Chapter 71

Grandline, Paradise, Impel Down

As they ventured down the stairs, most of them in fear of what awaited them down their, only having heard rumors of the lower level, the area they came upon revealed itself to them. It was a maze-like giant room filled with stairs, buildings and cells that crisscrossed with or over each other, creating a weird circuit structure that was perfect for the spectacle of the second level.

The group arrived just at the time where the monster guardians and other animals began their hunt for the prisoners in delight, hoping to find themselves some food for the evening. And thus, it came as no surprise that those animals spotted the large group of new arrivals, already salivating at the thought of their juicy limbs in their maws, making the group behind Azul shiver in fright.

With a roar the beasts charged at the group only to receive a kick into the jaws, rocketing them into a nearby wall, causing the whole structure to collapse under the might of the impact, while Azul took down his leg and began walking forwards to get to the next level.

The group behind Azul though stood in awe at the raw strength they had just witnessed and had to snapp themselves out of their stupor to catch up with their imprompto leader who was leaving them behind.

As the group advanced forwards through the level, occasionally attacked by a monster or a group of guards that were swiftly and efficiently taken out of comission from Azul, more and more of the prisoners on the second level took note of the makeshift group that remained alive through all of the attacks, protected by a single man, making many of the prisoners join the group of escapes, enlarging their already impressive group. Many of the prisoners though were confused why they went into the deeper level and only after hearing the story how two of the trio at the front knew their leader who came to rescue them and had still more left in the lower level, did the newly arrived ones understand and join them anyways in the hopes that they would be able to escape from here in the end through some happenstance.

Azul of course knew of their newest members but pretended to not know of them, knowing full well that in the end it came down to a simple equation: the more the merrier.

And so they traveled, a strangely joyous cl.u.s.ter in this dark prison as the members may still have their guards up but some had gotten the illusion in their minds that they could already smell freedom and thus became more outgoing.

After some time the large group arrived at the entrance to the third level, guarded by a giant being, often labeled in myths and legends as a spinx and leader of the monster guards that inhabited the second level. When the group arrived before the monster many grew fearful and made to escape, believing them to have already lost all chance at escape when Azul appeared above the creature and with a drop kick smashed the giant being right into the ground, cracking it until the spinx fell right through, straight into the third level, bringing with it a billow of escaped heat from down below.

Under admiring gazes that brought a slight tick to Azuls forhead, the large group went further down and entered the desert like third level. The starving hell.

Meanwhile chaos had broken out in the observation room that kept a vigilant eye on the camera like transpondersnails that observed the entrance and happenings on every level. Thus the chaos as the guards had been privy to the formation of the large group of prisoners that now advanced further and further down into Impel Down, threatening the whole prison.

"Quick! Inform warden Magellan! This has gotten out of hand!" A guard yelled, after which another one, responsible for communication, called the office of the director Magellan, hoping that he may know how to continue with this mess.