"Hahahahahahah! What a fine day to escape!" Noir roared with laughter, his voice booming through the prison floor. The sound carried an unsettling weight, drawing the attention of every prisoner. Most sneered at him with looks that mixed ridicule and pity—expressions that said they were already imagining his corpse. After all, they all knew the terrifying capabilities of Impel Down's warden, Magellan, and none believed a man like Noir could last long.
Luffy and his companions turned toward him with puzzled expressions. They had no idea who Noir was. Yet, as the boy in the straw hat stared more carefully, he noticed a shift. Both Crocodile and Jinbei, hardened veterans of the seas, suddenly went rigid—their eyes widening with recognition and shock, as though they had seen a ghost from legend.
"Oy, free me too," came a voice from deeper in the darkness of another cell. Noir turned, his eyes narrowing as he approached. There, bound and shackled like himself, sat a man with a menacing aura. Noir recognized him instantly: Shiryu of the Rain, once one of Impel Down's deadliest jailers. But because of his sadistic bloodlust, Magellan had imprisoned him, awaiting execution in the very lowest level of this hell.
"You reek of blood," Noir remarked coolly, his gaze fixed on Shiryu's still figure.
Shiryu met his eyes without flinching. "Why? Are you scared?" he asked, his voice a calm provocation.
Noir's lips twisted with disdain. "Please. I've faced horrors worse than you, and I'm still standing."
Without another word, he summoned power into his arm. A low rumble echoed as cracks of energy shimmered across his fist—an imitation of the devastating Gura Gura no Mi. The sight drew gasps from every prisoner; the resemblance to Whitebeard and Blackbeard's infamous quake powers was unmistakable. Noir slammed his glowing fist into Shiryu's cell. The iron bars, reinforced to withstand monsters, shattered like glass.
When the dust cleared, Shiryu emerged, brushing fragments of debris from his shoulders. He stepped toward Noir with the calm, deliberate stride of a predator. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous challenge. Noir grinned back—broad, sharp, the same feral grin Yujiro Hanma wore when staring down prey. For long moments, they locked eyes, sizing each other up. Shiryu's smirk widened, and Noir's grin deepened, as if silently inviting him. Finally, the tension broke.
"Join me," Noir declared boldly. "I'll form my own crew, and together we'll shake the world."
Shiryu chuckled darkly, then burst into laughter. "Good. Good! You are worthy." Without hesitation, he stepped to Noir's side. That single move made Noir's grin stretch even wider. With that, one of Impel Down's most dangerous fighters had become his first recruit—someone who, in another fate, would have served Blackbeard.
"My name is Shiryu. And you?"
"Noir . From now on, you'll be my first mate," Noir announced. To seal the moment, he unleashed a torrent of Conqueror's Haki. The oppressive force spread through the prison floor like a storm. Dozens of inmates collapsed instantly, foaming at the mouth, while only those of truly indomitable will remained conscious. Noir noted them carefully.
"WHO ELSE AMONG YOU WILL JOIN ME?" he bellowed. His voice thundered as his haki still pressed upon the room. Most prisoners ignored him, too proud or too infamous to bow their heads. Yet after a long silence, a laugh rumbled from another corner.
"Oy, brat, don't think a cheap display like that can impress me!" another prisoner roared, his own Conqueror's Haki exploding outward. The floor quaked beneath the clash of wills. Noir grinned savagely and pushed back, this time pouring even more of his spirit into the release. His haki was a tidal wave, overwhelming his challenger within seconds. The opposing aura faltered, then shattered under Noir's sheer dominance.
"HAHAHAHAHA! YOU'VE GOT STRENGTH! WHY NOT JOIN ME?!" Noir thundered, striding toward the cell.
Shiryu stepped in front of him, frowning. "Captain… that one isn't ordinary. Best not to provoke him. You've already seen what he can do with haki, but in battle—he's far worse. That's Douglas Bullet, terror of the old era. If you misstep, even you could be crushed."
