"Fleet Admiral William—"
At Marine Headquarters in Marineford, within the imposing and majestic upper offices, the Fleet Admiral's aide-de-camp rushed in, sweating profusely.
"What is it?"
Hammons William, who was diligently reviewing documents, coughed lightly.
In recent days, every time his aide entered in such a flustered state, it never boded well.
"Just now, the personnel monitoring the vivre cards reported that the vivre cards of 'Blood Prison' Tonis Ian, 'Sharktooth' Golna Buck, and 'Ironclad' Adrian—all three of Impel Down's commanders—have turned to ash..."
"Additionally, we've completely lost contact with Impel Down!"
"What!?"
Hammons William's face changed drastically as he shot to his feet.
Both shock and rage flickered across his expression.
"Damn it… What about the naval forces stationed around the prison?"
The thought was almost too much to bear.
The supposedly impenetrable Impel Down—the world's most secure underwater prison—had been attacked. Worse still, all three of its formidable leaders, whose combined strength rivaled that of Marine Admirals, had been slain.
From start to finish, Marine Headquarters had received no warnings or indications of trouble.
The thought of thousands of dangerous, heinous criminals—many with immense power—potentially escaping into the world sent a chill down his spine.
Even as Fleet Admiral, Hammons William found himself breaking into a cold sweat.
"We are trying to re-establish contact as we speak," the aide stammered, his face pale.
"I came directly to inform you as soon as I received the report."
"Brrrr… Brrrr…"
The Den Den Mushi on the desk began to ring.
"This is Hammons William speaking," he answered, his eyelid twitching as he picked up the receiver without hesitation.
"Fleet Admiral William, this is Vice Admiral Nexsun. I am stationed at Impel Down's perimeter—we've come under attack! Something major has happened in the prison!"
"I just received the report. What's the situation? What happened?"
William quickly pressed for details.
"Who is audacious enough to attack Impel Down?"
"It's the Fallen Angel Pirates! One of them is a giant who can… harvest souls from others—"
Before Vice Admiral Nexsun could finish his sentence, a chilling voice cut through in the background.
"Life… or Death?"
"Damn it, no… Aaaaargh—!"
The communication abruptly ended.
"Damn it!!!"
William's face turned ashen with fury, veins bulging on his forehead.
His entire body trembled as he bellowed:
"It's them again—the Fallen Angel Pirates! That Lunarian brat, El—can't he stay out of trouble for once!?"
"Summon Kong and Admiral Ross immediately!"
Due to the depletion of Marine resources and the frequency of emergencies, two retired Admirals had been forced to return to active duty.
However, Kong, a veteran Admiral, had only recently recovered from severe injuries.
Though fit enough to fight, his actual combat strength remained uncertain.
"Brrrr… Brrrr…"
Just as the new orders were being relayed, another call came in.
Hammons William answered, but before he could speak, the furious voices of the Five Elders exploded through the Den Den Mushi.
"Hammons William! How are you managing this disgraceful Marine force!?"
"How could Impel Down—the world's most secure underwater prison—be infiltrated under your watch?"
"The Navy is one of the World Government's three pillars, and yet both Marineford and Impel Down have been attacked consecutively! Are we to expect that the Holy Land of Mary Geoise will be next!?"
The Five Elders' rage was palpable.
They could hardly believe that Impel Down—a fortress renowned for holding countless dangerous criminals—had been breached.
If the likes of Fallen Angel El managed to release these criminals, or worse, recruit them, the consequences would be catastrophic.
While most wouldn't have the strength or charisma to control such vile and unruly prisoners, El's terrifying power and cunning made the possibility all too real.
The enemy had clearly planned this meticulously, step by step.
Even without freeing all the prisoners, it was obvious they would recruit a few of the stronger ones.
"I sincerely apologize, esteemed Elders… This was my oversight."
Hammons William dared not argue with the Five Elders. Bowing his head, he continued, "However, the immediate priority is to dispatch reinforcements to Impel Down."
"The prison holds far too many dangerous criminals. It must not fall."
"Given the Navy's current situation, which you are well aware of, we require the World Government's support to proceed cautiously."
At this point, William looked visibly troubled. His expression turned grave, laden with apprehension.
"The power of Fallen Angel El is too great. The skies are essentially his domain… If we act recklessly, our fleets could be ambushed at sea. Worse yet, Impel Down may already have fallen. Without opening the Gates of Justice, our ships cannot even reach the prison."
"Even if we rely on Moonwalk or Vice Admiral Bays, who can fly, to bypass the Gates, they are likely to be intercepted."
When Admiral Kong regained consciousness, he had provided a comprehensive report on the battle. It left even William, the Fleet Admiral, unsettled.
El was an unprecedented monster—his strength surpassing even Kong's, who had mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion and ranked among the strongest Admirals in Marine history.
Adding to his terror, El's ability to fly, enhanced by his Mythical Zoan Quetzalcoatl form and Lunarian racial traits, made him blindingly fast and nearly invincible.
Even if surrounded, El could escape with ease. Not even the full might of the World Government could guarantee his capture unless a significant vulnerability was exploited.
"Kong is still recovering, and Admirals Ross and the others are past their prime. Any misstep could lead to devastating losses."
"I'm especially concerned that El might release the most dangerous criminals from Impel Down's Level 6 Eternal Hell to aid him against the World Government and Navy."
"We also cannot discount the possibility of a direct attack on Marineford itself. We must leave forces to defend it."
Hammons William, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, was visibly stressed. He felt as though he was navigating a minefield.
The Navy was in an unprecedentedly weakened state. One Admiral position was vacant, and the so-called "Pegasus Admiral" stationed at Mary Geoise was utterly unreliable—likely incapable of even defeating "Vampire" Charlotte Linlin, one of El's subordinates.
Moreover, Admiral Kong was still recovering from severe injuries.
Recent pirate activity had further strained resources. Sengoku and Garp, who were at odds due to the situation with Tsuru, had been dispatched to quell pirate uprisings.
And now, at the worst possible moment, the Fallen Angel Pirates had attacked Impel Down.
The prison housed countless dangerous criminals, and the Navy could not ignore the threat.
But with the Fallen Angel Pirates being so formidable, and with the possibility of them releasing powerful prisoners, the Navy's usual advantage of heavily armed warships was rendered moot.
In the open sea, El—blessed with extraordinary flight speed, invulnerability, and immense strength—could render even the mightiest fleet useless.
Without a strong enough countermeasure, these warships were little more than defenseless targets in his presence.
Given the risk posed by El's overwhelming power, the Navy had no choice but to proceed with extreme caution.
Only by deploying its top forces at their peak could they have a chance of prevailing.
Thus, William had no choice but to appeal to the World Government for reinforcements.
"Damn it—"
"Fallen Angel El…"
"That lunatic won't stop!"
Atop the Red Line, in the resplendent and opulent Pangaea Castle, within the Chamber of Authority, the Five Elders sat grim-faced. Their expressions were dark with fury.
Saint Mars, his tone icy, spoke into the Den Den Mushi:
"We will immediately order the Holy Knights and CP0 to mobilize. They will depart without delay. Your Navy must set out at once as well!"
"Capture them at all costs. And the prisoners in Impel Down must remain secured!"
"Understood."
~~~
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