The pirates sat and forgot, and they really believed the nine truths and one lie.

The black sperm had now merged back into one entity, riding on Pochi's broad back like a king surveying his territory.

Meanwhile, the lone Red Redfield, with his still agile skills, followed closely by Poch, and together with this torrent of thugs, broke through the defenses between the fifth and fourth levels with unstoppable momentum, officially stepping into LEVEL 4, the scorching hell.

Unlike the extreme environments of the lower levels, the fourth level, while still unbearably hot, bears the marks of the prison's administrative functions.

“The fourth floor is less a prison for prisoners and more the lair of these guards,” Redfield said, scanning his surroundings with sharp eyes as he ran.

Careful observation of both sides of the corridor reveals doors labeled with names such as "Restroom," "Director's Office," "Archives," "Monitoring Center," and "Weapons Storage."

This is the nerve center and logistical heart of Impel Down. If it is completely destroyed, the entire prison system will be paralyzed, and reconstruction will be extremely difficult.

Black Sperm leaned down and asked Redfield, "What do you see the Knights of God look like and what abilities they have in that bastard Shiliu's memories?"

Redfield shook his head helplessly, a hint of solemnity on his thin face: "When Shiliu saw that person, the other party was wearing a thick black robe, and his specific appearance and abilities were unknown."

If they could access Magellan's memories, they might know more. Magellan is currently being held back by another member of the Clown Pirates. For this escape team, it's already a great blessing that they haven't been poisoned by the warden.

"Hmph, sending only one Divine Knight to defend, the Celestial Dragons are really arrogant," Black Sperm curled his lip in disdain, the image of those fat-headed Celestial Dragons flashing through his mind. Black Sperm could handle a mere Divine Knight himself, and it would be a good treat for Pochi.

Redfield suddenly stopped in his tracks. His Observation Haki, far surpassing that of everyone else present, was like the most sophisticated radar in the world, and he had already detected the unusual aura coming from the passage ahead.

He raised his withered hand, signaling the group to slow down, his voice low and serious: "I'm afraid it's not as simple as you think. Be prepared, there will be more than one aura ahead!"

Impel Down's fourth level, the Scorching Hell, is unlike the more complex prison levels below it; this level is exceptionally open and deadly.

The central area of ​​the entire level is not solid ground, but a huge iron pot that stretches to the horizon, like a furnace.

Inside the iron pot, scalding magma flowed slowly like blood, occasionally spewing up huge bubbles that burst open, emitting intense heat waves that could burn the respiratory tract, along with a pungent sulfur smell. The entire space was bathed in a dark red glow from this hellfire, and the air was filled with suffocating hot steam.

The escape team, who had just rushed down from the relatively cold fifth floor, suddenly felt as if they had fallen into a lava inferno, and everyone was sweating profusely and struggling to breathe.

Those prisoners who lost their shoes in the chaos, or who were already barefoot, were scalded by the burning ground, their mouths agape and their screams echoing, each step feeling like dancing on a knife's edge.

"Damn it... this place is even hotter than I heard!"

"Quickly, find a way out, get out of here..."

Just as the army was struggling to move forward along the narrow passage at the edge of the iron pot, Redfield, who was at the very front of the group, suddenly detected an extremely subtle energy fluctuation with his incredibly powerful Observation Haki, which originated from the boiling sea of ​​magma below.

"Something's wrong! Everyone retreat quickly!"

Redfield's expression changed drastically. He let out a deafening roar with all his might, and at the same time, his entire body was instantly covered with jet-black Armament Haki.

However, the warning came too late!

Below, the previously flowing, scorching magma seemed to suddenly come alive. The surface of the magma boiled and bulged violently, and to everyone's horrified gaze, one after another, fire birds made entirely of orange-red magma soared into the sky from the sea of ​​magma with shrill cries.

These lava firebirds were very small, dripping deadly lava from their bodies. Like vengeful messengers flying out of the abyss of hell, they densely filled the fourth layer of the sky in the blink of an eye, their numbers almost obscuring the view.

"What...what kind of monster is that?!"

"A firebird flew out of the magma?"

Before the escaped army could react, hundreds of magma firebirds let out piercing shrieks and, like a swarm of bees launching a suicidal attack, swooped down on the dense crowd below.

The tragedy occurred in an instant. Once the magma firebird hit its target, it would immediately explode with a deafening roar, and the high-temperature magma would scatter like maggots clinging to a bone.

The prisoner who was hit directly was instantly set ablaze before he could even scream, turning into a wildly dancing fireman.

In their extreme agony, these fiery figures will instinctively lunge at those around them, spreading the hellfire like a plague.

The crackling of burning, the piercing screams that became distorted, and the stench of burning flesh instantly filled the entire fourth level. The once-mighty army of escapees was plunged into a hellish chaos and slaughter in an instant.

Redfield's fists, covered in advanced Armament Haki, swung out like heavy cannons, blasting the swooping magma firebirds into a shower of fire in mid-air.

He was filled with doubt and surprise. Could it be Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit? Logically speaking, it was impossible. Sakazuki should be fighting fiercely in Marineford right now and there was no way he could be here. Whose Devil Fruit power was this?

On the other side, Pochi's massive body became a conspicuous target, with several lava firebirds crashing into its thick fur, instantly igniting its feathers.

The black sperm immediately jumped off its back. Pochi's massive body quickly shrank to reduce the area to be attacked, and then rolled frantically on the ground in a sorry state, trying to extinguish the flames on its body.

"It's a dream, this must be a dream..." A prisoner engulfed in flames uttered these desperate words before turning to ashes.

These mad words spoken before his death struck the black sperm like a bolt of lightning: "Dreams...turn the monsters in dreams into reality?"

Black Sperm's beady eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce light. He immediately remembered Redfield's previous warning about the unknown abilities of the Knights of God, as well as the legends about the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit abilities.

"I understand now. It's that cowardly knight of gods. His ability is to manipulate dreams and project them into reality. These firebirds are the product of his nightmares!"

He yelled at Redfield, who was struggling, and those around him who were still fighting: "Ordinary attacks are useless. These things are products of dreams. As long as that ability user is still dreaming, these things will keep coming. We must find his real body and wake up that bastard!"

He must be in Impel Down. Given his ability to turn dreams into reality, the distance between a power user and the product of a dream must not be too far.