One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

"I'll cause a commotion when I reach Level 5. Once that happens, you go and release all the prisoners on the upper floors," Kai explained. "The more chaos, the easier it'll be for us to escape. You know how this works. Even if I free you now, you won't get far without some external help."

"Yeah... got it," Buggy nodded, his expression thoughtful.

Of course, he understood. Escaping from Impel Down with just a handful of people would be nearly impossible. But if all the prisoners were set loose... that was a different story.

"But how will I know when you're causing the commotion?" Buggy asked, curious. The distance between Level 5 and Level 1 was massive. Normally, even if Level 5 was being torn apart, Level 1 wouldn't feel a thing.

"You'll know when the time comes," Kai said with a smirk.

"Alright, let me get those cuffs off you first."

Kai placed his hand on Buggy's Seastone handcuffs, and with a focused expression, the cuffs crumbled into pieces right before Buggy's disbelieving eyes.

"You... you... you..." Buggy stammered, completely stunned.

These were Seastone cuffs! Harder than steel! And wasn't Kai a Devil Fruit user? How could he touch Seastone without being affected? This made no sense!

But Buggy quickly pushed those thoughts aside. Looking at his now-free hands, he couldn't help but tear up. If they weren't in such a dangerous place, he might've burst into song.

Once he recovered, Buggy looked at Kai with a mix of fear and awe. Even though he wasn't the strongest, he knew enough to recognize that Kai's ability to shatter Seastone with his bare hands meant his Armament Haki was on an entirely different level.

Thankfully, they weren't enemies. At least not right now.

Kai then walked over to the cell bars, placed his hands on two of them, and after a moment, stepped back. "I've weakened these bars. When the time comes, just give them a little push, and they'll break. But if you get caught before the chaos starts, I won't come back for you. Got it?"

"Got it!" Buggy nodded furiously, like a chicken pecking at grain.

He was nothing if not self-aware. He knew his limits, and that's what made him so cautious. There was no way he'd risk running out prematurely. Why would he go out just to get caught again?

"Good. Remember what you promised me. I'm heading out now," Kai said, transforming back into a mosquito and flying away.

(#°Д°)!

Even though it was the second time he'd seen it, Buggy was still shocked. One moment, Kai was there, and the next, he was gone. It was like some kind of supernatural event!

——

After some time~

Kai, still in his mosquito form, finally reached Level 5: Freezing Hell. Recalling the information Dragon had given him, he adjusted his course and continued flying.

Soon, he sensed a familiar presence. A grin spread across the mosquito's face as he flew toward a specific cell.

Meanwhile, inside that cell...

"Usopp, when do you think Kai will come to save us?" Chopper asked weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know! He's probably recovering somewhere. But once he's better, he'll definitely come for us!" Usopp replied with unwavering confidence.

"That's right. It won't be long now. Kai will come," Nami added, her voice firm.

None of them believed the World Government's claims that Kai was dead. They knew better. Kai was too strong to be taken down so easily. Sure, he might've been seriously injured, but he'd definitely escaped. That was the kind of person Kai was.

Even though they were locked up, none of them were panicking. They had complete faith in Kai.

"Mr. Kai is incredibly powerful. I'm sure he'll come for us," Brook chimed in, his skeletal face somehow managing to convey optimism.

Usopp sighed. "But why did the Marines go so crazy? Sending out so many troops just to capture us? It's insane! We were surrounded by over a dozen warships the moment we got back! And the people who arrested us were all high-ranking Marines. What did we do to deserve this?"

He was frustrated. He was just a sniper with a bounty in the tens of millions. Why were they treating him like some kind of major threat?

"But we're lucky. Kai was facing multiple Admiral-level fighters at once, and he still managed to escape. Next time, I'll have to ask him for some tips on how to run away," Usopp muttered.

"Really? You can ask, but it'll cost you," a familiar voice said.

The four of them froze, then jumped to their feet in excitement. Standing before them was Kai.

"Kai!" they shouted in unison.

Kai smiled. "I'm here, everyone."

Before he could say more, Nami rushed forward and hugged him tightly. "I knew you'd come!"

"Of course I would," Kai said, returning the smile.

He glanced at the others, noticing their injuries. "How are your wounds?"

"They're fine. Just leftovers from the battle with the Marines. If it weren't for these Seastone cuffs, my White Tiger Fruit would've healed me by now," Usopp grumbled.

Ever since he'd eaten the White Tiger Fruit, he'd felt his strength growing every day. He'd been eager to show off in their next fight, but instead, they'd been ambushed by a force way out of their league.

Kai chuckled at Usopp's complaints, then turned serious. "Don't worry. I'll get these Seastone cuffs off you now."

With that, Kai repeated the process, breaking the Seastone cuffs on each of them.

----------------------

USSOP THE WHITE TIGER

i wanna see ussop fight admirals ngl.