Before Kaguya could think further, a flurry of chaotic footsteps echoed from the distance. Turning her head, she saw a group of fully armed navy soldiers quickly approaching. In addition to the mass-produced marines, there were also several minor prison officers—and a few small animals at the front.
Well, at least that's how they looked to Kaguya.
"Hurry up and move! Hm? Trying to slack off, are you, you worthless scum?!"
Crack! Crack!
Behind the bizarre creatures, a woman with long, curly golden hair cracked a whip, lashing out without mercy. The animals at the front yelped and rushed toward Kaguya as if their tails were on fire.
That whip-happy woman, who habitually punctuated her sentences with a smug "hm," was Sadi the sadist. The strange mutated animals ahead of her were her jailer beasts.
"Finally found you," Sadi licked her lips and said seductively, "Let me hear your sweet, tormented screams. Just thinking about it gets me all excited."
With a flick of her whip, snap! it struck one of the jailer beasts.
"What are you waiting for?! Go catch that one!"
Roar!
With their orders received, the already grotesque beasts snarled wickedly and charged at Kaguya, wielding massive clubs.
"A bunch of fodder not even worthy of the term 'cannon fodder,' and you dare challenge me? You've got guts," Kaguya raised her head, a glint of frost flashing in her eyes like a still autumn lake.
With just one glance from Kaguya's cold eyes, the four jailer beasts suddenly froze, their eyes wide with fear as if they had seen something terrifying. Their bodies began to tremble.
"You idiots! Why are you just standing there?!" Sadi cracked her whip again, striking them viciously. "Are you deaf?! Go grab her!"
But the whip had no effect this time. The beasts' bull-like eyes remained wide as if turned to stone. Cold sweat poured from their backs until they were soaked as if just pulled from a river.
"Tch. Slaughtering fodder brings no satisfaction, but since you're in my way, I can't just ignore you," Kaguya raised her hand. A black-and-red longsword appeared in a swirl of dark light.
The moment the four jailer beasts saw it, they turned pale and fled, dropping their weapons without a second thought.
Sadi swung her whip furiously and shouted, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Stop right there, you bastards, I said—" Before she could finish, she was knocked over by the stampeding beasts, rage practically steaming from her head.
Just as she opened her mouth to curse again, she sensed something was wrong. Whipping around, her pupils shrank dramatically.
The golden-haired girl had already raised her sword high. Thin tendrils of black light coiled around the blade, radiating an ominous aura. Before Sadi could dodge, the black-and-red longsword came crashing down.
A razor-sharp black sword beam tore through the air like a pillar of darkness, roaring outward in an instant.
"Excalibur!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed. The rocky ground shattered inch by inch, debris flew everywhere, and the wild magical force surged out like a roaring hurricane.
A slender figure was flung high into the air like a kite with its string cut, then crashed heavily to the ground with a resounding bang.
Pffft!
Sadi, lying face down on the ground, clutched her chest. A metallic taste rose in her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.
"You've got pretty fast reflexes."
Just as Sadi struggled to prop herself up, a pair of slender legs appeared in front of her. She looked up and froze. It was the same blonde girl from earlier.
"Y-You… Who are you?" Sadi asked, her eyes fixed on Kaguya.
Kaguya gave a gentle smile, reaching out to pinch her fair chin. "You want to know that badly?"
Sadi tried to struggle, but the moment she met those pale golden eyes, it felt like she was being stared down by a beast—she couldn't move a muscle.
Then, that soft hand traced down her neck, past her delicate collarbone, and grabbed her chest with a firm squeeze. A sharp pain coursed through her body, yet Sadi didn't dare to move an inch.
"Alright then. Since you want to know so badly, I'll tell you."
The hand left her body. Sadi exhaled in relief, but oddly enough, an unfamiliar sense of emptiness surfaced inside her—a faint feeling of loss.
Kaguya stood up and turned toward the prison gate.
"Remember this—my name is Artoria. Don't forget it when you come for revenge."
Sadi stared blankly at the slender figure walking away. Her hands slowly rose to her cheeks, and for the first time, a faint blush appeared.
"Someone's broken out! Contact Marine Headquarters immediately!"
"This is bad! Not just the sixth level, but the upper levels of the prison have all been breached!"
"Hurry! Call the nearest navy warships for backup!"
"Terrible news—Warden Magellan is dead!"
"What do we do now?! Even the warden is—"
"It's over. Impel Down can't hold any longer!"
One piece of bad news followed another. With no leadership, the navy soldiers scattered in panic like headless flies. The announcement of Magellan's death left them even more helpless. Never before had they faced a situation like this—not even when the Golden Lion escaped had things gotten this bad.
"Looks like they're not entirely brain-dead," Kaguya muttered, casually tossing aside the Den Den Mushi she had taken from a navy soldier.
Apparently, someone had already released all the prisoners in Impel Down. Smart—every extra person meant more strength. Especially with Warden Magellan dead, there was no way Impel Down's current forces could hold the place.
But as Kaguya walked out of the prison and looked up, her expression shifted slightly.
Somehow, five or six navy warships were already docked at the harbor.
Standing at the bow of the lead ship—Zephyr.
Kaguya hadn't expected the navy warships to arrive so quickly. It was beyond her expectations. Logically speaking, even if Marine Headquarters had received the distress signal and dispatched ships immediately, it would have taken at least half a day.
