Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the first half of the Grand Line stood the most dominant force on these seas.
It was responsible for suppressing unrest everywhere, while also holding a firm grip on the lifeline of the Grand Line's first half.
Though nominally subordinate to the World Government, it was undoubtedly the enforcer of Absolute Justice on these seas.
It was a colossus whose very name struck terror into countless pirates.
Legends such as the God Valley Incident and the Pirate King incident were all deeply connected to Marine Headquarters.
Inside Sengoku's office.
"What? You're saying Impel Down's signal is gone, and you've completely lost contact with it?"
Sengoku sprang from his chair, his eyes wide as he stared at the communications officer who had come to report, his face filled with disbelief.
How he wished he had misheard, that he simply wasn't fully awake yet.
Otherwise, the sky really might be about to fall!
The communications officer trembled and hastily explained:
"Reporting to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, after losing Impel Down's signal, we immediately tried several ways to contact them, but all of them failed..."
He swallowed and voiced the worst possibility.
"We suspect something serious has happened at Impel Down, so we rushed here to report it to you!"
Instead, Sengoku launched straight into a tirade.
"What are you communications officers even good for! Something this serious, and you didn't know to report it immediately when you first discovered it!"
"You suspect something happened? Impel Down doesn't even have a signal anymore! How could nothing have happened!"
Seeing the communications officer trembling in terror, Sengoku was so furious he practically had steam coming out of him.
"Then get moving! I don't care what methods you use, find out why Impel Down's signal has been lost..."
"No, I've let my anger muddle my head. The most urgent thing now is to send a top-level fighter to investigate immediately."
Sengoku said a great deal in one breath, and cursed a great deal too.
He felt that his later years had turned bleak.
If something serious really had happened at Impel Down, then it truly would all be over.
Seeing that the communications officer had been berated into a daze, the elderly woman seated nearby, Vice Admiral Tsuru, also known as Staff Officer Tsuru, raised a hand to indicate that he should leave.
As though granted a pardon, the communications officer saluted gratefully and hurried out of the office.
Only after the door closed did Staff Officer Tsuru turn toward the furious Sengoku and soothe him. "Enough, Sengoku."
"I know you're anxious, but you're the Fleet Admiral. Losing your composure before we've even established the cause isn't like you."
Sengoku looked bitter and took a deep breath. "Tsuru, how can I worry about keeping up appearances right now?"
"Two years ago, that brat called Fire Fist Ace turned down an invitation to join the Shichibukai, then turned around and became Whitebeard's Second Division Commander. Whitebeard's forces expanded again. Tell me, how could I not panic!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, until he was speaking through gritted teeth.
"You should know perfectly well that the brat Fire Fist Ace is Garp's grandson!"
"When I found out back then, I wanted to run to the East Blue myself and beat up that old bastard Garp!"
"I just want to retire in peace! Why does it have to be so difficult!"
At those words, the corner of Staff Officer Tsuru's mouth twitched too.
Sengoku really had been unlucky over the years.
He was nominally the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, but the World Government bore down on him from above.
Below him were the Marines' internal factional problems, particularly the hawks, who sometimes would not even obey Sengoku's orders.
Now he had this business with Whitebeard on his hands, and with the Impel Down incident on top of it, his situation really was rather miserable.
But she quickly gathered her thoughts, her expression turning serious as she brought the conversation back on track.
"We can discuss the other matters later. Our immediate priority is dealing with Impel Down."
"Sengoku, Kuzan arrested several pirates on this trip to the New World. Judging by the timing, he shouldn't be far from Impel Down. Just have him stop by."
Sengoku's eyes lit up. "Tsuru, you're right. If something really has happened at Impel Down, Aokiji is strong enough to suppress it, whatever the situation."
With that, he took a Golden Den Den Mushi straight out of his drawer and placed a call.
At the sight, however, Staff Officer Tsuru's gaze grew much deeper.
She kept feeling that this matter was not as simple as it appeared.
Anything capable of cutting off signals throughout Impel Down was certainly no small matter.
The worst possibility could even be...
Someone was breaking out.
At that thought, Staff Officer Tsuru's expression tightened.
If that were true, it really would be a catastrophe.
Soon, the Den Den Mushi connected, and a languid voice came from the other end.
"Hello, hello, Aokiji here. Fleet Admiral Sengoku, did you need something?"
"Hello, hello, if there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep."
At those words, Sengoku's eyes turned bloodshot, and he panted like a bull. "Aokiji! You're an Admiral! How can you be so lazy! Do you have any bearing befitting an Admiral at all!"
Somewhere on the Grand Line, a warship sailed slowly toward Impel Down.
On deck, Aokiji reclined in a chair with a sleep mask in his hand, his voice as unhurried as ever.
"I understand, Fleet Admiral Sengoku... I'll be more careful."
Clearly, he had not taken Sengoku's words to heart at all.
This only enraged Sengoku further, making him want to blast a Great Buddha Shockwave straight at him.
"Kuzan! I don't have time to waste words with you! Something serious has happened at Impel Down. I want you to investigate immediately!"
His tone was commanding, then turned cold.
"If something serious really has happened, I want you to suppress it at any cost!"
"You understand what I mean!"
On deck, Aokiji's half-closed eyes opened slightly.
He did not answer immediately. His gaze passed over the ship's railing toward the outline of an enormous structure looming through the distant sea mist, and he slowly sat upright.
"...Impel Down, huh."
His tone finally grew somewhat more serious.
"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. With me here, whatever has really happened at Impel Down, I can suppress it."
With that, he casually tossed his sleep mask aside, got up, and walked over to the ship's wheel.
Using his Ice-Ice Fruit ability, he formed a stretch of ice and rode a bicycle toward Impel Down at full speed.
He wanted to see just who was so outrageously bold as to dare cause trouble at Impel Down.
Back at Marineford, Sengoku finally breathed a sigh of relief after hanging up the Den Den Mushi.
"Luckily, Kuzan happened to catch a few pirates and was heading for Impel Down anyway. Otherwise, if something really happened, we'd never make it in time!"
Staff Officer Tsuru, however, frowned.
"Let's hope we're overthinking it."
"Impel Down is in the Calm Belt. Even if something unusual really has happened, no one can leave easily. Besides, warships guard the perimeter around the clock."
Something suddenly occurred to her, and her gaze grew serious.
"Sengoku, try contacting Magellan directly. Every Chief Warden of Impel Down has been issued a dedicated Den Den Mushi. Even if their internal communications have failed, we can still call him directly from here."
Sengoku froze, then slapped his forehead.
"That's Tsuru for you. I really was too angry to think straight. I actually forgot about that."
He hurriedly found a special Den Den Mushi in his drawer and called without hesitation.
To his surprise, the Den Den Mushi connected the instant he placed the call.
"Hello, hello, this is Impel Down. Magellan speaking. Greetings, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"Oh, oh... click!"
His expression solemn, Sengoku asked bluntly:
"Chief Warden Magellan, what exactly has happened at Impel Down? Why is the signal gone? What's the situation on your end?"
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