One Piece: King of the World-Chapter 331: The Undercurrent of Impel Down?!

On November 23, 1517, by the Sea Circle Calendar, the weather in Marineford was exceptionally good. The sky was cloudless, the sea was calm, and the temperature was pleasantly mild. It wasn't too hot or too cold, and the gentle sea breeze carried a refreshing coolness as it swept ashore.

As dawn broke, Marineford's war machine roared to life.

A large number of Marines appeared in the square, lining up according to the battle formation rehearsal. Logistics personnel meticulously inspected all equipment, while the live broadcast Den Den Mushi were positioned and calibrated.

Three large Marine warships had departed from Marineford's port earlier that morning. They were taking the Righteous Current route through the Gates of Justice to reach the underwater prison – Impel Down.

Their mission: to escort Thatch, Weevil, and Buckin to Marineford for their scheduled execution.

The Marine forces standing on the square were not yet in full battle readiness. They were allowed to gather in small groups, chatting here and there as long as they remained within their assigned zones. It would be pointless to waste energy standing rigidly for hours.

---

In the Fleet Admiral's office, Claudius, Sengoku, Garp, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, and others were gathered around, continuously receiving updates.

Zephyr, and several other Marine elites had left Marineford two days earlier. Their destination: the G-1 Marine Branch, where they would join Gion. Their task was to prevent outside interference in the battle, primarily from Kaido and Shanks.

According to recent reports from Cipher Pol, Shanks' Red-Haired Pirates were lingering near the New World's sea gate.

As for Kaido, there had been no sign of his fleet leaving Wano. No significant naval activity had been detected, suggesting that if he were to intervene, he would likely do so with only a few stealth ships.

Suddenly, the fax machine clicked to life. The latest intelligence report on the Whitebeard Pirates came through.

Sengoku took the document, scanned it briefly, then spoke in a low voice:

"They've passed through Fish-Man Island. Shortly after leaving, they vanished into the depths."

"Could they have been attacked by sea monsters?" Garp asked, munching on senbei.

His question was met with collective eye-rolls from the room. Garp chuckled sheepishly.

"What? I was just trying to lighten the mood."

Sengoku shook his head and said, "The Sabaody Archipelago branch is closely monitoring the situation. My guess is..."

"Newgate plans to charge straight into Marineford," Claudius interjected softly.

"Exactly," Sengoku confirmed. "Based on the timing and distance, we can expect him to arrive two to four hours before the execution."

"That aligns with our expectations," Sakazuki said with a cold nod.

Claudius took a sip of tea and smiled. "The escort warships should have arrived at Impel Down by now. Let's get into position and prepare to start the live broadcast."

"Let's show them Marine's might!" Sengoku declared.

"Always victorious, undefeated. Justice shall prevail!" Claudius responded.

The tension eased briefly as everyone chuckled. Even Sakazuki, known for his stern demeanor, managed a faint smile.

---

At the port of Impel Down, the three warships arrived without incident. From them disembarked Vice Admirals Onigumo, Momonga, and Strawberry. They were greeted by Warden Magellan, Deputy Warden Hannyabal, and other prison officials.

Missing from the reception: Chief Warden Shiryu.

Weevil, Thatch, and Buckin were tightly bound with seastone shackles. Each Vice Admiral was responsible for escorting one prisoner—Onigumo took Thatch, Momonga handled Weevil, and Strawberry took Buckin.

Onigumo handed Magellan a document bearing Fleet Admiral Sengoku's seal. "Thank you for your cooperation, Warden Magellan."

Magellan reached out to take the document but paused. Hannyabal quickly handed him a gas mask, which he donned before responding.

"No problem. The hard part is yours. Good luck defeating Whitebeard."

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"Don't worry," Momonga said confidently. "We'll end him right here."

"Hah, you might just save me the trouble of dealing with more pirate scum," Magellan said with a faint smile.

The Vice Admirals didn't linger. With their prisoners secured, they reboarded their warships and headed back to Marineford.

Watching them leave, Magellan removed his gas mask and instructed, "Activate the live broadcast. Let's monitor the execution."

Hannyabal saluted. "Right away, sir. By the way, where's Shiryu?"

Magellan's face darkened. "No idea," he muttered.

---

Deep within Impel Down's sixth level, known as Eternal Hell, Shiryu walked through the dimly lit corridor. The faint echoes of his footsteps stirred long-forgotten horrors locked behind iron bars.

He stopped in front of a massive cell. Inside sat the emaciated figure of Charlotte Linlin.

The former Yonko was unrecognizable. Her once-massive frame had withered from months of isolation and starvation. A jagged scar marred her face where her left eye used to be. Yet, even in her pitiful state, a predatory smile stretched across her lips.

"Come closer," she cooed. "I won't eat you... much."

Shiryu ignored her jest, studying her coldly. After a long silence, he asked, "Do you want to get out of here?"

Linlin's remaining eye narrowed. "Are you mocking me, you bastard?" she growled.

"No," Shiryu replied. A twisted grin spread across his face. "I'm done playing prison guard. I'm going to sea, to join the pirates."

Before Linlin could respond, a voice cackled from a nearby cell.

"Jihahahaha! Boy, if you set me free, I'll make you my right hand in the Flying Pirates!"

Shiryu turned toward the voice. Behind the bars lay Shiki, the Golden Lion, his hair a wild mess and his eyes gleaming with madness.

"I'm not interested in following anyone," Shiryu said.

With that, he tossed a small object into Shiki's cell. The Golden Lion caught it and peered at it: a ring of keys.

"Interesting," Shiki muttered.

Calmly, he unlocked the seastone shackles around his ankles. As the cuffs clattered to the floor, his powers surged through his veins. For the first time in years, he felt the familiar thrill of freedom.

He stood, stretched his limbs, then gripped the iron bars of his cell. With a sharp twist, the metal screeched and snapped. Shiki stepped out, inhaling deeply as if savoring the taste of freedom.

"Ahhh... I've missed this," he said softly.

Without warning, Shiki lunged at Shiryu.

Shiryu reacted instinctively, drawing his sword halfway from its sheath. But Shiki only snatched the cigar from Shiryu's mouth.

Lighting it with a spark of his finger, Shiki exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Shiryu, right? I owe you one."

Behind them, Linlin banged her fists against the iron bars.

"Give me the key, you little brat! I'm going to kill that damn lion!"

****

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