Chapter 99: The New World Is Waiting for You!

Asa held his Thunder God Sword, lightning crackling in a dazzling storm that lit up his face.

"I don't know swordsmanship. I only know this—if you're struck by my Thunder God Sword, you die. Still want to try?"

His tone was calm—almost casual.

The sword, forged from concentrated lightning and maintained in a constant state of vibration, had cutting power rivaling, if not surpassing, the sharpest blades in the world.

Even a master swordsman in the iron-cutting realm might struggle to match the Thunder God Sword in pure killing power.

Shiryu didn't respond.

Instead, his answer came in the form of a blinding burst of sword energy.

Asa didn't dodge. His eyes locked onto the incoming slash, and when it entered his counterattack range, he thrust his lightning sword forward.

They say only speed cannot be broken—and Asa wielded speed like death itself. His sword technique was raw, brutal, but overwhelmingly fast.

BOOM!

Shiryu's blade and Asa's lightning sword clashed. The collision echoed like clashing steel.

To win someone over, you don't always need to defeat them—you just need to force them to use everything.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Shiryu's bloodlust surged. His sword-drawing speed increased with every swing, a second strike already mid-air before the first had landed.

Blades blurred into a net of shimmering steel and death.

Layer upon layer of sword energy carved through the air with terrifying momentum. Shiryu had the raw potential to become a Great Swordsman—perhaps even rival Hawkeye one day, if tempered by battles and challenges beyond Impel Down.

"Haaah!"

Shiryu's low growl rumbled from deep in his throat. His eyes glowed blood-red with killing intent.

The sword light poured like a torrential storm.

Zzzzzzzt!!

Asa's lightning blade surged brighter. With a sudden swing, he unleashed a crescent-shaped lightning wave that tore through Shiryu's offense in a single strike.

But Asa didn't follow up.

If he wanted Shiryu to willingly follow him, he couldn't just beat him—he had to overwhelm him.

A man who isn't convinced won't stake his life for you.

"Haaa!"

In this state, Shiryu resembled a feral beast, completely different from the cold man who had once sat quietly polishing his sword.

The cigar fell from his lips unnoticed. Blood trickled from his eyes, and the second-generation Kitetsu danced madly in his grip. Every swing tore at the air itself.

The sheer killing intent made Asa narrow his eyes in respect.

"CLANG!!!"

The ferocious clash between the cursed blade and the lightning sword echoed across Level Two.

In the distance, Jailor Beasts stirred.

The monstrous Basilisk and the man-eating lion Manticore heard the sound of battle and charged in.

Even while battling Shiryu, Asa had the presence of mind to snap his left fingers, releasing twin high-voltage bolts that pierced both monsters' skulls instantly.

BOOM!

They collapsed in silence, dead before they could roar.

These creatures had consumed countless prisoners. Most of Level Two's inmates had already resigned themselves to death, their wills long broken.

But Asa had no time to dwell. Shiryu was still attacking.

"BOOM!!!"

Another clash of blades, another burst of lightning.

No matter how frenzied Shiryu's attacks became—Asa remained unshaken.

The exchange continued for ten whole minutes.

Eventually, the roar of escaping prisoners echoed from below. Their cheers grew louder as they approached the next floor.

Shiryu finally halted his assault and slid his sword back into its sheath.

His breathing was ragged. The madness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by calm.

"Only a man like you is worth waiting for. How should I address you?" he asked with a grin, relighting a cigar as smoke veiled his face.

"HAHAHAHAHA! It's an honor to be awaited by you, Shiryu!" Asa laughed.

"You're now the First Division Commander of the Thor Pirates. Just call me Captain!"

Asa was thrilled.

He had failed to recruit Bundy Walder, which left a sour taste. But gaining Shiryu, a swordsman brimming with unrealized potential, made it more than worth it.

"Captain, if you want to escape Impel Down, I can get you a ship. But... I can't go with you yet." Shiryu looked serious.

"Oh?" Asa tilted his head. "Why not?"

"There's someone I need to kill." He flicked his cigar. "My old teacher—the current warden of Impel Down. It has to be by my hand."

Asa nodded slowly.

Everyone had secrets. Everyone needed space to fight their own demons.

He wouldn't intrude.

"No need to prepare a ship. I'll take care of that myself. You..." Asa smiled.

"I'll be waiting for you in the New World—the greatest stage in the world."

"Count on it." Shiryu nodded with steel in his eyes.

They bumped fists in silence, making a promise without words.

"I'll go ahead..."

The two parted ways at the passage connecting Level Two to Level One.

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

The ground shook violently, again and again. Dust rained from the ceiling.

"Come on!!"

"Break through—we'll be free!!"

"Kill every last Navy dog!!"

The escaped pirates roared, eyes filled with madness and rage. Their bloodlust drove the battle harder, faster.

"Attention, all criminals!" a cold voice rang through the loudspeakers.

"Lay down your weapons and return to your cells, and you may be spared."

Outside Impel Down, ten massive warships had docked under the command of Akainu Sakazuki and Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Marine soldiers poured into the prison in tight formations, armed to the teeth.

The prison was collapsing into chaos.

With criminals being freed by the hundreds, the combined strength of the director, deputy director, wardens, and jailers was no longer enough.

The fighting spread upward from the bottom levels like wildfire. On the first floor, pirates clashed with Marines in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the first floor near the sea—

Asa, fully invisible again, crouched like a bystander, chewing rapidly on food he had taken from the jailer's lounge.

The flavor of Sea King meat from the Calm Belt was vastly better than the nutrient-deprived slop of Infinite Hell.

Rich in energy. Perfect for recovering stamina and flushing out lingering toxins.

He chewed greedily.

His Haki spread like a radar net.

He sensed only Akainu, Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Director, the Chief Warden, and a few Awakened Zoan jailers. It wasn't a hopeless situation.

He could escape.

No—

He would escape.

(End Of Chapter)

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