No One Can Leave

Impel Down, Level One: Red Lotus Hell.

Chaotic, clamorous footsteps echoed through the passage leading to the surface.

Hundreds of prisoners in uniforms were fleeing for their lives.

Behind them, Marines and Impel Down guards armed with muskets pursued relentlessly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A fierce barrage of gunfire rained down. There were simply too many escaping prisoners.

The soldiers did not even need to aim deliberately. Some unlucky runners were struck by flying bullets and fell to the ground with screams.

"Pick up the pace, boys! Hope is right ahead! We're about to escape this hellhole!"

Buggy, running at the very front, let out a strange cry that drew cheers from the prisoners.

"Brothers! Hurry and follow Lord Buggy!"

"Whoooa! Long live Lord Buggy!"

Beside Buggy was the other mastermind behind the chaos in Impel Down: Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy.

There were also two powerful allies whom Luffy had freed from Infinite Hell.

Former Warlord of the Sea, Jinbe.

Former Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile!

In addition, several of Crocodile's former subordinates—Mr. 3 Galdino, Bon Kurei, and Daz Bones—were racing alongside them.

Huff!

Huff!

Luffy panted heavily.

His body was wrapped in white bandages. The nonstop fighting and frantic sprinting had pushed both his mind and body to their limits.

If not for the treatment of Ivankov, the Okama King, he would likely have lost his life in this lightless place.

Seeing the passage ahead, the exit of Impel Down leading to the surface, Luffy finally relaxed a little.

A weary smile appeared on his face.

"Ace! Wait for me! I'll definitely save you!"

Just then!

Jinbe, running beside him, abruptly changed expression. He raised his hand and slapped the running Luffy away.

At the same time, he kicked off the ground and leaped aside.

Before the stunned Luffy could ask what was happening, the prisoners looked up in horror.

Above their heads, a massive purple Venom Dragon swept across with a violent howl and plunged straight into the ground where Luffy and the others had been standing!

Splash!

The enormous dragon head struck the ground and exploded, turning into clumps of purple venom that splashed in every direction.

Dozens of prisoners who failed to dodge were hit by the purple venom and immediately let out bloodcurdling screams.

"Venom Dragon!"

Then, a hoarse, low voice filled with boundless rage suddenly rang out, making everyone present feel their scalps tingle.

Behind the guards in the distance stood a towering figure, like a Demon King.

He wore the black uniform of the prison warden, with long black horns on his head and a pair of pitch-black wings on his back.

Thick purple venom continuously gushed from his body, reforming into a huge, twisting Venom Dragon!

"It's... it's Magellan!!"

"Damn it! That monster caught up with us again!"

"Run! Don't let his venom touch you! You'll wish you were dead!"

As Magellan rapidly approached through the winding river of venom in his Demon King-like form, terror appeared on everyone's faces.

Even Jinbe and Crocodile were no exception!

Within the sealed confines of Impel Down, Magellan, wielder of the Venom-Venom Fruit, was the most terrifying existence!

"Move! Brother Luffy, don't just stand there! Rush out!" Jinbe shouted at the still-dazed Luffy.

Luffy hesitated and looked in the direction Magellan had come from.

"Iva-chan..."

He began to worry about Ivankov, the Okama King, who had stepped forward earlier to hold Magellan back.

"You can't escape! Every last one of you will die!"

Magellan's furious roar came from the gaping maw of the Venom Dragon. His massive body was launched from its mouth like a cannonball and crashed down amid the fleeing prisoners.

Magellan's deep-set eyes glowed with frenzied scarlet rage as they locked onto Luffy, sending an uncontrollable chill through his heart.

"Especially you! Straw Hat Luffy! As the mastermind behind this riot, you deserve to die!"

"Venom Dragon!"

Purple poison shot skyward like a fountain, transforming into a roaring, shrieking Venom Dragon that charged toward Luffy once more!

With no way to evade it, Luffy gritted his teeth. Determination flashed in his eyes as he clenched his fists, ready to launch himself at Magellan.

Waiting helplessly for death was not his style!

At that critical moment!

"Candle Wall!"

The flame atop Mr. 3 Galdino's head surged in the wind as he pressed both hands against the ground.

A white Candle Wall rose from the floor, blocking the charging Venom Dragon head-on.

Boom!

The purple dragon head slammed solidly into the white Candle Wall, blasting venom across the sky.

Although the venom splashing everywhere still struck quite a few prisoners and sent them collapsing.

That sturdy Candle Wall blocked most of Magellan's attack for everyone.

This sudden turn of events left everyone dumbfounded.

"3!" Luffy's eyes lit up, and delight appeared on his face.

After staring blankly for a moment, the prisoners erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Relative counters between abilities, huh? Even a seemingly worthless ability has its uses." Crocodile glanced at Galdino, his former subordinate, and spoke with some feeling.

"This isn't the time to stand around! Keep moving, Luffy!" Jinbe shouted.

By then, Luffy had already gotten Galdino to cover him in Candle Armor, preparing to deal with Magellan.

Hearing that, he turned to Jinbe, Crocodile, and the others.

"Jinbe! You go first and seize a warship. I'll stay behind and hold Magellan off!"

"A warship? Hmph! How naive!"

Magellan raised his right hand. The massive Venom Dragon had already regrown its head and came howling toward them!

"There are no warships at the prison entrance anymore! I gave the order long ago for them to withdraw far away!"

"What? The warships outside Impel Down have all pulled back? Then how are we supposed to get out of here?"

At Magellan's words, despair began to show on many faces.

"Leave the matter of seizing a warship to me!" Jinbe roared.

Buggy, who had almost burst into tears, suddenly realized something and exclaimed happily, "That's right! You're a Fish-Man!"

The despairing crowd rallied once more because of Jinbe's words.

But Magellan, held back by Luffy and Galdino, looked extremely grim.

Ahead of Jinbe and the others, the passage to the surface was already within reach.

Suddenly! A drastic change occurred!

The once-solid ground abruptly broke apart like scattered building blocks, transforming entirely into countless tiny particles.

A dense purple glow spread from somewhere unknown, instantly covering every surface of the buildings within sight.

The ground and walls covered by the purple glow, aside from materials containing Sea-Prism Stone, all transformed in an instant into a flowing torrent of particles.

Rumble!

The particle torrent surged like enormous waves at sea. With a single crash, it swept hundreds of unprepared people into the air.

"Waaah! What's happening?" Luffy cried out.

Suspended in midair, Crocodile frowned slightly. "This presence... feels familiar."

Crack, crack, crack, crack!

After flinging everyone away, the particle torrent flooded the passage leading upward.

When the purple glow faded, a seamless, heavy wall stood before them.

The original entrance to the passage had vanished without a trace.

What made everyone feel even worse was that the heavy wall was covered in a strange substance as black as ink.

"This is... extremely advanced Armament Haki!"

Magellan's pupils shrank abruptly as he could not help looking around.

Someone had intervened to stop the Straw Hats from leaving.

"Who could it be?"

He furrowed his brow.

A peculiar ability, along with Advanced Armament Haki.

Among Impel Down's allies, there did not seem to be anyone powerful who fit that description.

Level Five underground, Freezing Hell.

Bullet pulled his hands from the purple particle torrent and revealed an evil smile.

"Without my permission, no one can leave!"