Escape from Prison

Ah, truly fragrant.

In the Jailer Cafeteria, Kinch wolfed down chunks of stewed Sea King meat, finally understanding why the jailers had welcomed Figo back so warmly. Go a month without this stuff, and you really start craving it.

Impel Down really did need Figo.

Fine, working under him for another ten years—ten years it is. After that, the Director's seat should be mine, shouldn't it? Ten years, just a snap of the fingers. I'd only be forty-two by then.

On the other side, Figo, who'd also gone many days without Sea King meat, was eating like a whale. Chunks of meat the size of a human head passed through his meat-grinder teeth and hit his stomach in three seconds flat.

Even while eating, he could still shout clearly: "Hey, you there—never seen you before. New jailer, right? Don't be shy, don't hold back. Once you're in Impel Down, we're all family!"

"Hey, you—full already? Too weak. Go help the kitchen crew!"

"Hey, you—done eating too? Go grab more bowls and chopsticks. Give every prisoner a pound of meat. I'm back as Director, so let the inmates share in the joy and eat well!"

"Level Five and Level Six get some too, but be careful going down there. Pass it through the cell bars, just within reach of those prisoners—that's far enough!"

"Oh, right—that Nun who was sent in ten days ago doesn't get any. Don't forget!"

The cafeteria turned into a battlefield. The clatter of plates and shouts rose and fell in waves. As Director, Figo naturally fought to the end. The massive empty plates on the table before him had been cleared away three times, yet they still piled up nearly a meter high.

Wiping his mouth with a napkin handed over by a jailer, Figo stood up and let out a burp.

Full and satisfied—time to get down to business!

"Old Jin, I'm heading down again. No need to follow this time. Just give me the keys."

Impel Down, Level Five.

Doham greedily licked the grease from his plate, showing none of the dignity of a Great Pirate worth over a hundred million.

Seven years. Seven whole years!

He didn't even know what kind of life he'd been living.

A dry bread roll every day, sometimes every other day, and occasionally that bastard would starve him for three to five days straight. Sometimes he'd look at his own arm and see green!

How could he resist delicious Sea King meat?

In fact, he wasn't the only one. Plenty of pirates ate even less gracefully.

When the jailers first came down to distribute the Sea King meat, they'd been deeply suspicious, wondering what trick Figo was pulling. They suspected poison in the meat, some kind of torture.

But when the aroma of the meat spread, slowly filling Level Five of Impel Down, one of them suddenly said: "Even if it's poisoned, I don't care."

Another chimed in: "If they really wanted us dead, why waste poison?"

Harsh, but true.

And so they ate like this.

Up until now, none of the Cellmates had dropped dead from poison. Looked like the meat was fine. The only problem was... how was this tiny portion supposed to fill anyone up?!

Having licked the plate clean, Doham smacked his lips, looked around, and shouted: "Anyone still have meat left? Give it to me. I've got treasure buried out there, worth about three hundred million Berry. I'll tell you the exact location!"

All he got in return were sneers.

Like I can even get out of here.

"Oh, you've got treasure?"

Figo's voice rang out from a distance, and the prisoners' noise instantly died down. No one cursed him this time. They stared with pleading eyes, still hoping for another bite of meat—just one bite!

"I do! I have it!" Doham's heart trembled slightly. "Figo, I'll trade my treasure for ten meals of meat! No, five is fine! Three hundred million Berry—an ordinary person couldn't spend that in ten lifetimes!"

Figo seemed interested and walked over to stand outside Doham's cell. The other prisoners' attention all focused on him too. If a trade was possible... who didn't have something good stashed away outside?

They'd lie to get two meals of meat. Even if they got beaten to death for it, so what—at least they'd die with a full stomach!

"Dream on!" Figo burst out laughing. "You're grateful for just a bit of meat? What cheap Great Pirates you are. But I won't give it to you—what are you going to do about it? Who needs gratitude from prisoners like you?!"

The prisoners' fantasies shattered instantly. Mocked on top of it, they trembled with rage.

"You bastard..."

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

"I'll definitely..."

They hurled vicious curses, imagining Figo dying in the most gruesome ways. Someone started it—they threw the empty bowls that had held the Sea King meat, hurling them fiercely at Figo.

Then, a rain of bowls!

Figo's smile vanished. His hand brushed his waist, and the new blade Ruby left its sheath. A few cold sparks flashed as he easily shattered every bowl into pieces!

"Hah, you scum have gotten bold, haven't you? I'll deal with you later!" As if his mood had been spoiled, Figo snorted coldly and walked straight out of the prisoners' sight.

No one spoke this time.

The prisoners even held their breath.

Among the pile of broken bowls, a key lay on the ground, glinting faintly!

The moment Figo drew his blade, that key had fallen from the ring of keys at his waist.

Most of the prisoners had noticed.

Figo, however, seemed not to notice!

What key was this?

Their hearts pounded wildly, their gazes converging on Doham, who was closest.

Doham himself hadn't felt this kind of tension in years. He stared into the distance where Figo had disappeared, sensing a trace with Observation Haki, then squeezed to the front of his cell door, stretching his arm as far as he could to reach that key.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he dragged the key inside the cell, pinched it between two fingers, and shoved it into the chains binding him, turning.

Click. The lock opened!

The other prisoners' breathing instantly grew heavy.

"Finally... come over here and let me out!"

"Idiot, hurry up!"

"Idiots, keep your voices down!"

Urged on by the clamor, Doham used the same key to smoothly unlock his own cell, stepping unshackled into the corridor of the fifth level, his eyes brimming with ecstasy and disbelief.

I'm... breaking out just like that?

"Hurry! Hurry! You idiot!"

Cursed under someone's breath again, Doham felt like ignoring the rest, but he knew in his heart that one man alone couldn't escape Impel Down.

"Shut it!" he growled. "This key has a mark on it—it says 13 to 16. It probably only opens the locks of our four cells!"

He glanced at his neighboring old acquaintances: "I'll let you out, but you have to listen. First, we kill that bastard Figo, then we free everyone else and get out of here together!"

He was clever, knowing how to placate everyone. The Great Pirates, who had been frantic at the first half of his words, all calmed down.

They thought it over and weren't worried about Doham breaking his promise. Outside Impel Down was an endless sea; without a ship, they couldn't escape unless they worked together.

But there was someone smarter.

Sister Galmero had been silently observing all along. For some reason singled out by Figo and denied meat, she had initially been swept up in ecstasy and anticipation. But upon learning that the key could only free four people, her heart sank back to the bottom.

Kill that monster?

With just the four of you?

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

"Ah... you bastard?!"

"Damn it! Have you lost your mind?!"

The prisoners were a mess of shock and fury. Doham scrambled to speed up, while the sister's face was full of the disdain of one sober among the drunk—go ahead, bite me—

"Figo!"

"Get back here!!"