On the final day before the execution, an unnoticed prison break quietly unfolded within the Undersea Great Prison, gradually gaining momentum.
"HEEEELP MEEEEEE!!!"
Buggy fled desperately as the Blue Gorilla guards chased after him. Against such formidable creatures, he couldn't even take on a single one.
Unknowingly, he reached the center of the first prison level—
The Crimson Lotus Forest.
Here, every tree and blade of grass was as sharp as a sword. Prisoners exiled to this place suffered excruciating torment, sliced apart until they wished for death.
But as a Split-Split Man, Buggy feared no cuts.
"Gahahaha! Stupid gorillas, this is my escape route!"
Buggy leaped into the Crimson Lotus Forest and turned back to see the Blue Gorillas halt their pursuit. He couldn't help but place his hands on his hips and laugh triumphantly.
But the problem wasn't solved.
Impel Down had only one exit—escaping meant going through the front gate. If the other prison guards caught up, he'd still be trapped.
Lost in thought, Buggy wandered to the center of the forest, where a massive pit led straight down to the second level—Beast Hell.
Staring into the abyss, Buggy fell into deep contemplation.
Meanwhile, in Level 5.5—
Newkama Land.
"Whitebeard Pirates vs. Marine Headquarters!"
Ivankov held a newspaper stolen from a guard and quickly made up his mind, bursting into excited laughter.
"Pack your things! The time for our escape has come!"
"Eh? So sudden!"
The Newkamas were stunned.
"Opportunities are always sudden, HEE-HAW!"
Ivankov raised his arms high in exhilaration.
Though imprisoned, he was well aware of the outside world. With Whitebeard now at war with the Marines and Chief Jailer Shiryu of the Rain locked in Level 6, Impel Down's defenses had never been weaker!
Moreover, the Beasts Pirates' rampant expansion had thrown the world into chaos, even affecting the Revolutionary Army—their forces had lost all footholds in the North Blue.
The Revolutionary Army needed their strength!
Now was the time to break out!
A scout rushed in: "Master Ivankov! There's a riot on the first level—it seems a pirate is escaping!"
"Escaping?!"
Ivankov's eyes lit up. For a prisoner to break out at this critical moment—it seemed fate was on their side!
"Find a way to help him!"
"Yes!"
Aiding the escapee in secret would create the perfect diversion—the bigger the commotion, the more it would draw attention away from their own breakout.
Elsewhere, at Marine Headquarters—
A battleship slipped away unnoticed, heading straight for Impel Down. It wasn't until hours later that the Marines realized.
And there was worse news.
One of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea—Blackbeard—had vanished!
Time ticked by, and soon, the next day arrived.
Only five hours remained until the execution.
The fleet escorting "Fire Fist" Ace arrived safely at Marine Headquarters, but the news from Impel Down sent shockwaves through the base.
"A massive prison riot!"
Aside from the main instigator, Buggy the Clown, another key figure had played a pivotal role—every cell and chain was useless before him, making an outstanding contribution to the escape!
A former member of Baroque Works—
Mr. 3, Galdino!
BANG!
Desk HP -1.
Sengoku clutched his forehead, his face dark with fury.
"Of all times!"
Although Magellan sent word that he could suppress the riot and there was no need for headquarters to worry, any incident at this moment could potentially spiral out of control.
Adding to that, Blackbeard's disappearance and the sudden departure of warships only deepened Sengoku's growing sense of foreboding.
Yet, he had no time to dwell on other matters now. The Marines had no spare forces to reinforce Impel Down.
The war was about to begin!
Sabaody Archipelago, live broadcast screen.
"Look! The Marine Admirals have appeared!"
"And so many Vice Admirals!"
"Every single one is a renowned officer!"
On the screen, the Marines had already formed their battle lines at headquarters plaza.
A full 100,000 elite officers!
Even through the screen, the overwhelming aura of battle was palpable.
Countless reporters and civilians crowded in front of the massive screen, trembling with tension—this war would shape the course of the world.
At the harbor, numerous ships set sail!
Aside from the fleet led by Gurd, the Supernovas, who had delayed their departure, were also rushing toward Marine Headquarters.
Despite knowing the extreme danger, the Supernovas hesitated not at all. Missing this unprecedented war would be a regret they could never live down.
Hoenn Fleet.
The Beasts' flag was lowered, and all ships raised the banner of Hoenn—along with the emblem of Groudon Company.
Flagship—Groudon Ship!
Gurd stood at the bow, gazing toward Marine Headquarters.
"Big Brother Kaido clashed with Red Hair?"
"Yes, just yesterday."
Speed answered angrily.
