The jailers saw the prisoners starting to escape and immediately raised their rifles to give chase. But when they charged ahead and saw Jiang Lin standing there, the entire group instinctively stumbled back a few steps.
"D-Don't… don't panic! Attack! Attack!"
They glanced at Blackbeard, who was writhing in agony at Jiang Lin's feet, then, suppressing their fear, they steadied their weapons and aimed at Jiang Lin.
"Dark Acupoint!"
Thick black mist erupted from Jiang Lin's body, rapidly spreading toward the jailers.
"Boss!"
From a distance, the Blackbeard Pirates watched in alarm as Blackbeard's body was gradually swallowed by darkness. Their faces were filled with panic, but the oppressive black haze crushed whatever urge they felt to rush in and save him.
The jailers of Impel Down, however, were in even worse straits than Blackbeard. They had no Darkness-Dark Fruit. All they could do against the consuming mist was struggle in vain, powerless to resist.
"Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!"
Screams echoed through Level 4 of Impel Down as the darkness closed in, swallowing up the jailers one after another.
"Venom Demon: Jigoku no Shinpan!"
Just as the jailers were about to be completely consumed, a massive purple dragon of poison surged from the distance, charging straight toward Jiang Lin.
"Ice-Ice Fruit (Poison-Poison Fruit, Glint-Glint Fruit augmentation) loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."
Faced with the venomous dragon, Jiang Lin swiftly switched his Devil Fruit card.
Splatter! Splatter!
A surge of deadly poison erupted across Jiang Lin's body, splashing over Blackbeard as well, drenching him in a torrent of venom.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Having barely survived the torment of darkness, Blackbeard had no chance to recover before the venom engulfed him. The intense, searing pain made him roll and thrash madly on the ground.
"Hah… hah… hah… Saved! I thought we were finished just now!"
As Blackbeard writhed in agony, Jiang Lin switched fruit abilities, allowing many jailers nearly consumed by the darkness to survive.
Ragged breaths filled Level 4, bringing back a trace of life to the floor.
On opposite sides of the corridor, Jiang Lin and Magellan locked eyes. The tension between them erupted like gunpowder ready to ignite.
"Magellan!"
"D!"
Their voices rang out one after the other. Between them, the surviving jailers hesitantly inched forward. When they realized Jiang Lin had no intention of attacking them, they all broke into a desperate frenzy, sprinting madly toward the passage that led to Level 3.
"You're not one of Impel Down's prisoners. Step aside, and I'll let you walk free!"
Magellan's cold gaze fixed on Jiang Lin. His top priority was chasing the escaped prisoners, so avoiding a fight with Jiang Lin would be the best outcome.
"Right now… who lets who go isn't for you to decide!"
A freezing chill erupted beneath Jiang Lin's feet, instantly icing over the entire corridor.
In the blink of an eye, Blackbeard, the jailers, and even the Blackbeard Pirates watching from afar were frozen beneath the spreading frost.
"D!"
Magellan roared and launched his attack without hesitation. Deadly venom pooled above his head, forming into a colossal, purple-red giant that swung down its massive hand toward Jiang Lin.
This was Magellan's second battle with Jiang Lin. Their first clash had ended in his crushing defeat. And now, the outcome of this second confrontation had perhaps already been decided the moment they crossed blows.
From that day on, Impel Down's Level 4 could no longer be called the "Burning Hell." The entire floor was encased in ice, and the prison's mightiest warrior and highest authority—the Chief Warden, Magellan—was sealed inside a massive sphere of ice, frozen like a statue
On Level 2 of Impel Down, Jiang Lin slid along a frozen path, appearing at the rear of the main escape group. Ahead of him, Buggy and Luffy had already regrouped and were heading the charge toward the passage to Level 1.
"Move it! Gum-Gum… Rocket!"
Luffy blasted away a group of Marines with both fists, then charged through Level 1's passage with the others, heading straight for the gate at the top.
At the entrance, the prisoners, their eyes brimming with tears, threw themselves together against the great gate, pushing with all their might.
As the gates slowly opened, rays of sunlight spilled through, shining on their faces—light they had not seen within Impel Down. It was like a beacon of hope, warming and uniting every heart.
Beyond that gate lay the freedom of the sea.
When the gates finally creaked open, the prisoners surged forward with excitement—only to see nothing but the vast, empty ocean. No Marine battleship remained outside; the fleet encircled Impel Down had completely withdrawn.
"So this… is hopeless freedom?"
The convicts stared at the endless sea, breathing in the fresh air of freedom. Their hearts should have been soaring with joy, yet instead they were crushed by despair, their faces heavy with disappointment.
Without ships, they couldn't leave Impel Down. And without escape, their so-called breakout was doomed to failure. In the end, they would simply be recaptured by the Marines and thrown back into the prison.
"There's no hope left!"
They pounded their chests and wailed at the sea, their despair plain for all to see.
"It's just the ocean, isn't it? Then walk across it. Can't you see those sails hidden in the mist? The Marines haven't gone far!"
Jiang Lin's calm voice came from behind. His words reignited the prisoners' spirits, and they leapt up, eager once more.
But when they truly looked out at the vast sea, they slumped back down in frustration.
"It's impossible! The waters are swarming with Sea Kings—we'll never catch up to the Marines!"
Despair spread among the convicts again. Some had already begun retreating, accepting defeat.
"Leave it to me! With me here, we'll get through!"
"Let me handle this!"
Jinbe and Jiang Lin spoke almost at the same time. Their assurance made the hopeless prisoners lift their heads again, eyes filled with renewed hope.
Jinbe immediately turned, ripped a gate panel free, and carried it to the shore.
Seeing this, Jiang Lin quietly withdrew the chill he had just unleashed.
"It won't carry everyone, but we'll use this to seize a Marine battleship. Whoever's ready for it, climb aboard!"
Jinbe leapt into the sea, the gate panel balanced above his head.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One after another, Jiang Lin, Crocodile, and Mr. 1 jumped onto the panel on Jinbe's back.
Though countless prisoners crowded the shore, only a handful dared to make such a decision without hesitation—for they all knew this mission to seize a battleship was perilous.
"Jiang Lin! I'm coming too!"
Luffy shouted, then immediately jumped after them.
Buggy, watching Luffy and the others go, snatched a Den Den Mushi from a fellow prisoner before following suit.
Before departure, Galdino and Bon Clay stepped forward from the crowd and leapt onto the panel with the others.
"So, it's just us then? Hold tight—let's go!"
With no one else daring to join, Jinbe bellowed, then surged forward, driving the makeshift raft straight toward the Marine battleships.