A black aura swept through the surroundings, expanding in all directions.
It was chaotic—wild and turbulent.
It pressed down madly from every direction, suffocating the air.
"It seems he made the right bet," Bullett said softly.
This was Mio's final objective during his time in Impel Down—Conqueror's Haki.
From the very beginning, he had been thinking about how to awaken it. Ultimately, Mio chose the most dangerous method—having the terrifying veterans on the sixth floor of Impel Down use their Conqueror's Haki to pressure him into awakening his own.
It didn't matter if he lost the gamble.
But if he won, the rewards would far outweigh the risks.
"Black Conqueror's Haki…" The Red Earl's brows furrowed for a moment, as though recalling someone. Then he grinned. "Interesting guy…"
Then his eyes narrowed slightly again.
"There are really quite a few Devil Fruit users on this guy's ship. And several of them seem to have some pretty impressive powers."
He thought of Mashi.
He thought of Lilith.
To the Red Earl, those were clearly Mythical Zoan-type abilities—a rare class even among Devil Fruits.
And Mio, who possessed both fire-based and displacement-type abilities, seemed no different from a Mythical Zoan user in his eyes.
A wave of envy flashed across his heart.
He became even more determined to leave Impel Down and find a powerful Devil Fruit.
His strength had already reached a bottleneck. Improving any further would take an immense amount of time—time he no longer had. So, obtaining a suitable fruit was the best shortcut.
"Huff…"
"This is the feeling of Conqueror's Haki…"
Mio opened his eyes slowly. He took a deep breath and rose to his feet, the residual sensation of power still pulsing in his body.
A wanton smile appeared on the corner of his lips.
"This guy is dangerous. We can't let him escape," Akainu muttered, staring at Mio with deadly intent.
It wasn't just Mio.
His entire crew posed a major threat.
A flash of cold light passed through Akainu's eyes.
Right now, he didn't want any pirate to make it out alive.
In an instant, the heat radiating from his body surged wildly.
A vice admiral, sensing the oppressive force, turned pale and shouted urgently, "Everyone evacuate Impel Down! Head outside immediately!"
With no hesitation, the vice admirals and lower-ranked officers all dashed toward the exit.
Then, from Akainu's body, a rising wave of red began to spread.
It was magma. Boiling, bubbling magma.
The ground beneath Akainu's feet began to tremble and ripple. In just a few breaths, the stone floor turned into a molten river, and the magma expanded at a terrifying rate.
Some unfortunate pirates didn't notice the change in time and fell into the molten floor, screaming briefly before being completely silenced by the burning heat.
"Let's move."
The Red Earl and Bullett exchanged glances, then bolted toward the gate without a moment's delay.
Seeing this, the other pirates followed quickly, not daring to hesitate.
"All of you will die here today."
Akainu's voice was low and full of murderous resolve.
And then—
RUMBLE!
The speed of the magma spread surged again.
The molten ground now erupted violently like a volcanic fountain.
What made it worse was that the magma seemed to move like it had a mind of its own—flowing, stretching, and forming shapes as though Akainu had complete control over it.
Out of the magma, giant magma hounds formed, roaring as they lunged toward the fleeing pirates.
Behind the Red Earl and the others, waves of magma surged and crashed like an inferno tide.
If those waves caught up, even those skilled in Armament Haki wouldn't come out unscathed.
And this was Akainu still holding back.
He dared not unleash his full strength here.
After all, this was Impel Down.
If destroyed, the Navy would suffer immense losses.
Rebuilding such a facility would require staggering amounts of manpower and resources. Even the World Government might not approve such a project again.
But if Akainu really went all out, he could transform half this island into a magma hell within minutes.
And within that magma hell, everything would be under his control.
"Die."
Akainu roared, swinging both arms.
A massive torrent of magma surged up, forming into a colossal magma hound, aimed straight at Mio and the others.
"Hanba."
Mio frowned slightly, then called out.
"Hanba is here!!"
Outside the gate, a thundering roar rang out.
A giant column of seawater shot in from beyond the entrance.
Mio and his crew dodged quickly.
The seawater crashed into the magma hound with immense force.
HSSSS—!!
Steam exploded everywhere as the two elements collided.
"Akainu! I've got a gift for you!!" Mio shouted with a wicked grin, leaping into the air and grabbing a nearby pirate.
Akainu's eyes narrowed sharply. A sense of unease struck him.
Tear!
Mio ripped off both of the pirate's arms and hurled them straight at Akainu.
"Great Eruption!"
Reacting quickly, Akainu launched a powerful magma attack, trying to incinerate the incoming limbs.
But—
"Replace."
"Replace."
Mio and Lilith's voices rang out in sync.
In the blink of an eye, the arms vanished.
In their place—a massive surge of seawater appeared, large enough to engulf a person.
"Damn it!"
Akainu cursed, his expression darkening.
He reacted instantly, using his powers to form a thick wall of magma overhead, shielding himself from the seawater.
He couldn't afford to be drenched in sea water.
"Let's go!"
Mio didn't even glance back.
The moment the replacement succeeded, his aura flared, and he dashed toward the exit.
Erica and the others followed close behind.
"Brother, wait for me!"
Mashi's voice echoed behind him as her wings flapped furiously.
She darted after Mio, arms stretched out like she was about to tackle him.
"Come here."
Mio caught sight of her, turned midair, and caught Mashi in his arms.
With another flash of his figure, he darted out through the gate in a blink.
With his abilities—and already having reached the first floor of the sea—escaping was no problem at all.
Then, his eyes saw it—
Blue sky. White clouds.
And in front of him—
The endless, glimmering ocean.
"Hahaha! After a year, I finally see the sea again!" Mio laughed heartily, his voice full of exhilaration.
But then—
Feeling a burning sensation at his back, Mio turned around.
The raging magma was still in pursuit, devouring everything in its path.
Facing the blazing tide, Mio shouted, "Hanba!"
Out in the ocean—
Beneath the Black Glory—
A massive figure rose from the sea, holding the ship aloft with one hand.
With crimson skin and a body full of overwhelming strength, it was Hanba.
As Mio's voice rang out, Hanba's giant tail swept across the sea, churning the water into a raging surge.
Towering waves rose and crashed toward Impel Down.