At this mont, the sea surrounding Impel Down was heavily guarded. Five Vice Admirals from Marine Headquarters, ten warships, and a large number of Marines had been stationed there. However, due to the urgent escort mission of Portgas D. Ace to Marineford, most of the forces had already departed, leaving only three warships behind without Vice Admirals.
This left Impel Down at its weakest, both internally and externally. Naturally, such an opening did not go unnoticed by those with dangerous ambitions.
At the main gate, the stationed Marines were swiftly defeated by the sudden arrival of the Blackbeard Pirates. Darkness spread like smoke across the area. Marshall D. Teach held a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral by the throat. As the acting commander, the man was completely powerless.
Struggling helplessly, the Rear Admiral managed to force out a question.
"Blackbeard, you are one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Why are you doing this? Aren't you afraid the Marines will co after you?"
Blackbeard's eyes glead coldly. Without hesitation, he snapped the man's neck, then burst into loud, arrogant laughter.
"Zehahaha! Co after ? After today, I will replace Whitebeard and beco one of the Four Emperors. This sea will belong to . Why would I fear the Marines?"
"The Captain is as bold as ever, hahaha."
Jesus Burgess laughed loudly beside him.
Behind Blackbeard stood his core crew. Van Augur, the sniper, watched silently through his scope. Laffitte maintained his composed and eerie deanor. Doc Q remained hunched over, his sickly presence unsettling as ever.
Each of them possessed considerable strength, and under Blackbeard's leadership, they would only grow more dangerous.
Blackbeard himself, a user of the Dark-Dark Fruit, stood with a broad, imposing fra, his chest exposed beneath a dark coat. His power had already proven capable of defeating Ace, a pirate of imnse strength. Even considering the unique nature of his ability, he was not soone to underestimate.
With a push, the massive gates of Impel Down opened.
Yet what awaited them inside was unexpected.
There was no imdiate resistance.
Laffitte narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Captain, sothing feels off. Warden Magellan is not soone to take lightly."
"Zehahaha! Relax. Against Devil Fruit users, I have absolute confidence."
At the sa ti, deep within the fourth level of Impel Down, a defensive force had gathered.
Under the command of Vice Warden Hannyabal, alongside Vice Head Jailer Domino, Chief Guard Sadi, and Chief Jailer Saldeath, thousands of jailers stood ready.
Nearly all available personnel had been assembled. However, without Magellan and Shiryu present, their confidence was lacking. So enemies simply could not be stopped by ordinary ans.
Soon, the gate connecting the fourth and fifth floors was destroyed.
The escapees erged.
At the forefront stood four powerful figures, Aether, Monkey D. Luffy, Crocodile, and Jinbe. Behind them followed Emporio Ivankov, Byrnndi World, and the rest of the breakout group.
The sight alone filled Hannyabal with dread, yet he refused to retreat.
"Fire!"
Cannons roared instantly, accompanied by a relentless hail of bullets.
Each of the leading fighters responded in their own way.
Crocodile summoned a swirling sandstorm to intercept the cannon fire. Jinbe coated his body with Armant Haki and charged forward head-on. Luffy inflated himself like a balloon, rendering the bullets ineffective.
Aether, however, remained calm.
A powerful surge of Conqueror's Haki burst forth from him. The invisible force swept through the battlefield like a storm. Cannonballs detonated midair, and bullets were stopped as though they had struck an unseen barrier.
He did not unleash it fully, as his allies stood behind him, and precise control over such overwhelming power was still difficult.
The intensity of his Conqueror's Haki imdiately drew attention.
Crocodile's gaze sharpened slightly. He had underestimated the young man, but this level of Haki was proof of soone destined to stand above others.
Without hesitation, Crocodile moved forward, placing his hand on the ground.
"Ground Death."
The earth rapidly cracked and dried. Moisture was drained from everything it touched, turning the surroundings into a barren wasteland. Buildings crumbled into sand, and the ground itself seed lifeless.
Hundreds of jailers were reduced to shriveled forms, unable to resist.
The morale of the defenders collapsed instantly.
Hannyabal clenched his teeth and charged forward alongside the Jailer Beasts.
One of them, a massive rhinoceros-like creature, lunged at Aether. Its horn glead as it aid straight for him.
Aether stopped it with a single hand, Armant Haki coating his fist.
The ground beneath his feet cracked under the force. No matter how much the beast struggled, it could not advance even a step.
With a sharp punch, Aether knocked it down.
These Jailer Beasts possessed strength comparable to pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries, but to soone like Aether, they were nothing more than durable targets.
Still, he found their existence intriguing.
They were awakened Zoan users, yet their strength did not match what such a state should provide. The most likely explanation was forced awakening, resulting in a loss of reason and diminished potential.
If such thods were perfected, the implications would be terrifying.
A controllable army of awakened Zoan users would surpass even the Zoan forces of the Beasts Pirates.
The battle quickly died down.
Within monts, the defenders were completely overwheld.
Aether's gaze shifted toward Domino. Her composed posture contrasted with the chaos around her.
In an instant, he used Soru to close the distance.
Domino reacted imdiately, launching a counterattack, but Aether sidestepped effortlessly and struck her unconscious with a precise chop.
Nearby, Hannyabal struggled to remain standing, his body battered by Luffy's attacks. His determination was admirable.
Aether appeared above him in a flash and drove him into the ground with a single strike.
Cracks spread across the floor as Hannyabal lost consciousness.
"Rest for now, Vice Warden Hannyabal."
Aether brushed off his hands. He respected the man's resolve, but there was no ti to waste.
Just as silence began to settle over the battlefield, a new sound echoed through the hall.
Footsteps.
Followed by loud, arrogant laughter.
The Blackbeard Pirates had arrived.
The two groups finally stood face to face.
^_________^
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