Here is the fourteenth chapter in this story released in accordance with my upload schedule for this story. Level 4 is now in the rear window and so it is onto Level 3 as the second breakout wave continues its path through Impel Down in their pursuit of freedom. There are a few more allies to get of course and so it's time to sort that out on Level 3 and possibly gain a new recruit or two depending on who's incarcerated there. Who will be freed in the latest level to be cleared and who will be left? Well it's time to find out as the second wave reaches Level 3. That is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and while there are no questions that can be answered there is a guest review that needs a response so I will do that now. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate.
To KGBeastboy (guest), thank you for your review and ideas they are certainly interesting. In terms of the Agrippa family, that does work well for them and adds more to MADS as well as tying into other things so if it comes up and firs I'll work it in. The poisons and toxin research is a good avenue for them for various reasons what with Ceasar and Magellan's Devil Fruits as well as something else that will be revealed in time and can help explain a lot. Certainly, Gordon would be too young to remember but with his appearance and the similarity to his parents he'd be recognized should he run into any of the others. Right now, though, the only one I am certain he will run into is Queen. Whole Cake is being skipped for other original arcs as there is no need for any new characters there so he'd not meet Judge while Stussy is out with Weevil and their going after the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates so again out of the picture. Vegapunk is dependent on how his arc goes in the anime as the Black Bulls won't be in Egghead, they'll be dealing with their own issue at the same time which with the current situation in Egghead really works well, so that meeting is unclear. As for Ceasar, while Dressrosa will have the most new characters present with at least 4 from 4 of the 5 new crews, not every crewmember will be present in that arc and I'm still unsure with Gordon. That and Ceasar's role there is rather limited and away from the action and the Black Bulls won't be part of the Alliance during the exchange. As for Impel Down, as it's not just Doflamingo who will be sent there following the restoration of the Great Prison there will be a few glimpses of it what with at least 2, maybe up to 11 being sent there during the time skip arcs with the 2 that are for certain going there being guaranteed Level 6 inmates so there will be plenty of time to see new characters there. In terms of the new guards, Briareos and Gyges both work really well and I should have thought of them before as they are canon prison guards from one of the added series but the focus was on the escape so having them come in as new guards helps correct that and actually works well for other plans as we're not fully done with Impel Down, just a long ways off the next major moment there. With Midnight, while she'd work really well as a guard because of her naturally sadistic nature and her Devil Fruit which will replicate her Quirk though I'm not sure of its name yet so Odor-Odor is on the table, I feel like making her a Chief Guard is a bit of a waste for her character. She'd be great at the role and non-fatal suppression would become the norm in Impel Down with her power but she'd be better in the marines or elsewhere. That and I already have an idea for her that will become apparent in the time skip but overall this might work so I will think on it. Finally Shishikura, I do recall his father's status and death in MHA but had forgotten it in preparing for this so thank you for reminding me as I can now adapt my plans accordingly. Yes, his father will be one of the dead guards, in fact I'll even let y'all know when his body appears as it will appear in this breakout, but as my plans for Shishikura involve something else he can't be a guard, rather he will be where he is because he wanted to be a guard in Impel Down and a good one which is why he ate his Devil Fruit, which is already decided and a bit different to what you suggested though still based off his Quirk but you'll see it in time, but his path was shaped by his father's death and that's why he's where he is. Thanks for the ideas, they've helped a lot and do keep reading and enjoying my work.
Anyway, that is enough for this long pre-chapter note so sit back and enjoy the fourteenth chapter in The Ultimate Worst Generation.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these great franchises.
Chapter 14: Starvation Breakout
Before the other escapees, well other than Muscular and Moonfish who were already on the higher levels, left the Burning Heat Hell, Mimic was well on his way through the stairs to the Starvation Hell. The moment the boss had given him the orders and let him go he'd merged with the floor and swiftly moved through it much faster than he could run thanks to his Devil Fruit power. Also, after months of toil in this blazing hell, Mimic knew Level 4 like the back of his hand so he quickly moved through the level until he passed beneath the feet of the waiting escapees and into the stairs that led up to the third level.
Mimic stayed as close to the surface of the stairs as he moved through the stone so that he could see where he was going as he ascended eager to fulfil his orders and show that the Yakuza were back. As such he moved as fast as he could focusing on the general aspect of his Merge-Merge Fruit rather than how it could be used in combat.
That was because frankly it wasn't very useful in combat. Yes, Mimic could control what he merged with and use it to attack in odd ways that were unexpected as no one expects something like hard stone to move like that, but he had a limited surface area that he could affect that was less than the size of the cell that he'd been held in.
It wasn't like the morse substance specific Wood-Wood or Stone-Stone Fruits where you could basically control all of your element that was in contact with you and had a large area that you could affect, but the tradeoff was that Mimic wasn't limited to a single substance. So long as the material was inorganic he could merge and control it, well other than sea prism stone of course. It also meant that he could move through any building or terrain faster and more efficiently than he could while on his feet hence why he was tasked with going first.
As such he was already on the Level 3 and moving through the floor of it as he searched the part of it that was occupied by cells for his comrades before the others had even left Level 4. Even with the heat baking the ground from Level 4, Mimic was unimpeded as he searched and scouted Level 3.
