The prisoners in the underground cavern felt their entire understanding of the world collapse.
What is happening to this world?!
That blue giant, nearly a hundred meters tall… what was it? Could something like that really exist? Was the slaughter of the entire prison not just done by Magellan, but also by something like this…?
Cold sweat poured down Ivankov's face. That terrifying presence made his body tremble uncontrollably. He swallowed hard and snapped back to his senses.
"Everyone, retreat now!!!"
Forcing down his fear, he knew one thing for sure. This had to be the Marines' doing, and they had to escape as fast as possible.
He still had some clarity left. On this sea, only a Devil Fruit ability could achieve something like this. But this level… it was completely absurd.
Staring up at the massive head that filled his entire vision, Ivankov took a deep breath. Syringe-like needles grew from his fingertips as he activated his ability and stabbed himself.
"Emporio Face Growth Synthesis!!!"
Ivankov's already large head swelled several times bigger, but from the giant Bullet's perspective, he was still just a slightly fatter little mouse.
His head had grown… yet he was still just a mouse.
Below, Ivankov moved.
"Face Spectrum!"
With rapid movement, countless afterimages of his giant face formed like a wall, blocking the rear and covering the retreat of the others.
Then all the afterimages blinked at once.
"Galaxy Wink!!!"
Explosive shockwaves burst out from the rapid blinking, shooting toward the giant face above.
At the same time, the ground began to move, turning soft like cloth. It was cut and reshaped, then shot upward along with the shockwaves, forming sharp spikes aimed at the giant.
The blue giant opened its mouth and inhaled deeply.
All the shockwaves, the shattered ground, and the spikes launched by Inazuma were sucked inside. Its chest swelled slightly.
Roar!
A violent wave of air blasted out from its mouth.
The sweeping force destroyed everything below. Sharp wind blades cut through the fleeing prisoners, slicing them into pieces.
The entire prison trembled.
Level 5.5 had numerous hidden tunnels connecting all levels of the prison. Now, those secret passages were crushed and exploded by the overwhelming pressure of the storm.
Prisoners who failed to escape in time were crushed to death inside the tunnels by the immense force…
* * *
Inside Level 5.5.
Ivankov, Inazuma, and all the prisoners who had stayed behind to hold the line were scattered across the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, unconscious.
The giant Bullet spoke coldly. "Pathetic little rat..."
He reached down with an enormous hand and grabbed Ivankov. The hand was too large, so he pinched him gently between two fingers.
Pfft!
Ivankov's body exploded instantly, like a mosquito crushed between fingers. Blood splattered everywhere as his head rolled away.
A slight frown appeared on Bullet's face.
He had already held back as much as possible, yet even so, the power was still too great.
"Forget it."
Looking at the remaining unconscious "rats," blue Armament Haki gathered in his palm as he pressed downward at an angle.
Boom!!!!
The entire prison shook violently, and everything below vanished without a trace.
Only a massive, slanted bottomless pit remained.
Bullet's body began to shrink, returning to its normal form, though a trace of fatigue showed.
The awakened state was powerful, but the consumption was enormous. Even someone like him, who had fought for days against the Red Hair Pirates and clashed with Kaido now showed signs of exhaustion after such a short time.
If he wanted to use it for long, he would need massive resources to create energy supplements.
Bullet stretched slightly, then turned to look at Magellan, who had retreated several hundred meters away.
With a step, he vanished and appeared beside him.
"Let's go. This place is about to collapse."
That strike had not only shattered Level 5.5, it had pierced through Level 6 as well. The great underwater prison was about to become a true "underwater" prison.
A distant rumble was already echoing through the structure. Magellan's expression tightened.
"Please follow me."
The two of them quickly disappeared from Level 5, heading toward the exit.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the New World at New Marineford, morning had arrived.
Unlike the chaos of the prison through the night, this place felt far more peaceful.
Inside the Marine Hospital, Robin, still in an unfamiliar environment, did not sleep long and woke up early.
She sat on the bed for a while, dazed, before finally regaining her senses. Getting up, she walked to the window, pulled the curtains open, and looked out over the island.
As a wanted criminal of the World Government, standing openly inside Marine Headquarters… it felt strangely unreal.
The island was slowly coming to life as activity began to pick up.
Robin's gaze shifted toward the central, towering fortress. The sun had not fully risen yet, and faint lights could still be seen there. A busy figure moved within.
Even from this distance, where Robin could only make out a vague silhouette, she recognized him instantly.
"He didn't sleep all night..."
Though busy, Carlo's movements were steady, not rushed. It was clear this was either routine, or he simply had not slept at all.
A strange thought surfaced in Robin's mind.
How could anyone survive against the Marines like this?
They possessed the strongest military power in the world, along with an almost absurd level of efficiency.
Even as Sakazuki's second-in-command, Carlo was working through the night without rest. In that fortress that had remained lit all night, how many people had actually slept?
* * *
At the top of the fortress.
After receiving the intelligence, Carlo seemed to sense Robin's gaze. He glanced in the direction of the hospital, smiled faintly, then walked into Sakazuki's office.
"Bullet's side is finished," Carlo reported. "He's on his way back. Magellan has also set out toward the Sabaody Archipelago."
Since relations with the World Government had broken down, the route across the Red Line was no longer usable. They could only travel via Fish-Man Island.
Using the excuse of having another task, Bullet had separated from Magellan and departed ahead of time. Once he reached the designated location, Carlo would retrieve him.
Sakazuki nodded. "You two remain on standby. Closely monitor Knox and the Revolutionary Army. It's time to begin..."
The Revolutionary Army was nearly ready. Once the Four Blues were fully secured, Sakazuki's forces would sweep through the New World with overwhelming force.
When that happened, the pirates would panic. The World Government would panic. Even the Revolutionary Army would panic.
This final war… would be forced into motion by Sakazuki.
* * *
New Marineford.
Unlike the original Marineford, this former G-1 base, now converted into the new headquarters, had little in terms of scenery.
The island was filled with fortresses and bunkers, with firepower positioned everywhere. It had originally been a military stronghold guarding the Red Line and the Holy Land.
After wandering around for quite some time, Robin had more or less explored the entire island.
Carlo's words had indeed carried weight. Wherever she went, no one stopped her. Even the massive artillery bunkers were completely open to her.
It was now close to noon.
Having seen enough, Robin walked aimlessly along the street.
Of course, it wouldn't be accurate to say she had seen everything.
There was still one place she had not gone.
Robin slowed to a stop and looked up.
At a glance, she could see the massive fortress standing at the very center of the island. That was where the Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki, resided.
And at the end of the street before her… was that very place.
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