"Eh!!! Victor! Your swordsmanship is incredible!"
Luffy's eyes shone brightly. Although he had seen Victor's slashing attacks before, the shock of watching him slice a warship across the sea was far more intense.
Even though Luffy trusted his partner Zoro immensely, he had to admit that Victor's swordsmanship surpassed Zoro's current level.
"Tsk, this brat…"
Crocodile's eyes flickered with a rare look of incomprehension.
Victor wasn't much older than Luffy. Crocodile realized that the only reason he had defeated Luffy before was because he underestimated him.
But even if Crocodile didn't want to admit it, had he faced Victor earlier, victory wouldn't have been guaranteed.
Crocodile, the King of the Desert and former Seven Warlord of the Sea, was a user of the Sand-Sand Fruit. According to system reference, he was a diamond-level powerhouse.
Victor, having obtained the Great Swordsman's swordsmanship, was also at diamond level—but on paper, his strength now exceeded Crocodile's.
Of course, that was only a reference. Even among Diamond-rated fighters, actual combat strength could vary widely. Crocodile, jokingly called "50-50," certainly had his own secrets.
The pursuing Navy ships had been destroyed by Victor, but a greater obstacle blocked their path to Marineford:
The Gate of Justice!
A massive gate stretching seemingly endlessly in length, width, and height, adorned with the World Government's emblem—a near-impossible barrier.
"Oh no! This door won't open!"
Mr. 3 grabbed his head, desperate.
"I've made it this far… and now there's no way out!"
Even Luffy, normally fearless, felt the weight of the situation when facing such a colossal gate.
Buggy leapt in front of Jinbei, the helmsman, panicking. "What should we do now, Shark!? There's no way to rush it! I didn't expect this to be so bad!"
"Why are you so calm?!"
Jinbei's eyes flickered. Compared to the others, he seemed unusually collected.
Victor, observing the scene, was just as calm. With a half-God perspective and not being on the ship, he already knew what had happened.
Jinbei continued steering the battleship swiftly toward the Gate of Justice.
"Say something, Shark!" Buggy shouted again.
"Be quiet, Bucky. The door will open." Victor scolded him.
"Have you noticed, Mr. Victor…"
Jinbei and Victor exchanged a knowing look and nodded.
"Stop lying to me! How could the door open? Victor, even your slash can't destroy the Gate of Justice!"
Buggy scoffed, clearly doubting Victor.
At that moment, thunderous cheers erupted from the battleship.
"The door is open!!!!"
"The Gate of Justice is really open?! My jailbreak plan succeeded!!"
The battleship, piloted by Jinbei, began passing through the Gate of Justice, which had opened a crack.
Luffy learned from Jinbei why the Gate had opened.
"Is this true? Bon Clay…"
Victor looked at Luffy's stunned expression before turning back toward Impel Down.
Mr. 2 Bon Clay.
Magellan, Deputy Warden of Impel Down.
Perhaps it was because of such characters that the pirate world was so captivating. Victor was growing accustomed to it.
He gazed at the swirling ocean ahead—the route to Marineford lay directly before him. He envisioned his peerless beauty, Hancock, waiting for him.
"Hancock, wait for me in Marineford. I'll be there soon!"
Meanwhile, inside Impel Down:
The Gate of Justice had opened. A shocked Magellan arrived at the control room and saw someone resembling him—the one who had allowed Victor, the Straw Hats, and others to escape.
Enraged, Magellan didn't realize the chaos in Impel Down was far from over.
Impel Down, Level 4
"It was close. If I hadn't brought the antidote, you would have died. Blackbeard, you underestimated Magellan!"
The greatswords man Shiryu, wearing a warden uniform and smoking a cigar, spoke to Blackbeard and his group, who were recovering from the toxin.
Magellan's poison could not be underestimated!
"Hey Zehahaha, but we're still alive, right?"
"It's fate that you're here!"
"But I really thought I'd die. Magellan deserves the title of strongest man in the prison!"
"We were lucky to escape disaster again!"
The Blackbeard Pirates—"Fighting Champion" Jesus Burgess, "Supersonic" Van Augur, "Demon Sheriff" Laffitte, and "Grim Reaper" Doc Q—sighed in relief.
"Life and death are determined by fate; wealth and honor are in the hands of God. Those who fear death will lose. Hahahaha! Let's live for the future!"
"Hey, Shiryu!"
Blackbeard laughed wildly, unbothered by mistakes. He approached Rain Shiryu.
"Thank you for saving us. Thank you, Shiryu. Welcome to join us again. I feel you will be a good partner!"
"Even if I stay here, my future is over. Freedom to kill is what I want. But one day, I will kill that Victor!"
Shiryu agreed to join the Blackbeard Pirates but still held resentment toward Victor, remembering his promise:
"Next time we meet, I will kill you!"
"Zehahahaha, that's fine. Maybe the opportunity will come soon! Let's go to Level 6 and have a great fight! Zehahahaha!" Blackbeard's laughter echoed through Impel Down. The greatest chaos the prison had ever seen was about to erupt.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford!
The target of this public execution—Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, Fire Fist Ace—was brought to Marineford.
The entire Navy Headquarters mobilized. Their opponent: the terrifying man at the top of the pirate world, Four Emperors: Edward Newgate, Whitebeard!
Elite naval forces from across the world gathered, displaying unprecedented determination.
All Vice Admirals.
The three strongest Admirals: Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru.
And five of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
All in Marineford.