Sensing that the newly ford group might fall into disagreent, Ivankov stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Straw Hat boy, the prisoners here are all scum. There is no need to concern yourself with their lives."
"Yeah, I trust Aether. He must have his reasons."
The bond forged through shared hardship was not sothing that would crumble over a single incident.
The surrounding prisoners were furious over the slaughter, yet none of them dared to speak again. Under that oppressive silence, the jailbreak team was quickly assembled.
Crocodile, Jinbe the Knight of the Sea, Emporio Ivankov, and Byrnndi World, each possessed strength comparable to a Warlord or a high-ranking commander under the Emperors.
The only drawback was their condition. Three of them were weakened and far from their peak.
Among them, Byrnndi World had once stood at the level of an Emperor's second-in-command. However, decades of imprisonnt in Impel Down, along with the toll of age, had caused his strength to decline.
As for why Aether chose to release him, it was simply a matter of selecting the strongest available option. Whether World would remain loyal or betray them later was another matter entirely.
Aether himself possessed strength on par with a Warlord. With five fighters of that level, their group was strong enough to contend with a Marine Admiral.
Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi mounted on the wall began to ring. It was a broadcast type. The surveillance ones had already been destroyed when Aether first arrived.
Den Den Mushis served various functions in this world. The most common were for communication, followed by broadcast and recording types. Their cultivation was also a significant source of revenue for the World Governnt.
"Beep, beep. The great criminal who killed a Celestial Dragon, Augustus D. Aether, along with Straw Hat Luffy, who assaulted a Celestial Dragon, and Revolutionary Army executives Ivankov and Inazuma… do not even dream of escaping. Impel Down is…"
Before it could finish, Crocodile crushed it without hesitation.
However, the atmosphere had already frozen.
The phrase "killed a Celestial Dragon" echoed heavily in everyone's mind. Most of the prisoners had not heard the latest news.
Jinbe turned to Aether, his expression serious.
"Mr. Aether, is it true that you killed a Celestial Dragon?"
"Yes. It happened at the Sabaody Archipelago."
Luffy, standing nearby, nodded without hesitation.
"Aether took down two of them. A father and his son."
The confirmation sent shock through the group. Their expressions stiffened, eyes widening in disbelief.
[S-Class Figures have developed common emotions toward the Host: Minor Surprise and Moderate Surprise. Experience increased by 1,000 x 43, 2,000 x 21]
[SS-Class Figures have developed common emotions toward the Host: Minor Surprise. Experience increased by 20,000 x 2]
[Level Up: Level 62 (21,489/100,000)]
Aether allowed a faint smile to form. Gaining levels simply through reputation was far too efficient.
The prisoners now fully realized that the man before them had dared to kill Celestial Dragons. It was madness.
In over a century, only one group had ever committed such an act, the Rocks Pirates.
That crew had once ruled the seas with overwhelming power. In their youth, figures like Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, and Wang Zhi had all served under Rocks D. Xebec.
Whether by force or choice, they had gathered under his banner.
During the God Valley Incident, that monstrous captain was defeated by the combined forces of Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp. Strangely, none of his crew ca to his aid.
In the end, the World Governnt erased nearly all records of Rocks from history.
From Aether's mories, that man had stood as an overlord equal to Roger and Whitebeard.
With everything in place, the group quickly left Level Six.
Level Five offered little resistance. It was clear that the main forces had been repositioned elsewhere, preparing to intercept them.
Impel Down, Level Two.
With Buggy the Clown and Galdino using an invisibility effect, most guards were unable to track their movents. Only Magellan had the ability to detect them reliably.
Due to limited manpower, Magellan was forced to sweep each level thodically, driving them upward step by step.
A Den Den Mushi rang. Magellan halted and answered imdiately.
"Warden, intruders have been confird on Level Six. The criminals include Augustus D. Aether, Monkey D. Luffy, and Revolutionary Army executives Ivankov and Inazuma. The situation is unclear, and we cannot confirm how many prisoners have been released."
Magellan's expression darkened.
The situation had spiraled far beyond expectations. What had seed manageable monts ago had now beco a full-scale disaster.
The repeated sightings of Buggy now felt suspicious.
"A diversion…"
He stood on Level Two. Returning to Level Four would take ti.
"Have Hannyabal establish a defensive line on Level Four imdiately. I will arrive shortly."
"Yes, Warden."
After ending the call, Magellan changed direction and headed toward the prison where Shiryu was held.
He understood that handling this alone would be difficult. With Aether's presence and unknown numbers of Level Six prisoners now free, he needed additional strength.
"Buggy the Clown… what a cunning man. The World Governnt may have underestimated him."
anwhile, at the edge of Level Two, Buggy and Galdino were on the verge of collapse after being relentlessly chased by Magellan.
Sweat soaked their clothes as they imagined the consequences of being captured again.
Then, suddenly, alarm sirens rang throughout Impel Down.
The continuous blaring made it clear that sothing major had happened.
Buggy quickly listened in on passing guards and pieced together the situation. Straw Hat Luffy was not only alive but had invaded Level Six alongside mbers of the Revolutionary Army, releasing unknown monsters.
At a critical crossroads, Buggy's thoughts raced.
When he realized Magellan had not returned, he placed his hands on his hips and burst into laughter.
"Haha! That idiot Magellan fell right into my trap! This was all part of the plan between and Straw Hat, haha!"
Galdino blinked in confusion.
"Was it really a plan?"
When they were running for their lives, it certainly did not feel like one.
Buggy wrapped an arm around his shoulder, his expression full of confidence.
"Brother, let us release the prisoners on this level and take them under our command. With our combined strength, we can overturn Impel Down."
"…Alright."
Without hesitation, they rushed into the guard room and secured the keys. With the guards absent, there was nothing to stop them.
Soon, hundreds, even thousands of prisoners were freed.
Even the weakest among them carried bounties worth millions of Berries, making them a force comparable to elite Marines.
Buggy floated into the air and shouted with exaggerated confidence.
"I am your savior, Captain Buggy! This entire jailbreak was orchestrated by . Not only will I grant you freedom, but I will lead you to conquer the seas, defeat Whitebeard, and crush the remaining Emperors!"
His words ignited the pirates' spirits instantly.
"Captain Buggy, we will follow you!"
"We are free!"
"Long live Captain Buggy!"
Laughter and cheers filled the level.
As waves of pirates rallied under him, Buggy's confidence swelled to its peak.
Only Galdino remained uncertain, quietly questioning how much of this was truly part of a plan.
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