Chapter 101: Five Elders!

Taking advantage of Akainu being knocked away, Asa didn't stop. In a flash of lightning, he flew straight out through the gates of Impel Down.

Hovering in midair, he glanced down at the battle still raging within the prison. A sense of triumph surged through him.

Redfield, the lofty and aloof legend, had been trapped in Eternal Hell for over twenty years, unable to escape. Golden Lion Shiki broke his own legs after two years of confinement just to flee in disgrace. Yet Asa had done it in just two and a half months.

Of course, Vegapunk's assistance had played a crucial role. Without his specialized saw, Asa would likely have shared Shiki's fate.

"That's a big debt I owe."

Asa didn't like owing favors. He had even brushed off Roger's past rescue, but he couldn't ignore Vegapunk's fair offer—freedom in exchange for freedom.

"Once I form a pirate crew, I'll find a way to break Vegapunk out!"

Calming himself, Asa looked back at the chaotic battlefield of Impel Down. Without him, and with the combined efforts of Vice Admiral Akainu, Impel Down's Director, Warden Magellan, Shiryu, and others, it was only a matter of time before order was restored.

There had been hundreds of pirates involved in the uprising—but only he had successfully escaped.

"Hahahahaha! This feeling of freedom is incredible!"

Asa tilted his head up, closed his eyes, and took in the salty sea breeze with a deep breath. With his enhanced perception, he could sense every movement within dozens of kilometers…

"Pffthahahaha! Little Asa! Take a punch from me!!"

A figure dashed through the sky using Moonwalk, accompanied by booming laughter that echoed across the sea.

"Why is this crazy old mutt here..."

Asa's good mood soured the moment he saw Garp approaching. Without a word, he turned and fled.

In his current condition, he wouldn't be able to withstand even two punches from Garp. Activating his isolation stance to defend would drain too much energy, leaving him vulnerable to capture again.

Though Garp was fast, he still couldn't match Asa's lightning speed. As he chased, Garp grinned, casually picking his nose as he stepped through the air.

"As expected, just like Marshal Kong predicted—this kid escaped. The world's in trouble now!"

But Garp didn't seem to care about consequences. Even if Asa grew stronger in the future, he wouldn't worry. That was his cheerful, carefree way of life.

...

With Garp's arrival, the chaos in Impel Down was quickly subdued. Aside from the wreckage and signs of battle, there was no evidence of the prison break that had just occurred.

Blaming himself for his lax oversight, the previous Director resigned. Magellan was appointed to the role of Director, while Shiryu's mentor—the strict Warden—stepped down, handing over the position to Shiryu.

Unbeknownst to them, Shiryu had already joined Asa's pirate crew.

After the prison was secured, Garp, Tsuru, and Akainu returned to their warship and dialed Marshal Kong's Den Den Mushi.

"Bahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The snail extended its tongue a few times before successfully connecting.

"Marshal Kong, you were right to be concerned—Asa escaped!" Garp reported in his usual casual tone.

There was a long silence. The snail mimicked Kong's increasingly grim expression. After a while, Kong spoke, his voice low and furious.

"You were guarding him carefully—how did he escape? There must be a reason!"

The tension in his voice was so thick that even the air seemed to freeze. No one in the Navy dared to breathe loudly—except for the unflappable Garp and the other two.

"We asked the Director. Yesterday, Vegapunk from the Science Division was brought into the prison by CP0. Today, Asa escaped… That's likely the connection," Vice Admiral Tsuru answered calmly, taking the call.

"Vegapunk, the Chief Scientist of the Science Division?! Why didn't we receive any notice that he was heading to Impel Down?!"

Kong's voice suddenly rose. The phone snail replicated the veins bulging from his forehead.

"I'm going straight to the Five Elders for an explanation!!" he roared. A crash followed—likely the sound of his desk being smashed.

At that point, even Vice Admiral Tsuru fell silent.

Every move Vegapunk made was supposed to be under the surveillance of the World Government. Without approval from the Five Elders, he shouldn't have been able to leave the Science Division at all.

Technically, the Naval Science Division belonged to the Navy—but in truth, it was controlled entirely by the World Government.

"We have no authority in this matter… Hide the news about Asa's escape. Do not let it spread across the seas!" Kong hung up furiously.

A prison break of this magnitude would severely damage the Navy's reputation.

...

Kong immediately dialed the number of the World Government's highest authority and roared into the receiver:

"Five Elders, I demand an explanation! Do you even realize the price we paid to capture Asa?! Army General Vasquez Andri died!!"

He was practically shaking with rage, his blood pressure surging.

"We don't answer to you, Kong."

"Watch your tone! Or we'll have you removed from your position as Marshal."

"The Navy is just the face of the World Government. You don't get to question our decisions!"

The long-haired elder with the sword, the goateed elder, and the blond elder each fired off cold responses, giving Kong no face at all.

"Asa has escaped. I don't care what kind of catastrophe he causes in the future!"

With a scowl, Kong crushed the Den Den Mushi in his hand.

...

At the highest point of the Red Line, in the dreamlike city of Mariejois, inside a magnificent palace, the Five Elders sat or stood in relaxed, almost leisurely postures.

"Kong's getting bolder and more unruly."

"Can we really leave the next Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to him?"

"Once you cross the line, you start holding others' futures in your hands."

"Let's leave that discussion for now." The elder with the scimitar-shaped beard and the scars across his face suddenly turned to the tall, thin figure in the room—dressed in a white research coat.

"Vegapunk, care to explain? Why did Hippolyte D. Asa escape the day after your visit?"

Vegapunk had been standing there silently, lost in thought. Behind him were Monkey D. Dragon and Thad Nass.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to see the man who consumed the fruit of my dreams," Vegapunk answered with a serene smile.

"But the moment you saw him, he escaped!" the glasses-wearing elder with the sword narrowed his eyes at Vegapunk, as if peering straight into his soul.

A tremendous pressure descended upon the room. The invisible wind stirred Vegapunk's coat, but he remained unmoved—his expression calm and indifferent.

"Electromagnetism cannot be separated. The Lightning Fruit governs thunder and lightning—and can naturally manipulate electromagnetic forces. Tension, elasticity, friction… these are all electromagnetic interactions. An isolation stance can be developed to nullify external 'damage.' If so…"

"Why wouldn't it nullify the effects of Seastone?"

"Isolation stance? Nullifying damage?" The long-haired, goateed elder furrowed his brow.

Though they didn't fully grasp the science, the implication was clear—and disturbing.

This power would be a nightmare to counter.

(End Of Chapter)

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