It was as he moved through the Starvation Hell that he noted the sheer amount of damage to the floor with large chunks of debris from multiple sources strewn everywhere, a collapsed bridge that had had something heavy thrown into it, a lot of poison all over the place, an unconscious or dead sphinx, and worst of all the stairs up to Level 2 had been collapsed by someone. That wouldn't be an issue though, they had a few Devil Fruit powers that could compensate for that, and besides there were two holes in the ceiling they could use as well.
Everything that he saw was noted as Mimic he moved through Level 3 and to the cells as fast as he could as finding his fellow Yakuza was more important at the moment. As such he focused on that and checked all the cells he came to, looking in on the starved, sunken, and dying men that called this shithole home.
Most didn't concern Mimic given his focus though some might be subordinates of the boss's new allies but that was for them to sort out not him, he had his own allies to find. It took him a few minutes but finally Mimic found the first one in a cell of 10 men all groaning as they sat in the shade the cell provided, not that it did much to mitigate the heat on Level 3 though to Mimic it was nothing after his time on the floor below.
The man he found was as gaunt as the rest but instantly recognizable to Mimic even without the masks that the senior members of the Hassaikai Pirates had favored. He had short, light colored, hair with a few strands hanging over his forehead and a simple pair of glasses on his face.
"Shin." Mimic said loudly, his voice echoing from a hole he made in the wall so that he could talk but with the heat and starvation the men didn't really respond to it other than Shin who blinked at the sound and looked over to see the hole. "Good, you're still with us."
"Mimic?" Shin said the nature of where the voice was coming from tipping off who it was rather than the voice itself. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be locked up like us?"
"I was but now we're busting you out and restoring the Yakuza to glory!" Mimic said as he took control of the wall and opened a hole in it for the men in the cell to step out before he pulled himself from the wall, the prisoners finally realizing that something big was going on though they were still lethargic. "Come on let me get those cuffs off you. Where are the others? Are they on this level as well?"
"Only Deidoro was sent here with me." Shin said as he groaned and got up his state clearly not the best, but Mimic knew how to motivate the man as he placed his hand on the wall and merged it into stone so that he could used his power to shape a few keys out of it. "The others were either locked up above or below depending on their bounty and the threat they posed. No one is more trusted by the young master than I am but my bounty before it was frozen wasn't enough to send me to his side in Level 5. You and Chrono had higher bounties and Kendo was more dangerous given what he did before the boss found him so you lot were below me."
"Yeah, I was the level below with Kendo while Chrono was on Level 5, but the boss was on Level 6 where those who are so bad their crimes have to be forgotten are sent." Mimic said as he unlocked Shin's manacles while avoiding touching them and stepping back as they clattered to the ground while Shin blinked at the revelation of a 6th level. "He was busted out by one of the senior Elf Pirates and is on his way. Go to the stairs down to the Level 4 and wait for him and the other escapees. We've got about 100 with us now and we're all getting out of here."
"I see, yes, the young master needs me." Shin said and he began to move towards the hole in the wall. "I don't know where they're holding Deidoro but he's here for sure as we were brought down together."
"I'll find him don't worry." Mimic said as Shin left through the hole and began to make his way through the seemingly deserted floor and towards the stairs down as the other escapees rushed up them and Mimic turned to 9 others in the cell who were all now staring at him. "Well boys, today is your lucky day. Swear fealty to the Yakuza and the boss, Overhaul, and I'll bust you out of here."
"Sure." One said. "Didn't think we'd ever walk out alive so if you can get us out then we're with you for life."
"Better to die out of the cell than in it." Another added. "You can count on us to swear fealty for this."
"Besides we've heard of that Warlord." A third said. "Didn't realize he was here but we know his reputation, it's a no brainer to sign up with him."
"Well with new blood we will get revenge on the Might Pirates and bring the Yakuza back to glory!" Mimic said the zeal filling his voice as tossed two of the keys he'd made at the prisoners though they just bounced off the chest of one of them and fell to the ground. "Free yourselves and follow Shin, I'm going to get my comrade."
Mimic didn't stay to hear what happened next as he merged back with the ground and began to search Level 4 once more this time looking for Deidoro. Thankfully, it didn't take too long and only a few cells later he found the other member of the 8 Bullets who'd been sent down to this level and the third of the 8 that would be freed.
This time, though, the cell only had 7 people in it as 3 had died, their bodies left to wither away in the cell but their corpses were paid no heed as the men sat and groaned on the ground. One of those men was a skinny, boney, man who'd lost what muscle he seemed to have before Impel Down with long, greasy black hair that fell to past his shoulders and deep-set eyes that were even deeper set than they had been before he was locked up. There was no doubt who he was and as soon as Mimic saw him, he called out as he opened up a hole in the wall.
"Deidoro, there you are, let's get out of here." Mimic said as the hole finished forming. "It's time to return to glory!"
"Huh, who's talking?" Deidoro asked as he looked up to the sound of Mimic's voice and Mimic realized that for the first time since they'd met that the man was both sober and lacking in energy showing how hard it had been for him in Impel Down. "And why is there a hole in the wall?"
"It's me, Mimic." Mimic said as he emerged from the wall. "Who else do you know that can merge with and then manipulate inorganic objects?"
