A violent, fierce pressure ripped through the air, like the end of the world erupting. Power pressed down on everything around, declaring its supreme dominance.
"Rumble, rumble, rumble…"
The wild aura forced all living beings to bow under its weight.
"Is there really a level of Conqueror's Haki like this?"
Admiral Aokiji spun toward the Bridge of Hesitation, his body instantly freezing into a bone-chilling block of ice, struggling against the might of that awful Conqueror's Haki. Cracks spanned through the air, thin at first, then widening with ominous creaks—until, after what felt like an eternity, the Haki receded slowly, leaving eerie fractures suspended in the sky, healing only grudgingly.
On Enies Lobby, Aokiji's body thawed, but his face remained ashen, eyes wide with disbelief as he stared upward at the torn sky. In a low, trembling voice he muttered, "Shirogai... what exactly are you? Where did you come from?"
Around him, every single Marine soldier collapsed—unconscious, struck motionless by the overwhelming Haki. Even the Marine warships gathered nearby were rendered inert; their Vice-Admirals and crews fallen, all communication with Marineford cut.
Transponder Snails all showed blank screens or garbled signals. The contact officer barked commands into the loudspeaker, fear in his voice: "What happened? Anyone respond?" Only silence answered.
"Damn it! All four warships have lost contact!"
Panic spread. "Keep trying!" someone screamed.
But the dread in the air was clear. If a Buster Call failed to unleash its bombardment because the artillery never fired—if such a failure became known… marine prestige would suffer irreparable damage.
---
Deep beneath the waves, in the underwater prison Impel Down, chaos erupted simultaneously.
A silent, invisible force surged through the prison — an echo of the same terrifying aura that had struck Enies Lobby. Sea Kings roaming the seas above scattered in terror, crashing into the prison walls, sending powerful waves of seawater rocking the fortress.
Inside, pandemonium broke out. Jailers cried out as prisoners gasped in horror, clutching at their chests. Dizziness, suffocating pressure, wild vertigo — many collapsed, overwhelmed by fear and pain. Some jailers muttered that surely the Warden's poison must have leaked, maybe a filthy side effect of his toxic waste mismanagement. In their panic they even blamed each other. A ringing Transponder Snail crackled to life, voices shrieking: "It's the Jailer Beasts! They're rampaging!" and then nothing but static.
Vice-Warden Hannyabal leapt up triumphantly, raising his trident and shouting, "If this is the Warden's fault, then I'll take his place!" His boast sparked cold stares from fellow jailers: "Better hide your true thoughts, Vice-Warden!" he gasped, realizing his slip.
---
On Level Six of Impel Down, the strongest and most dangerous inmates awoke from dormancy.
A gaunt figure locked in a large cage sat upright, eyes wide as he whispered in disbelief, "That much Haki…"
A burly, muscular prisoner roared, pounding his chest. "Who the hell can unleash that kind of power? Come out and fight me!"
In a darker corner, a man's blood-red eyes glowed as he whispered to himself, "What a terrifying aura..."
Other powerful convicts—some monstrous, others cunning—stirred, their instincts awakened by the surge of power. Some trembled. Others growled. A few smirked in excitement.
In one cell, a man with a massive hook for a left hand rose slowly, his eyes cold as a crocodile's. He muttered hoarsely, "Null… What are you causing now?" He straightened and called out to the others: "You idiots, join our Vespera! Let's overthrow this rotten World Government!"
But the response was scorn.
"You must be joking, calling us idiots and expecting loyalty," one snarled. "Overthrow the Government, my ass. Not a chance."
"Did you all feel that Haki just now?" Crocodile's voice cut through the darkness. "What if the one who released it is the one asking?"
After harsh silence, a few voices — rare among hardened criminals — spoke up.
"What's the name of that group?" one asked.
"Who wields that Haki? Tell us his name."
"You think we'll follow you? Overthrow the world with you and a bunch of nobodies?" another scoffed.
Silence returned.
From the shadows a deep voice rattled chains. "Former Warden guard Shiryu," it drawled sarcastically, "still trying to inspire hope among the hopeless?"
Shiryu, dressed in a dilapidated Warden uniform, sneered back: "We're all prisoners here. Doesn't matter what we were."
Nearby, a hulking figure did slow one-finger push-ups, then rose. His voice was calm but heavy with threat: "You dare speak of overthrowing the World Government? In here, strength decides everything."
Suddenly a muscular giant emerged at the cell bars, his eyes "demon-like," sweeping across the prisoners. "Not bad. You've got some aura," he called to Shiryu.
The other inmates cowered, fear etched on their faces.
Shiryu sneered, not backing down. "If you want my head, fine. You can try."
The giant threw back his head and laughed, golden curls dancing.
"You say your Vespera wants to topple this rotten world? I say your ambition is laughable," snarled another, scars twisting on his face. "This world won't fall with brute force. And you… you're not even close to strong enough."
A convict grunted in defiance, "Strong companions? Here? Hah, the only mighty one here is me."
The entire cell level fell silent. The dream of overthrowing the World Government by a ragtag group of prisoners seemed more a fantasy than a plan.
Then Crocodile smiled — a cold, knowing grin. He turned to the hulking giant and snarled, "Wait until you face him. Then tell me how confident you are."
He looked back toward the prison bars as he hissed, "You may be strong, but that man… he's a monster."
---