"How the hell did this happen?! Why didn't anyone warn me before things got this bad?!"
Magellan had barely returned to the scorching hell of Level 4 before erupting at the guards around him. He'd been gone for only a short while, and yet multiple prisoners had already escaped—and none of them had been caught.
"Because you were too busy gawking at Hancock and ignored your subordinates' reports! This is all your fault! You should just step down and hand the Chief Warden's position over to me!"
What started as a mutter quickly escalated into a full-blown rant. Hannibal spilled every bitter thought in his head before realizing—too late—what he'd just said. He froze, glancing nervously at Magellan.
"You're saying… this is my fault?"
Magellan didn't even give him a chance to explain. His fist slammed down on Hannibal's head with a sickening thud.
"Pass down my orders! Level 2 will be left to Sadi-chan and the Blue Gorilla. All remaining forces—every single one—will gather here on Level 4!"
"Sadi, take the jailers and guard the passage to Level 5. Hannibal, lead the rest to guard the passage to Level 3."
"This time… we will keep Straw Hat Luffy and his crew trapped here!"
"Yes, Chief Warden!"
Just as the guards turned to carry out the orders, Hannibal suddenly remembered something.
"Chief Warden—there's more. The guards on Level 1 report that aside from Buggy the Clown, another prisoner named Kaede has escaped. The weird thing is, he didn't head for the exit—he went deeper, into Level 2. But he's not traveling with Straw Hat, and there's been no sign he's contacted Ace. He's even wearing a guard's uniform, so no one has a clue where he is."
Hannibal's expression grew more serious.
"One more thing—the report says he's mastered Moonwalk from the Navy's Six Powers."
He rattled off every detail they had on Kaede.
"A Level 1 prisoner knowing Rokushiki?!"
Magellan's glare sharpened. "How did your inspection even work before he was imprisoned?! Why wasn't someone like him locked on Level 3 from the start?!"
Hannibal raised his hands defensively.
"Ch-Chief Warden, it's not the guards' fault—it's bad intel. Kaede's bounty was only one million berries when he came in—barely enough to meet Impel Down's minimum intake! Who could've guessed he was hiding so much strength until now?"
Magellan's fury cooled instantly. Unknowns were always the most dangerous, and Kaede's style was nothing like Straw Hat's.
Patient. Careful. Like a venomous snake hidden in the grass—easy to overlook, but capable of a lethal strike at any moment.
"Notify Sadi-chan—when she's putting down the Level 2 riot, she's to search for this Kaede. If she finds him, report immediately. I'll personally send him to hell."
"Understood!"
Everyone present could feel the killing intent radiating off Magellan. No one dared take his words lightly.
"Achoo! Achoo!"
"Who's talking crap about me? Just my luck…"
The sweltering air of the prison's deeper levels pressed down on Kaede. He'd have left in a heartbeat—if not for one important goal he still hadn't achieved.
Half an hour ago, he'd slipped from Level 2's Beast Hell into Level 3's Hunger Hell, unknowingly evading Sadi-chan's search. He'd combed both floors, but the results were underwhelming—just three moderately useful skills:
Master-Level Swordsmanship Fundamentals – Lv. 3
Master-Level Hand-to-Hand Combat – Lv. 5
Master-Level Sword Skill: Aurora Slash – Lv. 7
Sure, these boosted his strength a lot. Before, he was a total rookie at swordsmanship; now, he could at least pass for someone who looked like they knew what they were doing.
But in the chaos of the upcoming Marineford War, that level of strength was barely above cannon fodder. Nowhere near enough to sway the outcome—let alone clear the system's mission.
Right now, what he needed most was raw physical durability. The Novice-Level Physique – Lv. 9 he'd copied from the Blue Gorilla was nowhere near enough. When he'd used Moonwalk to cross the blazing Red Lotus Hell earlier, he'd nearly collapsed. Endurance had become his biggest weakness.
And then he'd remembered something—the Jailer Beasts. Half-man, half-animal, with monstrous endurance. According to Crocodile, they were actually awakened Zoan Devil Fruit users, making their bodies ridiculously tough. If Kaede could match their physique, his weakness would vanish.
And as luck had it, one of them—Minotaurus—was supposed to be on Level 3 right about now… unconscious, courtesy of Luffy.
If he could copy Minotaurus' physique before heading to Level 4, he'd be ready. Luffy was destined to face Magellan there—but if Kaede ran into him instead, that extra durability could mean the difference between dying instantly and hanging on just long enough to escape.
Following hazy memories of the events, Kaede reached the giant ventilation shaft where Luffy and Buggy had left Level 3. The signs of their battle still scarred the area.
And there—at the edge of his vision—was his target.
A hulking Jailer Beast lay sprawled in the rubble. Upper body of a bull, lower body of a man.
Kaede's heartbeat quickened as he approached, praying he wouldn't end up with some useless ability by accident.
[System]: Congratulations, Host! You have obtained Profound-Level Physique – Lv. 5!
For the first time in his life, an electronic voice sounded like pure music to his ears. He'd skipped straight over Novice and Yellow levels—landing in Profound.
A powerful heat surged through his body, stronger than anything before. When he clenched his fist, raw strength exploded outward. He felt like he could smash through a mountain with one punch.
Crack!
Kaede froze.
From the rubble, Minotaurus stirred. Kaede didn't have Observation Haki, but he didn't need it—he could feel the creature's murderous intent locking onto him.
There would be no slipping away quietly.
"Looks like… I'll have to fight you."
His calm gaze flared into burning resolve. Aside from that brawl with Blue Gorilla, he'd barely had any real fights since arriving. And that one had ended far too quickly.
What lay ahead of him now would be a series of life-and-death battles. If Minotaurus wanted to block his path, Kaede might as well use him as a warm-up.
"Moo!"
The beast rose to its full height, crimson eyes locked on Kaede without wavering.