Just the day before, the Beasts Fleet led by Kaido had been intercepted by Red Hair, sparking a fierce battle that still raged on.
"I see."
Gurd gave a slight nod.
If the Beasts fully committed to this war, the World Government would have no choice but to intervene—otherwise, Marine Headquarters itself would sink into the sea, leaving few survivors beyond the absolute strongest.
The Beasts would also suffer devastating losses.
Just as the World Government could never conquer Wano Country, this was Marine Headquarters—right under the nose of the Holy Land.
The difficulty of offense and defense were worlds apart.
Moreover, whether in numbers or top-tier combatants, the Beasts held no advantage. The best outcome would be mutual destruction.
Even if Red Hair hadn't intervened, Gurd would have had to stop Big Brother Kaido from going berserk. Kaido was excellent in every other aspect—except for his obsession with war.
"The war is about to begin. Is everything ready?"
"Rest assured, Chairman!"
Meanwhile, at Impel Down.
Gates of Justice!
Buggy led the charge, followed by an endless tide of prisoners—along with powerhouses like Ivankov, Crocodile, and Jimbei.
"Gahahaha! Follow me, men! Break out!"
"Ooooh, Captain Buggy!!!"
The prison gates were forced open by the inmates!
Buggy spread his arms wide, bathed in the radiant light of freedom!
To the prisoners, he looked like a divine savior.
"Captain Buggy!"
"My eyes! My eyes!"
"Ooooh, it's too dazzling!"
Tears streamed down their faces as they worshipped him with absolute devotion.
Captain Buggy was their messiah!
"Gahahaha—"
Buggy laughed wildly in his heart.
He had no idea how it happened, but this prison break had started off rocky, only to grow smoother and smoother.
From the first level to the sixth, then back up again—his escape party had swelled along the way, and the prisoners had crowned him their savior.
During their escape, they encountered their most troublesome adversary, Magellan, but thanks to Mr.3's brilliant performance, they narrowly avoided disaster.
Later, Magellan mysteriously disappeared.
In any case, Captain Buggy's great prison break was a success!
"Eh? There's no ship!"
Buggy opened his eyes—
Outside the prison, not a single Marine vessel was in sight.
In the distant fog, the faint silhouettes of warships could barely be seen.
Buggy was dumbfounded.
What were they supposed to do now?!
At this critical moment, Jimbei stepped forward.
"Leave this to me!"
Soon, with the combined efforts of Buggy, Jimbei, and Crocodile, the operation to seize a Marine ship succeeded.
The prison break army successfully escaped Impel Down!
Not long after, a call came in from Marine Headquarters.
Some fool answered the Den Den Mushi.
"Prisoners, we are aware of your escape from Impel Down. There are two main culprits behind this prison break!"
"Pirate Clown Buggy and Mr.3!"
"What?!"
The prisoners were shocked.
Captain Buggy and Mr.3 had actually overshadowed two former Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea!
Buggy and Mr.3 exchanged glances—as the masterminds behind this escape, they could see the sheer terror in each other's eyes.
"Clown Buggy, we originally thought you were just some nameless pirate..."
But as titles like "crew member of the Pirate King" and "sworn brother of Shanks" surfaced, Buggy's status in the prisoners' minds soared infinitely.
"And Mr.3."
"We know you defeated the two former leaders of the Original Giant Warrior Pirates, Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy, and deliberately infiltrated the great prison!"
"This prison break was a long-planned scheme by you and Buggy—though your exact motives remain unknown!"
"But no matter what conspiracy you have, there's no escape for you! The Gates of Justice will never open for you!"
Click!
The Den Den Mushi disconnected.
The pirates stared at Buggy and Mr.3, swallowing hard.
"A crew member of the Pirate King!"
"Red Hair's sworn brother!"
"He defeated the Blue Ogre and Red Ogre, with bounties as high as 1.8 billion Berries !"
The two giant leaders had reappeared, their bounties reset—both now standing at 1.8 billion Berries !
No wonder they could easily hold off Magellan!
The prisoners raised their weapons in excitement!
"Buggy! Buggy! Buggy!"
"Third Bro! Third Bro! Third Bro!"
Their cheers shook the heavens.
The prisoners' eyes burned with fervor—to escape alongside such legendary figures, even death would be worth it!
"Gahahaha! Listen up, men!"
After a moment of intense deliberation, Buggy laughed heartily and slung an arm around Mr.3's shoulders.
"If you're real men, follow us in chasing our dreams! Today, we'll take Whitebeard's head and seize the entire world for ourselves!"
"WOOOOOOOH!!!"
(End of Chapter)