Escape

Fearing that the newly formed team might develop disagreements, Ivankov stepped forward to explain as well.

"Straw Hat boy, the prisoners here are all scum, so there's no need to care whether they live or die."

"Yeah, I believe Sal must have his reasons for doing this."

The trust the two had built through so many experiences could not be destroyed by one or two incidents.

Because of the killings, the surrounding prisoners dared not voice their anger, and the breakout team was quickly assembled.

Crocodile, Knight of the Sea Jinbe, Emporio Ivankov, and World Destroyer Byrnndi World—the four of them all possessed strength on the level of a Shichibukai or a Four Emperors commander.

Their only weakness was that three of them were in a weakened state and could not recover their peak strength anytime soon.

Byrnndi World had been the strongest among them in his prime, with strength even reaching the level of an Emperor's right-hand man. Unfortunately, after being imprisoned in Impel Down for decades, compounded by old age, his strength was declining.

The reason Sal had released him was simply because he had to pick the best among the lesser options. Whether World would betray them remained unknown.

Sal's transformed strength was comparable to a Shichibukai. With him included, the entire team had five fighters at Shichibukai level—a lineup capable of standing against an Admiral head-on.

Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi attached to a secluded wall began to speak. It was a Broadcast Den Den Mushi. As for the other surveillance Den Den Mushi, they had already been cleared out when Sal appeared.

The Den Den Mushi of this world had been bred with several functions. The most basic was making calls, followed by Broadcast Den Den Mushi and Video Den Den Mushi. This industry was also a major source of revenue for the World Government.

"Beep, beep. Augustus D. Sal, the heinous criminal who killed Celestial Dragons; Straw Hat Luffy, who assaulted Celestial Dragons; Revolutionary Army officer Ivankov; and Revolutionary Army officer Inazuma. Do not even think of escaping. Impel Down is—"

Before the Den Den Mushi could finish its nonsense, Crocodile smashed it apart. Yet the air seemed to freeze, because everyone had heard the words "killed Celestial Dragons." These imprisoned convicts had no idea about the latest news.

Jinbe turned to Sal in confusion, seeking confirmation.

"Mr. Sal, did you really kill Celestial Dragons?"

"Yeah. I killed them at the Sabaody Archipelago."

Luffy, the only person present who knew the truth, added from the side.

"Sal killed two Celestial Dragons. I think they were father and son."

Once the truth was confirmed, everyone present was stunned, their expressions so exaggerated that their eyes nearly popped out.

[S-rank characters have developed ordinary emotions toward the host: minor and moderate surprise. Experience gained: 1000 x43, 2000 x21]

[SS-rank characters have developed ordinary emotions toward the host: minor surprise. Experience gained: 20000 x2]

[Level increased: Level 62 (21489/100000)]

This unexpected windfall brought a satisfied smile to Sal's face. He had gained three levels just by showing up. It was truly worth every bit of the effort.

The surrounding prisoners finally realized that this killing maniac even dared to murder Celestial Dragons. He was utterly insane.

In the past century of modern history, the only force that had dared to kill Celestial Dragons was the former overlord of the seas, the Rocks Pirates.

That pirate crew, which had once stood at the pinnacle, had been even stronger than the Four Emperors' crews. Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Beast Kaido, and Hachinosu's ruler Ochoku—those supreme powerhouses of the sea had all once been members of the Rocks Pirates.

Whether willingly or by force, they had ultimately gathered under Rocks's command.

At the Battle of God Valley, such an absolute overlord had been defeated by Roger and Garp joining forces. Yet not a single crewmate at his side had gone to support him, which was rather thought-provoking.

The existence that had truly dared to declare war on the World Government had ultimately been erased by the World Government, even from the records of history.

Sal still vividly remembered Rocks's power. He had been an overlord of the seas no weaker than Roger or Whitebeard.

With everything prepared, the breakout team smoothly left the sixth level. The fifth level was likewise devoid of guards. The enemy had likely concentrated all their forces on a certain level, waiting for the escapees to arrive.

Impel Down, Level Two.

Because Buggy the Clown and Mr. 3 possessed invisibility cloaks, none of Impel Down's guards besides Magellan could detect their whereabouts.

With insufficient manpower, Magellan could only search level by level, gradually forcing them upward until they had nowhere left to hide.

The Den Den Mushi rang. Magellan, who had been pursuing them, stopped and answered it.

"Warden, intruders have been discovered on Level Six. The prisoners are Augustus D. Sal, Monkey D. Luffy, and Revolutionary Army officers Ivankov and Inazuma. The situation on Level Six is currently unknown, and we do not know how many prisoners have escaped."

"..."

Magellan's brows immediately furrowed. What had been a situation steadily improving had instantly turned into a disaster beyond his control. And Buggy the Clown's group being spotted from time to time now seemed like a premeditated scheme.

Could Buggy the Clown have merely been used to lure the tiger away from the mountain? He was currently on Level Two, and it would still take him several minutes to return to Level Four.

"Have Hannyabal immediately establish a defensive line on Level Four. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, Warden."

After hanging up, Magellan headed toward the place where Shiryu of the Rain was imprisoned. He had realized that it would be difficult to handle the prisoners alone. Not only was there the formidable Sal among them, but it was unknown how many prisoners had been released from Level Six.

"Buggy the Clown, what a devious man. It seems the World Government has underestimated him all along."

At that moment, Buggy the Clown and Mr. 3, trapped at the edge of Level Two, had nearly been driven into a dead end by Magellan. Just as the two were drenched in sweat and imagining the miserable fate of being captured again—

A warning alarm suddenly echoed throughout Impel Down. Its unceasing blare showed that the situation was far from simple.

Buggy the Clown eavesdropped on the passing soldiers and roughly learned what had happened. Straw Hat Luffy had somehow been unharmed and had even led Revolutionary Army officers into Level Six, releasing an unknown number of monsters.

Standing at a crossroads in his future, Buggy the Clown's mind raced for a moment. Seeing that Magellan truly had not reappeared, he suddenly planted his hands on his hips and burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha! That idiot Magellan fell for my plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain! This was my plan with Straw Hat!"

The future Emperor's right-hand man, Galdino, was utterly bewildered.

"Was it really a plan?"

When they had been chased like stray dogs, it certainly had not looked fake.

Buggy the Clown threw an arm around Galdino's shoulders and spoke as if envisioning the future.

"Brother, let's free the prisoners on Level Two and bring them under our command. Together, we can definitely overturn Impel Down."

"...Okay."

They acted immediately. The two quickly found the guard room and broke in, locating the keys without any resistance. Naturally, no one on Level Two was left to stop them now.

The perfectly coordinated pair then released hundreds, perhaps thousands, of prisoners. Even the weakest among them had bounties worth several million Beli, making them a force no weaker than elite Marines.

Buggy the Clown flew into the air and shouted.

"I am your savior, Captain Buggy the Clown! I planned this entire escape myself! Not only will I bring you freedom, I will lead you across the seas, kill Whitebeard, and bring down the other Four Emperors!"

After just a few words, the pirates' emotions were roused, and they began shouting one after another.

"Captain Buggy the Clown, we'll follow behind you! We're free!"

"Long live Boss Buggy the Clown!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Watching batch after batch of pirates, not much weaker than himself, join his ranks, Buggy the Clown swelled with pride to the extreme. Only Mr. 3 Galdino remained doubtful about it all.