Outside Impel Down, more than a dozen massive warships surrounded the enormous prison. Inside a makeshift loft on the top level, a group of ten people waited silently for something.
Wilder stood at the forefront, observing the distant sea through a narrow gap.
"Boss, how much longer do we have to wait?! I say we just grab one of these ships around here; there are plenty. Why are we waiting for some specific people?"
The speaker was Bacon, the man who had nearly died at Wilder's hands. He had survived because he knew the location of the treasure and was very cooperative.
Initially, Wilder had only planned to release or kill him after finding the treasure. But the guy was surprisingly clever, immediately addressing Wilder as "Boss."
And Wilder had always shown favor to intelligent people. Giving him a chance wouldn't hurt. Most importantly, the guy was also a Devil Fruit user, albeit just a Zoan type.
"Nyehehehe... Don't provoke a beast when it's at its most energetic. Impel Down is that beast. So... we can only wait for more beasts or prey to distract it before we have a chance to escape."
"These warships... each one has dozens, even hundreds, of Marines on board. If you want to die, the outside world is a much more exciting place for it. There's no need to choose this place."
Time always seemed to pass slowly when waiting. Wilder and his group had been hiding in the loft for two hours, until... the blurry outline of a warship appeared in the distance.
"Is that the ship, Boss?"
There were ten gaps in the loft's walls, all created by Wilder, so everyone could observe the situation outside.
"Nyehehehe... Who knows," Wilder said nonchalantly, though his voice betrayed a hint of excitement.
The ship drew closer and closer. Gradually, they could make out its appearance: it was a Marine battleship.
"Have they finally come...?" Wilder's lips curved downward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the outside.
The warship slowly approached the docking point, and a wooden gangway was lowered from the ship, connecting it to the dock.
"Hey, hey... You've got to be kidding me? How can he be here?!"
On the warships surrounding Impel Down, the Marines had also spotted the approaching ship. One Marine's eyes widened in alarm, his face turning pale.
"Please wait! We need to contact headquarters for confirmation!"
"Check the inside of that warship!" Sweat dripped down the Marine's face as he nervously issued orders.
"Creak..." The wooden gangway connecting the dock and the warship shifted slightly. The people on the ship paid no attention to the Marines on the surrounding warships; one foot was already stepping onto the gangway.
One by one, a group of people disembarked from the ship and headed towards the gates of Impel Down.
"Please wait a moment! We're trying to contact headquarters!" The two guards stationed at the gate were drenched in cold sweat, waving their hands in an attempt to stop the group, but unsure of what stance or authority to use.
"This will make things difficult for us..."
"It's alright~ Aren't we comrades?" the leader of the group that had disembarked from the warship said. The group simply walked past the two guards.
"No! Ah... In any case, pirates aren't allowed in here...!" The guard, now behind the approaching group, gritted his teeth and said.
But just then, his expression changed, showing a hint of bewilderment.
"Whoosh..."
A silent darkness spread to his feet, and instantly! A terrifying suction force emanated from the darkness!
His feet began to sink.
"What is this?!"
"Ah!"
Two terrified screams were quickly swallowed by the darkness.
The darkness continued to spread, reaching the iron gate in the blink of an eye, then vanishing with a flash.
"Boom!"
The iron gate shattered into dozens of pieces, collapsing inward.
The group walked through the gate unimpeded.
Wilder watched this scene unfold silently, his expression unchanged.
The Marines stationed at Impel Down were stunned for a moment, a chill running through them.
Something big was happening!
Soon, a portion of the Marines followed them into Impel Down.
In the loft, Wilder watched this unfold without any change in expression. It wasn't until about two warships' worth of Marines had entered Impel Down that the swamp matter on Wilder's body surged out wildly.
"Let's go."
...
Impel Down was now in a state of utter chaos. Blackbeard and his crew were heading straight for Level Six, destroying everything and everyone that stood in their way. They were unstoppable, like a raging torrent.
Meanwhile, on Level Six, another group was also making their move. In contrast to Blackbeard's crew, their goal was to escape Impel Down.
This group was none other than Straw Hat Luffy and Ivankov's group. After learning from Level Six that Fire Fist Ace had already been transferred to Marine Headquarters for execution, their objective changed. They freed Crocodile and Jinbe, who were also imprisoned on Level Six, and formed a powerful team, starting their ascent to the upper levels.
Perhaps some things were truly fated. Magellan was currently in the restroom, just like in the original story, and was unable to immediately suppress these pirates.
The battle quickly erupted. Jailer Chief Sadi led the Jailer Beasts and jailers to intercept the Straw Hats.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard's group encountered no resistance, making their way to Level Six.
Time ticked by, second by second...
"Boom!" A terrifying sound echoed from within Impel Down. Wilder's gaze sharpened, turning towards the direction of the prison's gates.
Wilder's group had already successfully seized a warship. Some of the Marines on board had been eliminated, while the rest were under control. Fortunately, everything had been accomplished through a swift surprise attack, and the warships were not too close together, so they hadn't been discovered.
The reason for keeping some of the Marines alive was for camouflage. Wilder wouldn't waste his efforts cultivating a group of useless subordinates. These Marines were controlled by the Devil Fruit ability of one of his men, unable to move or speak.
It was a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit called the Wooden Man Fruit, a very terrifying ability, but with a fatal flaw: it could only be used when the user's back was turned to the enemy. Then, after chanting an incantation, the user turned to face the enemy. If the enemy was within clear sight, they would be rendered unable to move or speak. At the same time, the user themselves could not leave their spot; doing so would deactivate the ability.
The red Poison Demon chased after the prisoners and the Straw Hats, its terrifying poison spreading.
Wilder watched this scene, the corners of his mouth curling up. He turned to look at the man behind him with long brown hair and a cold expression.
"Yves, it's up to you now."
Yves nodded coldly. "What?"
"Nyehehehe... We'll be relying on your ability to get us through the Gates of Justice," Wilder said, a vein throbbing on his forehead, but still smiling.
"Understood," Yves replied coldly.
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