Chapter 521: Coercion
Enel, following Ian's instructions, stayed on the ship and waited for Ian and the others to make their move before summoning a thundercloud storm from outside!
A massive barrage of lightning struck the escort warships of Impel Down, like a calamity. Fragments flew everywhere as the ships were hit, and even though their hulls were sturdy, they couldn't withstand such a powerful assault. Soon, some warships began to slowly sink due to severe damage.
Large numbers of Marine soldiers screamed as they fell into the water, which only attracted the Sea Kings lurking below, who began attacking the Marine vessels as well.
The thundercloud storm also interfered with the biological signals of the Den Den Mushi that Impel Down used to communicate with the outside world. Communication could only be restored once the storm passed.
Ian had long since laid out his entire plan, so he naturally couldn't let these peripheral warships cut off his escape route. Fortunately, Ian now had more and more people under his command, and more of them could be put to use, so he didn't have to handle everything himself.
Inside the prison, a large number of guard units were now mobilizing.
On Level 1, the prisoners locked in their cells watched in shock as a group of armed guards rushed past their corridor with a thunderous roar, their faces tense with anxiety.
"What... what's happening?" the prisoners asked, gripping the bars and craning their necks to peer in the direction the guards had gone.
"Is someone escaping?" they speculated.
But just then, a huge explosion came from the direction the guards had headed, and several prison guards were sent flying back by the blast.
"Whoa! Whoa!" the prisoners exclaimed excitedly. It didn't look like an escape—it seemed someone was breaking in to rescue people!
The sealed elevator hadn't stopped Ian and his group. They simply blew it up and jumped down to Level 1 of the prison.
However, they were met by a large contingent of guards. Spotting Ian and his crew emerging from the explosion's dust, the guards gave the order and opened fire!
Countless bullets and mortar shells flew toward Ian and the others. But facing this assault, Ian simply pushed the guard of Thousand Cherry Blossoms open with his thumb.
"Wind Wall!"
With a casual swing of his blade, a massive barrier of wind shot out, blocking the path in front of everyone.
All the incoming bullets and shells hit the wind wall and fell harmlessly to the ground.
After stopping this wave of attacks, Ian's forces landed and took their positions. Without needing Ian's orders, they charged forward at the guards.
"Stand in my way, and you die!"
Urouge led the charge as the vanguard, swinging his massive stone club. Every guard he struck was sent flying with a scream. Behind him, the monks of the Fallen Monk Pirates followed, wielding their monk swords as they fought.
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!" Luffy opened fire too, his fists moving like a storm, sending a barrage of blows that knocked down a large group of enemies in an instant.
Sanji, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, kicked away every enemy that appeared before him. He had intended to protect Nami, but the problem was that Nami was cleverly staying right behind Ian, and no one could even get close to him. So Nami was perfectly safe, needing no protection from Sanji. Thus, Sanji channeled his frustration into attacking the guards with a vengeance.
Bepo, the white bear Mink from Law's Heart Pirates, also performed brilliantly. He displayed agility completely at odds with his size, darting swiftly among the enemies and sending them flying with every kick.
With such a group clearing the way, Ian naturally led the charge, strolling forward leisurely.
"They're Devil Fruit users! Quick, use Seastone shells!"
Realizing the enemy's power was beyond expectations, the guards broke out in a cold sweat. They hastily summoned a unit carrying mortars and fired Seastone shells at Ian and the others.
These so-called Seastone shells weren't explosive; instead, they turned into large Seastone nets upon firing. This was a special weapon of Impel Down, designed specifically to counter Devil Fruit users.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The shells were launched, transforming into nets midair that rained down on the group.
But just then, the iron man Franky stepped in!
"Coup de Vent!"
He clasped his hands together and fired a powerful blast of wind, covering a wide area. The immense force swept up all the Seastone nets, blowing them away, and the wind's momentum sent the guards who had fired the shells tumbling backward.
Irresistible! That was the only word to describe Ian and his crew's battle.
The path Ian and the others walked was a long corridor lined with rows of prison cells packed with inmates. The prisoners watched Ian's fight with wide eyes, stunned.
When Ian reached these cells, the prisoners finally snapped out of their daze. Despite their shock, their hope for survival compelled them to ask, "Hey, you... are you Marines or something? Can you get us out of here?"
Since everyone was still wearing Marine uniforms, it was no wonder the prisoners couldn't determine Ian's identity.
Hearing the prisoners' pleas, Law, walking beside Ian with his nodachi over his shoulder, glanced at Ian.
Ian, in turn, scanned the prisoners in the cells and said with a smile, "We're heading to the lower levels. Are you sure you want to follow us?"
"Of course! Of course!" the prisoners replied eagerly, nodding quickly.
In this prison, it was like eternal darkness. Even though the Level 1 inmates had lighter crimes, they had no hope of ever getting out. In Impel Down, there was no such thing as release after serving a sentence. Once you came here, your only option was to wait for death. So when this sudden chance for escape appeared, they had to seize it.
Even knowing that Ian was heading to the lower levels, they didn't care anymore.
Ian gave the prisoners a meaningful look and nodded at Usopp.
Trembling, Usopp stepped forward, pulled out two pieces of wire, fiddled with them for a moment, and opened the door of one cell.
Even without the keys, Usopp's lockpicking skills were impressive...
"Wahaha!" As soon as the cell door opened, the prisoners inside rushed out impatiently. Even though they still wore shackles on their hands and feet, they couldn't help but dash out and take a deep breath of the outside air.
Even though the air here was the same as inside the cells, their mood was different...
After catching their breath, they hurriedly searched the bodies of the fallen guards for keys to unlock their shackles.
Once free, the prisoners raised their heads and shouted in excitement, venting their emotions.
Ian and Law watched them expressionlessly, a hint of mockery curling at the corners of their mouths.
Sure enough, after letting off steam, the released prisoners exchanged sly glances and then turned and ran toward the entrance.
"Haha! Only an idiot would follow you to the lower levels!" one prisoner shouted back at Ian. "We're getting out of here now!"
But what these escaping prisoners didn't know was that Ian had never expected them to keep their promise and follow him to the lower levels.
As soon as they reached the entrance, opened the door, and rushed onto the suspension bridge, they were met with a sky full of thunder!
Enel was still busy clearing out the Marine warships outside, and the area was under indiscriminate attack. The moment the prisoners charged out, lightning struck them head-on, turning them into charred corpses on the ground.
"Mommy!" The rest scrambled back in panic.
Seeing these prisoners return, the inmates in the other cells were stunned. They had been planning to run too once Ian freed them, but now they realized things weren't as simple as they thought!
"Not running anymore?" Ian asked mockingly, looking at the prisoners who had come back.
"S-sorry! We were wrong!" the prisoners quickly begged for mercy. "Sir... we were out of our minds just now. Please, be magnanimous and don't hold it against us! We'll follow you to the lower levels!"