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

Redfield's figure was like a red phantom, rapidly flying upwards through the violently shaking and collapsing tunnels of Impel Down.

His powerful Observation Haki, strong enough to see into people's hearts, was like an invisible giant net, always covering a large area around him, both to track the presence of Giringom Saint and Barrett, and to guard against possible ambushes.

Amidst this chaotic situation, Redfield's precise, instrument-like perception keenly detected a discordant element. He frowned slightly, his consciousness rapidly scanning the turbulent crowd.

"When did that fishman Arlong's presence completely disappear?"

He recalled that when he confronted Doma on the fourth floor, he seemed to vaguely sense the relatively weak fishman hiding at the end of the group.

But after Doma's strange ice mist ability disappeared, Arlong's aura vanished as if evaporated from the face of the earth.

A fish-man with a bounty of only 2000 million Berries, practically a weakling in Level 6, was able to disappear silently in this chaos. The only explanation is that he was deliberately taken away by Doma, or rather, by the Jashin Cult.

This discovery was like a tiny thorn piercing Redfield's heart. The cult's methods were mysterious and unpredictable, and every action they took might conceal a deep and dark conspiracy.

Ah Long's disappearance may cause unpredictable waves in the future.

But Redfield had no time to delve into the details. Above him lay the imminent battle for freedom, and beneath his feet stretched a sea of ​​poison that was spreading ever onward. He had to concentrate all his energy on dealing with the life-or-death crisis before him.

"Alright, I'll leave this matter for now," Redfield said, temporarily sealing away his doubts about Aaron and the cult. His immediate priority was to leave this dangerous place.

The instant this thought arose, another, even stronger and more dangerous thought, like a giant beast in deep water, irresistibly surfaced in his mind—to regain his youth!

Doma's seductive words, like the whispers of a devil, echoed in his ears once more, and Redfield instinctively clenched his old, wrinkled fist.

He could clearly sense that this body, which had once been comparable to Pirate King Roger and Whitebeard, was now irreversibly declining.

His power was waning, his reactions were slowing, and that feeling of absolute dominance and looking down upon the world was gradually fading away from him.

He didn't want to end up like those remnants of the old era, becoming mere background figures in the new era, fading into oblivion amidst resentment and loneliness. Redfield had always been a loner, and he wanted to achieve something.

The first to appear outside Impel Down was none other than the Knights of God—Girlingam Saint.

At this moment, he has already revealed his form after awakening his Zoan-type Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit—a humanoid Kirin form.

His figure appeared even taller and slender, exuding an inhuman elegance and majesty. A single, powerful horn adorned his head, and his wild, long hair flowed like a lion's mane, covering a slightly winding, flexible neck, much like a snake's.

He was still wearing that magnificent military uniform that symbolized his status and power: a dark, high-necked, button-down trench coat that reached the top of his boots, paired with light-colored long gloves, an exquisite bow tie, and a cape adorned with ornate epaulettes.

Like the world's nobles, he wore a resin bubble hood and a breathing mask-like device covering his mouth and nose, maintaining the Celestial Dragons' signature posture of being isolated from the mundane world, truly aloof and superior.

He was dragging a thick chain in his hand, the other end of which contained sea stone, which firmly bound a giant man named Douglas Barrett, who was covered in blood, his breath was weak to the point of collapse, but his eyes were still as fierce as those of a wounded beast.

Clearly, he suffered harsh treatment during his imprisonment and transfers, and Barrett is already very lucky to be able to breathe.

As soon as Qilingom Saint appeared, before he could even catch his breath, he was stunned by the hellish scene before him.

The sea surrounding Impel Down had transformed into a boundless, bubbling sea of ​​dark red venom.

Amidst the towering waves of poison, a colossal skeletal monster, hundreds of meters tall and formed from endless venom, roared silently to the heavens.

"Has Magellan gone completely insane?!"

Kiringom Saint's voice, tinged with disbelief and rage, came through his breathing mask. He immediately activated his Observation Haki to probe the venomous monster, but could not sense any human presence belonging to Magellan. There was only a pure, potent poison that seemed intent on annihilating everything.

“He has been possessed by the Poison-Poison Fruit,” Saint Kiringom instantly judged, his heart sinking.

This means the situation is completely out of control. Magellan is not only gone, but has become a source of indiscriminate destruction. The special sea areas in this region will be affected, and Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and Marineford will all face the fate of being surrounded by a poisonous sea.

Before he could even think of a solution, the pursuers were closing in from behind. "Leave Barrett here!"

"You damned Celestial Dragon, don't even think about running away!"

Hundreds of black sperm cells, with their small and agile bodies, were seen leaping wildly off the undulating buildings like black fleas, and had already rushed behind him.

The few split entities charging at the forefront had their tiny black hands almost touching the hem of Qilingom's cloak, and were even about to grab his 'tail' in his Qilin form.

With an ever-expanding sea of ​​poison ahead, a world-destroying poison monster taking shape, and relentless pursuers behind, the situation of the Holy Knight of Qilingom instantly became precarious.

At this moment, he had no intention of using his abilities to fight back; his only thought was to escape at all costs, as a noble Celestial Dragon.

The lives of the Knights of God are a million times more important than these lowly people and this dilapidated prison. Participating in this operation was already a terrible mistake. If they were to lose their lives here, that would be the greatest joke and disgrace.

The reason he was willing to risk his life to bring Barrett back was so that he could atone for his crimes and avoid more severe punishment when he returned to Mary Geoise, but all of this depended on him getting back alive.

A massive, destructive, and malevolent dragon's might descended from the sky like a towering mountain, locking onto Saint Qilingom.

Chiringom Saint froze, and with difficulty, slowly raised his head.

In the dark, cloud-covered sky, a colossal black dragon hovered silently. Acnologia was watching the Holy Trinity of Chiringom; survival would not be as easy as he had imagined.

At this moment, Saint Qilingom, the once aloof knight of the gods, truly felt what it meant to be in a hopeless situation with nowhere to turn. How could he possibly survive?!