"No clue, there are many Devil Fruits out there so I'm sure that some can do that." Deidoro said as he held up his sea prison stone manacles, the only set in the room. "See, I have these on as well because I ate a Devil Fruit as well, not that it's useful at the moment."
"Yeah, I know about your Devil Fruit and you're going to have to let some guy copy it as payment but come one let's get out of here." Mimic said as he made a few more keys out of the wall. "Once we're free we can find you some booze and get you back to normal."
"Ah that would be nice, I hate being sober." Deidoro said as he rose. "Alright, free me and let's get to the boss."
"He's on his way, this breakout started because of another one that allowed for it so we're following in its wake, allowing them to take care of any threats, and we're getting our men as we go." Mimic said as he moved over to Deidoro and carefully unlocked the manacles just as he'd done with Shin. "Keep that power of yours off though, we need our balance while we escape."
"I see, that's fine with me." Deidoro said as he began to move towards the hole. "Besides, I'm better when I'm drunk. Where to?"
"The exit to Level 4 as they're coming up so best to reunite with the boss right away, I just came on ahead because of my power." Mimic said. "Go, I'll deal with the others here."
Deidoro just nodded at that as he walked out a little unsteady but that was due to hunger and the heat not intoxication. As for the others, Mimic turned to them and made the same pitch that he'd made to the men in Shin's cell. Naturally, they accepted and so he personally freed them with his power by merging his hand with the normal iron chains and breaking them apart before he merged with the ground and hurried off leaving the newly freed prisoners to make their way to the others on their own.
After all, he had to be there to greet the boss with Shin and Deidoro once Overhaul reached Level 3 and show his skills. They'd gotten their men on this floor but there were still more people to free and in a moment they would as Mimic made his way back to emerge moments before the trailing group made it to Level 3.
While Mimic was freeing Deidoro and Shin, the bulk of the second wave which included the ringleaders of it were nearing moving up the long spiral staircase to Level 3 and putting the Blazing Heat Hell behind them once and for all. This would mark the halfway point, at least for those who'd started on Level 6 though it was still halfway in general, and so far, things were going well. This would continue thanks to the first escape wave, Muscular, and Moonfish so they didn't need to worry about resistance as they neared the top and could feel the return of the heat though it wasn't as bad as it had been on Level 4.
"All right, keep moving on once we get to Level 3." Jose called out. "There's might be issues or lingering resistance but just power on to the stairs to Level 2. Those who need to get people be quick about it."
"That would be me." Patry said simply as they neared the open entrance to Level 3. "Three of my officers are here though they will be in multiple locations as one of the two female officers I had and who were arrested is on this level according to the prisoner manifest."
"I'll get her." Rhya said. "You get Rades and Valtos. The manifest said that they are in the same cell so nice and convenient for us."
"I'll go with Rhya as well." Nagant said. "I saw a name I recognized here and want to confirm because if so, she's been on this level for 20 years. That's some serious commitment to not dying so worth recruiting in my book."
"It says something at least." Robyn noted from next to Nagant. "I presume you want me and Dazu to accompany you as well."
"Yeah, I will need you to ascertain that she is truthful when I make her an offer to join my crew and Dazu needs to be around anyway." Nagant said as they reached the open door to Level 3. "So, the moment we can we're going to go to where they house the women that were sent to Level 3. It's a bit different here, the cells should be in one location, so they just put the women in a high cell tower on the edge of the area and away from the men."
"Makes sense." Robyn said as the second wave burst onto third level. "Lead the way then Captain, you clearly know the layout of this place."
Nagant was going to say roughly as she'd done a few jobs here so had had to learn the general layout of Impel Down but she didn't have time to do so as she and the other leaders and their officers came to a halt the moment that they were a few yards into the desert like level. Well other than Kendo as he just charged on with the normal inmates but that was to be expected so they all just let the other inmates rush forwards as they paused and Nagant got a good view as to why they'd come to a halt.
That was because standing several feet in front of the door was a man who only Kai and Chrono recognized while two more men slowly made their way towards them in the distance. The mass didn't stop though and just ran past the angry looking blond man and moved on where they'd sweep up those Mimic freed excluding Deidoro and Shin, but the senior figures did stop to let the wave of prisoners pass them.
"How many were here?" Kai asked indicating to Nagant that the blond man was from Level 4 and a member of the Hassaikai which meant he had to be Mimic if her memory served, which he was and the other ringleaders were making the same deductions about the man. "I don't recall our bounties so I can't really guess who would have been sent to Level 3."
"Two, Deidoro and Shin, but that's it." Mimic said jerking his thumb over his shoulder as the other two who were nearing them and starting to pick up the pace now that they could see that Kai was there. "The others should be on the second level though some might be on Level 1."
"They're split between the two levels." Chrono said having pulled out a prisoner manifest the moment that Kai had asked how many were on Level 3 and properly looking at the first two levels. "Two more on Level 2, the last remaining Devil Fruit user and Rikiya, while the last 3 are on Level 1."
"Understood." Kai said taking in all the information from Mimic and Chrono though he kept his eyes on the former as he continued. "Anything else to note about this level?"
