"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Ace is going to…! Asshole, get out of the way! I'm going to save Ace!!!"
Luffy panted heavily. His continuous Gear 2 state was pushing his body to the limit.
But Hannibal had an incredibly strong will. Despite being knocked down multiple times, he stood again and again.
Victor narrowed his eyes slightly. Hannibal's performance exceeded expectations. He finally realized he was in a world of pirates with flesh, blood, and truly powerful people.
"I want to… I want to save Ace!!"
Luffy stared at the wounded Hannibal with a firm gaze. This man's tenacity was worthy of respect, but no one could stop him from saving Ace!
Hannibal, half-kneeling and leaning on his double-edged sword, was seriously injured. He didn't even have the strength to stand fully—but he refused to fall!
"Victor, Straw Hat! You are nothing but notorious pirates and criminals! As long as you remain on this sea, people will lose sleep in fear for their loved ones. Therefore, to protect the weak, I will imprison these vicious criminals!
This is Impel Down, the world's largest prison! If it's destroyed, chaos will reign! Therefore, I, Hannibal, Deputy Director of Impel Down, will never let you escape!!!"
Hannibal roared, standing again. This was the awareness of a deputy director fighting for justice.
His bold words boosted the morale of the prison guards, who now seemed willing to fight to the death to protect the prison.
"Hey, Hannibal, it's been a while. Still so annoying!"
"Shiryu!"
"Chief Warden Shiryu!"
Hannibal and many prison guards were overjoyed to see the reinforcements.
Now, the end of the fugitives had truly come.
For they were facing Shiryu of the Rain, a great swordsman second only to Director Magellan in Impel Down, wielding unmatched swordsmanship!
Impel Down is called the "Iron Wall" precisely because of its two aces: Magellan the Poison Man and Shiryu the Rain.
Because of Victor's actions, Rain Shiryu was released early. At this moment, Shiryu hadn't met Blackbeard yet, only Victor.
"Hey, you! Are you Victor!?"
Shiryu ignored Hannibal and the others. He wanted to kill all these trash with a single blow, but the path wasn't clear yet.
"Hmm? Victor, do you know this uncle with the sword?"
Luffy saw Shiryu locking onto Victor and tilted his head. He could feel that Shiryu of the Rain was incredibly strong.
The sword itself seemed sharp even before being unsheathed. In terms of swordsmanship, not even Zoro's partner, Sauron, could compare.
"Straw Hat Boy, this is Impel Down's warden, Rain Shiryu, a terrifyingly powerful swordsman. We're in trouble, hee ha!"
Ivankov, the Shemale King, shook their huge face and explained.
"This guy named Victor hasn't done much yet, but he's already caused us plenty of trouble!"
"That's right! First it was Deputy Chief Warden Sadi, and now Shiryu of Rain! If the jailbreak fails, it's all Victor's fault!"
"What's worse, Sadi was defeated by Ivankov. Victor is probably just an average guy, nowhere near the level of those big shots!"
Faced with the notorious Rain Shiryu, most of the escapees instinctively felt fear. And those previously jealous of Victor now felt contempt mixed with fear.
Why?
Because he was targeted by Rain Shiryu
Not Straw Hat Luffy, the Supernova!
Not Crocodile, the King of the Desert!
Not Ivankov, the Shemale King!
Not Jinbe, the Sea Knight!
But Victor, an unknown man!
They hadn't seen how strong he really was.
The discussion among them was loud enough to draw Crocodile's attention.
Crocodile frowned.
These people were annoying, and he wanted to blast them with a sandstorm. But he knew Victor could handle it himself.
"You trash in the back, shut up!!!! Line up even if it kills you!!!"
Victor's furious roar burst out, radiating an intimidating aura.
Those talking about him fell silent instantly.
Could it be… they had misjudged Victor?
This unknown man was actually a hidden powerhouse!
"I never thought the man who gave Magellan a headache would be laughed at by a bunch of losers. But it doesn't matter—I'll kill you!"
A cold light flashed in Rain Shiryu's eyes. He gripped his sword tightly, unable to suppress his desire to kill.
[Ding, select trigger!]
[Choice 1: Face Rain Shiryu head-on for two rounds! Reward: Great Swordsman-level swordsmanship! (Swordsman → Top Swordsman → Great Swordsman → Supreme Swordsman!)]
[Choice 2: Avoid the rain and fight alongside Straw Hat Luffy! Reward: Perfect Moon Step!]
The system's voice sounded, and Victor finally felt relief.
But the system was still frustrating. Why require two rounds for rewards? And if the Thunder Fruit had been given earlier, Victor could've broken through Push City long ago.
Marineford! Thunder Fruit! Victor misses his wife, Hancock!!!
"Rain Shiryu, don't tell me who dies first!"
Victor's lips curled into a sly smile. An evil sword appeared in his hand without him noticing.
It was the Second Generation Kitetsu.
"This… the Second Generation Kitetsu!?"
Shiryu's eyes flashed with surprise. Victor, who had given no hint of sword energy, actually possessed the evil sword.
"Hey! Victor, you know swordsmanship too? This sword is a bit like Zoro's!"
Luffy exaggeratedly exclaimed.
"Captain Shiryu, we must stop them! We cannot let these criminals escape! Director Magellan will arrive soon!"
Hannibal, weak but determined, urged Xiliu.
"Hahaha! Stop talking about justice and evil. You'll get nowhere. Everything is decided by strength!"
Just as the battle between Victor and Shiryu was about to erupt…
A powerful darkness arrived, accompanied by a sinister, arrogant smile.
All defense forces, except Rain Shiryu, were swallowed by the darkness.
Deputy Director Hannibal, who risked his life to stop the escapees, was trampled. His body sank into the ground, and he fainted, unable to rise for a moment.
"Hahaha, so many important people here, and only one left who looks tough!"
The darkness cleared, revealing a man in a black pirate captain's uniform, with firm and arrogant eyes.
Behind him stood four companions.
The Blackbeard Pirates!!!