Chapter 66: Prison Break

In the first half of the "Grand Line," the great sea route, near the "Red Line" that separates it from the New World, lie the three great institutions of the World Government.

One is the island of "Enies Lobby," the seat of the World Government’s nominal judicial branch—its so-called "judiciary."

Another is the World Government’s only undersea maximum-security prison, the island where criminals from across the world meet their end—"Impel Down."

And the last is the pinnacle of the world’s "forces of justice," an island that also serves as the gateway to the Holy Land—"Marine Headquarters."

Naturally, as these islands belong to the government, the military might stationed on each is not something a single pirate crew could hope to match. …Frankly, only a complete and utter fool would even consider attacking a government stronghold. No matter the reason, most would give up.

At Enies Lobby, there’s CP9, government officials, and 10,000 stationed Marines. Impel Down boasts countless guards and jailers, and its location in the Calm Belt makes its defenses truly impregnable. As for Marine Headquarters—of course, it’s the Navy’s main base, swarming with Marines. None of these places should be conquerable under normal circumstances. Most wouldn’t even dare think of trying.

But a few years ago, Marine Headquarters was half-destroyed by none other than "Golden Lion" Shiki, proving that sometimes, the unthinkable happens.

Nothing in this world is absolute. And as if to prove it once more, another incident occurred.

—Impel Down’s First-Ever Prison Break!! Pirate Fleet Admiral "Golden Lion" Shiki!!

The headlines that day sent shockwaves across the world.

The "invincible myth" of the undersea prison, Impel Down, was well-known.

In its entire history, not a single intruder had ever broken in—nor had any prisoner ever escaped. Once thrown into Impel Down, a man was doomed to spend the rest of his days in its dark, deep cages… in hell itself.

Yet Shiki the "Golden Lion" escaped.

He cut off his own shackled legs, embedded his two beloved swords into his stumps as makeshift feet, and flew straight out of Impel Down.

Of course, the jailers, guards, and Marines gave chase—but Shiki could fly freely through the sky, making escape effortless.

However, by then, the once-mighty Golden Lion Pirates—once counted among the four great powers of the New World—had already weakened after Shiki’s arrest, their territory swallowed up by rival pirates and the Navy.

Thus, even a week after his escape, Shiki’s whereabouts remained unknown. Where was he now…?

The Answer, Naturally, Lay in the "New World."

"Ahahahaha!! What’s with that head and those legs?! A steering wheel stuck in your skull… and swords for feet?! Pfft… kukuku… AHAHA!! You’ve gotta be the weirdest guy I’ve ever seen!! Hell, you might even be more of a mystery than me… Pfft, kukuku!"

"Quit laughin’, ya damn brat!! It ain’t that funny!!"

"…………"

On the deck of a certain ship, a black-haired girl and a man with a steering wheel embedded in his skull bantered lightly, separated by a giant.

The giant—and the surrounding crew—watched in silence. In particular, the giant himself—the captain of this ship, the Moby Dick, and the man now hailed as the "Strongest Pirate in the World," Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate—furrowed his brow as he downed an entire bottle of liquor, a gift from his visitors.

But the two paid no mind, continuing to drink and chat across Whitebeard as if he weren’t even there. The fact that they showed no fear of Whitebeard was proof enough—they, too, were legendary pirates whose names shook the world.

"No no, it IS funny!! How the hell do you even end up like that?! Ahahahaha!!"

"The steering wheel was an accident!! The legs—I cut ’em off to escape!! Just stuck my swords in as replacements, that’s all!!"

"Ohhh… So what about those weird eyebrows?"

"Yeah, spent my whole childhood trainin’ normal eyebrows into this shape—THE HELL YOU MEAN 'TRAINED'?! I WAS BORN WITH THESE!! Shut the hell up!!"

"Ahahahaha!! You’re hilarious!! Hey, Whitebeard, back me up here—he’s ridiculous, right?!"

"Oi, Whitebeard!! Don’t tell me you’re laughin’ too?!"

"…………First off, why the hell are you two even here?"

"Huh? Uh…"

"Hah? Ah…"

At Whitebeard’s question, both the girl and the man tilted their heads in thought. After a moment’s hesitation, they answered in unison:

""…Just felt like it?""

"GET THE HELL OFF MY SHIP, YOU DUMBASSES!!!"

---

—And so, aboard Whitebeard’s ship, there we were—me, Whitebeard himself, and the newly escaped "Golden Lion" Shiki.

