One Piece: Starting by Signing In with Naruto Character Cards

"Ah!"

A wave of sharp pain instantly shot through Qin Chuan's brain, forcing him to clutch his head and collapse onto the floor.

Across from him, Douglas Bullet was equally shocked.

Just moments ago, Qin Chuan had been in a terrifying combat state, but now, in the blink of an eye, he looked completely drained.

"Qin Chuan, are you alright?"

"Hmph—I'm fine. Just some aftereffects from intense fighting… I just need to rest for a bit, that's all."

While speaking, Qin Chuan gritted his teeth against the pain and tossed the keyring to Douglas Bullet.

In truth, Qin Chuan was currently incredibly fragile. Any random pirate could easily kill him at this point.

But even now, he chose to place his trust in Douglas Bullet, mainly because the man had been a crew member of Roger's Pirate Crew.

Men like that had their own code of honor. Once they gave their word, they would never go back on it. That's why Qin Chuan wasn't too worried about betrayal.

As expected, after Bullet caught the keyring, the first thing he did was unlock his shackles, then threw his head back and let out a deafening roar, venting years of pent-up rage.

Next, he strode over to Qin Chuan, grabbed him by the arm, and hoisted him onto his back.

"That's enough. You don't need to worry about anything else—just rest. I'll get you out of Impel Down."

Douglas Bullet said it flatly, like it was only natural.

And whether it was because Bullet gave him such a sense of security, or just because he was too exhausted to resist, Qin Chuan completely blacked out without replying.

He didn't know how long he slept before he finally slowly opened his eyes.

He found himself lying on a soft bed in a cramped cabin. Sitting up quickly, an intense wave of fatigue hit him, making him exhale heavily.

Damn it, the aftereffects of the Eight Inner Gates are brutal. Sure, it gave him immense power—enough that even just the Seventh Gate allowed him to crush Impel Down's two top fighters—but it almost cost him his life in the process.

If I hadn't won over Douglas Bullet at the last second, I probably would've been killed the moment I passed out.

Thinking of that, Qin Chuan climbed out of bed and pushed open the door.

As soon as the door swung open, blazing sunlight struck his face.

Beyond, stretched an endless expanse of ocean.

"…Am I on a ship?" Qin Chuan muttered to himself.

"You're awake, Captain Qin Chuan."

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

True to his word, not only had Bullet rescued him, but he even addressed him as "Captain."

This was no empty title—among pirates, calling someone "Captain" meant recognizing their strength and authority.

"Where are we?" Qin Chuan asked, dragging his exhausted body over to Bullet's side.

"Somewhere in the East Blue. Don't ask me for specifics—I'm not familiar with weak places like this."

"If we hadn't run into Marine reinforcements right after escaping, I would've taken you straight to the New World."

Douglas Bullet explained this casually.

"Marine reinforcements? Who came?"

Hearing that, Qin Chuan's interest was immediately piqued. He really wanted to know how the Marines reacted to the chaos he caused.

"Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Aokiji."

Just hearing those two names made Qin Chuan's heart skip a beat.

Garp was a living legend within the Marines, holding the title of "Hero of the Marines." He was from Roger's era, the very same as Bullet.

Even though his official rank was only Vice Admiral, his actual authority and combat strength were unmatched—even Fleet Admiral Sengoku deferred to him at times.

As for Aokiji, also known by his epithet "Blue Pheasant," he was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user of the Ice-Ice Fruit, a monstrous power. As one of the Navy's "Three Great Powers," he stood at the absolute pinnacle of Marine strength.

It was no wonder they would send such a terrifying force after Qin Chuan, given the chaos he'd caused in Impel Down.

And this also explained why Douglas Bullet had chosen to retreat after encountering the Marine forces.

After all, he had just escaped Impel Down, his full strength not yet restored, and facing the combined might of Garp and Aokiji would've been suicide—even going all out, he wouldn't have stood a chance against both of them together.

So, to avoid disaster, Bullet had decisively turned the ship and fled to the East Blue.

Luckily for them, Garp had decided not to pursue.

Garp had realized that chasing them would have been a mistake—Impel Down was in chaos, and containing the riot was the greater priority. So at the last moment, he ordered all Marine ships to return to the prison, abandoning the pursuit of Qin Chuan.

Meanwhile, deep within the fourth floor of Impel Down, inside the Warden's Office—

Garp sat grim-faced in Magellan's chair, while Aokiji stood silently off to the side.

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

Their bodies were covered in bandages, bruises all over, looking utterly miserable.

By rights, Magellan's rank and position were equal to that of a Vice Admiral or even higher, given that Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and Marineford were the three great branches of the World Government's justice system.

As the Chief Warden of Impel Down, Magellan's authority was formidable.

But now… after causing such a disaster, what could he say?

Especially with Garp standing there. Garp's reputation and power were unmatched, his influence within the World Government enormous. Even Sengoku often bent to his will.

Magellan, as a "junior" in both rank and age, could only bow his head in deference.

"Have all the prisoners from Level Six been secured?" Garp asked gravely.

"All secured. Casualties are still being tallied… Aside from minor figures, the worst is that Basco Shot from Level Six… he's been confirmed dead. Many of the other major pirates have also been severely injured. In addition…"

In collection