The heavy mist swirling inside the cell wasn't natural. It was the manifestation of Ashveil's will, his Conqueror's Haki condensed into a tangible haze. Like flowing water, it seeped into the tiny keyhole of his seastone cuffs.
The aura gathered and solidified until it resembled the shape of a key.
"Open," Thorne Ashveil said calmly.
A crisp clack echoed.
In an instant, every shackle and chain binding him fell loose. Metal clattered against the stone floor, ringing through the silence.
The prison door groaned as if responding to his command, creaking slowly open.
"…What?"
Magellan and Vice Admiral Mole froze, their eyes snapping toward Ashveil's cell in disbelief.
The guards and prisoners on Level Six turned as one, stunned into silence.
How had the prison door opened on its own?
The surrounding criminals whispered in shock. They had heard Ashveil claim he could bypass seastone shackles forged from nearly pure ore, but no one believed him. Now, watching with their own eyes, the truth silenced even the most cynical.
A suffocating stillness filled the air. Marines and pirates alike stared at the open cell.
Ashveil stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate. He tilted his head back, eyes calm, a faint smile curling on his lips as he swept his gaze over everyone.
Finally, his eyes locked on Magellan, Vice Admiral Mole, and the Marines.
"This prison is unbearable. Hardly fit for a nap." He stretched his arms lazily, his tone dripping with mockery.
His smile sharpened. "Warden Magellan. Vice Admiral Mole. Ace isn't going with you."
The two men stiffened, caught off guard.
For Magellan especially, it was a humiliation he had never imagined—someone walking out of Impel Down's sixth floor cell as if the locks and chains were nothing more than decorations.
The silence broke.
"Hahahaha!" Douglas Bullet's booming laughter filled the cavern. His eyes shone with excitement. "Ashveil, you really did it! Opening seastone shackles that pure… incredible!"
Bullet's anticipation burned hotter. This boy wasn't ordinary prey—he was someone worthy of a true fight.
Big Barrel, the Nine-Tailed Fox, Crocodile, San Juan Wolf, and Brynndi World all gawked openly, jaws dropping. Just moments ago, they'd dismissed Ashveil as a minor figure. Now, watching him step out of his cell unrestrained, their hearts pounded with disbelief.
"This kid wasn't bluffing… he actually broke free!" World muttered, stunned.
"Then his claim about being captured by the combined force of two Admirals… that must be true," Big Barrel whispered, swallowing hard.
Captured by two Admirals working together… such power was already brushing the realm of the Pirate King himself.
Well, that's unless they know he already killed an Admiral.
Big Barrel admitted inwardly that he couldn't handle even one Admiral on his own. This boy's level was beyond comprehension. Perhaps he was already equal to legends like Red Count, Douglas Bullet, or even World Destroyer.
"There's no mistaking it," the Nine-Tailed Fox growled, her sharp teeth flashing. "Breaking through nearly pure seastone, wounding Kaido… this kid isn't just strong. He's one of the monsters."
Even the Red Count, the most fearsome presence on Level Six, raised an eyebrow. Surprise flickered across his face, rare for someone of his age and pride.
"So young… and yet his strength reaches this level. His future is limitless," the Red Count murmured. His gaze narrowed in focus. "...already able to scar a Yonko, face down Admirals, and now break through Impel Down's deepest floor… In terms of raw talent, only Rocks himself could rival that."
Across the way, Kaido's bloodshot eyes widened.
"Ashveil… you… you had such an ability all along?" he roared, his voice cracking between rage and shock.
He had already suffered Ashveil's strange powers in battle, but this ability to shatter seastone—a material forged to bind even the strongest—was beyond belief.
Every increase in purity multiplied seastone's resilience, making it nearly impossible to break. This was why Impel Down had always kept even those who knew advanced Armament Haki under control.
Yet Ashveil had undone it as though it were nothing.
In the corner, Ace's fists trembled, his eyes alight with sudden hope. His chest swelled, unable to suppress the emotion.
Ashveil… could he really save him? Could he return to Whitebeard, to his brothers, to Pops?
Before that hope could take root, a furious shout shattered the air.
"Enough! All of you vile pirates, shut your mouths!"
Magellan's voice thundered across the cavern.
Purple-black venom dripped from his body, sizzling as it touched the stone. Behind him, the shadowy wings of his Hydra loomed.
"Ashveil, you will not escape!" His words were steel, his eyes burning with grim resolve. He didn't know how this boy had undone the seastone, but as Warden of Impel Down, it was his duty to stop him—even if it cost his life.
Magellan's fists clenched. Venomous gas radiated from his body, filling the air with choking fumes as he prepared for war.
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