Kuzan took action

Freezing Hell.

This was Level 5 of Impel Down, a world of ice, snow, and frozen forests.

The temperature was extremely low. Many criminals either froze to death or were mauled to death by packs of army wolves. Even Den Den Mushi struggled to survive.

As a result, this was also the only blind spot among Impel Down's five levels.

At a pile of corpses, dozens of army wolves were devouring the bodies.

Crunch.

The sounds of gnawing rang out clearly.

Just then, a hole suddenly appeared in the pile of corpses.

The disturbance made the army wolves stop eating, their green eyes fixed on the space below.

"Heh, it really is cold. This chill reminds me of that fellow Kuzan."

A cold voice rang out, and Roy leaped out of the hole.

He landed right in front of those dozens of army wolves.

The two sides gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

Then...

Awooo!

Nine army wolves bared their sharp fangs and lunged straight at Roy.

Roy smiled.

"These days, even mere army wolves dare to attack me?"

"Do you really take me for one of those weakened criminals wearing Seastone Handcuffs?"

"Ordinary Slash: Dismantle!"

He casually swept his hand across.

Crack!

The nine army wolves charging at the front were instantly sliced in half at the waist.

Blood and entrails spilled across the ground.

The one remaining army wolf, which had yet to move, tensed to the limit, its eyes full of terror.

Awooo!

It howled, turned, and fled.

But the next instant, Roy appeared in front of it as though he had teleported, raised a finger, and jabbed down hard.

"Soru and Finger Pistol certainly live up to their place among the Six Powers. They're so convenient to use."

Crack!

The army wolf shattered outright.

That showed the power of Roy's Finger Pistol.

Just then, Emporio Ivankov and the others also emerged from the pile of corpses, just in time to see Roy kill the army wolf in an instant.

"Hahaha, you certainly are quick, Sir Roy. The army wolves that strike terror into Level 5's criminals were just... smashed to pieces on the spot."

Emporio Ivankov gave an awkward smile, privately marveling that Roy was still as merciless as ever.

Even a dog by the roadside would be killed on the spot if it blocked his path.

Roy glanced at him, tossed him a key, and turned toward Level 6.

"Enough. I've heard so much flattery my ears have grown calluses. Here's the key for Level 5's criminals. Let them all out and throw this place into chaos."

"As for me, I'll release the monsters on Level 6 first. That'll give this breakout a better chance of succeeding."

He had spent a long time preparing for this breakout.

He had already made his plans during his first escape attempt.

With his fighting strength alone, successfully escaping would be difficult.

He had to release the monsters on Level 6 to draw fire before he could truly get away.

"Be careful, Sir Roy. Level 6 is no ordinary place."

Emporio Ivankov wasted no time on formalities and quickly sent his subordinates to the cells in Freezing Hell.

Soon...

"How did you get here? Are Impel Down's jailers all idiots? Or did you succeed in escaping last time?"

"Forget that! Let us out! We're so hungry and cold! Please let us out!"

Level 5's criminals were either frostbitten or starved to skin and bones. At the sight of Emporio Ivankov and the others, they first froze, then all but begged.

Emporio Ivankov felt no pity, but he began rescuing them.

He did, however, play a little trick.

"Heh, it seems you've all gone mad from hunger and cold. I understand. Don't worry, I'm here to save you."

"You all know that Roy, the man behind the last breakout, gave us this opportunity. Now he's told us to release you so we can leave Impel Down together. Understood?"

Once again, he pinned the title of mastermind behind the breakout on Roy.

That way, the blame for releasing the criminals afterward would not fall on him.

Hearing this, the criminals recalled the breakout that had shaken Impel Down a few days earlier, and they all grew wildly agitated.

In just half an hour, all the criminals on Level 5, Freezing Hell, had been released.

"Hahaha! We're finally saved! We finally don't have to freeze to death! Those damned jailers!"

"I'm so hungry! I haven't eaten anything in years!"

At first, everyone tearfully complained, lamenting the hardships of prison life.

Emporio Ivankov had prepared for this and had people drag over the slain army wolves.

The criminals swallowed the meat raw without caring whether it was cooked.

A short while later, everyone gradually recovered.

