A little earlier, on Level 6 of Impel Down.
This was the most vicious and terrifying prison level in Impel Down, known as Infinite Hell.
Those imprisoned here were all powerful, evil criminals.
Any one of them, released alone, could unleash a bloodbath in a medium-sized town, even slaughtering everything in their path.
In its deepest reaches, in particular, true monsters and terrifying legends were imprisoned.
Now, the entire place had erupted.
Even with Magellan present, the criminals showed no intention of restraining themselves.
"Ooh! Did you hear that? Someone actually broke out on Level 1! Are you kidding me?!"
"Hahaha! It's unbelievable, but this feels amazing! What a thrill! Impel Down hasn't been this lively in ages! I just wonder how that guy got out."
"This feat practically rivals the legendary pirate Golden Lion's escape from Impel Down back then!
"If he can fight his way up and open all the cells, we wouldn't mind raising hell and charging out of this damned place!"
"Hmph, what nonsense are you spouting?! The way I see it, that brat is nothing but a clown.
"Does he really think he's Golden Lion? I'm sure he'll be put down on the spot before long!"
The breakout on Level 1 of Impel Down had every criminal in the prison incredibly excited.
After all, since Golden Lion escaped from Impel Down back then, not a single criminal had successfully broken out.
Yet now, someone had actually broken straight out of a cell and sparked a mass breakout on Level 1.
Not only had that person slaughtered his way through Level 1, he was even leading people in an assault on Above Ground Floor One.
This was already infinitely close to a successful escape.
How could they not be shocked?
"All of you, shut up!"
Magellan's furious shout shook the whole of Level 6.
"It seems you really want a taste of my poison?"
He strode forward, and a purple Poison Dragon abruptly formed behind him.
The Poison Dragon bared its fangs and claws, advancing toward the nearest row of cells amid a billowing cloud of poisonous mist.
Wherever the Poison Dragon passed, the floor sizzled with corrosion, tiny bubbles rising across its surface.
"Let me tell you, once you enter Impel Down, don't even think about escaping! I stake my life on it!"
The criminals in the cells instantly fell silent.
Even the few who had shouted the loudest instinctively took a step back, deep wariness appearing in their eyes.
The Poison Dragon slowly slithered forward, finally stopping before Bullet's cell.
Magellan swept his icy gaze over, meeting those vicious eyes through the iron bars.
"Bullet, do you have something to say?"
Inside the cell, the tall, massively muscular man with a terrifying presence slowly raised his head, his lips twisting into a savage grin.
"Hmph, Magellan, the day I, Bullet, get out, I'll offer your head to the heavens!"
He was not truly afraid. He was merely restrained by Seastone.
At his peak, he could have smashed Magellan to pieces with one hand!!!
Naturally, anyone who dared make such a brazen declaration was no ordinary person.
He was Douglas Bullet, known as the "Devil's Heir," a "member of the Pirate King's crew," a "Combine-Combine Fruit user," a "master of the Three Types of Haki," and a "fighter on par with the Four Emperors."
Magellan stared coldly at him. Then the Poison Dragon lashed out, slamming into the bars of Bullet's cell.
Deadly poison splashed, corroding a pit into the floor outside the bars.
"Get out of your cell first, then talk."
His voice turned utterly cold.
"One more word of nonsense, and I'll deal with you right now."
The smile on Bullet's face froze for an instant. Then he snorted coldly and said no more.
He truly believed Magellan would dare do it.
Just then, Sengoku's voice came through the Den Den Mushi after a silence.
"So another breakout has happened in Impel Down before we even realized it... It really has been decades."
"Magellan, as chief warden of Impel Down, I expect you to resolve this."
"Meanwhile, Admiral Kuzan is already on his way to support you. Hold on. With him there, Impel Down won't be turned upside down!"
At Marineford, Sengoku now understood everything.
The uproar over the call just now, along with the breakout those criminals had mentioned, left Magellan with no need to explain further.
Someone really was breaking out.
Just wonderful.
His gaze turned utterly cold, even carrying a chilling murderous intent.
The person who had released the prisoners had practically given him a reason to kill him!
Staff Officer Tsuru also fell silent. She, too, understood the gravity of the situation.
A prison break!
They hadn't heard of one in so many years.
This was the first in over a decade.
If that person successfully escaped Impel Down, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Within three days, the news would explode everywhere.
Inside Impel Down.
When Magellan learned that Sengoku had sent Admiral Kuzan as reinforcement, his expression grew even more subdued.
Although Sengoku had not directly blamed him, he still felt awful.
Over a decade ago, there had been a breakout at Impel Down.
Though he had not yet been chief warden then, he knew that the previous chief warden had resigned to take responsibility shortly after Golden Lion's escape.
Only then had he taken over as chief warden of Impel Down.
Yet now, over a decade later.
He was facing the same crisis.
"Heh, you monsters on Level 6 had better behave yourselves."
"I'll make you watch with your own eyes as I crush your hopes!"
"Besides, one of Marine Headquarters' greatest fighting forces, Admiral Kuzan, is already on his way."
"No matter how powerful that guy is, he can forget about escaping us."
After warning the prisoners on Level 6 once more, Magellan left without looking back.
He would make those escapees below learn what it meant to face Impel Down's supreme guardian!
The criminals on Level 6 dared not say more.
They could only watch his retreating figure gradually disappear, but unwillingness filled every pair of eyes.
Would the hope they had finally glimpsed be crushed just like that by Magellan and the admiral coming after him?
Not long after Magellan left, a white rabbit silently poked its head out from a dark corner on Level 6.
It was extremely small, moving almost flat against the floor, its breathing barely audible.
The lingering poison gas in the corridor was still slowly dispersing. Several Jailer Beasts dozed in the distance, not one of them noticing its presence.
Ignoring the surprised or curious looks from the cells, it scurried along the base of the wall on four little paws.
It traveled through the gap between the ventilation duct and the floor, a place even patrolling jailers rarely noticed.
After passing through one dim corridor after another, it finally reached the deepest part of Level 6.
It stopped in front of Bullet's cell.
Bullet had already closed his eyes to train, but upon sensing something unusual, he abruptly opened them.
He lowered his head.
A white rabbit crouched outside the iron bars, its red eyes fixed motionlessly on him.
Before he could react, a few words appeared in front of the rabbit, visible only to him.
"Welcome to... the second prison break."
Bullet's pupils abruptly contracted.
For the first time, the habitual viciousness and sneer on his face were replaced by genuine shock.
The words appeared only briefly, vanishing along with the rabbit a moment later.
Yet Bullet kept staring fixedly at the empty floor, unable to recover for a long while.
"That brat... can actually reach all the way down to Level 6?"
He slowly raised his head, a long-absent fervor igniting in his scarlet eyes.
"Interesting... How very interesting."
Unbeknownst to him, an indistinct figure in the neighboring cell seemed to go still.
Meanwhile, far away on the Lift Platform battlefield on Above Ground Floor One, Roy also sensed the signal that Rabbit Escape had vanished.
The corner of his mouth curled slightly.
"Another objective achieved."
"Bullet, I'm really looking forward to our next prison break."
Before you continue