Chapter 6: Frozen Path to Freedom

The monstrous ice puck slammed into the Poison Giant Soldier with a deafening crack, sending both it and Magellan crashing back into the wall. The thick barrier shattered completely under the impact.

Magellan coughed up blood, the force of the blow leaving him reeling. "Men! After them!"

Ling Bai's unexpected attack left Bullet and the others momentarily stunned.

"Such devastating freezing power," Crocodile murmured, a flicker of curiosity crossing his features.

"There's no comparison," Ling Bai said, shaking his head. In his heart, the Teigu of Ice far surpassed the mere Frozen Fruit. Besides, he now possessed the ability to freeze time and space – a secret he wouldn't share.

Unimpeded by Magellan, they reached the third floor swiftly. There, Shiryu retrieved his signature demon blade, Thunderstorm. The moment he grasped the hilt, his aura surged noticeably.

Within ten minutes, they stood at the gates of Impel Down. The jailers they encountered along the way proved no obstacle.

Bullet blasted the doors open, and a wave of blinding light flooded in. "Is that… the sun?" he cried, a joyous gasp escaping his lips. "Fresh air!"

After two decades of imprisonment, Bullet found himself overwhelmed by the sight of the sun, a sensation he couldn't quite grasp.

"But how do we get out of here?" Crocodile questioned, his gaze sweeping the empty horizon. "No ships in sight."

Shiryu, ever the expert on Impel Down, explained, "Except for transporting new prisoners or materials, no vessels dare approach these waters. This is a feeding ground for countless Sea Kings." Golden Lion, for instance, managed his escape with his flying ability granted by the Lion Fruit.

"Listen!" Crocodile cut in. A furious bellow echoed in the distance – a clear indication that Magellan wasn't about to give up.

"There's always a solution," Ling Bai declared with unwavering determination. He swiftly dragged the bodies of three recently slain jailers and tossed them into the churning sea.

The scent of blood acted as an instant lure. A swarm of Sea Kings erupted from the depths, their eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty hunger.

"Escape with the Sea Kings!" Ling Bai roared, a plan forming in his mind.

A surge of crimson Haki erupted from Ling Bai, instantly engulfing a vast swathe of the sea. The oppressive force crackled with raw power, a storm of thunder and lightning swirling around him.

The sight transformed Ling Bai into a veritable god of war. Within seconds, the Sea Kings' eyes rolled over, their monstrous forms succumbing to unconsciousness.

"Conqueror's Haki!" gasps echoed around him, even from Bullet, a fellow possessor of Conqueror Haki.

Ling Bai's overwhelming power against Magellan, coupled with this awe-inspiring display of Haki, left them utterly stunned.

He swiftly leapt atop the largest Sea King, the only one remaining conscious, its body trembling in abject terror.

"Do you understand me?" Ling Bai demanded, peering into the creature's depths. He sensed a flicker of comprehension, a primal understanding that transcended language, fueled by raw fear.

His Haki had indeed struck terror into its very core.

The message resonated with Bullet and the others, who quickly followed suit, scrambling onto the Sea King's back.

Meanwhile, a battered Magellan stumbled upon the shattered gate ten seconds later. The sight that greeted him sent shivers down his spine.

Ling Bai and his companions were already mounted on a colossal Sea King, a good hundred meters away from Impel Down.

Raising his right hand, Ling Bai unleashed the immense power of the Ice Emperor in a sweeping gesture. The surrounding sea froze instantaneously.

This wasn't a mere ice age like Aokiji's; it was a far grander display of power. The frozen expanse stretched far beyond anything Aokiji could achieve.

A chilling forest of ice spikes erupted from the frozen sea, a menacing spectacle that finally slammed into the gates of Impel Down. The force of it sent a wave of bone-numbing cold radiating outwards, instantly dropping the temperature within half of Impel Down by tens of degrees.

Several unfortunate Sea Kings met their demise, crushed by the icy onslaught or frozen solid.

Three minutes of stunned silence followed, finally giving way to the realization – several notorious criminals had vanished.

"My career is over," Magellan slumped, defeated. "A mysterious intruder with overwhelming power… and they've taken Bullet the Devil's descendant, Shiryu of the Rain, and the former Shichibukai, Sand Crocodile!"

Exhausted, Magellan slumped to the ground. Soon, the phone bug in the Marshal's office at Naval Headquarters began to ring…