The chaos that had filled Impel Down suddenly fell silent.
Guards, jailers, prisoners, jailer beasts, wild beasts, even the Den Den Mushi scattered throughout the prison all rolled their eyes and passed out under the pressure of that Conqueror's Haki.
At that moment, the only sounds left were the ruins crashing down from the sky after slipping free of Shiki's control, and seawater pouring in through the cracks in the surrounding walls.
...
Level 5, Freezing Hell.
Beneath the raging blizzard, guards, jailers, and prisoners lay sprawled across the ground, unable to get up.
Only a small handful of people managed to stay conscious.
The swordsman named Doug Rice was one of them.
He had only been locked away in this hell not long ago, so the harsh environment had yet to drain much of his strength or spirit.
Even so, faced with that terrifying Conqueror's Haki pressing down on his body and mind like a mountain, he had to bite the tip of his tongue until it hurt just to keep himself from passing out.
Fortunately, that terrifying burst of Conqueror's Haki lasted only an instant.
Before long, the wind and snow dispersed, and everything fell silent.
Only then did Doug Rice loosen his tense nerves and gulp down the freezing air.
Looking around, he saw that not a single one of the prisoners nearby had woken up.
"S-So terrifying… That Conqueror's Haki… Was it Shiki the Golden Lion?"
As far as Doug Rice was concerned, only the legendary great pirate Shiki could possess such terrifying Conqueror's Haki.
But when he rushed to the bars and looked outside, he did not see any sign of Shiki.
Just then, an explosion rang out.
Doug Rice looked toward the sound. It had come from the direction of the snow-covered forest not far away.
Two figures burst through an abandoned building in the forest and shot into the air.
The moment he saw those two figures soaring skyward, Doug Rice's pupils widened on their own, and he shouted, "That's…"
"Captain Yemu…"
If anyone beside Doug Rice had still been awake at that moment, they would have heard the unmistakable admiration in his voice when he called Yemu's name.
As for the other man, the one with a goat-like appearance, Doug Rice did not recognize him.
But that did not matter. In that moment, hope flared in his eyes.
Yet just as he was about to shout for help again, an arrogant laugh rang out, followed by Shiki the Golden Lion descending from the sky.
"Shihahaha…"
"This feeling… This Conqueror's Haki…"
"Kid, what exactly is your relationship with Rocks? Why do you have the same Conqueror's Haki as him?"
Before Doug Rice could even react, another dazzling golden light appeared, accompanied by an extremely unreliable-sounding voice.
"How scary… I think I just heard… quite the incredible name."
Doug Rice was also very familiar with that voice, and there was even a hint of anger in it.
"Borsalino!"
Seeing the young Marine appear before him, Shiki seemed to sense something as well. He laughed arrogantly and said, "Today really is lively… Have you come to celebrate my prison break too, Sengoku?"
As Shiki spoke, a brilliant golden light appeared in the pitch-black hole overhead, followed by a furious roar.
"Get back down there, Shiki! And you too, Yemu of the Sky Pirates! You vile pirates, Impel Down is not a place where you can do as you please. Today, all of you are staying here!"
In an instant, a wave of golden light visible to the naked eye surged toward Shiki and Yemu.
"What a familiar feeling, Sengoku!"
Feeling that familiar power, Shiki grew excited. He looked up at the massive golden Buddha descending from above and roared, "But Sengoku, don't bring out that weak Conqueror's Haki of yours to scare people!"
In the next instant, a powerful aura erupted from Shiki as well, shooting straight toward the golden Buddha overhead.
The previously calm world of ice and snow was once again swept by howling winds. A blizzard filled the sky, with black lightning crackling through it.
Under the clash of their powerful Conqueror's Haki, the surrounding forest was blown down as if struck by a storm, and cracks began to spread across the walls.
Boom.
At last, with a violent roar, the impact centered on the two of them surged outward in every direction like a tidal wave.
It sent the unconscious jailers, guards, and prisoners on the ground tumbling all over the place.
After that first probing clash, Sengoku, who had transformed into the golden Buddha, landed on the ice field with a grim expression. He returned to his original form, revealing a sturdy, bare upper body packed with muscle.
Seeing this, Borsalino descended after him and landed beside Sengoku.
Magellan and Shiryu seized the chance to move behind Nicholas.
In an instant, across the icy world of Level 5, Freezing Hell, the four sides represented by Yemu, Shiki the Golden Lion, Sengoku, and Nicholas stood facing one another, separated by only a few hundred meters.
This was without question the greatest scene Impel Down had witnessed since its founding.
But at that moment, Sengoku had no mood to pay any more attention to Shiki.
His face darkened as he stared at Yemu, whose expression remained calm. In a questioning tone, he roared, "It's you again, Pirate Yemu. What exactly did Shiki mean just now? What is your relationship with Rocks? And what was that Conqueror's Haki just now?"
"Hah…"
Under everyone's gaze, Yemu let out a long breath. Then he lowered his head, looked at his hands, and clenched his fists, feeling the power within his body.
Only then did he raise his head. Looking at Sengoku's questioning expression, he said calmly, "Who knows?"
Sengoku was instantly enraged. Veins bulged visibly on his forehead, and he no longer wanted to waste words.
"You bastard. A reckless man like you, someone who destroys this world however he pleases, cannot be allowed to run wild any longer. This time, you even dared to invade Impel Down. Since you delivered yourself to me, I'll personally make sure you stay here."
As soon as he finished speaking, golden light erupted from Sengoku's body, and he once again activated the power of his Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu.
Seeing this, Shiki looked at Yemu with a strange smile and asked, "Kid, do you need my help? Sengoku is one of the Marines' highest combat powers right now. A brat like you is still far from being able to stand against him…"
"No."
Yemu shook his head. He looked at Sengoku, who had already transformed into a giant golden Buddha radiating dazzling light, and excitement flickered in his eyes.
"Just help me hold off the others, especially Nicholas. I don't want him disappearing from my sight. No problem, right? We still have twelve hours until the time we agreed on."
"Shihahaha… What an interesting brat. Then let me see just how much you're really worth."
As Shiki spoke, he floated upward and charged toward the three from Impel Down.
Seeing this, Sengoku, already transformed into the Daibutsu, grew solemn and immediately ordered Borsalino beside him, "Borsalino, go help them deal with Shiki. Leave this side to me."
Borsalino looked at Yemu in front of him and could clearly sense that compared to their last meeting at the Sabaody Archipelago, this man had grown much stronger.
"Understood… But… Admiral Sengoku, you should be careful too. After all, even Captain John fell at his hands…"