"Yeah, there's a shit ton of poison on this level but it's almost all by the exit up along with several craters and an empty patch were someone was clearly hit." Mimic said. "Given the patch and the hole in the ceiling above it I'd say that it was someone large as well. From the looks of it Magellan had a fight with someone here from that earlier wave and won before moving up. Not sure what happened to the guy he beat though. Clearly it was a delaying tactic as the whole stairs are destroyed as well. It's just rubble and poison in the stairwell. Oh and there's a second hole in the ceiling as well but that's further into the desert."
"What could do that?" Patry asked. "The stairs I mean. The rest can be explained by many things."
"A Devil Fruit, that's the only thing that could destroy a stairwell in this place." Kai said simply. "Not even the strength of a giant or a fish-man could manage that. Which Devil Fruit I can't say but there are some that could manage it, mine could for example. Getting up won't be an issue, I can make stairs from the walls that will hold us, but we need to clear that poison. Mimic, go and get started there while we come over."
"I'll send aid too." Jose said as he created several phantoms from his palms and sent them flying through the air towards the exit to Level 2, they were in this together so mutual aid was necessary. "My phantoms won't be affected by the poison and can get to work as well."
Kai nodded at that as Mimic sank into the ground and vanished to do as he was ordered. As he did Shin and Deidoro finally reached them.
"Young master, we're here." Shin said. "What are your orders?"
"Did you bring booze?" Deidoro asked.
"Let Rhya tough your skin and then join me in busting out." Kai said as Rhya stepped forward at the mention of his name. "We've got to keep moving but it's good to have you with us."
The two bullets nodded, and Rhya quickly touched them to copy their Devil Fruit Powers. The one with the Confess-Confess Fruit would be useful, there was always a good market for intel and Rhya's Observation Haki could only tell if someone was lying not force them to reveal information, while the Slosh-Slosh Fruit would have tactical uses if deployed correctly. It didn't really matter to Rhya though; he'd gained several good new powers already and that Dark-Dark bastard who was likely dead by now was the true prize of this breakout for him.
"I'm good, let's go." Rhya said.
"Split and meet at the exit as usual." Patry said and with that the leaders of the second wave moved out. "It will be a bit trickier getting up compared to the last few levels it seems."
No one responded to Patry as they quickly split up with Jose, William, Kai, and those under them moving to the exit, or in Gueldre's case still being carried along in a tree root, while the others moved deeper into the cell complex. It wasn't until they reached the stairs in the heart of the cells that they split up with Rhya and the girls going up them and Patry and Vetto heading off down a side passage to one of the ground levels cells where they expected to find Rades and Valtos.
"Get Sally." Patry said as Rhya headed up the stairs.
Patry didn't hear the affirmative as Rhya was already up the stairs, but he knew that Rhya would do his job and left it to him as he and Vetto hurried along past cells with starving prisoners, corpses, and bones slowly turning to dust in them until they finally reached the right one according to the manifest. It was a corner cell that got the light in the front and as such the inmates inside, a total of 8, were huddled at the back and sitting on the ground against the far wall to keep in the shade. Even with the shade though Patry and Vetto could make out their two underlings.
Rades and Valtos were sitting together at the back knees to their chests and looking thing and starving, which for Valtos who had been skinny man before he came to Impel Down was saying something. Both were easy to distinguish as Rades had long, shaggy, light purple hair, a rough scar on his right cheek and the sclera of his left eye was blood red while Valtos had light gray hair that fell to his jaw, a pointed chin and two vertical lines with diamonds tattooed on his face that bisected his black sclera eyes, the diamonds being two above and three below his eyes.
As with everyone in Impel Down, they pair were shackled at the wrists though Rades's were a different color as he was a Devil Fruit user, so he had sea prism stone cuffs while Valtos wasn't a Devil Fruit user so his were normal. It wasn't exactly good to see them, Patry didn't care for humans other than William, but they were his followers and right now he needed their strength to get out of here and their skills rebuild the crew so that they could decide their next step now that Patry's original goals had been thwarted.
"Rades, Valtos, it's time to go." Patry said as he created a sword of light and cut the bars away with a flourish causing them to clatter loudly to the ground. "We're busting out of here and reforming the crew."
"Master Patry?" Valtos, who was one of the most devoted followers, asked surprised as he looked up at the sound of the man he considered his savior. "You're here for a sinner like me again?"
"Of course, I always look out for my friends." Patry said with a smile as he held out his hand. "Return to my crew you two, we've spent too much time here."
"Oh, it's you." Rades said his voice still grating, he was loyal, but he had several issues and a habit of holding grudges though for the most part said grudges were for good reason. "Well, I take it wherever you ended up they couldn't hold you."
"I have Rhya to thank for that, and he has Straw Hat Luffy to thank, but for now let's move." Patry said as a well-aimed sword of light shot out and destroyed the right cuff on Valtos's wrist before another destroyed the other while Vetto went into the cell and began to break open the cuffs of the other prisoners with his bare hands to make it clear that they were being freed by them as well while also showing them that he and Patry were the ones in charge at the moment. "Same goes for you other oppressed souls. Join me and swear loyalty to the Elf Pirates we will make this a better world where you are free from laws that restrict you."
