77: Vivian

As both sides realized that Magellan, the Chief Warden of Impel Down, had arrived, the battle in the corridors surrounding Level 3: Starvation Hell became even more intense.

The prisoners, desperate to escape, fought with reckless abandon. If some had previously hesitated to risk their lives for freedom, now they had no choice—if they didn't fight, they would die.

Despite the prison guards' desperate resistance, even Vice Warden Hannyabal personally stepping into battle couldn't stop the crazed assault of the escaping prisoners.

Before long, the criminals from Level 4: Blazing Hell poured into Level 3, while on the other side, the Revolutionary Army, led by Luffy and Sabo, broke through the final defenses and stormed into Level 3 from Level 2.

The decisive blow that shattered the guards' last defensive line came from Morley, the commander of the Revolutionary Army's Western Forces!

The first giant to ever escape from Impel Down, Morley used his Devil Fruit abilities to suddenly appear behind the guards' defenses, launching a pincer attack that completely crushed Impel Down's last line of defense.

With no other options, Hannyabal was forced to retreat with the surviving guards, barely holding onto the outer areas of Level 3, desperately waiting for Magellan and reinforcements to arrive.

Given the distance between Impel Down and Marine Headquarters, the Navy's main fleet could reach the prison in no more than a day.

However, what Hannyabal didn't know was that when the Revolutionary Army made their move, Dragon himself had personally struck down the patrolling Navy warships in record time.

Being a former Marine, Dragon knew their tactics inside and out. He didn't even give the patrol fleet a chance to send out a distress signal before wiping them out.

Meanwhile, inside Impel Down, the elusive Newkama had swiftly cut off all internal communication lines, and even the Den Den Mushi were jammed by horned Den Den Mushi, preventing any calls for help from reaching Marine Headquarters.

---

"Ace! I'm here to save you!"

Luffy was about to dash toward the Level 4 entrance when he was suddenly yanked back by Ivankov, who had just arrived.

"You idiot! You can't go down there—Magellan is coming up soon! …Wait, who the hell is this kid?"

Ivankov turned his gaze to Sabo, puzzled. As far as he knew, the only people in Impel Down right now were either prison guards, criminals, or members of the Revolutionary Army.

But this reckless-looking kid didn't fit any of those categories.

"He's Luffy, my little brother… and Dragon's son."

Sabo grinned as he held down Luffy's hat, keeping the reckless idiot from charging ahead.

Though Sabo had never personally witnessed Magellan's strength, he knew enough about Ivankov's power.

Even this veteran Revolutionary didn't dare to fight Magellan head-on. It wasn't hard to imagine that Luffy stood no chance against that monster.

Sabo believed in Luffy's potential, but that didn't mean he would blindly let him charge into battles he had no business fighting yet.

"Oh? I didn't know you had a little brother… and he's also Dragon's so— WAIT, DRAGON'S SON?!"

Ivankov's jaw nearly hit the floor as he jumped three feet into the air, staring at Luffy in absolute shock.

He simply couldn't imagine a man like Dragon getting married and having children.

But standing right in front of him was a full-grown Luffy, proving that it really happened.

---

Meanwhile, outside Impel Down, a badly damaged Marine warship was sailing toward the prison.

"What the hell is going on? Where's the patrol fleet?! Those bastards actually dared to slack off in a place this important?!"

Vice Admiral Strawberry cursed angrily. Under normal circumstances, they should have encountered at least three patrol ships by now.

But with Impel Down's silhouette already in sight, there wasn't a single patrol ship in the area.

"Vice Admiral Strawberry! We can't contact Impel Down either!"

A Marine officer rushed over in a panic.

Their mission was to escort Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, to Level 6: Eternal Hell.

Even in Impel Down, a prisoner of Jinbe's caliber had to be handled with extreme caution.

Yet, no matter how many times they tried to call, Impel Down wasn't responding—as if the entire prison had suddenly gone silent.

"What the hell are those idiots doing?! Once we return to Marine Headquarters, I'm reporting every last one of them to Fleet Admiral Sengoku for their incompetence!"