"Are you afraid, Shiryu?" Noir asked. His eyes burned with confidence, unshaken. Shiryu studied his face and found no doubt, only conviction. He stepped aside without another word.
Noir smashed the cell apart, shattering the shackles that bound Bullet. As the dust settled, Bullet immediately swung a colossal fist at Noir. The strike connected squarely—but Noir didn't dodge. He absorbed it head-on, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
Noir smirked. Bullet's lips curled into a grin as well. Then Noir's own fist rocketed forward, slamming Bullet square in the chest. This time, the legendary pirate slid backward out of the ruins of his cell, laughing as he steadied himself.
The two titans clashed without haki, trading raw blows. The prison shook as their fists collided, shockwaves bursting with every strike. The other inmates watched in awe, enthralled. Shiryu's grin widened.
'I was right,' Shiryu thought. 'Choosing him was the best decision I've ever made.'
As the brawl escalated, Noir began to push Bullet back, his strength mounting with each strike. Finally, a devastating punch forced Bullet down to one knee. Still, Bullet's grin never faded.
"Hahahahaha! You're strong, Noir. Strong enough to keep me entertained. I've been searching for a worthy fight. Join you? No—fight beside you, so we can battle the world together."
Noir chuckled. "That's exactly my offer. What's your answer?"
Bullet looked up. "First, tell me—what's your dream?"
"Nothing noble," Noir replied with brutal honesty. "I just want to find someone who can push me to my limits. Someone who can break me, and force me beyond." His voice was raw, touched with the madness of the Hanma bloodline now coursing through him.
Bullet's laughter shook the chamber. "Kahahahaha! Then I'll be the one to grant that wish. From now on, I'll fight alongside you. We'll drag the world into chaos together!"
With that, Noir gained another monstrous ally. The other prisoners murmured in awe. Crocodile's sharp eyes narrowed, intrigued.
'Such power… this is the kind of strength I've always craved,' he admitted inwardly.
Ivankov, meanwhile, watched with a mix of confusion and nostalgia. Something in Noir's presence reminded him of Dragon—an aura that commanded respect, a charisma that could move people like tides. Yet Noir's was darker, primal, and terrifying.
'What will happen when this one sets foot on the sea?' Ivankov wondered uneasily.
Bullet, Noir , and Shiryu approached Luffy's group. Noir spoke first. "You're planning to escape, aren't you? I'll lend you an assist." He clapped Shiryu on the shoulder. Shiryu began explaining hidden passages, secret entrances, and overlooked rooms of Impel Down—knowledge only a former jailer could possess.
Meanwhile, Noir scanned the floor once more. His gaze fell upon a colossal figure. Even sitting, the prisoner's head brushed the ceiling. Noir smirked.
"You there. Want to join me?"
The giant's eyes flickered with curiosity. Slowly, he nodded. Noir shattered his restraints, revealing the monstrous form of Sanjuan Wolf—the "Colossal Battleship," made even larger by the Deka-Deka no Mi, his body towering nearly 180 meters tall.
Beside him, two other figures stirred. One radiated a fierce, aggressive aura, while the other seemed timid yet no less powerful. Noir could feel it in their presence.
"You two as well. Care to join?"
They exchanged a glance, then stepped forward without hesitation, nodding as if Noir's offer had been obvious all along. Just like that, Noir's crew numbered five core members—monsters handpicked from hell itself.
When Noir returned, Shiryu was still briefing Ivankov, Crocodile, and Inazuma on their escape. Luffy, however, was distracted, laughing as he clambered up Sanjuan Wolf's enormous leg like it was a mountain.
After minutes of deliberation, the group reached a decision. With Crocodile's sand and Bullet's raw force, they would carve a massive stairway through the levels above. The destruction would draw attention, but it would also create chaos—cover for their breakout.
"Let's move," Noir declared, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.
With Sanjuan Wolf carrying the bulk of their forces, Noir, Luffy, and the rest began their ascent—smashing through the prison, leaving a massive wound in the floor between Level Six and Level 5.