One Piece: Lightning Heir#96: Prison Break

Arthur, having disabled the surveillance snails with his EMP, wasted no time freeing the other prisoners.

Booooooooom!

He blasted open the bald old man’s cell door, then sliced through his Seastone cuffs with a High-Frequency Lightning Blade.

The blade, formed from condensed, vibrating lightning, could cut through almost anything.

——

The escape attempt in Eternal Hell triggered immediate alarms in the control room. The monitors went blank, replaced by static. The panicked guard slammed the alarm button.

“Quickly! Inform the Warden and Head Jailer! Level 6 is experiencing a mass breakout!!!”

The prisoners in Eternal Hell were all notorious pirates. Their escape would be a major headache for the World Government.

Hearing the alarms, Deputy Warden Magellan and a taller figure, also dressed in demonic attire—The Current Warden of Impel Down—rushed towards Level Six. Following close behind wes the Head Jailer.

Shiryu, wearing a pilot’s cap, a cigar clenched between his teeth, his sword at his waist, couldn't hide the bloodlust gleaming in his eyes. An opportunity to kill, sanctioned and justified—he wouldn’t miss it.

Such an opportunity for sanctioned slaughter wasn’t something he’d miss.

“Shiryu, try to keep the body count low. We don’t want your ‘Achievements’ negated by excessive brutality,” The stern-faced Head Jailer warned.

Shiryu took a drag from his cigar, his eyes closed, a hint of bloodlust flickering beneath his eyelids. He nodded indifferently.

“It’s not enough. We can’t hold them back alone. Contact Marine Headquarters. Request backup!” Warden Ferdinand’s voice was grim.

——

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

“What?! A breakout at Impel Down? Impossible!” Kong’s furious roar echoed through Marineford.

Impel Down was an impenetrable fortress. In all its history, there had never been a successful escape. Warden Ferdinand and Head Jailer were Admiral-level. They could easily quell any uprising. And its location in the Calm Belt meant even if prisoners did escape, they’d be stranded, at the mercy of the Sea Kings.

“We can’t let Seabury D. Arthur escape!” Kong’s brow furrowed.

The Marines' Strongest forces were already deployed.

Minutes later, ten warships set sail from Marineford.

——

Arthur, having freed the old man, roared, “If you don’t want to die, start moving! Free the others! Let’s get out of here!”

If he were at full strength, he could escape alone—perhaps even disappear without a trace using his invisibility. But weakened by the poison, he needed distractions, pawns to draw the guards' attention.

“Hurry up! Move!”

He blasted open World’s cell, his hands glowing as a wave of intense heat melted the ancient ice.

“Byrnndi World! I’ve repaid my debt. Now you’re on your own!”

“Bararara! Your ‘debt’? I don’t care about debts! But you saved my life. I won’t forget that.”

World, freed from his icy prison after six years, was weak, barely able to stand. He needed time to recover.

The alarms blared, echoing through Impel Down.

Prisoners on every level, hearing the commotion, realizing a breakout was underway in Eternal Hell, crowded the cell doors, yelling and screaming, hoping for freedom.

Arthur ignored them. None of the prisoners on the upper levels posed a threat.

He knew “Heavy Drinker” Vasco Shot was also imprisoned in Impel Down, but he wasn’t interested in rescuing him.

“World, once you’ve recovered, bring down that lift. Buy us some time.” Arthur's instructions were calm and precise. Better to expend someone else’s energy than his own.

“Got it.” World nodded, impressed by Arthur’s leadership. He was ready to follow Arthur’s orders. He, too, saw the young pirate as their only hope of escape.

Before his capture, anyone who spoke to him like that would have been on the receiving end of his amplified cannon fire.

But after six years of imprisonment—his ambition crushed, his spirit broken—even if he escaped, he no longer dreamed of conquering the Grand Line. Only revenge against the World Government mattered.

"More More — Tenfold Cannon!"

Grabbing a piece of scrap metal—he’d ripped from his cell door—World aimed at the lift high above and fired his first shot in six years.

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The projectile—its size and speed amplified tenfold—struck the wall near the lift, creating a massive hole, the force of the impact shaking the entire level.

“Good job, World!” Arthur praised him, genuinely impressed.

The More More Fruit's amplification ability was powerful. Even his own Super Electromagnetic Railgun, without sufficient track length for acceleration, couldn't match its destructive force.

The prisoners of Eternal Hell gathered around Arthur, ready to follow his lead. He was their liberator, a familiar face in this hellhole, his power—both his Rumble-Rumble Fruit and his Conqueror’s Haki—a beacon of hope.

“Everyone ready? Let’s break out of this so-called impenetrable fortress and give the Marines and the World Government a taste of their own medicine!”

Arthur, flanked by World, led the charge up the stairs to Level 5.

“YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

The prisoners roared their approval, a frenzied mob surging upwards.

Arthur smirked inwardly. These fools would be perfect shields, drawing the guards' attention while he made his escape. Once he reached Level 1, he’d be free.

Byrnndi World, sensing Arthur's plan, stayed close behind him.