Sengoku's worry!

Before him were rows of prison cells constructed from sturdy rocks.

Due to being located beneath the sea, there was almost no natural light in Impel Down, relying entirely on artificial lighting. Many prisoners instinctively hid themselves in the shadows.

For Kaido, the first level of Impel Down held no interest at all. These inmates might be considered scoundrels outside, but to him, they were no different from ants, easily crushed.

Thus, there was no need to waste time here. He would head straight to the elevators and go directly to the fifth and sixth levels.

Naturally, Kaido's grand entrance could not go unnoticed by the prisoners, who were extremely familiar with Impel Down.

So, in the cells...

The prisoners, upon hearing the commotion, eagerly pressed against the iron bars, looking excitedly in the direction of the noise.

Seeing Kaido, each prisoner wore a look of surprise followed by uncontrollable delight.

"Lord Kaido! Let me out, and my life is yours!"

"Lord Kaido, save me!"

"If you open my door, I'll lead you to a treasure buried on an island, worth millions of Beli!"

"Hey, Kaido, let me out, and I'll help you take down an Admiral!"

"Where's my husband?"

"Damn, Mina's knocking."

"I have a big secret. Let me out, and I'll tell you!"

The prisoners shouted at Kaido, babbling in their attempts to persuade him to free them. After all, a chance to escape Impel Down was rare, and who knew when another might come.

Kaido had initially planned to ignore these people, but he stopped when he heard one of them speak.

Standing in front of the cell, Kaido's imposing presence caused the pirates inside to fall silent, unable to withstand his aura.

"Was it you who said you could take down an Admiral?"

Kaido's gaze fixed on one of the inmates, a grin slowly forming on his lips.

The inmate, realizing this might be his only chance, swallowed his fear and tried to sound as arrogant as possible.

"That's right. If you let me out, I'll kill whichever Admiral you name!"

"..."

Kaido fell silent, thinking to himself that if this prisoner could take down an Admiral, he wouldn't be confined to the first level.

"Fine, I'll give you this chance."

Kaido said slowly.

Hearing Kaido's words, the prisoner was overjoyed, while Shiryu, who had recently joined Kaido, watched the scene with curiosity.

"Kaido really has a twisted sense of humor," Shiryu couldn't help but comment from the side.

Before Shiryu could respond, Kaido suddenly spewed blazing flames from his mouth. The flames engulfed the cell, turning everyone inside to ash, and even the nearby cells didn't escape unscathed.

"Alright, the cell door is open, but it seems you no longer have the opportunity."

Kaido remarked as he walked away, leaving behind a cell with molten lava on the ground and human-shaped shadows imprinted on the floor.

Seeing this, the prisoners who had been shouting earlier quickly retreated back into their cells, peeking through the bars at Kaido and his group with fear.

Kaido ignored these prisoners. Those held in the Crimson Hell were weaklings, not even worthy of being cannon fodder.

Thud—thud—

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from the darkness.

"It's the Blue Gorillas..."

Upon hearing the footsteps, many prisoners shrank back, trying to hide in the darkest corners, not daring to make a sound.

Though Kaido was terrifying, the Blue Gorillas of Impel Down held even greater sway over these inmates.

"That guy is doomed," the prisoners thought, glancing fearfully toward the source of the footsteps, then back at Kaido.

Outside the cells.

Kaido curiously looked in the direction of the sound.

The heavy footsteps drew closer.

Soon, a group of wardens, fully cloaked and wielding large axes, emerged from the dark hallway—these were the Blue Gorillas guarding the first level.

The Blue Gorillas briefly assessed Kaido before swinging their axes at him and his companions without a word. Their orders were clearly to eliminate these intruders.

Kaido didn't move, while Shiryu drew his sword, Thunderstorm, and in a flash, appeared behind the Blue Gorillas.

The Blue Gorillas suddenly froze, looking down in confusion at their chests.

A hissing sound, like air escaping from a punctured ball, was heard.

Before they could react, their massive bodies were slashed with deep wounds, and they collapsed to the ground, bleeding heavily.

The subsequent levels, Beast Hell and Hunger Hell, posed no obstacle to Kaido and his party.

On the second level, Beast Hell, upon seeing the beast-like intruders, the boss Sphinx and his followers quickly switched sides.

The surveillance Den Den Mushi placed throughout the prison silently observed Kaido and his group, transmitting live footage to the control room.

In front of the monitor-covered control panel, Domino, the current deputy warden of Impel Down, coldly watched Kaido's group.

"Deputy Warden Domino, are we just going to let them proceed to the lower levels?" a subordinate asked.

Domino adjusted her red-brown sunglasses, giving her subordinate a look that screamed, "Are you stupid?"

"I want nothing more than to send those guys to the deepest level, Infinite Hell. But you saw what happened—a squad of Blue Gorillas, who could easily kill Sea Kings, were taken down by Shiryu before Kaido even made a move. If you want to stop them, I'll nominate you for a medal."

"..."

The people in the control room fell silent, unable to refute her point.

Though they wanted to stop the intruders, they simply didn't have the strength.

Sadi, the warden clad in tight pink leather, her eyes hidden by her hair, said, "With Warden Magellan and the demon guards on the fourth level, they should be able to hold them off."

As the commander of the demon guards, she knew their terrifying power well. Although they had lost their minds as failed Zoan users, their strength was almost indistinguishable from those who had succeeded.

Even if they couldn't win, their formidable defense and unreasonable regeneration abilities could at least stall Kaido's group.

And most importantly, the fourth level housed Warden Magellan, the prison's trump card. This was why they hadn't tried to stop Kaido—once Magellan unleashed his powers, there would be no distinction between friend and foe.

They also knew Kaido's immense strength was far beyond what the wardens could handle. Instead of sending wardens to their deaths, it was better to adapt to the situation.

Marineford, Marine Headquarters.

"What!? Kaido broke into Impel Down!? What are Magellan and Shiryu doing?

What! You said Shiryu defected!?"

In his office, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was distraught upon hearing the news of Kaido's invasion and Shiryu's betrayal. He hadn't expected Kaido to suddenly decide to attack Impel Down.

What angered him more was Shiryu's defection. Previously, Impel Down's defense relied on Shiryu and Magellan working together, making it difficult for even Kaido to breach.

But now was not the time for deliberation. Sengoku knew the immediate priority was to dispatch Marine forces to Impel Down, repel Kaido, and contain the prisoners.

"Garp, take Borsalino, Kuzan, and Sakazuki to Impel Down immediately. We cannot let those sea scoundrels escape into the ocean!"

After hanging up, Sengoku pressed his hand to his forehead, clearly troubled by the situation.