But when she saw the pale faces and trembling legs of the navy soldiers on the ships—clearly inexperienced—Kaguya understood what was going on.
Without a doubt, these were Zephyr's students. In other words, they were only reserve recruits, likely nearby for training. Upon receiving the emergency call, they had rushed to the scene.
If it had been a minor issue, that would've been fine.
However, it seemed Zephyr had forgotten one crucial fact: the prisoners inside Impel Down were some of the most vicious pirates alive. Not just anyone could handle them. Even the regular navy would struggle, let alone a group of greenhorns.
Sure enough, as the intense battle began, the navy soldiers were immediately pushed into a corner. These rookies simply lacked the strength and experience to match the powerful pirates.
It was fortunate that the pirates only wanted to escape and had no interest in a drawn-out fight. Otherwise, these so-called soldiers would've been crushed the moment the battle started.
Even so, the navy suffered heavy casualties. Even with Zephyr present, things weren't looking good. After all, there was only one Zephyr, and he was aging. His strength had declined significantly and was no longer enough to face off against this many notorious pirates.
If this continued, the navy would be in grave danger.
Boom!
A deafening thud echoed as a figure was sent flying and crashed hard into the deck, shattering it with a loud crack.
Splinters and debris flew.
The figure was none other than Zephyr.
His eyes widened as blood surged to his throat, spilling from his mouth.
"Teacher!" Ain cried out in shock and rushed to his side.
Zephyr gritted his teeth, his expression growing more serious.
The situation was worse than he had imagined. From the moment he received the distress call from Impel Down, he knew things were bad.
He understood Impel Down better than anyone. He had personally sent many of these vicious pirates there, and they likely bore deep grudges against him.
If they were to break free—it would be disastrous.
He knew very well that he and the new recruits he brought were no match for these criminals.
Hearing the agonized screams of the navy soldiers around him, Zephyr's heart burned with anxiety. These were his talented students—the future of the navy. If they died here, it would mean the end of that future.
"So this is the so-called legendary admiral? Hmph, what a joke," Corrupt King Avalo Pizarro sneered as he stepped forward. "How far the mighty navy has fallen."
"Utterly disappointing. I was hoping for a real fight," said World Destroyer Wald with a mocking smile.
Zephyr struggled to his feet from the broken deck, wiped the blood from his mouth, and laughed coldly. "Just a pack of strays on the fringes of society. Not even fit to be called trash, and you dare to bark here."
"What?!"
The expressions of the surrounding pirates darkened.
"You must have a death wish, old man," Avalo cracked his knuckles, voice icy. "Then I'll send you straight to hell."
As for Byrnndi World beside him, he was much more straightforward. He simply raised his hand and fired a shot. The bullet instantly exited the chamber.
Bang!
"100x Multiplication Gun"
As soon as he spoke, the bullet that had just been fired suddenly expanded and enlarged. In the blink of an eye, it had grown several times larger than a cannonball. Its speed also multiplied, shooting toward Zephyr like lightning.
Zephyr's eyes narrowed. At this moment, he was seriously injured, with multiple fractures all over his body. He had no way to dodge such an ultra-high-speed bullet.
Suddenly, a slender figure rushed out and spread her arms to block in front of Zephyr.
Ain gritted her teeth, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
If it was a bullet, as long as she could rewind its time, then it could be—
Zephyr's heart clenched, and he quickly shouted, "No! With your ability, it's impossible!"
Boom!
Before Zephyr could finish his sentence, an explosion interrupted him. A violent shockwave whipped up a raging gale, and he was instantly blown away, crashing heavily into the ship's cabin.
Alarmed, Zephyr quickly lifted his head and looked in Ain's direction.
He had fought Byrnndi World before and knew this guy's ability—the Momo Fruit. It could increase the size and speed of any object it touched by a hundred times. At such a speed, not even Ain's rewind fruit ability could activate in time. More likely, she would be blown to pieces by the bullet.
As the dust gradually settled, Zephyr suddenly froze.
He saw a stranger standing before them. Her golden hair, delicate features, and light makeup gave her an air of elegance like an orchid in a secluded valley—but her cold gaze carried a chilling frost.
"What are you doing? Why are you blocking in front of that guy?" Byrnndi World said coldly.
"What I do is none of your business. Who are you to point fingers at me?" Kaguya's eyes were icy as water, her tone filled with cold disdain.
"Are you trying to make an enemy of me?" A trace of anger appeared on Byrnndi World's face as he forced himself to remain calm.
"Make an enemy of you?" Kaguya looked down at him arrogantly and said with contempt, "What are you? Just some small fry. You're not even worthy of talking to me."
"You bastard, are you tired of living?" Byrnndi World roared in anger.
Kaguya raised her pale arm, and the black-red sword pointed at him from afar as she said coldly, "You're welcome to try."
"Hey, you won't be able to beat her," Bacchus, drunk and reeking of alcohol, chimed in gleefully. "Don't blame me if you get killed."
"How could I lose to a snot-nosed little girl?" Byrnndi World shouted furiously.
"Is that so?" Bacchus hiccupped and said, "Then, can you take out Magellan?"
"Magellan?" Byrnndi World froze for a moment, suddenly realizing something. His pupils shrank sharply. "Don't tell me—"
"That's right," Bacchus chuckled. "Magellan was taken out by her, you know."
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