In the conference room of Marine Headquarters.
At this moment, all high-ranking officers at or above the middle level currently stationed at Marineford had gathered. Ten vice admirals, one admiral — the backbone of the Navy's core command — were present.
"You're in such a hurry to call all of us here. Seems like something serious has happened," Akainu said in a deep, grave voice.
He had only temporarily returned to headquarters for a short vacation, but clearly, that vacation was no longer an option.
The other vice admirals exchanged confused glances, their expressions solemn and tense.
"Everyone,"
Sengoku sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping across the room. Without wasting time, he got straight to the point. "A major incident occurred today. All the prisoners on the sixth floor of Impel Down have escaped."
As his words landed, a wave of chaos erupted through the room.
"What?!"
One vice admiral shot to his feet, slamming his palms on the table in disbelief. "All of the prisoners from the sixth floor? That floor is full of monsters! Have they really broken out of Impel Down?"
"No," Sengoku clarified, his tone calm but sharp. "According to the latest intelligence, the prisoners have only reached the fourth floor. Magellan has already organized a defensive line on the third floor to intercept and buy time. We must quickly assemble our forces and head to Impel Down for reinforcements. Our mission is simple — re-apprehend every last one of the escapees."
His gaze turned cold and commanding. "You all know very well what kind of criminals are locked away on the sixth floor. Each one is dangerous enough to cause massive damage to the world. If these monsters escape to the surface, both the World Government and Marine Headquarters will suffer catastrophic losses. The seas themselves may plunge into chaos."
"This time, Akainu will lead the task force. All officers at the rank of brigadier general and above are to assemble immediately, along with elite soldiers and top-tier non-commissioned officers. Head to Impel Down at once!"
Akainu stood up, his expression frosty. "I'll wipe out those unknown freaks myself."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
The brigadiers rose from their seats with grim faces, understanding the weight of what was to come.
This mission wouldn't be easy. They would have to put everything on the line — even their lives — to stop the breakout at Impel Down.
Soon after, three warships set out directly from Marine Headquarters, heading toward the Gate of Justice.
Through that gateway, the Marines would travel quickly to Impel Down to launch their counterattack and reclaim control.
Meanwhile, in Impel Down.
Fourth Floor — The Burning Hell.
With Magellan having retreated, only Mio and the freed criminals remained on the fourth floor.
This place was known as the Burning Hell, a furnace-like environment filled with blistering heat, boiling blood pools, and roaring seas of flame. The air shimmered with oppressive heat, making every breath feel like inhaling fire.
At one scorched section of the Burning Hell, a large group of pirates who had originally been imprisoned on the fourth floor gathered. They stood warily, keeping their eyes fixed on Mio and his dangerous companions.
Leading the group was a tall, burly man — a Devil Fruit user. His name was Campbell, and his bounty was 87 million berries. He had somehow emerged as the temporary leader of the fourth-floor inmates, who numbered between three and four hundred.
"They're all legends... monsters," Campbell said, giving a wary grin as he eyed Mio. "I'm Campbell. Since you plan to escape Impel Down, it's only natural we'd want to follow you. But we're not idiots. We know our strength is limited. We don't want to be used as meat shields and left to die the moment we hit resistance."
He raised a hand and gestured to the crowd behind him. "So we're proposing a temporary alliance. All we ask is that you don't treat us like disposable pawns. Otherwise, we'll have to reconsider — maybe even fight back."
His voice dropped to a warning tone, though his smile remained. "There are over three hundred of us. That's not a small number. I doubt you want to make us your enemies."
Campbell's words held a subtle threat, but also a sense of self-assured logic. Though he and his followers were no match for legends like the Red Earl, they had numbers — and numbers meant pressure. He believed that the Red Earl and the others would find it more beneficial to accept their terms than to create unnecessary friction during a delicate escape.
Unfortunately for Campbell... he had severely miscalculated.
Mio, hands behind his head, tilted slightly to glance toward the Red Earl and Douglas Barrett. His voice was light and unconcerned. "What do you think?"
"Heh." The Red Earl chuckled. A cold smirk spread across his face.
Barrett's eyes narrowed, a chilling gleam flashing across them. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"Interesting," the Red Earl said, his voice laced with amusement and menace. "I didn't expect to be threatened before I even left Impel Down. No one's tried that in years."
"If you're going to threaten us, you'd better have the strength to back it up."
Behind Mio, the other criminals from the sixth floor cracked cold grins.
They had all been coerced and threatened by Mio when he first released them — and they'd accepted it. Why? Because Mio had power. His abilities were fearsome, and his boldness earned their respect.
But Campbell? What did he have?
Not all threats are equal — and Campbell had nothing to stand on.
"Who wants to take care of this?" Mio asked casually, cracking his neck.
One of the sixth-floor pirates stepped forward, but before he could move, the Red Earl had already vanished from sight.
The sound of rushing wind rang out.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Campbell. His hand extended like a flash of lightning, grabbing Campbell by the head.
Campbell's expression twisted in pain, as the sheer force in the Red Earl's palm made his skull creak.
"Threat? You're not even worthy," the Red Earl said flatly, turning his gaze toward the crowd of fourth-floor pirates.
His overwhelming aura exploded like a shockwave, crashing over the gathered pirates like a tsunami of dread.
Bang!
With a burst of crushing power, the Red Earl's palm closed — and Campbell's head shattered like glass.
Blood sprayed through the air. His lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
Just like that — the leader of the fourth-floor inmates, a man with an 87 million bounty, was dead. He hadn't even lasted a second.
And the Red Earl hadn't even broken a sweat.
The crowd trembled. The pirates who had stood confidently behind Campbell moments ago were now filled with horror and dread. Fear gripped their hearts.
Mio stepped forward, his smile turning sinister.
"What that dead guy said was true," Mio said coldly. "You are cannon fodder."
"Now, you have two choices."
"One — become our cannon fodder. Maybe you'll survive and make it out of Impel Down."
"Two — I kill you here and now."
"No matter how many you are, you're still just weaklings."
His gaze swept the group. "Five seconds. Choose."
———-
Pump up the power stone if you want mass release