"Do you want to live or die?"
A terrifying soul specter rose behind Lucien, overflowing with malice and dread. Its twisted face bared fangs and claws as it stared down the Jailer Beasts, the cow, koala, rhino, and zebra jailers gripping their spiked clubs with shaking hands.
These Jailer Beasts were far from weak.
Each of them was an awakened Zoan Devil Fruit user, monsters known for absurd vitality, terrifying physical strength, and near-instant recovery. In battle, they were notoriously difficult to kill, like relentless cockroaches that refused to stay down.
Even so, before this presence, they were powerless.
"Moo…"
Several of the awakened Jailer Beasts had their legs give out completely. They collapsed onto the ground, trembling uncontrollably, eyes filled with raw fear.
It was impossible to tell whether they were frightened by Big Mom's grotesque appearance or by the soul specter looming behind her.
"Stay… or life."
Lucien's massive hand, wrapped in dense soul power, reached forward and grasped at the terrified jailers. Their screams were cut short as fragments of their souls were forcibly torn from their bodies and gathered into his palm. Without hesitation, he casually tossed them toward Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon.
The three homies eagerly devoured the souls.
Their earlier vicious expressions melted away, replaced with satisfied and almost childlike smiles.
As Big Mom's highest-ranking homies, Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon could directly strengthen themselves by consuming souls.
"Down."
With the surrounding jailers dealt with, the group entered the elevator and descended toward the Third Floor.
By the time they arrived, the Third Floor was already drowning in chaos. Waves of criminals surged through the corridors, clashing violently with guards and other escapees.
"Damn it, how did this happen?!"
Crocodile hovered in mid-air, staring at Lucien and his group stepping out of the elevator. Disbelief twisted his face.
"Why is Big Mom here?!"
"And she brought the Sweet Commanders too?!"
"No way… no way…"
"That's one of the Four Emperors!"
"I'm not hallucinating, right? Big Mom is really here!"
The pirates who understood what the Four Emperors represented were completely shaken.
This was a ruler of the New World, a monster who stood at the peak of the seas.
And now she had appeared inside Impel Down.
What kind of nightmare was this?
"It's over… even a Four Emperors showed up."
Buggy clutched his head as he hid among the crowd, cold sweat pouring down his face while he stared at Lucien's massive figure.
"Mr. 0."
As Crocodile paused, Daz Bones and the others caught up to him.
"You're still alive."
Crocodile glanced at them, genuine surprise flickering across his expression.
"What do we do now? I never imagined Big Mom would appear here."
"Mamamama…"
Lucien's attention shifted toward Crocodile's group. They stood out far too much to be ignored.
"Napoleon."
Napoleon transformed atop his head, reshaping into a massive blade. Lucien gripped the sword firmly, Armament Haki coating its surface as he raised it high.
"Elbaf's Spear, Ikoku."
He swung.
A colossal slash of sword energy ripped forward like a roaring tide. The ground split open wherever it passed, carving a long, ruined path through Impel Down. Jailers and pirate thugs caught in its trajectory were erased instantly, their bodies shattered into blood and fragments.
"Damn it!"
Crocodile's expression changed drastically. He had never expected Big Mom to attack him directly, without warning or reason.
"Help!"
Behind him, Daz Bones and the others were frozen in terror. Even Buggy, farther away, felt his scalp go numb as he watched the monstrous slash approach.
"Desert La Goutte!"
Crocodile spun both hands, forcing the ground around him to rapidly desertify. Sand surged upward, forming a violent storm that rushed forward to meet the slash.
Impel Down trembled violently.
The sandstorm held for only a few seconds before being split apart and annihilated.
A thunderous explosion followed. The force of the clash tore through multiple levels, breaching both the Second Floor and the Fourth Floor at once.
Crocodile reformed his body thirty meters away, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Mamamamama…"
Laughing, Lucien stepped onto Zeus. Prometheus burned fiercely atop his head as he brandished Napoleon and surged forward.
Behind him, Katakuri, Cracker, Smoothie, Oven, and the others vanished in flashes of motion, overwhelming Daz Bones and the rest with crushing pressure.
"Emperor Sword, Cognac."
Flames coiled tightly around Napoleon as Lucien descended from above, bringing the blade down with terrifying force.
The air itself screamed under the pressure.
"Desert Spada!"
A chill ran through Crocodile's spine. He condensed his Suna Suna no Mi ability into a massive sand-forged blade and collided with Napoleon head-on.
He endured for barely two breaths.
Crocodile dropped to one knee.
"Big Mom! I never offended you, did I?!"
Blood poured from his mouth as he shouted, his face contorted with pain and fury.
"Thunderbolt."
Lucien did not answer.
His left hand, wrapped in blazing fire and crackling lightning, all reinforced with Armament Haki, slammed downward.
"You damn old hag…"
"This is insane…"
"Desert La Goutte, Heavy!"
Crocodile desperately formed another sandstorm in his palm, bracing himself with everything he had.
Crack.
The sound of bones breaking echoed loudly.
"Pfft!"
Crocodile vomited blood as his body was blasted straight through the floor. He crashed violently into the Fourth Floor below, smoke rising along with the stench of scorched flesh.
Magellan and Blackbeard, locked in battle not far away, both turned toward the massive disturbance.
It was impossible to ignore.
"Crocodile…"
As the dust settled, Blackbeard narrowed his eyes.
Then Lucien descended atop Zeus.
The moment both Magellan and Blackbeard saw him clearly, disbelief and horror filled their faces.
"Big Mom?!"
"You've got to be kidding… why is Big Mom here?!"
A cold chill ran down Lafitte's spine. This situation had gone completely off script.
"Big Mom is here, which means…"
Through the massive hole, more figures descended one after another.
"Sweet Commanders, Katakuri, Cracker, Smoothie, Snack."
"And Charlotte Daifuku, Oven…"
"Captain, we should retreat."
Lafitte spoke urgently, a sense of dread tightening his chest.
"Zehahaha…"
Blackbeard laughed, but his expression was grim.
Big Mom's appearance was something he had never anticipated. Kaido, Shanks, even the Revolutionary Army would have made more sense. But Big Mom was the least likely to intervene.
Worse still, she had come fully prepared.
This was no coincidence.
But what in Impel Down could possibly warrant such a grand move?
"Mom… Mom…"
Lucien's gaze locked onto Blackbeard. Beneath the heavy makeup, his smile was dangerous and cold.
"Erosion Cycle!"
Crocodile roared from below, blood covering his face. His right hand plunged into the ground as everything around him rapidly desertified. Prison walls, iron bars, pirate bodies, all were drained of moisture and reduced to dried husks.
Half of Blazing Hell turned into a cracked wasteland in an instant.
Magellan and Blackbeard narrowly avoided the effect.
"Big Mom, die here!"
Crocodile's eyes were icy as he stared at Lucien, filled with killing intent.
"Tenfold Desert La Goutte!"
His black coat whipped violently as ten enormous sandstorms rose, growing until they connected heaven and earth. They swept through Blazing Hell indiscriminately, crushing everything in their path.
The Third, Second, and First Floors were torn open one after another. Impel Down's walls began to crack and desertify rapidly.
"Bastard, are you trying to kill us all?!"
Blackbeard shouted as he stared at the collapsing prison in horror.
Impel Down sat in the Calm Belt. Outside was endless seawater and Sea Kings. If the prison fell apart, everyone here would die.
"You lunatic!"
"Stop him!"
All eyes turned toward the raging sandstorms.
If they were not destroyed, there would be no escape for anyone.
===
Just finished a Presentation, and I low-keyinely think I flopped it 😭