"Whew! Man, it’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun! —Which means… OPENING!!"

"This ain’t fun, and there’s no damn opening!!"

"Aww~"

"!!?"

"Wha— Did she just attack the old man?!"

I casually infused my spear with Haki and took a swing at Whitebeard, but he effortlessly caught it—as if he’d seen it coming from miles away. Hmm… Yeah, no surprise there. Still a monster, huh? The gap’s narrowed, but… no, because it’s narrowed, I can tell. In this era without Roger, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate is undoubtedly the strongest pirate in the world. It’s almost laughable how absurdly strong he is.

Kaido and I have grown plenty strong ourselves—there are only a handful of pirates left who could challenge us. But even now, Whitebeard’s still a step ahead. I could put up a fight, sure, but my odds of winning? Maybe 10-20% on a good day.

Kaido’s probably in the same boat. Around 20%. I might last longer thanks to matchup advantage, but Kaido’s raw power edges me out. If we teamed up… we might stand a chance? Even then, we’d still be at a disadvantage. We’re not quite at Whitebeard and Roger’s level yet. But… we’re close. Especially Kaido. Just realizing that made this trip worth it—

—Ugh, the peanut gallery’s getting noisy.

"Oh, quit fussing! This is just a little skinship between friends~"

"Then quit packing Haki into it, dammit!!"

"Oh, Marco~! Long time no see~! ♪ I love your Devil Fruit. Wanna join my crew? —Heyyy, Marco-chaaan~! Marco-chan, recruited~! ♪"

"Like hell I will!! And stop with the weird nicknames!!"

"~♪ Te-te-re-ret-te~ ♫ Te-re-re-te~re~te~re~te~ ♫ Te~te-re-ret-te~re~ ♫ Te-re-te-re-te-re-te-re-re-re-ren~ ♫ —This is your theme song!! Come on, sing along!!"

"Sing along my—! Ugh, why’s it so damn catchy…?!"

As the crew erupted over my "attack," a guy with a pineapple-shaped head—"Phoenix" Marco—decided to butt in. Ah, nostalgia~. So, I graced him with a custom theme song fit for a phoenix. Sadly, Marco didn’t seem to appreciate my masterpiece—but since it’s stuck in his head now, mission accomplished. Wish he’d join me… Not happening, but a guy can dream. A phoenix? That’s pure romance—

"Zehahaha… Same as ever, Nue. But your strength’s on a whole other level since last time. So, you and Kaido were the ones wrecking my turf, huh?"

"Duh. We mopped the floor with what was left. Honestly, it was kinda disappointing—thought there’d be more of a fight."

"...Yeah, figures. If you’re this strong, Kaido must’ve grown even more. Zehaha… Should’ve forced you two to join me back then. —Or maybe I oughta pay you back right now?"

"Mmm~? Fufufu, suit yourself~ But you just broke out of prison—you really wanna go straight back to Impel Down~?"

"ZEHAHAHA!! Look who’s talking big now!! …Nah, you’ve always been a brat, huh?!"

"You mean I’ve always been adorable~ ♡ Fufufufu…!!"

Shiki poked, so I poked back—our Haki-laced glares clashing in midair. Damn, he’s still got it. Two years in prison, a steering wheel lodged in his skull (not sure if that counts as an injury), and self-amputated legs—yet his presence alone proves why he was once one of the four greatest pirates. But… fufufu~ ♡ I might just win now.

Not that I’d underestimate him—the gap’s not that wide. Losing his legs hurt, but the bigger reason’s probably… that thing he was so hung up on. Still, if he wants a fight, I won’t hold back—

"—You two here to brawl on my ship? Keep it up, and I’m tossing you both overboard."

—Welp, guess that’s that. Not like either of us was serious, and Whitebeard knew it. He just didn’t want his "family" worrying. I dropped the pressure with a grin, and Shiki burst into laughter.

"Oh, relax~! Just joking. I came for drinks and gossip. Y’know, since the Great Pirate Era started, we’ve all been busy—thought it’d be fun to catch up~ ♪"

"Zehaha, same here. Just making the rounds after my jailbreak. Didn’t expect you to be here, though."

"...Fine. As long as you’re not starting wars on my deck, do what you want."

As Whitebeard took a swig of Shiki’s booze, I gave a cheerful "Okey-dokey!" and joined in. Mmm~ Not bad. Sasaki’s brew is great, but variety’s nice too!