"Sure, why not." One of the inmates said as Valtos got up and helped Rades to his feet. "Not like we got anything better to do."
"Yeah, I expected to die here so I can live with this." Another said. "Thanks Captain."
"You gave us our freedom, we're with you for life man." A third said. "No question."
"Of course, I am happy to welcome new members." Patry said smiling at the latest crop of cannon fodder he'd recruited. "Now head to the stairs up, we're almost there."
The men nodded and moved as fast as their starved bodies could, which wasn't fast but given the situation at the exit it wasn't going anywhere so they'd make it and soon they'd pick the pace up once freedom became a real possibility. That just left Rades and Valtos with the former still in his manacles.
"I still want to get my hands on that anti-Devil Fruit brat and make him pay for the pain he caused me." Rades said as he reached Patry who produced a key and handed it to Valtos to free Rades as it would be quicker if Valtos did so. "Promise me that and I won't complain about how your plan got us in this shithole to begin with, Patry."
"I promise you that we will get vengeance on the Black Bulls as I am sure that many of us have things we want to do to them for defying me." Patry said as Rades's was freed. "So don't worry we will make sure they pay for all the pain they've caused."
"That brat will pay for what he did to my face." Rades said his hand going to the scar on his cheek. "I will make sure he's killed."
"Given his power that is for the best." Patry said. "But we can deal with them in time."
"I know that with you guiding us we will." Valtos said. "They are sinners and need to be punished for what they did to you master."
"I agree but for now let's go." Patry said as he turned to look around the cell and noted that there were two corpses in it, both near skeletal it seemed. "I take it that the state of the people here isn't good for your power Rades."
"I can get the corpses up but that's it and they're probably no use to our escape." Rades said. "Not brittle like they are, they'd be destroyed quickly. The only use they would have is as meat shields against Magellan's poison."
"We have better ways of dealing with him so we'll just get going and head to the exit while Rhya collects Sally." Patry said as he turned to leave the cell. "Vetto, carry them please."
"Come on you two we'll feed you up soon enough." Vetto said as he grabbed both men with ease and hauled them onto his massive shoulders. "See you there Patry."
Patry nodded as Vetto rushed off an orange glow around his legs allowing him to speed up as he used an animal's speed to enhance his own, likely a gazelle or a cheetah, and sped off. Patry just ran off behind them trusting that Rhya was sorting things out with Sally so that they could move onto the next level and get the remaining people from it, and Level 1 for that matter, as they neared sweet freedom.
"So how about we get a drink after we get out of her beautiful." Rhya said addressing Robyn as he, Nagant, Robyn, and Dazu hurried up the stairs and Nagant took the lead as she moved down a path leading to an outer spire in the cell complex which she knew housed the female inmates who'd been sent to this level. "I am the one responsible for freeing Nagant who in turn freed you so it's a good way to repay me and I don't mind that you're taller than me."
"I have no time for men or silly things like romance." Robyn said. "Plus, I can tell if you're lying about anything by touching you so you can't hide anything from me."
"And I don't need that to tell if someone's lying." Rhya responded. "Your Devil Fruit is useless to me."
"Fine with me." Robyn said not really caring that her Devil Fruit had been useless to Rhya. "Now buzz off, I'm not interested in you."
"Very well, I can tell you're not interested so how about you?" Rhya replied as he turned his attention to Dazu. "You're pretty cute in a homely way. Fancy a drink when this is done?"
"The last man I was with was my husband and I killed when he called me a stupid, useless, wench." Dazu said bluntly surprising Robyn as she'd not expected that from the other woman. "And my in-laws for that matter. You're from Clover, you know how it is there for poor folks or non-humans."
"Only too well." Rhya admitted. "It's why we did what we did."
"I don't blame you for that, the nobles deserved to be eradicated." Dazu said. "In fact it's thanks to your attack that I learned what my husband and in-law's truly thought of me, not that that I was surprised, and was able to kill them without arousing suspicion. However, I'm not interested in a drink with you."
"Fine and I know that Nagant isn't." Rhya said knowing that what the woman was saying was the truth. "In fact, she'll probably shoot me if I tried again."
"You're not worth the effort of transforming my hand let alone my arm." Nagant said bluntly as they reached the tower and began to climb it to the upper two levels where the women were held, passing a few empty levels on the way. "I have other ways to kill without my Devil Fruit."
"I don't doubt that." Rhya said unaffected by striking out with Nagant's two new lackies as they reached the first level for women, which was just one cell housing 7 women and had two sets of bars so that one side was open to the heat and light that was the hallmark of Level 3. "Very well this is my stop, see you later."
With that Rhya stopped and the other women ran on above going for the top level of the tower. That was fine with him as he approached the bars to the cell that were on the inside of the tower and where the door was.
Naturally, as with any cell in the Starvation Hell, all 7 women were huddled up in the shade and either against the bars or against the walls. As expected, all were half starved and slowly dying as they sluggishly looked up at Rhya's arrival, but he ignored them focusing on one woman in particular. Said woman was only about 17, maybe 18 by now if Rhya had to guess with disheveled black hair cut in a medium length bob style and dark red eyes behind black half framed glasses. She was in the standard Impel Down stripes and looked like she'd lost weight but still retained some of her noticeable curves.
