Ready for Battle

Impel Down, First Level - Monitoring Room

Dozens of large screens hung on the walls, displaying live surveillance footage from various areas of Impel Down. The prison guards were monitoring the inmates through the video images transmitted by the Den Den Mushi, except for Level 5, where the temperature was too low to install them.

At the moment, five or six guards were yawning, looking half-asleep.

"It's been over a decade since we had any trouble here. What's the point of keeping an eye on things like this every day?" a young guard yawned, his voice tinged with boredom.

"Isn't it a good thing that there's been no trouble? You have no idea how many guards and Marines died back when the Golden Lion, Shiki, broke out," an older guard responded with a chuckle. "We've got it good here. No fighting pirates like the Marines, and we don't have to worry about the weather. You're just taking it for granted. Wait until you're my age, you'll understand."

"Hah, yeah right. One big-shot escape in a hundred years, and now every pirate's locked up with their limbs bound. Even if Shiki came back, he wouldn't make it out again," the young guard scoffed.

Everyone knew Shiki's escape was due to his Float-Float Fruit powers. Without a similar ability, prisoners in Impel Down wouldn't even make it past the first level. After all, the Marine fleet outside wasn't just for show, and the Calm Belt teeming with Sea Kings surrounded them. Without the ability to fly, escape was impossible!

"Hey, tell us the story of how Shiki broke out, would you? We're bored out of our minds anyway," another guard asked with a grin, clearly intrigued by the tale.

"Shiki's escape, huh?" The older guard laughed, leaning back in his chair and resting his hands behind his head. Glancing at the monitors, he casually began, "Well, back then—"

Just as he was about to start his story, something caught his eye on the screen. His face went pale in an instant.

On the screen, a tall figure surrounded by crackling lightning stood in the hallway of Level 6.

"Something's wrong!"

"We have a breakout!"

The older guard lunged for the control panel, sounding the alarm as he grabbed the Den Den Mushi to alert the warden. The blaring alarm echoed throughout the prison.

Other guards, who had also seen the figure on the screen, stared in horror.

"Someone's escaped! Notify Warden Magellan immediately!"

"It's Monster Rear Admiral Sanders! Sanders has broken out!"

At that moment, Magellan was sitting on the toilet, suffering from a bout of diarrhea. His usually fierce face had gone pale. When the alarm blared, his expression darkened.

This was a sound he hadn't heard since the Golden Lion's escape over ten years ago.

Buru Buru Buru Buru—

The Den Den Mushi rang.

Magellan answered immediately.

"Warden Magellan, it's bad! Sanders from Level 6 has escaped!" The terrified voice on the other end of the line didn't even wait for him to ask questions. Even the Den Den Mushi was sweating in fear.

Sanders?

Magellan instantly remembered who they were talking about—the Marine's youngest and most talented Rear Admiral ever, a prodigy of the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

"How did he escape the sea stone cuffs and shackles? Did he cut off his limbs?" Magellan asked quickly.

After all, the Golden Lion had escaped by cutting off his legs. With both Sanders' hands and feet bound, the only way to escape should have been by severing his limbs.

"N-No! Sanders is completely unharmed. His limbs are intact—there's no sign of injury!"

Magellan was puzzled. How could Sanders have escaped without cutting off his limbs? But there was no time to dwell on that. The most important task now was to recapture Sanders and put down this breakout.

"Has anyone else escaped?" he asked.

"No, it's just Sanders."

That was a relief for Magellan. At least Sanders hadn't freed any of the other prisoners. If the criminals from Level 6 had broken out en masse, the damage would've been catastrophic, even if they managed to suppress them.

Each of the prisoners on Level 6 was a monstrous figure.

Dealing with one escapee was manageable.

No matter how talented Sanders was, he was still just a teenager.

"Keep a close eye on him. Report his movements to me immediately. Notify Hannyabal and Shiryu. Seal off all exits. Sanders must not be allowed to escape!" Magellan ordered decisively.

"Yes, Warden Magellan! Sanders has already reached Level 5, but we don't have surveillance there because of the extreme cold," the guard reported before hanging up.

Magellan hurriedly finished his business, wiped himself, and got off the toilet, ready to personally capture Sanders. The reputation of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and Sanders' genius title weighed heavily on his mind. He had to ensure that this time there would be no escape—unlike with the Golden Lion.

To cover all bases, he also notified the Marine fleet outside. However, he refrained from contacting Marine Headquarters for now. He believed they could still handle the situation within Impel Down.

With Magellan's orders, all guards grabbed their weapons and stationed themselves at every exit, determined to subdue Sanders.

Outside Impel Down

On the deck of the lead warship, a Marine Vice Admiral stood, clad in a gray suit with a Justice cloak billowing behind him. A two-headed dragon emblem was etched on his helmet, and he held two swords in hand. At his waist hung an ancient-looking pistol.

This man was Vice Admiral Onigumo, the commander of the Marine fleet stationed outside.

He puffed on a cigarette, his expression fierce. He had just finished speaking with Warden Magellan via Den Den Mushi. As he gazed at the gathering storm clouds above, he muttered to himself:

"Is this because of you, Sanders?"

"Seems like being locked in Impel Down didn't weaken you. You've only gotten stronger," he mused.

"Vice Admiral Onigumo, should we inform Fleet Admiral Sengoku about Sanders' escape?" his aide asked cautiously.

"There's no need for that, at least not yet. Magellan and Shiryu are there—escaping Impel Down won't be easy," Onigumo responded coolly. "Especially with Magellan. His Venom-Venom Fruit makes him practically invincible inside the prison. Even a Marine Admiral would struggle to escape from him and Shiryu."

The Venom-Venom Fruit was incredibly powerful. If not for its side effects, Magellan would have easily been a Candidate Admiral—becoming a full Admiral wasn't out of the question.

Onigumo also respected Shiryu of the Rain, the prison's chief warden, known for his swordsmanship. Onigumo didn't believe he could defeat Shiryu himself. With those two defending the prison, even if Sanders had grown stronger, he wouldn't be able to escape.

Therefore, there was no need to alert Fleet Admiral Sengoku just yet.

The seas were growing more chaotic, with stronger pirates emerging left and right. Meanwhile, the Marines...

Looking up at the darkening storm clouds, Onigumo's thoughts turned to what should've been the Marines' next great leader...

"Notify all warships: be on high alert and prepare for battle at any moment!"

"Yes, Vice Admiral Onigumo!"

With the order given, every warship's cannons were trained on the waters surrounding Impel Down.