The scene of Domino removing her Navy uniform had also been witnessed by Chief Jailer Sadi, who was directing the defense.
She cracked her whip, both shocked and furious.
"Domino! What are you doing?!"
"Leno is no longer a Navy Vice Admiral! He's a criminal! Get back here!"
Domino simply smiled and shook her head, her eyes incomparably resolute.
"No! I will follow Lord Leno. He was wronged!"
"I don't want to remain in a Navy like this anymore!"
Hearing those words, Leno's steps faltered ever so slightly.
Then he pretended not to have heard and continued forward.
Sadi fell silent, as if still wanting to persuade her.
At that moment—
A tall figure, suppressing barely contained rage, appeared behind Sadi.
His low voice was thick with restrained anger.
"Leno… you're really making things difficult for me."
It was Warden Magellan, who had rushed over.
Hearing that voice, Leno slowly turned around.
Blatant mockery was written across his face.
"Well, if it isn't our esteemed Warden."
"What's wrong? Finished dealing with your 'biological issues'? Stomach feeling better?"
Mocked to his face, Magellan's expression turned ashen.
He glared at Leno. "Leno, don't make things worse for yourself! You know this—you're only imprisoned here. You won't die!"
He had barely stepped away for a moment—and Leno had created this catastrophe.
"Heh." Leno sneered. "So I'm supposed to obediently wait at the bottom of Impel Down for the rest of my life? I've seen through the Navy's hypocrisy."
Magellan sighed, then his tone turned sharply severe.
"Here, you can't beat me…"
"Get back to Eternal Hell!" he roared suddenly, his voice thundering through the chamber!
Almost at the same instant his words fell—
A ghostlike figure appeared behind him!
It was Shiryu of the Rain, who should have been imprisoned!
A savage grin spread across his face.
"Got you."
Magellan's pupils contracted violently.
His sense of danger flared, and without hesitation he unleashed his ultimate move.
"You're all staying here! Venom Demon!"
Boom!
Crimson poison erupted from his body, forming a terrifying giant skeletal figure of toxic fluid!
The venom radiated destructive force—anything it touched would be instantly infected, corroded, and spread further!
Within the enclosed environment of Impel Down—
Magellan was nearly invincible!
Even Leno, witnessing the horrifying scene, had no intention of clashing head-on.
He turned and sprinted straight toward the most reinforced wall between Blazing Hell and Starvation Hell.
Slamming his palm against it, veins bulging along his arm, he pushed his ability to the limit and roared:
"Break for me!"
Seeing this, Magellan—while controlling the Venom Demon—burst into laughter.
"Leno! What are you thinking?! The inner walls of this prison are reinforced with Seastone! You can't possi—"
Before he could finish—
Crack—BOOM!
With a deafening explosion—
The supposedly indestructible wall was violently torn apart and shattered by Leno, opening a massive hole large enough for a person to pass through!
Without hesitation, Leno dove through first, dashing toward the upper level—Starvation Hell!
Shiki the Golden Lion and Patrick Redfield reacted instantly, following right behind him.
Domino did not hesitate for even a second—she dove through the breach as well.
"How is this possible?!" Magellan roared in disbelief as he watched it unfold.
He simply could not comprehend how Leno had destroyed a wall reinforced with Seastone.
Nor did he understand what method he had used.
In that fleeting moment of stunned hesitation—
Leno, along with several quick-witted pirates who had been closely watching his movements, successfully rushed into the passageway to Starvation Hell.
Magellan tried to pursue immediately—
But the surge of frenzied pirates flooding toward him blocked his path completely.
He could only glare furiously as Leno's figure vanished at the end of the corridor.
Even with the overwhelming might of his Venom Demon, catching up to a Leno fleeing at full speed would take time.
At the very front, Leno no longer held back.
Shiki the Golden Lion and Redfield at his side were equally ruthless.
Every jailer and Marine who stood in their way was violently torn apart!
At last, Leno was the first to reach Level 1—Crimson Hell.
He didn't bother searching for the main gate.
He simply raised his hand toward the seemingly within-reach, heavily reinforced ceiling above—
And unleashed his ability at full force.
"Heavenrend!"
Rumble—!
With a deafening explosion,
The ceiling of Impel Down's Level 1 was forcibly torn open, ripped apart to form a massive breach.
Light from the outside poured in—
And at the same time, surging seawater came flooding down!
Without hesitation, Leno charged straight into the raging sea.
"As expected… no weakness!"
Submerged beneath the water, a flicker of delight flashed in Leno's eyes.
His Devil Fruit ability was indeed unaffected by seawater!
Weakness? It didn't exist at all.
Behind him, Redfield glanced helplessly at Golden Lion, who had instantly gone limp and powerless in the sea.
Grabbing him by the collar, Redfield dragged him outward toward the opening.
Domino covered her mouth in shock.
The scene before her completely overturned her understanding of the world.
"Lord Leno… isn't afraid of seawater?! How is that possible?!"
She wasn't a Devil Fruit user, but everyone on the seas knew the fatal weakness of Devil Fruits.
And yet—
Lord Leno, clearly an ability user, was completely unaffected!
"As expected… my Lord Leno was never ordinary!"
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
In that moment, she became absolutely certain—
Following Leno was the most correct decision she had ever made.
Taking a deep breath, she dove into the sea as well, closely trailing behind him.
—
Magellan, arriving just in time to witness Leno plunge into the ocean—and move freely—
Nearly had his eyes pop out of their sockets.
"Impossible!!! Leno is an ability user! How dare he touch seawater?! Why is he fine?!"
After venting his roar of disbelief,
He stared at the seawater still gushing inward.
Magellan knew the priority now was stopping the flooding—
Not pondering the mystery surrounding Leno.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, he urgently directed his subordinates to initiate emergency countermeasures.
After frantic efforts,
The inflow of seawater was finally reduced to a minimum.
Standing amid the wreckage of Level 1, Magellan felt a chill run down his spine.
Fortunately—
Leno still had a shred of humanity.
He had opened the breach at the top level.
If it had been at the bottom…
Magellan didn't dare imagine the catastrophic consequences.
—
Once the aftermath was handled—
And the escaped pirates had been thrown back into their cells—
A drenched and disheveled Magellan dialed an emergency Den Den Mushi.
Soon,
The Den Den Mushi's appearance transformed into that of a man wearing frog-shaped glasses, with a braided beard.
"Magellan," came a steady voice from the other end. "What happened at Impel Down?"
Before Magellan could answer—
Another loud, carefree voice cut in, filled with expectation.
"Magellan! Has that brat Leno finally lowered his head?"
"Hahaha! As long as he agrees to look after Koby and take the blame for this incident, I'll let him return!"
Magellan's face twisted into extreme bitterness.
Return?
You forced him into rebellion.
His voice was dry as he spoke.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku… Vice Admiral Garp…"
"Leno… he… he escaped!!!"