Chapter 7: Marines on Edge

"What?"

"An intruder! Took away Bullet, Shiryu of the Rain, and Crocodile?"

The originally quiet marshal's office was filled with Sengoku's unbelievable voice.

"Holding the power of freezing, even now the large sea area outside Impel Down is frozen!"

"Same ability as Kuzan?"

After hanging up Den Den Mushi, Sengoku couldn't calm down for a long time. At this moment, he was the only one in the whole office.

However, after the emergency meeting order was issued, the three Admirals, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Vice Admiral Garp also came here.

"Hey, Sengoku, what is the emergency meeting for?"

At this time, Garp became more and more irritable because the execution time of Fire Fist Ace was getting closer.

"Is it about the execution, or the Whitebeard Pirates?" Kizaru questioned.

"No, what I want to say is..."

Everyone saw Sengoku's complexion was extremely serious.

"Just today, someone broke out of the heavily guarded Impel Down!"

Immediately afterwards, regardless of the shock of everyone, Sengoku said this in detail.

And everyone's expressions turned serious in the end, no one thought that such a thing would happen!

"What's going on? Such a serious incident happened at this time?"

Akainu was very angry, the time for public execution was imminent, but there was a jailbreak incident in Impel Down at this moment, and this incident was obviously much more terrifying than that of Golden Lion Shiki!

The four leave Impel Down, along with Shiryu the Rain, and the most terrifying criminal, Douglas Bullet!

Of course, there is also a mysterious strong man who manipulates the power of ice and can crush the existence of Magellan!

This is, without a doubt, a planned escape!

And in this urgent time, there are less than two weeks before the public execution time!

This made it difficult for everyone present to accept.

"Freezing ability! What's going on?"

Aokiji was the most surprised by Ling Bai's ability.

Sengoku shook his head: "I don't know, but Magellan mentioned that the opponent is very strong, and may even have Admiral's level!"

"Admiral level! A teenager!"

Everyone exclaimed,

An angry Akainu said: "A bounty needs to be issued immediately!"

After calming down, Tsuru mentioned: "No, don't let the world know that someone escaped from Impel Down at this time. Let alone the so-called face of the World government and Naval Headquarters, the time for public execution is coming, such an event, Marine's morale dealt a major blow!"

"What Tsuru said makes sense, alas..."

Sengoku rubbed his forehead, expressing his helplessness, who would have thought that such a major event would happen at such a time? It's much scarier than that time with the Golden Lion!

"He didn't take Ace away..."

At this time, Garp's psychological are different from others. Although he does not want to see an accident in Impel Down, Garp is even more unwilling to see Ace, whom he regards as a blood relative, be beheaded.

Therefore, Garp felt helpless in his heart.

After the meeting, Aokiji also left Naval Headquarters. He wanted to see what was going on in the frozen sea outside Impel Down.

The emergence of a second powerful figure capable of manipulating freezing abilities in the world has to draw Aokiji's special attention.

...

The next day, Ling Bai and the crew found themselves aboard a pirate ship near the Sabaody Archipelago. After encountering another pirate vessel, they swiftly commandeered it.

Meanwhile, Crocodile perused the latest paper delivered by a passing newsbird.

"No mention of us," he remarked with a hint of surprise. "It's yesterday's news, all about the happenings in the New World, particularly the Whitebeard Pirates. Not a word about our escape from Impel Down."

He expressed some disappointment, echoed by Bullet and Shiryu of the Rain.

Ling Bai interjected, "There isn't much time until the public execution. Revealing the Impel Down jailbreak now would severely dent Marine morale, so Naval Headquarters likely opted to keep it under wraps."

"Sounds plausible," Crocodile conceded.

"Ling Bai, shall we join the upcoming war?" Bullet inquired.

"Naturally, we'll participate! What's the point of freeing you otherwise?" Ling Bai asserted. "And from now on, refer to me as Captain. Bullet is the vice-captain, Shiryu Ameno and Crocodile are officers. Our crew shall be known as the Ling Bai Pirates. In a world where strength reigns supreme, it's fitting to allocate roles based on strength."

An hour later, at Sabaody Archipelago, Ling Bai decided to disembark at the coated port where Pluton Rayleigh resides, only to discover he was not there.

"Bullet, Pluton Rayleigh lives here in seclusion, disguised as an ordinary coater."

"Really? That's intriguing," Bullet remarked, though his past partnership with Rayleigh didn't necessarily imply a warm relationship. "I'd love to meet him someday."