With a burst of Conqueror's Haki, Lilith lightly flapped her massive wings and soared into the air. As they trembled faintly, a violent hurricane suddenly formed. The powerful wind instantly blew away everything in front of Mio.
Then, with another wave of her wings, countless condensed wind blades shot forward.
Puff!
The sharp sounds of slicing flesh echoed repeatedly.
One by one, navy soldiers fell, slashed down by the barrage of wind blades.
Now, not a single marine dared approach Mio.
At that moment, Warwick stepped forward, Raikiri in hand, and respectfully offered it to Mio.
"Master, your weapon."
"Thanks, Warwick." With a small smile, Mio took Raikiri and hung it at his waist. He then unsheathed it with a practiced motion.
"It's been a long time," Mio murmured softly. Over the past year, he'd improved in nearly every way—but perhaps his swordsmanship had declined a bit.
Still, that didn't matter.
Clang.
He sheathed Raikiri once more and turned toward the direction of the Red Earl and the others. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Everyone, I'm ready to leave. Thank you for your care over the past year in this prison. Now, it's time to finalize our deal."
As his voice fell—
Boom!
The Red Earl kicked a vice admiral away and responded coolly, "You sure you want to do this now? I can't guarantee these marines will sit back and watch."
"Great Eruption!"
Akainu roared as he launched a massive punch, magma surging around his arm. The colossal lava fist blasted forward, radiating oppressive heat and devastating force.
Bullett frowned slightly, but then activated his Devil Form without hesitation. His entire body was enveloped in Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki, and ghostly energy. He looked like a demonic blue warrior.
Bullett met the magma fist with a punch of his own.
Boom!
The impact halted Akainu's attack. Then, with another surge of raw strength, Bullett dispersed the lava fist completely.
He stepped back several paces, gaining some distance from Akainu, then looked at Mio. "If you've made your decision, I won't mind agreeing to it right now."
"Hehehe, kid, you ready now?" a pirate from the sixth floor cackled as he ripped off a marine's arm, grinning like a madman.
Across the sea floor, the sounds of battle and screaming echoed.
Though the marines held the advantage in numbers and discipline—and many pirates had long since lost their edge in captivity—those terrifying monsters from the sixth floor were a different story.
Akainu frowned deeply as he watched Mio. These responses from the sixth-floor prisoners—what sort of deal had Mio made with them?
"Come on," Mio said with a grin. He sat cross-legged on the ground, his expression calm. "This is the perfect moment, isn't it?"
He raised his hand and pointed to the distant gate behind him, the corners of his mouth curling up. "After all… I can leave anytime I want."
He emphasized the word leave.
Both Bullett and the Red Earl's eyes lit up at those words.
Without hesitation, a terrifying pressure suddenly surged from them and bore down on Mio. Their Conqueror's Haki ignored everyone else and focused entirely on him.
Not just them—other sixth-floor monsters followed suit. One after another, waves of intense Haki exploded toward Mio.
Each one was a storm of force and will.
Multiple mental shocks assaulted Mio at once, relentlessly slamming into his mind. Soon, cold sweat began to roll down his face, dripping silently to the ground.
"This…" Akainu narrowed his eyes. Even though those bursts of Haki avoided others, he could clearly feel their concentrated power pressing down solely on Mio.
He didn't understand it—until a possibility struck him.
Akainu's pupils suddenly contracted. He sneered. "So arrogant. You're trying to awaken your own Conqueror's Haki using the pressure of others? You think I'll just stand here?"
With that—
Boom!
Akainu launched another Great Eruption, aiming it straight at Mio.
"I said… You're not getting near the master," Lilith's voice rang coldly. Her eyes glowed. "Not even you."
Over the past year, Lilith had refined her Observation Haki and developed her Replacement ability. Now, she unleashed that Haki in full force, covering the entire first level of the sea prison and even part of the surrounding waters.
As the massive lava fist approached, Lilith snapped her fingers nonchalantly.
"Let me borrow your head." Hei Yan suddenly grabbed a pirate nearby, snapping the man's neck and tearing off his head. Without waiting, he tossed it directly above Akainu.
The very next moment—
The pirate's head vanished.
In its place—
A torrent of seawater appeared in mid-air and came crashing down.
"What the hell!?"
Akainu's eyes widened in disbelief. Without hesitation, he canceled his attack and leapt to the side.
If that seawater touched him, even he wouldn't walk away unscathed. His Devil Fruit powers would temporarily disappear. Normally, he could endure such training, but now—amid these monsters—he'd be finished.
As he avoided the seawater, Akainu stared at Lilith with a serious expression.
A crease formed between his brows.
"This power…" he muttered darkly. "It's the same ability as that guy's."
Lilith's power was identical to the one Mio had demonstrated earlier.
But how?
There were never two identical Devil Fruits in the world. So how could this be?
"Interesting…" The Red Earl and the others also noticed this and chuckled, their eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Meanwhile, the waves of Haki continued to press down on Mio.
Cold sweat now poured freely down his forehead as he sat, eyes closed.
"It should be about time…" Bullett muttered as he watched Mio.
And then—
Boom!!
An overwhelming surge of Haki exploded from Mio's body and spread in all directions like a tidal wave.