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It's quite a twist of fate that when the Navy issued the Buster Call and sent Garp and Sengoku to capture Barrett, it coincided precisely with the time Golden Lion was planning to cut off his own legs and escape.
One had just been imprisoned, full of resentment and hatred, while the other was biding his time, waiting for the right moment.
Although the two had a brief period when they were both in the sixth level of Impel Down, they didn't have the opportunity to interact as they did now. If they had crossed paths before, it was fleeting, with neither paying much attention to the other.
But now, things were different. Barrett had already become accustomed to prison life and could even focus on developing his abilities with the Gasha Gasha no Mi. The tightly restrained Golden Lion had no plans to attempt another escape anytime soon, knowing how difficult it would be.
"How does it feel, old man, to breathe the fresh air outside?"
Sitting in a dark corner, Barrett smirked arrogantly.
He still vividly remembered the scene of Golden Lion cutting off his own legs and causing a riot in Impel Down. Even he, known as the "Demon Heir," had to admit the man's decisiveness and courage.
"Jihahahaha, the world now is entirely different from before." Golden Lion laughed heartily.
Compared to the other major criminals in Level 6, he had a clear impression of Barrett.
After all, this was the same monster rookie who, at fifteen, had fought Silvers Rayleigh to a draw!
"Hey, old guy, who threw you back in here? Garp? Or Sengoku?" Barrett dropped his smile, asking seriously.
"Those two old fools? Not a chance," Golden Lion replied dismissively, waving his hand with disdain.
His words might have seemed boastful, but as a veteran of the old era, he still wanted to outshine Garp and Sengoku, even with a few arrogant remarks.
In truth, two or three decades ago, he had the ability to back up such claims, having stormed Marineford alone and caused chaos.
Although the result hadn't been as impressive...
"Hm?" Barrett raised an eyebrow.
To be honest, Golden Lion had left a stronger impression on him than even the world's strongest man, Whitebeard.
All thanks to the Battle of Edd War back in the day.
Seeing the confusion on Barrett's face, Golden Lion adjusted his position and lay down on the cold prison floor.
— To prevent a repeat of past incidents, Magellan had confiscated the Sakura Ten and Kogarashi that he had attached to his legs.
Feeling more comfortable, Golden Lion looked up at the dark ceiling and said casually, "A young upstart named Zyhark."
He was sincere in his defeat to Zyhark, and thus, had no reason to hide anything, speaking openly.
"A wicked rookie who even dared to kill a Celestial Dragon? It seems the outside world is truly exciting right now!"
Barrett crossed his massive arms over his chest, the movement causing the Sea Prism Stone chains to clink.
Even in the pitch-black depths of Level 6, some information still trickled through.
Not to mention the transvestites hidden on Level 5.5, even Warden Magellan occasionally threw newspapers their way.
This was one of the reasons Golden Lion willingly returned to this place.
He wanted to become the "King of Reading Newspapers" of the old era, witnessing the dawn of a new era!
With that, their conversation fell into a brief silence.
Clank, clank.
Golden Lion, who had closed his eyes to rest, heard the sound of chains scraping against the floor. He moved a bit closer.
"Old man, I've got a pretty good escape plan. Interested?"
Barrett lowered his voice, infusing it with mystery and a hard-to-resist allure.
Hearing this, the previously relaxed Golden Lion sat up sharply, his aged eyes fixed on the towering figure in the darkness.
Even though he acted indifferent about being imprisoned again and could learn about the outside world through newspapers...
Nothing beats stirring up trouble yourself!
The moment he heard the word "escape," Golden Lion felt his blood boiling with excitement.
But soon, his gaze dimmed again, and he let out a deep sigh.
"It's no use. This place is known as the impenetrable Impel Down…"
After his last riot in Impel Down, becoming the first person in history to escape, Golden Lion could clearly tell that the prison's defenses had been greatly strengthened, with unseen gaps patched.
The difficulty of escaping had multiplied compared to before.