Emporio Ivankov led the criminals into action.

They first slaughtered most of the army wolves on Level 5, then fought their way toward the stairs to Level 4.

As soon as they reached the stairs, the commotion was discovered by the jailers stationed at the Level 4 stairway.

Enemies met, and they immediately charged into battle with furious roars.

"Kill them! Kill those damned jailers! You bastards nearly made me freeze to death! I'll take your lives!"

"Kill them! I said long ago that if I ever got out, I'd slaughter every last one of you bastards!"

Facing the hundreds of criminals charging at them, the jailers were equally bloodthirsty.

"Damn it! Those damned criminals really have shown up again! This must be Roy's handiwork again!"

"Don't be afraid! This is our chance to kill them and avenge our colleagues who died last time!"

Bang! Bang!

A brutal battle erupted between the two sides.

Neither the newly freed criminals, half-dead from the cold, nor the jailers seeking revenge for their colleagues held anything back.

But there were only a few dozen jailers. Even in better condition, they could not stop hundreds of Level 5 criminals who fought without regard for their lives.

In less than half an hour, the jailers were wiped out.

Still, relying on their advantages, they traded life for life and killed nearly thirty criminals.

Both sides fought to the bloody extreme.

But this slaughter ultimately alerted the jailers on Level 4.

Soon, large numbers of jailers charged over and clashed with the criminals.

Not only that, footage of the breakout on Level 4 had already been transmitted through the repaired Den Den Mushi projection system.

The jailers on Level 1 saw what was happening and quickly called Magellan's Den Den Mushi.

At that moment, Magellan, Kuzan, and the others were leading a large force of jailers through Level 2, searching for hidden passages.

Sengoku's analysis had reached Kuzan before Roy and the others began their operation.

"Kuzan, search every level of Impel Down carefully. There may be gaps between the levels."

"We must find Roy this time."

Kuzan and the other two suddenly understood.

They had already harbored suspicions, and Sengoku's assessment made them even more certain.

But just as they were about to begin searching Level 2, news arrived: another breakout had erupted on Level 4.

"Damn that Roy! He's finally shown himself! This time, I'll send him to Level 6 myself!"

Magellan roared, his presence erupting as he prepared to charge toward Level 4.

Kuzan, however, frowned.

"Roy made his move just as we were about to begin our search. If I didn't know everyone in the Marines, I'd almost think he had a mole among us."

Garp clenched his fists and added, "That's not all. According to the report, they fought their way out through the Level 4 stairwell."

"That means the breakout started on Level 5, Freezing Hell. And Freezing Hell is a place where Den Den Mushi struggle to survive, the only blind spot in all of Impel Down."

"It seems that hidden floor is either between Levels 4 and 5 or somewhere near Level 6."

A heavy silence settled over them.

Kuzan and Garp finally understood everything.

No wonder they had never been able to find Roy's hiding place. He had been hiding between Levels 4 and 5.

Kuzan abruptly raised his head, his tone carrying a trace of gravity.

"The jailers just reported that Roy doesn't seem to be among the rioters on Level 4."

Garp's gaze was equally grave. "You mean that bastard Roy may already have gone to Level 6 to release those monsters?"

Kuzan did not answer. He moved straight to the Den Den Mushi's speaker and told the jailers to notify Vice Warden Domino, who had already regained consciousness, to immediately close the gate above Level 6 that led Above Ground.

Garp understood as well.

As long as the gate to the cell block above was closed, even if those criminals were released, they would be like turtles trapped in a jar, with no choice but to be dealt with by them.

If they wanted to escape, they could only head down.

And all they had to do was guard the cell block below.

When the time came, even if they could not hold them off, the Marines would send reinforcements once they learned of the breakout.

Roy and the others would not be able to turn everything upside down.

But Kuzan and the others did not know that Marine Headquarters was currently too overwhelmed with its own problems to spare any more fighting forces for Impel Down.

This oversight doomed Impel Down to face an unprecedented mass breakout.

While Kuzan and the others laid their plans, Roy was making his way toward Level 6.

Bullet, Impel Down's monstrously powerful fighter, was also quietly awaiting his arrival.