"Hey Sally, how're you doing?" Rhya asked casually looking at the teen who served as the Elf Pirates engineer and shipwright, as well as being the only Logia Devil Fruit user on the crew, as he reached the cell. "Been a few months."
"Rhya, is that you, I'm not hallucinating because of the heat and bone dust again?" Sally asked blinking as she looked up to where Rhya was standing looking down at her. "It's really you?"
"Of course, it's me." Rhya said as he reached out and grabbed the bars and made a show of trying to shake them to show that he was real. "It's time to go. Thanks to an earlier breakout we're busting out as well."
"Great! I can't wait to get out and get back to my experiments." Sally said happily light filling her eyes again. "I hope to see Asta again someday, he's fun to play with and that Devil Fruit of his is strange."
"We do have a score to settle with the Black Bulls so we will be going after them but only when we're ready for them as we underestimated them last time and it cost us." Rhya said as he created a light sword, no point in revealing that he'd copied the Dark-Dark Fruit yet and slashed the bars away to open up the cell. "So come on, I've used your Gel-Gel powers to create the needed keys."
"Excellent, I can't wait to have Asta again then." Sally said a crazed look coming into her eyes the moment that she heard that they were going after the Black Bulls and it remained as she hauled herself up while the other women just watched and held her arms out to Rhya so that he could take off her sea prism stone shackles that she had on. "Get these off so we can get going. I wonder if there are any others that I can experiment on as well? There are so many interesting Devil Fruit users to examine learn from."
Rhya suppressed a shudder as he pulled out a key to unlock the manacles. Sally had joined them because they'd promised her free reign with her extremely unethical experiments. Before that she'd apparently been a scientist for the World Government, one of the youngest there, and there was no doubt that she was a genius when it came inventing.
According to Sally, she'd even once met Vegapunk, but he'd seen too much of Ceaser Clown in her and pointed it out to the authorities. He'd been right as the concept of ethics and frankly the law in general were alien to Sally and served only as impediments to her and her research goals.
In the end she'd gone too far and done something that the World Government couldn't cover up so she was going to be arrested but thanks to her Gel-Gel powers she'd escaped and was thus slapped with a 63 million berry bounty for her actions. Patry had found her soon after her bounty was published as he'd heard of her due to being a Warlord and offered her protection and free reign as his subordinate, which she accepted and joined them. It was thanks to her the Elf Pirates had a fair bit of high-tech gear until she'd been defeated alongside Rades and Valtos by five of the Black Bulls working together and sent here.
If it was up to Rhya he'd have voted to leave the crazy chick here, she was also only human after all, but they needed the crew back and Sally had her uses to them. One of which she showed as the cuffs fell off her and she grinned and turned to the bars that overlooked the wide expanse of Level 3 her arms out in front of her.
"Goodbye bars." Sally said as her arms turned to a pink gel and shot out at the bars. "I never liked you anyway."
At the last moment Sally turned the ends into fists that she hardened to be stronger than steel, she could change the viscosity of her gel, and punched the bars out with a boom that sent them careening down to the ground with a crash. She wasn't done though as her lower half also turned to gel and swept through the cell grabbing the other woman, she'd take them with her as they could be useful in some way, and then grabbed Rhya before he could protest.
"Gel-Gel Sticky Salamander!" Sally said happily as the gel coalesced into the shape of a 4-legged salamander with Rhya and the other girls' heads sticking out of it looking confused, they were too drained from heat and starvation to be panicked, while Sally was on its head with only her head, arms, and torso normal. "And let's go!"
With that the salamander leapt from the cell under Sally's control as she laughed, and Rhya yelled at her before it landed on the ground with a wobble and then began running off to the exit to Level 2. It wasn't what Rhya had planned but it was still useful and faster than running, so he didn't complain too much as they made their way back to Patry, Vetto, and the other escapees while trusting that his Captain had freed Rades and Valtos as well.
"So, you're a murdered then." Robyn said to Dazu as they climbed while Rhya split off from them to free his crewmate. "Wouldn't have pegged it but then again you were locked up on Level 5."
"I only killed those who deserved it or who I was using to aid my plans but knew would turn on me to the authorities if they learned the truth of what I was actually planning." Dazu said no remorse in her tone. "That a problem? At last count I've killed 7 people."
"If you were a cruel psycho then it would be." Robyn said not showing her growing surprise at Dazu's body count or her lack of remorse as she could tell even without her Devil Fruit that Dazu hadn't killed for pleasure. "But you're not, you spoke the truth about your hatred for those who oppress the poor and weak and desire for revolutionary change. War is bloody and the ability to kill without hesitation is necessary."
"I won't hurt friends and I don't take joy in killing, but I won't show mercy to those who oppress and abuse power." Dazu said. "So I won't hesitate to kill if need be and so long as the person is truly guilty I have no qualms being an executioner."
"Understandable." Robyn said starting to see more of the potential that Nagant had seen in Dazu, as well as the wisdom the older woman had in recruiting someone like Robyn to balance things out and help properly train and hone Dazu. "I try not to kill but I understand that it's something that I can't avoid at times."
"That is the attitude to have." Nagant said as they reached the top and came to a stop looking into the cell that housed 9 women. "I was just a straight up murderer before I came here but on my crew we only kill those who deserve it. Plus I will never ask any of you to do what I wouldn't do myself. Understood?"