Strawberry let out a muffled grunt. He had once served under Kizaru, but ultimately became a staunch follower of Akainu instead.

The reason was simple—Strawberry's personality was almost a carbon copy of Akainu's. He never cared whether his actions offended others. Of course, Kizaru didn't care either, but the problem was that Kizaru was too laid-back. Even if he knew someone had made a mistake, as long as it wasn't too excessive, he wouldn't bother to intervene.

"After we deliver Jinbe to Impel Down, assemble the shipwrights as soon as possible to repair the hull and deck. If we hurry, we might still make it in time for Fire Fist Ace's execution."

Strawberry instructed his vice-admiral.

His beloved flagship had almost been torn apart by Kizaru and Jinbe's battle. Fortunately, the Navy's technology was among the best, and this level of damage could be fully repaired in less than two days.

"Yes, sir!"

The vice-admiral responded without hesitation. To serve under Vice Admiral Strawberry, one's personality had to be somewhat similar to his.

However, at the thought of a potential battle against the Whitebeard Pirates, even the vice-admiral felt a surge of excitement.

"Vice Admiral Strawberry! We've spotted floating debris—possibly from a Marine warship—up ahead!"

At that moment, a Marine lookout sounded the alarm.

Strawberry, who had keen eyesight, quickly saw a broken section of a ship's railing floating on the water's surface.

"Stay on high alert!"

Strawberry frowned. The defensive forces at Impel Down were stronger than most Marine bases. Under normal circumstances, no pirate would dare attack a Navy warship in this area.

However, to be safe, he ordered all hands to remain vigilant.

Luckily, aside from that one piece of railing, no other unusual debris was found.

"Maybe it just fell into the sea by accident."

The vice-admiral rubbed his chin thoughtfully. This kind of thing wasn't uncommon at sea.

After all, Marine warships endured constant exposure to wind, sun, and saltwater, making the wood prone to decay.

Without proper maintenance, even a brand-new ship could suffer random structural failures. Losing a piece of railing mid-sailing wasn't particularly strange.

"Maybe."

Strawberry nodded slightly, accepting the explanation.

Still, his dissatisfaction with Impel Down's stationed Marines grew stronger. He was already considering how to report their incompetence to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

They couldn't keep letting these slackers run wild—this was Impel Down, the Great Undersea Prison. If something went wrong, the consequences could be irreversible.

---

But then—

When Impel Down's outer walls came into view, revealing a massive breach, Strawberry immediately realized something was very wrong.

"Damn it! Enemy attack! Impel Down is under siege! Send an urgent report to Marine Headquarters, NOW!"

Vice Admiral Strawberry was furious.

Even during Golden Lion Shiki's legendary escape, it was just one man slipping out.

If Impel Down were to fall completely, the worst criminals in the world would be unleashed upon the seas—the consequences would be catastrophic.

"Sir! We can't contact headquarters! The enemy is using large horned Den Den Mushi to jam our signals!"

The vice-admiral reported in panic.

Just who were these attackers?!

Even Golden Lion Shiki, who had once raided Marine Headquarters, had to cut off his own legs just to escape Impel Down.

The comparison might not be entirely fair, but it was enough to illustrate how terrifying Impel Down's defenses were supposed to be.

Yet now—Impel Down had been breached.

Not only was this an organized, premeditated attack, but the assailants' strength was off the charts.

For Impel Down's defenses to fail so completely, just how terrifying were these enemies?

---

"Hmph! Land the ship! Prepare for battle!"

Strawberry let out a cold snort.

He knew the enemy was incredibly dangerous, but as a Marine, his duty to justice wouldn't allow him to retreat!

His vice-admiral hesitated, wanting to advise caution, but he didn't know what to say.

In the end, he just gritted his teeth and ordered a Marine to stay behind, desperately trying to use a Den Den Mushi to contact Marine Headquarters.

---

At that very moment, Marine Headquarters was completely unaware of Impel Down's crisis.

Meanwhile, Kizaru had just arrived back at Marineford with Nami.

