My latest book One Piece: My 'Pokemon' Crew is now released.
Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: p@treon.com/CosmicKaminari
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Soon, Akira arrived at the entrance of Impel Down aboard a warship.
He saw that the two tall iron doors, which once stood strong, had been shattered into countless pieces, now scattered on the ground like scrap metal.
Broken stones and tiles were neatly piled up in every corner.
At the port, several bandaged jailers were tending to the wounded officials.
"Fleet Admiral... Akira."
As Akira disembarked, the jailers immediately noticed him.
They stood frozen, staring in silence, stammering.
Due to past tensions, whenever they encountered Akira, they always kept their distance, observing him quietly.
Even when they met, the atmosphere was calm and neutral.
But today was different.
Clearly, the recent jailbreak of the Golden Lion Shiki had thrown them into chaos.
Without decisive leadership, they assumed the Marine Fleet Admiral had come specifically to hold them accountable for the incident.
This made them extremely anxious.
"Don't worry too much. I'm here to help you deal with the problem."
Akira casually patted a jailer on the shoulder, offering reassurance, then walked past them toward the interior of Impel Down.
The group of jailers exchanged glances. Although still on edge, they exhaled in relief.
"Fleet Admiral Akira, let me show you the way."
The leading jailer dropped the broom in his hand and hurriedly caught up.
Akira didn't refuse and allowed him to take the lead.
The situation outside was bad, but inside it was far worse.
As they walked through, a scene of destruction unfolded before them.
There were ruins, cracked ground, and terrifying sword marks slashed everywhere.
In the corners, remnants of prisoners' severed limbs and remains could still be seen.
And dark red puddles of blood were scattered throughout the ground.
A large number of jailers were busy cleaning up the various levels of hell inside Impel Down.
At this moment, the expressions on everyone's faces were identical—filled with confusion, paleness, and shock.
Most of them appeared crestfallen, with disbelief written across their features.
Impel Down, known as an impenetrable fortress for over 800 years without a successful jailbreak, had its myth shattered today.
And it was pirates from within that broke it. The humiliation and shock were overwhelming for the jailers who called Impel Down their home.
As Akira passed by, some of the more rebellious jailers, who once held strong opinions against the Marines, now lowered their heads in shame.
Akira remained silent as he continued walking toward the third level of Blazing Hell.
He hadn't come here to mock or scold Impel Down. His purpose was to win them over.
What these jailers needed at this moment wasn't empty words of comfort—they needed real action.
Fortunately, there were no Marine casualties in this incident, thanks to the Five Elders' decision to revoke the Marines' direct involvement in Impel Down's oversight.
However, the CP agents sent to take over weren't as lucky, suffering a tragic fate.
The notorious pirates freed by Shiki from Eternal Hell were ruthless.
During their escape, when they encountered the brutal black-hearted factories that had treated them inhumanely, they had no qualms about exacting revenge for the torment they had endured.
Akira glanced at the lifeless body of a CP agent lying on the ground, his gaze dark and cold.
Soon, he reached Magellan's office.
As he approached, voices from within the office became clear, even through the thick door.
Akira recognized a familiar voice.
Inside the office, besides the senior officials of Impel Down, there was another group of people present.
Several members of the CP0, all wearing masks and led by Graeme, sat quietly in their chairs, observing the room.
Magellan, towering and with a fearsome devilish face, stood nervously alongside his subordinates, looking more like a student who had just been reprimanded.
A tense, suffocating atmosphere filled the room between the two groups.
Finally, Graeme was the one to break the silence.
"We have understood the situation clearly. Magellan, do you have anything to say?"
Magellan remained silent.
Not just him—Deputy Director Hannyabal and the other wardens also stayed quiet, not daring to respond.
Graeme waited patiently for a moment, and after noticing the silence, he decided to give them a warning.
After all, for the foreseeable future, the CP team taking over Impel Down's Rehabilitation would need the cooperation of the prison's staff.
Graeme had no intention of offending them and complicating his future responsibilities.
For this reason, he chose not to pursue the deaths of the CP subordinates at the hands of the escaped pirates.
"The 800-year-old myth of Impel Down has been shattered under your watch. If you don't figure out how to provide a satisfactory explanation to the Five Elders, you might find yourself replaced as Director."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"And not just that..."
"This entire incident is being pushed forward to ensure that all involved will be held accountable."
Graeme scanned the room with his sharp, hawk-like eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately.
As soon as he finished, the atmosphere became even more oppressive.
Magellan's expression grew darker, his fists clenched so tightly that veins bulged from his hands.
Graeme's words struck a deep nerve.
The globally recognized myth of Impel Down, an unbreakable fortress from which no prisoner could escape, had been shattered not long after Magellan took over as Director.
Once word of this spread, Magellan feared he would become a laughingstock across the world.
And for him, his position as Director—still relatively new—could very well be in jeopardy.
Even if Magellan didn't consider his own fate, the jailers under his command would lose all standing in the World Government's ranks.
So, no matter what, this situation had to be fixed as soon as possible, or, if possible, prevented from spreading altogether.
Magellan took a deep breath and spoke in a low, firm voice: "Senior, can we discuss this?"
"Oh, what kind of discussion?" Graeme raised his eyebrows, intrigued.
Being called "senior" by the Director of Impel Down, a position technically on the same level, didn't bother Graeme in the least.
After all, he was older than Magellan and had served in the same generation as the previous Director of Impel Down.
Magellan was clearly in need of something, so it was only natural for him to adopt a more polite tone in the moment.
"Could you report this to the Five Elders in a few days? By then, once all the prisoners are captured, we can downplay the situation..."
Before Magellan could finish his sentence, Graeme cut him off with a wave of his hand. "If that's your plan, don't even bother mentioning it."
"You should know what those five adults despise most. If they find out that the people under them are trying to deceive them, everyone will pay the price."
"This incident is your fault to begin with. We at CP have no reason to take that kind of risk for you."
Graeme's tone was resolute.
His expression had darkened as well.
He had offered some advice out of goodwill, and yet Magellan had the nerve to try to pull him into a dangerous trap.
Did Magellan think he was foolish?
There was no way he would agree to such a reckless request, even if it meant facing complaints from those at Impel Down.
From the start, this fiasco was entirely Impel Down's responsibility. Honestly, CP had suffered losses as well, but if Graeme agreed to Magellan's request, they would both be lying to the Five Elders and delaying action.
If it came to light, Graeme's career—and perhaps even his life—would be on the line.
'Seriously, Magellan, how do you have the nerve to ask this of me?' Graeme thought to himself.
Not wanting to remain any longer, he began to gather the files from the desk, clearly preparing to leave.
"Is there really no way you can be flexible on this?" Magellan asked again, refusing to give up.