"Yes Captain." Both Dazu and Robyn said at the same time understanding their new Captain's words.
"Good now let's get our next recruit and senior officer for the crew." Nagant said as she looked into the cell and scanned the women who just blinked back at her with no energy to be surprised at the sudden arrival of three new prisoners who weren't in their cells, shackled, or starved, until she found who she was looking for. "And it's true, she is still alive. Not bad though going to need some good food and exercise to get her back in shape and looking good. Well, Olive, how about it? Want out of here and a spot on my new crew?"
The woman in question was by far the worst for wear of the 9 in there though potentially not the oldest of the lot but that was hard to tell. She was tall with long, lank, green hair that had clearly lost its shine and fell to past her waist in a tangled mess. Her black and white prison fatigues hung off her frame showing that she'd lost a lot of weight and definition, but Nagant was sure that after the right training she'd get it back and soon be as useful Nagant felt she could be. That was really shown when she looked at Nagant and her olive-green eyes shone with determination showing that she'd not been broken by Impel Down.
"You know who I am." The woman, Olive according to Nagant though neither Robyn nor Dazu knew her, said her voice a little horse likely from lack of use. "And yet I don't know who you are. Where did you come from and why should I join you?"
"My story is long and complicated so for now all you need to know is that my crime was so bad that I was sent to Level 6 and left to rot there while the world believed that I was dead so I was lost to history." Nagant said which perked Olive's interests as she'd been in Impel Down long enough to have heard of Level 6 though having been in this cell for 20 years she'd not been able to confirm its existence though why the tall blonde woman with the speaker grabbed her bicep and a green glow formed around her hand Olive didn't get. "That good enough of a resume to get a famous pirate who once had a 50 million berry on her head and managed to get closer to breaking out of here than most to join me?"
"It's certainly a start." Olive said keeping her cards close to her chest. "But as you can see, I'm not what I once was. Men are easy to fool when you're young and hot, that guard I knocked out and stole the uniform of certainly was, but that was 20 years ago. I've lost a lot since then."
"Give it time and the right regime and you'll be a cougar in no time, and I need someone with serious seductress skills and a gift for deception on my crew to be my spymaster." Nagant said. "Based on what I of the inmates on the manifest that I recognize I know that you fit what I need and the fact that you survived 20 years on this level shows me your commitment. I've got strong data from before I got locked up, I am a fallen marine Vice Admiral, but all I really know is shooting and killing so I need a true master to get intel for my crew."
"Impressive." Olive said noting that the green glow remained as she spoke and deducing that it was some kind of Devil Fruit power. "So even the marines have bad apples, not that that is a surprise. I take it that's how you know of me, you look around my age."
"I'm a few years younger but I know of you and your reputation as I was an ensign when you were at your peak and as a notorious female pirate you had the attention of my commanding officer, Vice Admiral Tsuru." Nagant said the glow staying green. "So how about it? Join me and I'll point you to targets so valuable you will be wealthier than you can imagine."
"Tempting but how do I know you're truthful." Olive said her eyes narrowing slightly as she started to piece things together, so many years of heat and starvation were getting to her a bit. "Hold on, that glow, I guessed that it was a Devil Fruit but I take it that it has something to do with truthfulness."
"It does, I have activated my power to vouch for the Captain and will use it to check you when all this is done." Robyn said the glow remaining green showing Olive that it worked on the user as well as the target. "My name is Hill Robyn and I ate the True-True Fruit and can tell if someone is lying. Green means that you're being truthful; red is that you're lying. For example, my actual name is Ironwood James."
"Alright, we can sort this out when you bust my ass out of here." Olive said not fully convinced but the fact that the glow went from green to red when the woman said her name was James when it had been green when she'd called herself Robyn helped a lot. "Now what should I call you, Captain?"
"Lady Nagant, but Nagant is fine." Nagant said the glow turning back to green at her name before Robyn released Nagant's bicep allowing her to turn her right hand into a powerful looking pistol which raised the eyebrows of Olive right before Nagant fired it and blew the lock off thus opening the cell door. "As for you other ladies, if you want out now's the time. What you do when we're free and sorting shit out is on you but you're free to break out with us."
"Now that is useful." Olive said as she rose and walked to the door as Nagant's hand turned back to normal and Dazu approached with a key to unlock her shackles which Nagant noted were normal and not sea prism stone. "What Devil Fruit is that?"
"The Rifle-Rifle Fruit." Nagant said as Robyn placed a hand on Nagant's bicep for a second time to confirm what Nagant was saying and as with before a green glow enveloped it as Nagant spoke while Dazu freed the other women. "I can turn my arms to guns of various kings, the more of the arm I turn the different the type of gun it is though I have some say and I have a few extra tricks I won't go into. I wasn't joking when I said all I know is shooting and killing, I'm the best sniper on the Grand Line. That's not a brag, that's a statement of fact."
"Well if green really means that you speak the truth then I can't argue with that." Olive said as Robyn released her arm. "If all you say is true then count me in, at least until I feel like I've repaid you for busting me out and have saved up enough to retire in the lap of luxury."