The port was packed with freshly arrived elite Marines from various bases.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku's plan was to assemble 100,000 elite Marines—not just to overwhelm the Whitebeard Pirates with superior numbers, but also to send a message to the world.

He wanted to remind all pirates of the Navy's absolute might.

"Whoa… I've never seen Marineford this crowded before!"

Nami couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

Even counting the Navy families who lived in Marineford, the total population of the island was only around forty to fifty thousand.

"Hmm, even more Marines will arrive over the next two days. By the time of the execution, we'll have one hundred thousand Marines gathered here."

Kizaru remarked casually.

Marineford didn't have the capacity to house that many people, so most of the incoming forces were stationed at nearby Marine bases or aboard warships. They would only arrive two days before the execution.

"One hundred thousand?!"

Nami's eyes widened in disbelief. She could hardly imagine such a grand spectacle.

"Well, the World Government approved a special budget for this execution, so Fleet Admiral Sengoku is more than happy to make a big show of it."

Kizaru chuckled.

As someone who had come up through the ranks alongside Sengoku, he knew him all too well.

Sengoku might appear calm and composed, but his philosophy was one of absolute authority and justice.

In some ways, he was even more hardline than Akainu. If necessary, he would stand up to the Gorosei (Five Elders), even at the cost of his position as fleet admiral.

Suddenly—

"Look over there!"

"Whoa, they're huge!"

"G-G-GIANTS?!"

A wave of commotion spread through the port as countless eyes turned toward the sea.

A fleet of extra-large Marine warships was approaching the harbor, but what truly caught everyone's attention was the towering figures seated on their decks.

Marine Vice Admirals—of the Giant race.

Each one stood at an average height of nearly twenty meters, making them as imposing as mountains, even while seated.

Those born and raised in Marineford had seen giant Marines before—some had even served under them in battle.

However, for the many branch Marines, giants were the stuff of legend.

Seeing so many massive figures in person, even those who had been nervous about facing the Whitebeard Pirates felt a surprising sense of relief.

That was the power of sheer size—it created both pressure and security.

Even though Kizaru could easily take down a giant with one hand, for ordinary Marines and pirates, the psychological impact of a Giant Vice Admiral was far greater than that of a logia admiral.

"Ugh… those big guys are here too, huh?"

Kizaru scratched his head, already thinking about making a quiet escape with Nami.

Unfortunately, at three meters tall, he was already too conspicuous in a crowd of regular Marines.

An eagle-eyed giant spotted him almost immediately.

"Hey-yo!"

A female giant, with golden shoulder-length hair, suddenly leaped off a warship, covering a distance of over a hundred meters before crashing down onto Marineford's dock.

Her warship nearly capsized from the force of her takeoff, its bow dipping two-thirds underwater before stabilizing.

"RUN!"

Sensing trouble, Kizaru attempted to slip into the crowd, but it was too late—the female Giant Vice Admiral closed the distance in just two strides and blocked his escape.

"Hahaha! Long time no see, Boss Borsalino!"

The giantess wore a pink dress shirt with a striped tie, her style casual yet oddly confident.

Her curvaceous figure was exactly what Kizaru would normally appreciate—if not for the fact that she was twenty meters tall.

No matter how confident he was in his "small Borsalino", there were some gaps even he couldn't overcome. (A/N: LOL)

"Remember your rank, Vivian! Call me 'Admiral'!"

Kizaru groaned in frustration.

Who would've thought that the once-naive "little girl" he recruited would turn into this rowdy giant troublemaker?

—-—

Decades ago, in an effort to recruit Giant warriors and strengthen ties with Elbaf, the Navy had enlisted several Giant Marines through Carmel's connections.

These giants were placed under willing Vice Admirals from Marineford.

At the time, a newly promoted Kizaru had picked out a seemingly clueless giant girl, not caring much about her combat abilities—as long as she looked good on his ship.

But to his misfortune, in just a few years, Vivian had fully assimilated into his crew's corrupt habits.

Of course, Kizaru would never admit that he played any part in her development.

°°°

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