Not to mention, he was now a primary focus for both the warden and the guards, making it impossible to replicate his previous escape!
"Normally, there'd be no chance, but now things are different."
Barrett seemed to enjoy seeing the shock on the old pirate's face, lowering his voice even more.
"According to recent news, ten days from now, the Celestial Dragons will hold their triennial massacre in the East Blue, with apparently quite substantial prizes."
A simple sentence made Golden Lion's eyes widen in disbelief.
As a pirate who had participated in the God Valley incident, he knew all too well about the Celestial Dragons' inhumane atrocities.
At that time, both Mary Geoise and Marineford would be on the highest alert, prepared for any unexpected events.
With the navy's focus shifted, Impel Down would find it hard to get timely support!
More importantly…
Golden Lion's breathing quickened.
If Barrett in Level 6 could get such information, there was no way Whitebeard, Big Mom, and others outside wouldn't have heard anything.
In other words, this massacre could turn into a chaotic battle among various powerful factions, much like the God Valley incident over twenty years ago!
He couldn't believe that profit-driven pirates would sit still after getting such solid intel!
If the Four Emperors or even the Shichibukai showed up, Marineford would be thrown into chaos.
Then, relying solely on Impel Down's defenses, a successful breakout might really be possible!
"So that's how it is, what a fantastic surprise!" Golden Lion burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Shut it, old man! Stop shouting!" Barrett snapped.
For a moment, he even regretted approaching such a reckless fool!
"Ahem, so what's the plan? With so many eyes on me right now, I'm not exactly in a position to act."
Golden Lion glanced at the surveillance Den Den Mushi set in the corner, realizing his daily bouts of stupidity.
"No need for you to do anything, just cooperate a little when the time comes." Barrett plopped down on the floor.
"No problem."
Golden Lion, being someone who didn't like overthinking things, didn't press for more details.
He didn't even ask how Barrett, despite the increased secrecy following the God Valley incident, had managed to get hold of such classified information.
A battle involving the era's top powerhouses…
Jihahahaha! This is truly something to look forward to!
...
Ten Thousand Meters High in the Sky, Angel Island.
Zyhark, Aqua, and their companions gathered together, curiously examining the golden weapon that Escanor was swinging around, creating gusts of wind.
Forging a weapon that combined the hardness of gold with the memory properties of Wapol metal posed no challenge for Meowth.
Within just half a day, he had transformed the weapon schematic Zyhark had given him into reality.
It was a uniquely designed, extremely heavy one-handed axe, with a bright golden surface that reflected the light in a way that befitted the Sun's grace.
The striking edge was made of Wapol metal, its sharp blade exuding a chilling glint, giving it a fearsome aura just at a glance!
"Haha, a fine weapon. Thank you, Mr. Meowth."
As if naturally suited to him, Escanor was quite pleased with the battle axe, almost unable to put it down.
"Hmph, for me, this was no big deal, meow!" Meowth said, puffing out his chest proudly.
"If it's a weapon, it should have a strong name."
Aqua's eyes twinkled with excitement as she suggested, "How about 'Advance! The Will of the Axis'?"
"I think 'Invincible God Axe Chop Chop Chop' sounds more powerful, meow," Meowth chimed in.
Even the usually silent King unexpectedly suggested, "Hm, 'Sunshine's Ultimate Radiant Dance' doesn't sound too bad."
"How about the 'Axe that Defeats Hades!'" Kanna raised her little hand high.
Listening to his companions' suggestions, Escanor felt a headache coming on.
None of these were good, were they?!
As the newest member, he was getting his first real insight into Aqua and the others.
With no other choice, he looked to Zyhark for help.
"Don't worry, Escanor, you'll get used to it."
Zyhark sympathetically patted Escanor's shoulder.
"If you ask me, something like 'Chunchunmaru' has a nice ring to it."
Escanor, who should have been proudly basking in the afternoon sun: "..."