"Oh, speaking of—what do you two think about the new 'Warlords' thing? Shiki, you might not know, but—"

"Ah… The government’s pet pirates."

"Heard about it. Even in prison, the rumors spread. They’re just the World Government’s dogs. Callin’ that piracy? Pathetic. I’d rather die than kneel to those bastards."

I’d been curious what these two old-school pirates thought about the "Seven Warlords of the Sea" system. Whitebeard seemed indifferent, but Shiki? Pure disdain. Not surprising—he’d never bow to anyone. Still, I added some context:

"They’re banking on the Warlords to suppress other pirates and thin out the competition~"

"Hah!! Only weaklings chasing treasure would bend the knee for that. What a joke."

"...That crocodile kid who showed up at my place recently had some fire in him, though."

"Oh! You mean Crocodile?"

"You know him?"

"Nah, just the name. ‘Crocodile kid’ kinda gave it away~"

Whitebeard’s offhand remark caught my attention. So Crocodile tried to take his head and got wrecked? I couldn’t help but laugh.

"Ahaha!! Oh, come on—as if some rookie who’s been pirating for a few years could take down Whitebeard!! If he were that weak, Kaido and I would’ve killed him ages ago!!"

"Jihahahaha!! Damn right!! You crack me up, Nue!! If I were that weak, I'd have been the Pirate King ages ago!! What a riot!!"

"Don't laugh about something so dangerous!!!"

As Shiki and I burst out laughing, someone from the sidelines yelled at us. Geez, no sense of humor, huh? I mean, this kind of banter's totally normal, isn't it? Back in the day, there were guys who would've tried to kill you for saying half as much, and others who would trash-talk you way worse. So honestly, this is nothing. It's not like there's any real bloodlust behind it.

"Jiha... but still... Looks like the posers are running wild these days..."

"Hmm? Well, maybe so~"

"I don't care who sets out to sea. It's not something anyone can stop anyway..."

As I was thinking that, Shiki muttered it out loud. I just let it pass, and Whitebeard, for his part, downed his drink without really denying the state of the times.

Then, flashing a cocky grin, Shiki threw a question at him—a question directed at Whitebeard, the ruler of this era.

"—How's the sea without Roger? The wall that used to block us is gone. Seems like it’s your time now, 'Whitebeard'..."

"If you came all this way just to spout crap, I'll sink you into the ocean right now, 'Golden Lion.'"

"Hey!! Don't ignore me, weird-eyebrows!! Whitebeard might be in charge now, but it's gonna be the era of the Beasts Pirates soon enough!!"

"Jihahahaha!! Glad to see you two are still as irritating as ever."

You're not even listening, are you? Shiki just laughed off both Whitebeard’s and my words. He said we pissed him off, but he honestly looked like he was having a good time. Then, for some reason, he deepened his smirk, stuck another cigar in his mouth, and said,

"—I'm thinking of disappearing for a while... It's time to show this lukewarm age what real pirates are made of."

"You're scheming something again, huh..."

"Wait, what? Planning to fix your eyebrows? I can recommend a great plastic surgeon if you want?"

"I ain't getting eyebrow surgery!!! And quit harping on my damn eyebrows already!!!"

"You guys never change, huh..."

When I said that seriously, Shiki shot back with a perfect retort. Yep, as always, Shiki's got great timing. That's one of the things I like about him: he's good at both throwing jokes and snapping back.

Watching us, Whitebeard seemed a little exasperated. Maybe he was starting to chill out a bit. When Shiki and I first showed up together, he definitely had his guard up... Oh, my drink’s empty. Hmm, guess that means it's about time to call it a night.

I'd love to hang around longer for an alumni meeting vibe, but looks like Shiki's about ready to leave too. Just as I got up to wrap things up, Whitebeard spoke to me.

"...Hey, Nue. You and Kaido aren't plotting something again, are you?"

"Eh? Of course we are. We're pirates, duh. —But don't worry!! We don't plan on laying a finger on your dear fa-mi-ly anytime soon. We'll behave for now, promise!!"

"...Tch. Not that telling you and Kaido would make a difference... but if you mess with my family or my territory, I'll sink you to the bottom of the sea."

"...Fufufu, okayyy♡ I mean, it's not like I’m obliged to listen, since we're part of a different crew now, but you can rest easy. If we ever do move against your territory, it'll be when we're strong enough that you can't sink us♡"

"You little..."

