The waves came crashing forward.
Looking at the approaching tide, the Red Earl and his men quickly leapt into the air to evade. Once they crossed the turbulent sea, the Red Earl and Bullett immediately charged toward a nearby warship without hesitation.
At the same time, Mio and his crew rushed toward the Black Glory.
"Don't even think about leaving!!"
Akainu's furious roar echoed from within Impel Down. The terrifying magma around him solidified into a massive magma giant. Swinging its colossal arms, the creature struck toward the escaping warship. Even though Mio was a major threat, Akainu knew something else as well.
Even if the Black Crow Pirates managed to escape, the Red Earl and Bullett could not be allowed to leave.
These two were individuals who stood on the same level as the Four Emperors.
If they escaped, the balance of power at sea would be disrupted again.
And it would put even greater pressure on the Navy in the New World.
"Remember your words," Bullett shouted at Mio without hesitation.
"Don't worry, I'm a man of my word. But this is your only shot—whether you succeed or not is up to you," Mio shouted back with a grin. "Hanba!"
"Roar!!"
With a thunderous roar, Hanba set down the Black Glory and grabbed another warship nearby. With a display of monstrous strength, Hanba lifted the ship above his head and hurled it directly at the magma giant.
Then, without a moment's pause, Hanba dove into the sea, pulling the Black Glory underwater and away from the battlefield.
As far as Mio was concerned, everything that needed to be done was already accomplished.
There was no point in remaining.
Akainu couldn't stop them.
And he wouldn't exhaust himself trying, either.
His focus would remain on the Red Earl and Bullett.
"Head to Enies Lobby!" Mio shouted.
The current route through the Gates of Justice would lead either to Marineford or Enies Lobby.
Heading to Marineford would be suicide. Though Enies Lobby was heavily fortified, its core force was only CP9. Against Mio and his crew now, CP9's resistance would be laughable.
Under Hanba's powerful drag, the Black Glory moved swiftly through the water, distancing itself from Impel Down at an impressive speed.
The warship Hanba threw struck the magma giant squarely, halting its arm mid-swing. A thunderous explosion followed.
The blast bathed half the sky in fiery red light.
Standing at the bow, Mio looked at the distant silhouette of the magma giant and smiled faintly. "After today, the Black Crow Pirates will probably become truly infamous across the world."
Sengoku was the current Fleet Admiral of the Navy.
Once Akainu reported the full situation, Sengoku would know exactly who was behind the disaster at Impel Down.
This would be a massive embarrassment for the Navy.
Impel Down had been breached once before by the Golden Lion—and now, it had happened again.
"I wonder how Sengoku will handle this?" Mio chuckled, turning his eyes away from the distant prison. Whether the Red Earl and Bullett could escape would depend on their own strength.
As for the others? Mio didn't care at all.
"Erica, got anything to eat?" Mio asked with a smile.
"Of course, Master," Erica nodded with a warm expression and headed toward the kitchen.
Onboard the ship, Robin emerged from the cabin, her clothes slightly disheveled, an annoyed expression on her face.
"If I had known Hanba was going to lift the whole boat earlier, I would've gone below deck. I nearly fell into the sea."
"If you had, Akainu would've had one more target to aim at," Mio replied with a laugh.
Robin rolled her eyes helplessly, then handed a folded note to Mio. "Captain, this is from Dr. Vegapunk."
"Mm." Mio took the note and unfolded it.
As he read the contents, his eyes sparkled. A subtle smile formed on his face, and he couldn't hide the growing anticipation in his expression.
He carefully put the note away and spoke. "Tell me what happened this past year."
"Alright." Robin sat beside him and began to speak.
All the while, Mashi lay comfortably in Mio's arms, occasionally shifting but mostly quiet.
A lot had occurred over the past year.
But to Mio, few of these events were worth paying attention to.
One thing that did stand out was Crocodile's failed challenge against Whitebeard, forcing him to return to the first half of the Grand Line.
That was good news for Mio. Now he only needed to locate Crocodile's whereabouts.
Thinking of this, Mio took out his Den Den Mushi and made a call.
Soon, the line connected.
Doflamingo's signature amused and sinister voice rang out. "Fufufufufufu! My friend, what a surprise to hear from you."
"I think you'll be even more surprised tomorrow," Mio said calmly with a faint smile.
Tomorrow, the news of the disaster at Impel Down would spread across the entire world.
Hearing those words, Doflamingo immediately understood and didn't press further.
"So, what's the reason for your call?" Doflamingo asked.
"I need help locating someone in the first half of the Grand Line."
"Who?"
"Crocodile."
"Him?" Doflamingo laughed darkly. "That guy's not easy to find. I don't know him personally, but I've heard plenty. He doesn't value subordinates and works solo. Tracking him might take a while."
"Just find him before I head to the New World. I have some business to deal with next, so I'll be sticking around the first half for a bit," Mio explained.
Hearing this, Doflamingo laughed again through the Den Den Mushi. "Fufufu. I'm really curious about the deal you mentioned."
"Then stay curious. I'll reach out again after I leave Enies Lobby. You can send the intel then. Within a year, I expect your goods won't disappoint me," Mio said in a low, meaningful tone.
At this moment, Doflamingo, currently on the Grand Line, smiled as he listened. "Don't worry. I won't let you down. Just make sure you deliver on what you promised when the time comes."
"Heh." Mio chuckled. "It's not ready yet. Even with Vegapunk's skills, it'll take time to develop. But you'll get it—once it's perfected."
"Good. Then I can rest easy. Fufufufu."
Mio was just about to hang up the call when he paused and spoke again.
"By the way—"
"Something else?"
"Do you know anything about the Operation Fruit?"
Doflamingo suddenly went silent.
After a long moment, he spoke slowly. "Yeah. I know it. A Devil Fruit with forbidden powers… What? Are you interested in that fruit now?"