"Fair enough now let's move." Nagant said as she turned. "We've got two more levels to get through and plenty of people to free as Dazu and Robyn's subordinates are above us."
With that Nagant set off followed by her now 3 new crewmembers and several other women who were just taking advantage of the moment to escape Impel Down as they'd likely never have another chance like this. With this all those who needed to be freed on Level 3 had been and the number of inmates moving to freedom had jumped by 41.
"Right, that's got all of it." Jose said as between his phantoms, Kai's ability to break matter down and reform it by touching it, and Mimic's ability to manipulate a certain area from his merge point had made short work of the area that had been drenched in poison so that it was no longer an impediment to them. "So now what?"
"Now Mimic and I go on ahead and make the path." Kai said as the group of prisoners, including those freed by Mimic, waited to move on up to the next level of Impel Down. "And we'll go straight for the two crewmembers I have on Level 2. The moment the others get here just follow."
Jose nodded as Kai walked over to the hollow stone pillar thing that had once been the stairs between Levels 2 and 3 and placed his hand on the wall. They'd had to get rid of the rubble remains, not a problem for Kai as he could break matter down and leave it in that broken state if he wanted to, but there had been a lot and had resulted in no stairs. It was clearly a tactic to delay Magellan but it had failed as he'd just used his poison to move and they'd had to clear that as well. Again, though, none of this was a problem for the man who'd eaten the Matter-Matter Fruit.
With a thought Kai broke down the wall and instantly reformed it into a set of stairs spiraling up that would be strong enough to hold the mass of escapees that would soon be running up them. He used all his range to cover as much ground as possible before he began to run up them as Mimic merged with the lowest stair and shot up able to pass his boss and moved on up to the second level ahead of him by using the walls as soon as he could. Kai didn't mind as he kept up his work changing the wall into stairs and making his way up while also providing a path up for the others.
"That is a rather impressive and terrifying power." William said as he looked up the stairs and noticed Kai's work while Chrono, Shin, and Deidoro started to head up as well as they didn't need to wait for anyone what with their boss already heading up to Level 2. "No wonder he rose to the ranks of the 11 Warlords."
"He's got power that's for sure." Jose said. "But we all do. For someone like Kai, it's his network that is really important."
"Yes, and we need to work together to get out of here." William agreed. "Now we just need the others to join us and we can get moving."
"They'll be here soon." Jose said turning and looking around. "Ah, I see them now. Well, some of them I think. I'm not actually sure what that is though."
William also turned and notice a giant pink salamander running over the bone dust to them and kicking up a lot of dust as it ran. On it was a black-haired teen that William recognized as Sally while a few women and Rhya sticking out of the back of it. As William saw them Vetto suddenly appeared from the around a cell carrying Rades and Valtos as he reached them, a gaggle of prisoners shuffling in his wake.
"That's Sally!" Rades called out waving his arms as Vetto came to a stop and set them down. "Over here Sally!"
"Huh, well if it isn't Rades, Valtos, and Vetto!" Sally called out as she neared and the inmates who they'd picked up along the way as part of the breakout parted so that Sally could move the salamander to them while Patry too appeared running towards them, something that Sally noticed as well. "Good to see you and look it's Master Patry, hey Master!"
"Sally, I'm glad that you're back." Patry said as he came to a stop next to Vetto with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "And still strong I see."
"Yeah, once the cuffs were off, I got my power back and my energy returned." Sally said as she leapt out of the gel salamander's head on a spout of gel from her waist before cutting it off and then sending the gel to stick from her waist to the ground and using it to pull her to the ground in front of Patry and reformed her legs. "And I can't wait to get back to my experiments."
"Neither can I, you do make the best tools." Patry said as the gel salamander dissolved releasing the others and allowing them to wipe the gel off while Rhya grumbled at his treatment. "We're just waiting on our last allies and then…"
"We're here let's move on!"
The call came from behind the group, and everyone looked to see Nagant running ahead of the two she'd recruited below and an older, green haired woman with a straggling group of women behind them that weren't moving too fast but fast enough to not be left behind despite their state from time on Level 3. That was all they needed to see, with the final ringleader and her recently recruited underlings in toe it was time to go.
As such, and without any more words, the second breakout wave moved as one onto the stairs that Kai and made and began to run up to the second level of Impel Down. With that they cleared the third level and inched one level closer to freedom now with close to 150 inmates as the second breakout wave continued.
I think that's a good place to leave this chapter off, another level reached and cleared with a handful of subordinates freed and the latest recruit for Nagant. To those wondering, Olive is an anime-only One Piece character who appears in a Hannyabal flashback during the Impel Down arc where he recalls his first days in Impel Down 20 years before the events of the arc and it shows how Magellan educated him even back then. Olive's bounty was mentioned as being 50 million berries so that's why I had her in Level 3 and now part of Nagant's growing crew, the One Piece character in her senior leadership. Two more levels, two more franchises for Nagant to recruit from along with plenty more to be freed so there's a lot to look forward to as the Impel Down arc continues. However, that is all that I have for y'all so I will leave this chapter off here. If you liked this please favorite, follow, leave a review, or let me know in a PM and if there are any questions will posed in reviews and PMs I will try to answer them as best I can. Until next time.
Stringdog