"Jiha! C'mon, Whitebeard. Still treating them like rookies? Not that I'm taking sides, but these two are proper pirates now. Even if you warn them, it's not gonna change anything."

"Exactly!! I'm the world's cutest, most mysterious idol pirate, after all!! Which means, I don’t listen to orders, okayyy♡"

"Tch... yeah, guess that's true."

Whitebeard clicked his tongue—pretty rare for him. Well, once you've sat down and shared a drink like this, unless someone openly shows hostile intent, you can't just pick a fight. That's the code. Pirate law. The way of the world. And if anyone takes that lightly, especially someone like Whitebeard who values that code more than anyone, they'd lose all respect—from former crewmates, from me, from his family. No one would recognize him anymore. —Even if I am a potential threat down the line.

Honestly, Whitebeard’s way smarter and more cautious than he looks. He doesn’t make reckless moves. ...That said, underestimating him would be a huge mistake. He's kind, sure, but take advantage of that kindness and you'd better believe he'd crush you without mercy. You can never let your guard down.

Still, if we grow our power and influence a little more, it'll eventually get to the point where Whitebeard can't just casually take a swing at us either. Of course, the same goes the other way too, but... well, I'll handle that when the time comes. I'm looking forward to it, honestly. Fufufu... things are gonna get so fun~♪

"Jihahahaha!! Anyway, see ya, 'Whitebeard,' Nue!! Good catching up after all this time!! —Next time we meet, I’ll be the one ruling the world!!!"

"Blehh!! Bring it on if you think you can!! Kaido and I aren't gonna lose, you weird-eyebrow, rudder-leg, blade-foot old man!!"

"It's true, but don't mash all that into one nickname!!"

"Oh, right! I forgot to teach you Whitebeard’s theme song!! Here we go!! Just one phrase for now!! —Terere tererere~ tetete~ tererereten teten♫"

"Hey, don’t just ignore me!! And why the hell is it another one of those damn catchy tunes!? ...Also, don’t I get a theme song too?"

"You don’t."

"I don’t!?"

"...Just go home already. Talking to you guys is giving me a headache."

With my blunt reply, Shiki threw in a quick comeback, and Whitebeard groaned, rubbing his temples—finally bringing our meeting to a close. Man, that was fun! It’s been so long since I got to mess around with Whitebeard and Shiki! ...Though honestly, Shiki’s kind of hard to joke with lately. He’s still hung up on Roger—completely obsessed, really. It's a little pathetic... but, well, I get it, so I let it slide. If he ever manages to break out of it and actually surprise me, maybe I’ll treat him seriously. Until then, he's no threat. Better to just leave him be.

As for Whitebeard, it was reassuring to see he’s still as strong as ever. Though, well... it’s kinda sad when you think about it.

—Because in just two more years, he’s going to lose a brother he treasures more than anything.

---

—Wano Country

While news of Shiki’s escape was making waves overseas, and Nue was away from Wano, two figures made their way through the land of Kuri.

"Come on, move it, move it!! Beyond here, there are no factories or farms, y'know!!"

"...None?"

"That's right, none!! So hurry it up!!"

There were two figures, but clearly neither of them were from Wano. One was a tall, well-built woman with white hair, wearing a black and purple coat and a horned mask. Perched on her shoulder, giving her orders, was a tiny girl. Dressed in red, in a kimono-like outfit, she had two horns jutting from her head and even a tail.

Apparently, the tiny one was the boss, giving the orders. The woman under the mask frowned slightly, though not out of anger—just mild confusion.

"We're here!! This is Kuri’s farm!!"

"...Didn’t you just say there weren’t any?"

"Ah, I made a mistake... There aren't!! Everything you see here isn’t a farm at all— Ah! You!! Slacking off again, huh!? Move it, move it!!"

"Uwah, a-a little person!?"

"S-Sorry!!"

The two had arrived at Kuri’s farms. Locals forced to work there were startled by the sudden approach of the tiny girl. Those seeing her for the first time froze in shock, while the ones who knew her quickly bowed their heads in apology.

After all, that tiny girl was also a member of the Beasts Pirates.

"Move it!! Hurry up!! The right field's not finished yet!! Go to the riiiiight!!"

"U-understood..."

As the workers tried to head right like they were told, the little girl immediately exploded.

"Wrong!! I said right, but I didn’t mean right!!"

"Huh? Then... the field on the left?"

