the okama shuddered in fear.
Every one of them had once disappeared from Impel Down's official records, each having suffered unspeakable torment.
After finally gaining this small "freedom," they would rather die than experience that agony again.
Being captured a second time, judged by the court, and sent back… that process was far more unbearable than the first imprisonment.
In the Newkama Land, the three leaders of Level 5.5 — Ivankov, Inazuma, and the pirate Yujin — exchanged silent looks.
A long moment passed.
Finally, Yujin spoke.
" This happened because of me… so I think I should take full responsibility. "
" No. " Inazuma waved his hand.
" Magellan saw me in the kitchen. No matter what, he would've become suspicious. Sooner or later he would've found this place. And besides — you went out because you were trying to get antidotes for me. How could this be your fault? "
" That's exactly why I said it's my responsibility. " Yujin sighed.
" If I hadn't been so desperate to train my Armament Haki, you wouldn't have needed to enter the jailers' kitchen so frequently. "
"Alright, that's enough."
The Okama King, Emporio Ivankov, interrupted everyone.
"Right now, what we should think about is what to do next — we need a plan."
Inazuma held her glass of red wine, but the taste no longer felt pleasant.
She shook her head helplessly.
"As long as Magellan hasn't captured the two of us, he won't stop. If he's smart enough to compare it with all the missing food from the prison kitchens these past months… he'll easily guess our approximate population."
"Level 5.5… we probably can't keep it hidden anymore."
While Inazuma and Ivankov were sighing, the pirate Yujin suddenly stood up.
"If we can't keep it safe, then we won't!"
He looked at all the okama around him.
"Stop crying! From this very second, you should be holding onto hope!"
"We! Will start preparing… to escape!"
"Wh–what!?"
Everyone stared at the pirate Yujin, shocked, as if he were speaking nonsense.
"Lover boy…" Ivankov hesitated, trying his best not to crush Yujin's spirit.
"Do you know how long the Calm Belt outside Impel Down is? Even if we escape smoothly, we still have to face ten Marine battleships surrounding us."
"Even with infinite stamina, the Sea Kings in the waters would swallow us whole."
"Not to mention how hard it is just to climb from this level back to the surface."
"This place is guarded by Magellan — someone whose power rivals a Marine Admiral!"
"Hey."
The pirate Yujin slapped Ivankov's shoulder hard.
"Don't hype up others while crushing yourself! Admiral my ass — he's just taking advantage of the confined space!"
"But… this really is his most favorable terrain. We can't beat him." Inazuma recalled Magellan's abilities.
"That poison of his — even a tiny touch is enough to knock someone out of the fight."
Yujin pointed proudly toward his room.
"That's why I stole a huge bag of antidotes!"
"Ah! Lover boy — you were already planning a breakout?" Ivankov exclaimed.
"Of course. Ever since Inazuma got exposed, I've been thinking about it. Living like this is no different from wasting away. Only by escaping and adventuring across the endless sea can we find the true meaning of life!"
Elsewhere, the Lord God Yujin sneezed.
"So that's how it is…" Ivankov thought for a moment, then stepped up onto the table.
"Hey! Everyone!"
A kingly aura swept across the entire hall.
"From this moment forward — we begin preparing for the jailbreak!!!"
"Yeah! For freedom!"
The entire plaza echoed with passionate shouts in all kinds of strange tones.
Everyone had had enough of these dark, suffocating days.
After the crowd's excitement finally settled, Pirate Yujin pulled out the map he had drawn earlier.
"This is the route I took to reach the antidote storage room." He pointed at the map as he spoke. "When the breakout starts, Inazuma, you'll release the prisoners in these cells… here, here, and here."
Ivankov immediately waved his hands. "No, no, absolutely not! Many of the prisoners in Eternal Hell are complete lunatics. Even if you set them free, they might attack us on the spot! To them, we're just insignificant characters arranged by fate. They won't feel grateful at all."
"Exactly. That's why I'll move alone."
"Where are you going?"
Yujin crossed his arms and rested his chin on them. "To lure Magellan here."
"What?! Are you insane? No way!" Ivankov's eyelashes fluttered wildly in panic, almost blowing a cold breeze at Yujin's face.
"Relax. I've got plenty of antidotes."
His eyes gleamed. "And I have a way to counter Magellan."
"That still doesn't make it okay!"
"Just listen first." Yujin pointed at the map again. "Among all the prisoners, I might be the most familiar with the route from Crimson Hell down to Blazing Hell — because that's where I came from."
Before the two could react, Yujin continued, "I can reach Blazing Hell at top speed. From there, I'll release a portion of the prisoners. In the chaos, I'll steal more antidotes. Once I get my hands on them, Magellan won't be able to do anything to me."
"When he learns that prisoners from Eternal Hell are escaping too, he'll prioritize dealing with them first."
"At that moment, I'll retrace my path, distribute the antidotes, and join forces with the prisoners of Level Six to take down Magellan together!"
"I don't believe it. So many so-called legendary pirates — and they can't defeat someone who's only at admiral level? If that's true, what right do they have to brag? If they can't beat someone of that level even when teaming up, why did they ever set sail?"
Inazuma and Ivankov exchanged looks. In each other's eyes, they saw the same hint of madness.
"If everything goes well," Pirate Yujin sat upright, "we'll have a temporary breakout army — prisoners from Level Six all the way up to Level One charging outward together. No matter how strong the defenses are, they won't be able to stop us."
"But…" Inazuma raised a concern. "Even if we make it to the first floor, how do we escape to the sea?"
"We just steal a battleship!"
"Steal?" Ivankov froze. "The warships are at least a thousand meters away from the gate. Swimming that distance would make us targets for several warships and countless marines! And most prisoners are Devil Fruit users — they can't swim at all."
"I have a solution."
"What solution?"
"The details are hard to explain," Yujin said seriously. "For now, you just need to free the prisoners in this cell… and this one."
He looked straight at Inazuma.
"Remember — you must free this one first, then this one. Got it? One's an old man, and the other is an old woman with a fox-like face. You won't get them mixed up, right?"
"Understood."
Inazuma nodded.
"Anything else I should watch out for?"
"There is."
Yujin said this, then quickly rushed back to his room.
He grabbed five precious antidotes.
"You and Ivankov take two each."
"The last one goes to the old man in the first cell."
"And also… that sword I stole."
"He will be our absolute main force in this prison break."
****
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