"Fighting alone... isn't exactly a wise decision."
"Gurgle..." As the low voice sounded unexpectedly, a pool of swamp matter surged up from the floor of the room, coalescing into a humanoid form.
Wilder, sporting an exaggerated smile, looked at the Pirate Empress.
"Hey, hey! Who the hell are you?!" Luffy's head popped out from inside the cloak, which had bulged significantly.
The Pirate Empress maintained her aloof demeanor, her brow furrowed as she stared at Wilder. She remained silent, as she always did in the presence of men other than Luffy; all men were disgusting creatures in her eyes.
"Nyehehehe... I know you, Straw Hat Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wilder."
Wilder offered a friendly smile.
"Ah? Hahaha! So you know me! Geez, you scared me, popping up like that." Luffy scratched his head, looking utterly clueless.
"What's your goal?" The Pirate Empress, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. She wasn't as dense as Luffy; on the contrary, she was a clever woman. Although she didn't know why this man had appeared here or what his identity was, it was clear he had some sort of objective.
And at this moment, it was best to avoid any conflict, if possible. After all, if a fight broke out, Luffy's infiltration of Impel Down would be exposed.
"I mean no harm, nyehehehe... If I'm not mistaken, your goal is Fire Fist Ace, correct? Perhaps I can be of assistance. That is... if you trust me, I would ask the Empress to entrust Luffy-san to me. Your identity isn't exactly suited for a prolonged stay in Impel Down, is it? In that case... it would be best for me to take Luffy-san and infiltrate..."
Wilder's words caused the Empress to fall silent, her brow furrowed. She knew that what this man said was true. She couldn't stay any longer; the deadline for the Marines' mandatory summons was fast approaching. And all she could do from the start was bring Luffy into Impel Down. Originally... she should have left by now. But now this man's appearance...
"Trust me. If Luffy-san were to infiltrate alone, he would quickly be exposed, and it might even cause chaos. In that case, I believe it would have the opposite effect of your initial goal, wouldn't it?"
Wilder continued.
"Oh! I get it! You mean you're going to take me inside to rescue Ace?! That's great! You're a really good guy! Hahaha!" Luffy jumped, grabbing Wilder's hand, his face a mixture of surprise and excitement.
"Luffy..." The Empress's face showed a hint of panic. She wanted to stop him, but their objective was clearly exposed, so she remained silent, her eyes filled with contemplation.
"Yes, Luffy-san," Wilder replied with a gentle smile, subtly withdrawing his hand. He turned to face the Pirate Empress.
It was clear that Wilder had not yet reached a level where he could completely disregard the most beautiful woman in the world. In fact, suppressing the turmoil within him was no easy feat.
"So, has the Empress made her decision?"
"I don't know how you seem to know everything, but the fact is, as you said, I don't have time to accompany Luffy to rescue his brother. Ah! If we marry, I'll have to call Ace 'brother' just like Luffy, right?! So... whatever scheme you're hatching, if you dare to harm Luffy, I will never forgive you!" The Pirate Empress said, striking her classic condescending pose, tilting her head back and pointing at Wilder! Her Haki was overflowing!
"Nyehehehe... Of course. I wouldn't want to offend the Empress," Wilder said with a low chuckle.
After speaking, Wilder turned to face Luffy.
"Then, Luffy-san, I will now use my ability to conceal you within my body. Please do not resist."
After nearly four years of developing and utilizing his Swamp-Swamp Fruit abilities, Wilder had achieved some changes that were not present initially. For example, the characteristic of containment: Wilder could now conceal animals within his body without suffocating them, a feat similar to the original user in the canon. Wilder didn't understand the exact principle, but the drawback was obvious: if he took a hit, his body would lose its cohesion, and anything hidden inside would be "spat" out. Furthermore, the more he hid, the harder it was to maintain his body's integrity, and his movements would be restricted.
...
"Luffy, be careful," Boa Hancock said, looking with concern and reluctance at Luffy, whose head was peeking out from Wilder's chest.
"Shishishi... Don't worry, Hancock. This old guy's ability is really awesome!"
With a slight nod, the Empress glanced at Wilder: "I'm going to deactivate my ability."
"Understood, nyehehehe..." Wilder chuckled, his body shrinking. Luffy's head was swallowed up, and then, he transformed into a puddle of swamp matter, slithering along the edge of the wall and disappearing from the room in the blink of an eye.
"Buzz...!" An invisible wave spread, and the petrified creatures in the room regained their mobility.
"?" Domino shook her head, feeling that something was off, but she didn't dwell on it and prepared to search the Empress's body.
"Never mind, I'm going back."
The Empress regained her aloof demeanor and turned to leave.
"Huh?"
...
"Gurgle..." After enveloping Luffy in his body, Wilder didn't go anywhere else. He headed straight for the entrance to Newkama Land.
Yes, he intended to minimize the deviations from the original story. At least, until those people arrived, he couldn't let Impel Down descend into chaos so quickly. Wilder knew just how terrifying Magellan's power was. If he followed the original story, Luffy and his group might still be able to escape Impel Down eventually, but that wouldn't be the case for Wilder. He needed to remain hidden. Premature chaos would be detrimental to him, as it would inevitably force Magellan... to order him to suppress the Straw Hats.
And then he would be faced with either accepting the order or continuing to hide. The consequence of hiding would be that Magellan would have ample time and space to deal with him.
Perhaps he had the means to remain hidden, but that would ultimately be less secure than his plan. Everything would be filled with uncertainty.
Therefore... escaping Impel Down amidst the chaos, while Magellan was preoccupied, was the best and most effortless method.
And Luffy alone couldn't achieve that. To keep Magellan occupied, those people were indispensable.
Letting Luffy directly enter Newkama Land and meet Ivankov would not only shorten the time spent on that journey but also delay the outbreak of chaos.
When everyone's attention was focused on the Straw Hats and that group, that's when Wilder would sneak out of Impel Down.
The warship those people arrived on was the key to his escape. Otherwise, with Wilder's current abilities, he would have fled Impel Down long ago if it weren't for the sea blocking his path.
Without that group's warship, all the chaos would be irrelevant to him. Rather than saying he was waiting for Straw Hat, it would be more accurate to say he was waiting for that group—Blackbeard and his crew!
...
After sending Straw Hat to Level 5.5, Wilder hid himself on the top level of Impel Down, which was located above the sea.
At the same time, Eigg, Vice, Yves, Claire, and a few selected subordinates from Level 5, including "Treasure-kun" Bacon, had already been brought out in three separate trips using Wilder's ability. The group was hidden in a loft created by Wilder.
At this point... all Wilder had to do was wait. Wait for Blackbeard and his crew to arrive.
As for whether his interference would ultimately prevent the Straw Hats from escaping Impel Down, what did that have to do with Wilder?
Nyehehehe...
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