It was not that Aether was overreacting, Magellan was an SS rank opponent no matter how one looked at it. Defeating him would yield fifty thousand points. Just as the reward for the second stage of the purple lottery was within reach, everything was disrupted.
After fighting to the brink of death and nearly securing the victory, Douglas Bullet had suddenly appeared and taken the advantage.
Whether Magellan was dead or alive, Aether had no ti to confirm it. His transformation was already reaching its limit and was about to disappear.
Bullet cast a sharp glance at Aether. Although he did not understand the aning behind the words "kill stealer," he could tell they were not ant kindly.
Back in Level Six, the dim lighting had obscured his vision. Now, seeing Aether clearly, Bullet's eyes narrowed. It was not just a resemblance, the young man before him looked almost identical to that person when they first t, only younger.
If there was one man who held the greatest weight in Bullet's life, it was the Pirate King, Roger. Roger had taken him in when he had nothing, suppressing his arrogance with overwhelming strength while still showing a rare sense of camaraderie.
After Roger's death, Bullet abandoned the idea of companionship entirely and devoted himself solely to strength.
His voice turned low and heavy.
"Who are you, and why do you look so much like him?"
Aether gave no reply.
Before Bullet could react further, Aether vanished, his form dissolving as the incarnation talisman expired. Only then did the others realize that Aether had not been a normal presence, but sothing manifested from paper.
Bullet shifted his gaze toward Ivankov, his expression turning grim. Ivankov, still enduring the effects of the poison, felt a chill run through him.
With Aether gone, neither he nor the others had the strength left to confront Bullet.
"Aether was created from paper," Ivankov said honestly. "Most likely so kind of clone ability. His real body is sowhere else."
Bullet let out a cold snort.
"I will find him."
Without another word, he turned and walked away. Roger remained one of the few obsessions in his heart. He would not ignore soone connected to him.
Soon, everyone regrouped at the upper level of Impel Down.
Crocodile and his group had already secured a warship and brought it to the dock. However, the mont Crocodile saw Bullet, his expression darkened, and the atmosphere beca tense.
Bullet responded with a feral smile.
The two had clashed twenty years ago, battling for an entire day and night without a victor.
Back then, Crocodile had been at his peak. His mastery of Haki and his Devil Fruit ability had allowed him to stand against Bullet evenly.
Now, things were different.
Bullet looked at him with clear disdain. Crocodile had lost his drive for strength, choosing instead to chase external power, spending years seeking Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons.
To Bullet, the man before him was a shadow of his forr self.
There was even a trace of pity. The Crocodile who had once stood as a rival had long since been broken, especially after his defeat at the hands of Whitebeard.
Crocodile spoke first, his tone calm yet condescending.
"We are heading to Marineford. Do you want to join us?"
"I have no interest," Bullet replied coldly. "Whitebeard does not deserve the title of the world's strongest. If he dies there, it only proves he was never worthy of it."
Nearby, Buggy's expression changed drastically.
Without drawing attention, he quickly slipped away and hid in a corner, leaving his crew confused.
After brushing them off with a random excuse, he muttered quietly so only Mr. 3 could hear.
"That lunatic Bullet is here too. If he sees , I'm finished."
Back in their childhood days alongside Shanks, Buggy had never gotten along with Bullet.
Mr. 3 was stunned.
From the way Buggy spoke, it was clear he had connections with figures of terrifying status. First one of the Four Emperors, Shanks, and now soone even the forr Warlords treated with caution.
He could not help but wonder who Buggy truly was.
anwhile, Bullet turned and headed toward a nearby supply ship. As he passed, sothing caught his eye.
A straw hat.
The sight of it made his pupils shrink slightly.
It was impossible for him not to recognize it. The previous owners of that hat were both people he knew well, Roger and Shanks.
Toward Roger, Bullet felt respect, regret, and lingering anger.
Toward Shanks, he felt only disdain. The boy who had once stood beneath him had now risen to beco one of the Four Emperors.
And yet he himself had been imprisoned in Impel Down.
Even so, Bullet believed he was not inferior, perhaps even stronger.
A trace of resentnt surfaced in his heart.
Why had Roger entrusted that hat to Shanks instead of him?
"That damned hat…"
With a low curse, Bullet boarded the ship alone.
Activating his Devil Fruit ability, the Combine Combine Fruit, he began to absorb nearby materials. tal and stone from the surrounding structures broke apart and rged into the vessel.
A portion of Impel Down's upper level was consud in the process.
Before long, a massive tallic ship took shape, its design unlike anything the others had seen.
Gasps spread among the pirates.
"Incredible… what kind of power is that?"
The ship's chanical appearance imdiately drew attention. Even Luffy's eyes lit up with excitent, unable to hide his fascination.
Flas burst from the rear as the ship launched forward, departing ahead of the others.
Soon after, Luffy and his group completed their own preparations and set sail toward Marineford.
Their forces were formidable.
Alongside Luffy were Crocodile and Jinbe, forr Warlords of the Sea, as well as Ivankov, Inazuma, and Buggy. The ship also carried Ivankov's Okama forces and the Buggy Pirates who had escaped from the lower levels.
As for the remaining prisoners still rioting within Impel Down, they posed no threat.
There were no ships left.
Surrounded by the Calm Belt, escape without a vessel was impossible.
anwhile, on the fourth level, Domino and the remaining guards gradually regained consciousness.
They gathered in a hidden room, tending to the wounded and holding their position as they waited for reinforcents.
Once the war at Marineford concluded, the Marines would undoubtedly prioritize reclaiming Impel Down.
After all, the Great Underwater Prison held far greater importance than Enies Lobby ever did.
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