On another warship.
"Kill him."
Looking at Hei Yan who was using Moon Step in the sky, the CP member issued the command directly.
In the next moment, a barrage of Tempest Kicks shot upward, dense and ferocious.
Yet, Hei Yan's expression did not change. Calmly, he pushed up the black-rimmed glasses on his nose. Behind him, eight scale-like appendages extended swiftly, coated in Armament Haki. They moved in a blur, slicing through the incoming attacks like blades through paper.
With a heavy bang, Hei Yan landed on the deck of the warship.
He didn't attack immediately. Instead, he pulled out a pen and a small notebook from his pocket.
Looking up at the CP agents surrounding him, he spoke lightly. "Come on."
Puff.
The moment his words ended, a scale moved.
At a speed faster than sight, the scale stabbed directly through the heart of a CP member. Blood splattered across the deck.
"Kill!!"
The remaining CP agents, trained killers all, didn't even flinch. They simply roared and charged toward Hei Yan in unison.
"Finger Gun, Fire!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One CP agent stabbed his finger toward Hei Yan's forehead. The speed and force of the move made it feel like a bullet.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Four of Hei Yan's scales moved in sync, forming a shield in front of him. They blocked every Finger Gun strike with ease. Another scale countered, stabbing through the attacking agent's abdomen and flinging him to the side.
Then, with another swift movement, a scale pulled away a CP member attacking from behind, wrapping around him tightly. A second scale stabbed through the man's throat.
Ten minutes later.
The deck was awash in blood.
The scent of iron filled the air, thick and heavy.
Hei Yan glanced around. No survivors.
He crouched beside a corpse, rummaged through its pockets, and found a handful of scattered Berries. After pocketing the money, he calmly scribbled into his notebook.
"10,400 Berries."
He moved to another body.
"8,700 Berries."
"32,700 Berries."
Several minutes passed as he went through each corpse one by one.
Only after writing the final number did Hei Yan use Moon Step to lift off into the sky once more. The eight glowing scales behind him extended and grouped together, glowing with Armament Haki.
Then they dropped down.
The immense force struck the warship's midsection.
With a thunderous boom, the warship split in half and began to sink.
Back on the Black Glory, Hei Yan approached Mio on the deck. He pulled out stacks of cash and coins from the various pockets of his clothing and laid them before his captain.
"Master, a total of 438,030 Berries," Hei Yan said plainly.
"…"
Mio scratched his head, mouth twitching slightly as he looked at the scattered pile of money.
"…Well done."
Hei Yan gave a silent nod, stepped back from Mio, put away his notebook and pen, then moved to a corner of the ship where he stood silently, arms folded across his chest.
Several warships had been utterly destroyed in mere moments.
But Mio's expression remained unchanged. For him and his crew, the number of warships didn't matter. What mattered was whether anyone powerful was aboard.
Shaking his head slightly, Mio looked to the sea and called out, "Hanba, head seven o'clock."
Their next destination was a remote island—an uninhabited island and the meeting point for their deal with Vegapunk.
The distance wasn't far. Mio and Vegapunk had agreed that if Mio escaped Impel Down, he would almost certainly emerge near Enies Lobby.
"Hanba knows," the ship spirit's voice echoed from the sea.
The Black Glory accelerated, speeding swiftly toward its destination.
Time passed.
By the next morning…
Across certain parts of the Grand Line, the weather was pleasant.
But around the world, people were in a state of utter shock.
Newspapers flew across the seas, carried by seagulls, spreading sensational news across every corner of the globe.
"Are you kidding me? More criminals escaped from Impel Down—and not just one?!"
"Damn it! Is the Navy slacking off? I pay my taxes every year, and this is what I get?"
"Last time it was the Flying Pirate, Golden Lion, who broke out. Now it's even worse. Several criminals just as dangerous have escaped—Devil's Heir Bullett from Roger's crew, and even the Red Earl himself!"
"The Red Earl defeated former Fleet Admiral Kong! That guy's a real monster!"
People everywhere discussed the headlines, their voices full of fear and awe.
In a sea area within the first half of the Grand Line…
STRONG WORLD.
The current stronghold of the Golden Lion.
Within a castle, the Golden Lion bit down on a cigar and stood on his two famous blades—Sakura Ten and Kiku.
A newspaper was in his hand.
After reading the contents, he threw back his head and laughed wildly.
"Gyahahahaha! So, some old ghosts finally crawled out of that hellhole? Even the Red Earl! Looks like the sea is about to get fun again… but unfortunately, I won't be joining you. Not yet."
He stepped outside, looking down at his flying base, his eyes flashing with anticipation.
"When I finish what I started, we'll meet again…"
He muttered softly, then turned his attention back to the newspaper.
A certain image in the center caught his eye—a photo taken inside Impel Down.
Mio was in the center, clad in a prison uniform, flanked by the notorious monsters of Level Six.
Long black hair. Slender build. A faint, almost defiant smile on his lips.
The caption beneath read:
[The main culprit behind the Impel Down prison break—Captain of the Black Crow Pirates, Kurokawa Mio!]
"Hah… Finally, an interesting newcomer on the sea…"
With a smirk, the Golden Lion flicked the newspaper into the wind and let it fly away.
East Blue – Loguetown.
A green-haired boy clutched the newspaper with trembling hands, eyes wide with admiration.
"This is insane! He escaped from Impel Down—and not just that, he's the main culprit? As expected of Lord Mio! So damn cool!!"
He immediately began cutting out Mio's picture from the article. "This one's a keeper. I'm framing it!"
Grand Line – First Half.
On a certain pirate ship…
Bellamy looked down at the newspaper in his hand, his expression serious.
"…I knew it."
He scoffed, tossing the paper aside.
"Someone strong enough to beat me could never stay locked in Impel Down forever."
He stared at the endless sea ahead, clenching his fists.
"When I meet you again, Mio… I'll defeat you."
Alabasta – Royal Castle.
In his private study, King Cobra sat quietly, reading the newspaper. His brows furrowed with deep concern.
"This man… he's becoming more terrifying by the day. To escape from Impel Down and lead the breakout? He's already more dangerous than the Golden Lion ever was."
Sigh.
"I just hope… he doesn't bring trouble to Alabasta."