Chapter 100: Red Dog

After eating and drinking his fill, Asa patted the black-and-white striped prison uniform on his body and slowly stood up. He couldn't wait to leave this wretched place.

He turned casually to glance behind him and spotted Bundy Walder—one of his horns broken—still on this floor. Holding him down was the massive Director of Impel Down, clad in devil-like attire.

The area where the two had fiercely battled was already reduced to rubble, and no one dared approach within dozens of meters.

"He truly deserves to be called one of the overlords of the sea," Asa sneered. "Even after being frozen for six years without fully recovering, he can still temporarily match a Marine Admiral in strength."

Wald was barely holding on now. His stamina was nearly depleted—it was only a matter of time before he was subdued again.

Refusing Asa's invitation had clearly been the worst decision of his life.

...

"Pirates! Drop your weapons and return to your cells! You might still have a chance to live!" the approaching marines roared, their expressions grim.

But their threats were meaningless. These imprisoned pirates had long gone mad. Anyone daring to break out of prison no longer feared death.

"Akainu and Vice Admiral Tsuru?" Asa muttered, stalling for time as he digested his meal.

He needed to recover his strength in one go to make a successful escape. If he failed to do so and stumbled mid-effort, he would be stuck in this hellhole for the rest of his life.

But no matter how quiet Asa tried to be, his presence was blindingly conspicuous—impossible to ignore.

"Great Eruption!!"

A volcanic explosion erupted, raising the temperature dramatically as hot magma incinerated the pirates rushing at Akainu.

Screams rang out continuously. Several were melted on the spot, leaving no bones behind.

"Hippolyte D. Asa! Capture him without mercy! You can't escape!!"

Having cleared a wave of pirates, Akainu turned toward the entrance between the first and second floors. His eyes were cold, and the murderous aura he had been suppressing began to rise.

"So, it's Vice Admiral Sakazuki? You dare try to stop me?" Asa smirked. Knowing he could no longer hide, he gave up pretending and walked forward slowly.

"'Capture without mercy'—is that the only line you Marines know when dealing with pirates?"

"I know you're arrogant," Akainu growled, "but do you really think that defeating Borsalino means you can take me on?"

He wore a crimson coat, a Marine cap atop his head, a longsword strapped to his back, and a single rose blooming from his exposed left chest. A tattoo sprawled down his arm. His expression darkened, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

"Asa, if you escape, it'll be catastrophic for the Marines…" the thin Vice Admiral Tsuru said as she slowly approached through the pirate crowd.

Through his Seastone-empowered Observation Haki, Asa confirmed that only two high-ranking Marine officers had come to intercept him. They were the only ones capable of limiting his speed—nothing he couldn't handle.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru... just the two of you aren't enough!!"

"You won't know that until we fight!"

"Hellhound!!"

Akainu's rage exploded. His left arm turned entirely into lava, transforming into a giant molten dog lunging straight at Asa.

"Magma doesn't work on me!!" Asa laughed madly.

"Zzzzztttt!!"

"Fifty Million Volts: Thunder Beast!!"

Asa's left fist suddenly crackled with lightning. A ferocious thunder beast roared from his hand, colliding head-on with Akainu's attack.

Boom!!

The two forces clashed in mid-air, canceling each other out with a violent explosion that sent shockwaves across the battlefield, flattening both pirates and Marines alike.

Bundy Walder, still restrained by the Impel Down Director, turned his head toward Asa amidst the chaos.

"He's that strong?" he muttered in disbelief—tinged with regret.

If he'd just agreed to join Asa earlier, they could have escaped together before even thinking about betrayal. Now it was too late.

"How dare you lose focus while fighting me?" the enraged Director of Impel Down roared. His attacks intensified.

Caught off guard, Walder was slammed to the ground and immediately cuffed with Seastone shackles.

...

"Dog Bites Red Lotus!!"

Akainu roared. His molten arm morphed into a hellhound, its bloody jaws wide open as it lunged at Asa.

Magma splashed in every direction, melting the floor and leaving deep holes in its wake. Any Marines too close were instantly incinerated.

The air shimmered in the oppressive heat. Given time, the entire first level would turn into a blazing hellscape, much like the fourth floor.

Once Akainu entered combat mode, he cared nothing for collateral damage. So long as he could capture his target, casualties—even among his own—meant nothing.

This was the logic of the "Ends Justify the Means." So long as the final result protected the greater population, Akainu would sacrifice anyone necessary.

The innocent lives lost along the way were, in his view, sacrifices made for the greater good. That, perhaps, was his version of justice.

Such "absolute justice" was unacceptable to many in the Navy. Only radicals like Vice Admiral Onigumo and Vice Admiral Doberman fully supported him.

Extremist ideology is often rooted in life experience.

"One Hundred Million Volts: Brontosaurus!!"

A deafening roar thundered across the battlefield. Lightning surged from Asa's arm, forming the head of a thunder dragon. Its roar echoed alongside the crackling of the storm.

"ROAAAAAR—"

Boom!!!

This time, Akainu had no intention of dodging. The molten dog clashed with the blue thunder dragon mid-air.

Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit, not yet developed to its peak potential, couldn't withstand the full brunt of Asa's Lightning-Lighting Fruit. The magma attack shattered mid-air.

Having destroyed the Red Lotus Hound, Asa wasted no time. He turned and charged at the gate leading deeper into Impel Down.

His body wrapped in lightning, he reached the door in a blink and struck it with all his might. Another bolt surged toward Akainu.

At that moment, the often-overlooked Vice Admiral Tsuru launched a rare offensive. She closed the distance in an instant, striking with hardened fingers. Her thin frame belied terrifying strength.

Asa's powerful body, coated in lightning, was still vulnerable to such a piercing strike unless he activated his energy-intensive barrier stance.

Feeling the pressure of her sudden attack, the ever-smiling Asa frowned for the first time. His physical strength, weakened by lingering toxins, hadn't fully recovered. Without clearing the toxins, he wasn't at peak condition.

If he took this strike head-on, he would surely be wounded.

Electric snakes danced around his body as he vanished, dodging Vice Admiral Tsuru's deadly finger strike and continuing his assault on Akainu.

The top priority was still to escape Impel Down. He couldn't risk waiting to see who might show up next.

Gradually increasing the current flowing through him, Asa pushed his speed to the limit. In a flash, he was in front of Akainu, launching a furious barrage. The thunder roared with every punch!

Boom!!

The near-solid lightning clashed violently with molten lava. Though Akainu had braced for impact, he couldn't withstand the devastating power behind Asa's lightning-speed strike. His body was blasted backward instantly.

(End Of Chapter)

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