One Piece: Starting with Sign-in Naruto Character Cards

"Argh!"

A wave of pain instantly surged into Rikuya's brain, causing him to clutch his head and collapse to the ground.

Across from him, Douglas Bullet was shocked.

Just moments ago, Rikuya had displayed overwhelming combat strength—how could he suddenly become this weak?

"Rikuya, are you alright?"

"Hmph, I'm fine. Just some aftereffects from an intense battle earlier. I'll be fine after some rest,"

Rikuya replied while gritting his teeth through the pain, then tossed his keyring over to Bullet.

In truth, Rikuya was extremely vulnerable at this moment—any random pirate could kill him.

But he still chose to trust Douglas Bullet at this critical moment—because the man had once sailed with Roger.

People like that had principles. Once they made a promise, they wouldn't break it. So Rikuya wasn't too worried about being betrayed or killed.

Sure enough, Bullet immediately unlocked his shackles, then let out a sky-shaking roar of liberation.

Then, without hesitation, he walked over to Rikuya, hoisted him onto his back, and said:

"That's enough. From now on, just rest. I'll get you out of Impel Down."

His calm voice carried a firm assurance.

And perhaps because of the sense of security Bullet gave him—or maybe from sheer exhaustion—Rikuya blacked out before he could even respond.

—

It was unclear how long he had slept before Rikuya finally opened his eyes.

Finding himself lying on a soft bed in a small, enclosed space, he immediately sat up.

Then a wave of fatigue crashed over him, making him exhale sharply.

Damn... the Eight Gates backlash is no joke.

Even though the technique granted incredible strength—he had wrecked the two strongest figures in Impel Down with just the Seventh Gate—it had nearly cost him his life.

If he hadn't won Douglas Bullet over at the last second, someone else might've taken advantage of his unconscious state and finished him off.

With that thought, Rikuya got out of bed and opened the door.

As soon as he did, bright sunlight hit his face.

And beyond that—a boundless sea.

"I'm on a ship…?" Rikuya muttered.

"You're awake, Captain Rikuya!"

Standing at the ship's railing was Douglas Bullet himself.

True to his word, not only had he gotten Rikuya out safely, he now addressed him as "Captain".

And that wasn't a title used lightly. Among pirates, to call someone "Captain" meant acknowledging their strength and leadership.

"Where are we?" Rikuya asked, dragging his tired body to Bullet's side.

"Somewhere in the East Blue. I don't know the exact spot—

I'm not familiar with weak places like this.

If it weren't for running into a Marine reinforcement unit right after escaping,

I would've taken you straight to the New World," Bullet explained.

"Marine reinforcements? Who showed up?"

Hearing that piqued Rikuya's interest. He wanted to know how the Marines had responded to the chaos he caused.

"Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Aokiji."

Rikuya's eyes widened at the names.

Garp was the most revered figure in the Navy, known as the "Hero of the Marines." He was also a peer of Roger and Douglas Bullet's era.

Though he only held the rank of Vice Admiral, his influence and strength were unmatched—even Fleet Admiral Sengoku respected him.

Kuzan, known by his codename Aokiji, was a Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit user, an incredibly powerful fighter, and a student of former admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr.

He was one of the Navy's "Three Great Powers."

The fact that both the "Hero" and one of the Navy's top fighters had been dispatched proved how seriously they were treating the threat Rikuya posed.

This was also why Bullet chose to flee instead of fight.

He had just escaped Impel Down and hadn't fully recovered.

Even at full power, he couldn't guarantee a victory against Garp and Kuzan.

So, to avoid danger, he turned tail and sailed toward the East Blue.

Luckily, Garp and the others were more concerned about the chaos in Impel Down.

Pursuing Rikuya at that time would have been too risky.

So Garp ordered a full retreat of all Navy vessels back to Impel Down.

—

Inside the Warden's Office on Level 4 of the Great Undersea Prison.

Garp sat in Magellan's seat, his expression dark and brooding.

Kuzan stood quietly to the side.

Magellan and the other senior staff were all lined up in front of them.

Each of them was wrapped in bandages, with bruises and injuries all over their bodies—a pathetic sight.

As the Chief Warden of Impel Down, Magellan's position was equal to that of a Vice Admiral or even an Admiral,

since Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and Marine Headquarters were all core institutions under the World Government.

So his rank was not low at all.

But after causing a disaster of this scale, he had nothing to say.

And with Garp's strength and influence so legendary—even among the World Government's elite—Magellan, as a junior, had no choice but to show him due respect.

"Have all the Level 6 prisoners been secured?" Garp asked coldly.

"All prisoners have been locked up again.

We're still counting casualties, but aside from some minor characters,

Baskerville Choate has been confirmed killed in Level 6,

while the rest of the infamous pirates are severely injured. Also…"