"Yes!! It's not the left field either!!"

"Ehhh!? Then which is it!?"

"Lies!! —Ah, no, that wasn't a lie!! ...Wait, was it?"

"Uh..."

The little one tilted her head, confused by her own words, leaving the worker utterly lost. But after a moment, she shook it off, launched herself at the worker, and—

"—Just go already!!"

"Hehbuh!!?"

—and punched him flying left with astonishing force for her size.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of the surrounding guards—other Beasts Pirates crew members—who rushed over, panicked.

"Hey, hey, Lady Doubt!! You’ll get in trouble if you kill workers outside of official punishments!!"

"But this guy!! He's too obedient!! Way too obedient!!"

"Uh... isn’t that a good thing?"

"Argh!! You too!! You’re way too obedient!! You dummy!!"

"Uwaah!! Please, anything but chopping me up!!"

"You idiot, listen up!! Lady Doubt’s a liar!! Whatever she says, you gotta assume the opposite is true!!"

A more seasoned crewmate quickly whispered advice to the panicking newbie. As if on cue, the tiny girl called Doubt immediately relaxed her anger.

"That’s right... I’m a liar!! And I'm the worst of the worst!! I’m the baddest of the bad among the Tontatta tribe!!"

Beasts Pirates Officer — “Headliner” (Self-Proclaimed Baddest Liar of the Tontatta Tribe) Doubt

Puffing out her tiny chest proudly, Doubt declared her title. The crew around her just nodded.

"I see... so even that was a lie!"

"So she’s not really a bad person, huh... makes sense."

"That’s not a lie!! You dummy!!"

Doubt, furious that even her honest words were being doubted, stomped in frustration.

And watching this scene from behind was a newcomer to the Beasts Pirates—her. Even though she knew she had no right to feel this way, even though she knew she mustn’t—

(She’s... adorable.)

Beasts Pirates Officer — "Headliner" (Archaeologist) Durac

Yes. Durac loved cute things.

But she considered that a grave sin. Something unforgivable. She hated the fact that cuteness could soothe her, and that guilt gnawed at her heart.

She let out a faint sigh. She had to stay sharp. She couldn't afford to let herself be softened.

From now on, she would have to do terrible things. Things that would hurt people. She had to steel herself. No hesitation. No sadness. She would have to act coldly, efficiently.

As she tried to recommit herself, someone else approached, bringing a handful of subordinates along—likely to inspect the farm. Durac looked up at the figure, a towering man she recognized.

"—Doubt. Durac. What are you doing here?"

"We're giving the newbie a tour right now!! Ah, newbie, this is King-sama!!"

"...I know."

"...Hmph."

Introduced to him, Durac offered a simple greeting. They’d met once before, but in the world of pirates, she wasn’t sure what kind of greeting was appropriate. She just went with something normal.

In return, he simply snorted through his nose.

Was it resentment? After all, she had joined the crew and immediately been made an officer. Maybe that bred hostility. Or maybe in their world, this kind of exchange was perfectly normal. Durac couldn’t tell.

...But there was one thing she could tell.

"I’ll finish the introductions and then we’re off to the next place. I need to get back to my own work too."

"...Before that, there’s something I’d like to ask him."

"Huh?"

Durac furrowed her brow behind her mask, looking up at King. She knew she wasn’t exactly welcome, and dragging things out probably wasn’t smart. Still, maybe it was just her nature as an archaeologist—she couldn’t leave a lingering question unanswered.

"...Mind if I ask?"

"...Say it. Though I’m not promising I’ll answer."

"You really shouldn't ask."

It sounded like a flat-out rejection, but... maybe it was fine. Probably. She wasn’t confident, but curiosity won out.

She asked:

"—Why are you guys so focused on farming?"

"!!?"

She had barely finished the question when the surrounding crew members' faces twisted in shock. Had she touched on something she wasn’t supposed to?

Still, it had been bothering her. They were pirates. And yet, they were investing serious effort into agriculture.

She just wanted to understand why. But what she got back was a smirk.

"Hah... You don’t know a damn thing, do you..."

"Well, you're a newbie, so it’s natural you wouldn't know... but we definitely gotta teach you properly."

"...Eh?"

—

Several hours later—and the next day—Durac found herself in hell.

Her entire body, every inch of it, screamed in pain.

And through that agony, Durac got her first real glimpse into the incomprehensible terror that was the Beasts Pirates.