Seeing Escanor's look of despair, Zyhark suddenly burst into laughter.
His companions, seeing this, laughed heartily as well.
It's worth noting that Aqua laughed the loudest, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"All right, all right, let's stop joking."
Zyhark was the first to calm down, then he spoke earnestly, "For a name, let's keep it simple—how about Rita?"
The Sacred Axe Rita was, in fact, the divine weapon Escanor wielded in the original Seven Deadly Sins, known for its ability to store excess heat.
"Huh? What kind of lousy name is that? 'Advance! The Will of the Axis' is much better!" Aqua complained.
Unexpectedly, Escanor, who had been silent, smiled. "Rita, huh? That's actually a pretty nice name."
Gently swinging the golden axe, he seemed to embrace this oddly familiar name.
"Eh?! Escanor, you actually like that name?!" The clumsy goddess looked incredulous.
Regardless, the weapon's name was thus decided.
However, the current Rita only had its durability and sturdiness in line with its appearance; it did not possess the ability to absorb and store heat.
On this point, Meowth shrugged, saying he couldn't achieve that.
Creating weapons that could absorb electrical currents above 100,000 volts was easy for him, even with his eyes closed.
But heat, especially the intense temperatures Escanor could emit at noon, was beyond his current understanding.
It just wasn't his field of expertise.
In theory, achieving this capability wasn't impossible, but it would require a complete redesign of Rita, adding numerous devices and components, greatly altering the battle axe's appearance.
Although Escanor didn't have strong opinions on this, as long as it didn't affect the crew on the ship, Zyhark still vetoed the idea.
As someone who had seen Escanor wield the sacred axe in epic battles, he wanted Rita to maintain its most authentic, perfect form.
Of course, it wasn't that he had an obsessive-compulsive disorder about its appearance over functionality.
The primary reason for his decision was that he planned to address this need alongside another planned initiative!
The next major goal was undoubtedly obtaining the complete red Poneglyphs, finding Laugh Tale, and claiming the One Piece, which would, in turn, gain them new, powerful allies and abilities.
In other words, the enemies they would face from now on would mostly be on the level of the Four Emperors and Admirals!
By then, life would no longer be as leisurely and relaxed as it was now.
So, Zyhark planned to take care of less crucial matters before diving into the Four Emperors' struggle.
And that particular matter was the condition he had previously mentioned to the Gorosei at Mary Geoise: meeting Vegapunk!
As the top scientist in the world of One Piece, Vegapunk should be able to add heat-absorbing properties to Rita without altering its appearance!
This perfect opportunity, where everything aligned, shouldn't be missed!
After a brief explanation to his companions, Zyhark, who had just returned to Angel Island, set sail again with Meowth, heading towards Mary Geoise.
Since this time they would be dealing with the incredibly troublesome Gorosei Saturn, he dared not bring the ever-troublesome Aqua along.
Risking an unintentional leak of their secrets in front of Saturn was far more dangerous than letting Aqua cause trouble on Angel Island!
At worst, they'd just have to go through the hassle of flooding the island again.
With the bounty from capturing the Golden Lion's pirate crew, they could easily afford to pay for any damages!
After the battle with the Golden Lion, Zyhark had gained a clearer understanding of his own strength.
The thought of meeting the Gorosei again now filled him with much more confidence.
As for why Meowth was brought along, the reason was simple: to gain more advanced, comprehensive scientific knowledge from Vegapunk.
After all, the worlds of One Piece and Pokémon differed significantly in many aspects, including some of the most basic physical principles!
What slightly surprised Zyhark was that when he used the Den Den Mushi to inform the Gorosei of his request to meet Vegapunk, they agreed very readily, directly providing Vegapunk's current location.
—A secluded island near the Red Line in the New World.
Coincidentally, Saturn, the Gorosei who needed to be present for any such meeting, happened to be on that island!
So, without needing to stop at Mary Geoise, the Endless Dream adjusted its course and sped towards its new destination.
(End of Chapter)