The entirety of Impel Down's sixth level now truly believed it—Kaido, the so-called "immortal beast" with monstrous defense, had been severely injured by this kid!
Even Ace, usually calm under pressure, couldn't hide his shock. He had always heard from Pops that the Zero Division Captain was a terrifying Force, but he never expected him to be this strong. Ashveil had carved deep scars across Kaido's body that looked far more brutal than any wounds left by Whitebeard himself.
Was it possible? Could the Zero Division Captain's strength surpass even Oyaji?
The four notorious prisoners—were equally shaken.
Ashveil, that seemingly ordinary kid, did he truly hold such devastating power?
Among them, Douglas Bullet's eyes gleamed with unrestrained excitement.
"Kid... so you really have the strength to break free from here?" Bullet asked, his voice carrying the hunger of a man who longed for freedom and war.
Even the Red Count, watching quietly from his cell, showed a flicker of agitation. He had endured enough of this hellhole. Thanks to his Devil Fruit, time had not dulled his abilities, and if this boy released him, then the world beyond these walls might once again be his to take.
Ashveil stepped closer to the iron bars, his figure slowly emerging from the shadows. His eyes glinted as he studied Kaido's bleeding wounds. A faint, confident smile spread across his face.
"You should be grateful, not angry, Kaido. You managed to survive my strike—shouldn't that be enough?" Ashveil said, his grin sharp.
Even Kaido, a man who laughed at death, felt cold sweat trail down his back. This boy was unlike any opponent he had ever faced.
All his previous enemies, no matter how fierce, had found it nearly impossible to kill him. Yet the boy standing before him radiated the true ability to end his life.
And Kaido knew it—what Ashveil said was no boast. In their last clash, if Ashveil had pushed his attack even a fraction further, Kaido would have been finished.
"You bastard brat... don't get carried away!" Kaido snarled, though his voice wavered.
"I almost defeated you last time as well," he added, feigning bravado. He needed to keep up appearances, especially with so many infamous criminals watching from the shadows.
Kaido inhaled deeply, forcing his fear down, until another realization struck him. His eyes widened.
Wait... Ashveil was locked up too!
He had been so shaken that he'd forgotten.
"You brat, you were captured by the Marines as well. What's there to be proud of?" Kaido barked with forced triumph. Being imprisoned proved that Ashveil was not invincible. Remembering his earlier outburst, Kaido's pride steadied, his anger now burning hotter than his fear.
"Rot in here, brat! You'll spend the rest of your life in this pit, with nothing but rats and cockroaches for company! Hahahaha!" Kaido's laughter echoed through the cavernous halls.
"Silence, all of you!" Magellan roared, his voice reverberating like thunder across Level Six.
The warden shoved Kaido into a dark cell and barked his orders. "Add more chains to both Kaido and Ashveil. Don't give them even a chance to breathe freely."
"Yes, Warden!" the Marines answered, quickly dragging out massive, snake-like seastone chains. They wrapped the two pirates layer upon layer, until even their slightest movements made the shackles clatter loudly.
Magellan exhaled with visible strain. "I've made a fool of myself, Vice Admiral Mole," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Level Six housed monsters beyond imagination. Keeping them bound was a nightmare.
But Vice Admiral Mole's face was grim, not mocking. "Not at all, Warden Magellan. Guarding these beasts is no easy task," he said, his voice grave.
He straightened, hand gripping his saber tightly. "The mission of delivering Kaido here is complete. Now we move to the next task—escorting Fire Fist Ace."
Magellan nodded, locking Kaido's cell before following him toward Ace's prison.
"Portgas D. Ace," Vice Admiral Mole declared coldly through the bars, "it's time. You will be taken to the execution platform."
The dim torchlight flickered against the walls, casting long shadows.
From his own cell, Ashveil watched with a faint smile tugging at his lips. The moment had finally come. The Whitebeard Pirates would soon reach Marineford, and with them, chaos would descend on the world once again.
He was more than ready. Impel Down was suffocating, cold, and devoid of light. He longed for the open sky and the sun.
Rising to his feet, Ashveil's chains clanged together with every movement, the sound echoing across the silence of the prison.
He gazed at the seastone shackles, his expression one of disdain. Breaking them would not be difficult.
The simplest method would be to let his Conqueror's Haki seep into the seastone, disrupting it from within until the chains shattered on their own.
Or he could fuse his Magma abilities with that Haki, combining heat and raw will to obliterate the shackles completely.
But instead, Ashveil chose the most effortless approach.
Closing his eyes, he let a wave of Conqueror's Haki rise from deep within. A suffocating aura filled the cell, thick as fog, and even the chains rattled against the surge of willpower.
The Red Count, observing from his own cage, narrowed his eyes in disbelief. That presence, that overwhelming force—
Someone was releasing Conqueror's Haki inside Impel Down itself!
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Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.
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