Escape

Oh, that's delicious.

At the Jailer Cafeteria, Kinch wolfed down the stewed Sea King meat, beginning to understand why the jailers had welcomed Figo so warmly. Go a month without eating this stuff, and you really started craving it.

Impel Down really did need Figo.

Fine. I'll work under him for another ten years. Surely the Director's position will be mine after that, right? Ten years is just the blink of an eye. I'll only be forty-two then.

Elsewhere, Figo, who also hadn't eaten Sea King meat in days, was devouring it like a whale. Chunks of meat nearly as big as a human head vanished between his meat-grinder teeth and reached his stomach in three seconds.

Even as he ate, he could call out clearly, "Hey, you there! I haven't seen you before. You a new jailer? Don't be shy. Once you're in Impel Down, we're all family!"

"Hey, you there! You're already full? Pathetic. Go help out in the kitchen!"

"Hey, you there! You're done too? Go get more bowls and chopsticks. Give every prisoner a pound of meat. I'm back as Director, so let the inmates share in the celebration and enjoy a decent meal!"

"Give some to Levels 5 and 6 too. But be careful down there. Keep it outside the cell doors, just within the prisoners' reach!"

"Oh, right. The nun who was brought in ten days ago doesn't get any. Don't forget!"

The cafeteria became a battlefield, clattering dishes and shouts ringing out all around. As Director, Figo naturally fought to the very end. The enormous empty plates on the table before him had already been cleared away three times, yet they were still piled nearly a meter high.

Figo wiped his mouth with a piece of paper handed to him by a jailer, stood up, and let out a burp.

Now that he was full, it was time to get down to business!

"Old Jin, I'm going down again. You don't have to come this time. Just give me the keys."

Level 5 of Impel Down.

Doham greedily licked the grease from his plate, showing none of the restraint expected of a Great Pirate with a bounty of over a hundred million.

Seven years. Seven whole years!

He had no idea how he'd managed to endure it.

He got a dry bread roll every day, or sometimes every other day. Now and then, that bastard would even starve him for three to five days. Sometimes, he looked at his own arm and saw it as a feast.

How could anyone resist delicious Sea King meat?

And he wasn't the only one. Plenty of pirates ate even less politely than he did.

When the jailers had first come down to hand out the Sea King meat, they'd been wary, unsure what Figo was up to. They suspected he might have poisoned the meat to torment them.

But as its aroma spread through Level 5, one of them suddenly said, "Even if it's poisoned, who cares?"

Another chimed in, "If he really wanted us dead, would he waste poison on us?"

It stung, but he had a point.

And so they'd ended up like this.

So far, not one of their fellow inmates had dropped dead from poison. It seemed the meat was fine. The only problem was... how was this tiny little portion supposed to feed anyone?

After licking the grease clean, Doham smacked his lips, looked around, and called out, "Anyone still got meat left? Give it to me! I've got treasure buried outside, worth around three hundred million Berry. I'll tell you exactly where it is!"

All he got in return was a chorus of snickers.

Like I can get out of here, anyway.

"Oh? You've got treasure?"

Figo's voice rang out from a distance, and the prisoners fell silent at once. This time, no one cursed at him. They only gazed at him eagerly, still hoping for another bite of meat. Just one bite!

"I do! I've got treasure!" Doham's heart gave a faint thump. "Figo, I'll trade my treasure for ten meals! No, five will do! Three hundred million Berry—an ordinary person couldn't spend that in ten lifetimes!"

Figo strolled up to Doham's cell, looking as if he were quite interested. The other prisoners focused their attention on him too. If Doham could make a deal... who didn't have something valuable stashed away outside?

They'd even lie to get a couple more meals. They didn't care if they were beaten to death; at least they'd die with full bellies!

"Keep dreaming!" Figo burst out laughing. "You're already grateful just because I gave you a little meat? Great Pirates, my ass. But I'm not giving you any more. What can you do about it? Who needs the gratitude of a bunch of prisoners?!"

The prisoners' hopes were shattered in an instant, and now they'd been mocked on top of it. They trembled with anger.

"You bastard..."

"If I ever get out of here..."

"I swear I'll..."

They spat out vicious curses, imagining all sorts of gruesome deaths for Figo. One of them started it, and soon they were hurling the empty bowls that had held their Sea King meat at him.

Bowls flew through the air!

Figo's smile vanished. His hand brushed his waist, and his new sword, Ruby, flashed out of its sheath. A few glints of cold light flickered as he deftly shattered every bowl!

"Heh. You pieces of trash have gotten a lot bolder. I'll deal with you later!" Apparently annoyed at having his mood spoiled, Figo snorted and walked straight out of sight.

This time, no one said another word.

The prisoners even held their breath.

Among the pile of shattered bowls, a key glimmered faintly on the ground!

The moment Figo had drawn his sword, the key had slipped off the ring of keys at his waist.

Most of the prisoners had noticed.

But Figo seemed not to have seen it!

What kind of key was it?

Their hearts pounded wildly as their gazes shifted to Doham, who was closest to it.

Doham hadn't felt this kind of tension in years. He stared in the direction Figo had gone, sensed around him with Observation Haki, then squeezed up to the cell door and stretched desperately for the key.

With everyone watching, he dragged it into his cell, pinched it between two fingers, and thrust it into the lock on his chains. He turned it.

Click! The lock opened!

The other prisoners' breathing instantly grew ragged.

"No way... Hurry over and let me out!"

"Idiot, move faster!"

"Idiots, keep your voices down!"

Under their urging, Doham used the key to unlock his cell as well. He walked freely into the Level 5 corridor, his face full of giddy disbelief.

I really... escaped?

"Hurry up! Hurry up, you idiot!"

After another hissed insult, Doham wanted to leave the others behind, but he knew he couldn't escape Impel Down alone.

"Quiet!" he growled. "There's a marking on this key: 13–16. It probably only opens the locks on our four cells!"

He looked at his longtime neighbors in the adjacent cells. "I'll let you out, but you have to listen to me. First, we kill that bastard Figo. Then we free everyone and leave together!"

He was clever enough to know how to keep everyone in line. The Great Pirates, who'd been frantic just moments earlier at his first words, all calmed down.

They thought it over. They weren't worried Doham would break his promise. Beyond Impel Down lay nothing but the open sea. They had no ship, and without working together, they still wouldn't escape.

But one of them was cleverer still.

Sister Galmero had watched in silence until now. For some reason, Figo had singled her out and given her no meat. She, too, had been giddy with anticipation, but when she learned the key could free only four people, her heart sank again.

Kill that monster?

With just the four of you?

Her eyes flickered, and suddenly she shouted, "Gaston Figo! You dropped your key!"

"Ah... Damn it?!"

"Shit! Have you lost your mind?!"

The prisoners were both panicked and furious. Doham hurried to move faster, while the Nun wore the scornful look of someone who alone saw the truth. You can't blame me for this—

"Figo!"

"Come back!!"