Chapter 538: Reinforcements Arrive (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Sister Qi’s Black Thighs)
Hearing Ian mention the name Shiryu of the Rain, everyone immediately understood why Ian had made the prisoners on the sixth level fight among themselves.
After all was said and done, Ian’s main target was probably this Shiryu guy, right?
This man carried an overwhelming aura of killing intent, and his demeanor was gloomy and sinister. When they came down, many had instinctively kept their distance from him. So even though Shiryu had temporarily been considered one of their companions, not a single person held any goodwill toward him.
Now that Ian had set his sights on him, no one stepped up to speak for him.
Shiryu’s eyes were hidden beneath the brim of his hat, his expression unreadable. He took slow, deliberate puffs from the cigar in his mouth, then said coldly, “Lord Ian, are you planning to burn the bridge after crossing the river?”
“There’s no river, so how can there be any talk of burning a bridge?” Ian sneered back. “Coming down to the sixth level wasn’t your doing, and that stab you gave Magellan did me no good at all. Even without you, I could have taken him down myself. So tell me, with no contribution to speak of, why should I take you with me?”
Crocodile chose that moment to chime in, backing Ian up. “That’s right. And if I’m not mistaken, you were once the head jailer of Impel Down, weren’t you? Completely at odds with us prisoners…”
Even a villain like Crocodile disliked Shiryu. He had seen it clearly from his cell—after Hannyabal released Shiryu, the man had instead drawn his sword and cut down the guards. Crocodile had once been the boss of Baroque Works, and he hated traitors above all else.
And every prisoner present had suffered enough at the hands of the jailers. With Crocodile’s reminder, their gazes toward Shiryu turned hostile.
“Either you fight these prisoners from the sixth level,” Ian said, crossing his arms and lifting his chin at him, “and if you survive, I might consider taking you out of here. Or I’ll kill you myself. Make your choice.”
“But I have a third option, don’t I?” Shiryu’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword. “And that is—to join forces with the prisoners of the sixth level and take you all down!”
With that, without waiting for Ian’s reply, he shouted to the survivors emerging from their cells, “Impel Down is in chaos right now—this is the perfect chance to escape! Kill these people, and we can all leave. Why follow their plan and slaughter each other?”
Shiryu’s words struck a chord with the prisoners. They were tempted. Why fight among themselves? If they fought, only one could leave. But if they fought back instead, maybe more of them could escape!
The surviving prisoners began to stir restlessly, though they still had doubts. “What about a ship to get out of here?”
“Just take theirs!” Shiryu said with a sinister grin. “And even if we can’t, I can still use my identity as the former head jailer to commandeer a Marine warship to get us out. But we have to move fast—once word reaches Marine Headquarters, my authority will be useless!”
Shiryu’s words dispelled the prisoners’ last hesitations. One by one, they cracked their knuckles and gathered together with ill intent, turning their gazes toward Ian and his group.
Even knowing that Ian’s side had three Warlords, these prisoners on the sixth level were all notorious criminals. They feared neither the World Government nor the Marines, so the title of Warlord didn’t intimidate them. They had enough confidence—or rather, arrogance—to believe they could turn the tables.
Seeing their movements, Ian’s group tensed up as well. Law gripped the hilt of his nodachi, Urouge hefted his stone club, Luffy clenched his fists and spread his stance, and Zoro drew a sword from his waist, holding it in his mouth.
But at that moment, Ian burst into loud laughter.
“Hahahaha! Just as I expected!” Ian had never intended to take any of the sixth-level prisoners with him from the start. He had even been wondering what excuse he’d use to back out if they really did fight to the last man. But now, with Shiryu stirring them up, these fools had turned their guns on him instead—perfect!
Ian scanned the remaining prisoners and found the ones he was looking for.
There was a tall female pirate in a prison uniform, heavily made up, with a long nose just like Usopp’s—making one wonder if she might be Usopp’s mother. That was Catarina Devon, known as the Crescent Moon Hunter, said to be the most vicious female pirate in history.
Then there was a massive figure, sitting cross-legged on the ground, so huge that even Ian had to look up at him. That was Sanjuan Wolf, nicknamed the Colossal Battleship, with a chestnut-shaped head. In the cramped sixth-level prison, he had to hunch his body uncomfortably, but just looking at his sheer size, no one dared underestimate him. He was also the only prisoner kept in a solitary cell.
There was also Vasco Shot, nicknamed the Big Drunk, wearing a jester’s hat, and Avalo Pizarro, the Corrupt King, who, like Kaido of the Beasts, had a pair of long, curved horns.
These were the same people who, in the original timeline, had been taken from the sixth level by Teach. Ian guessed that since the Marines were planning a war against Whitebeard, Teach probably wouldn’t stay quietly with Akainu and the others. He’d find a way to act alone. That man’s ambition went far beyond being a Warlord—he needed more vicious and powerful allies to help him achieve his dreams. And the prisoners locked up in Impel Down were his best bet.
If Ian hadn’t shown up at Impel Down, Teach might have come here soon enough.
But since Ian had beaten him to it, why would he leave any openings? Taking out these villains in advance and preventing Teach from building his power was the best way to suppress him!
Not a single prisoner on the sixth level could be left alive!
“Kill them all!” Ian waved his hand. “Once they’re dead, we can leave!”
At Ian’s command, the prisoners howled and charged at each other.
“I’ll take on this Shiryu of the Rain!” Zoro shouted, his voice muffled by the sword in his mouth, and he dashed straight at Shiryu. He remembered clearly—this guy had directed intense killing intent at him earlier. Well then, let’s see who kills who!
Ian initially wanted to stop Zoro, thinking that Zoro’s current strength might still fall short against Shiryu. But after a moment’s thought, he held back.
Maybe letting Zoro face a powerful opponent would help him grow faster. He just needed to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn’t get too badly hurt.
“Jinbe, how about we stretch our legs a bit?” Crocodile said to Jinbe. “I’ve been cooped up in that cell so long I’m starting to mold!”
“Sounds good,” Jinbe nodded, uncrossing his arms and stepping forward on his wooden clogs with a clack-clack-clack toward the colossal Sanjuan Wolf—his chosen opponent.
Crocodile snorted, his body dissolving into sand and wind as he charged at Avalo Pizarro, the Corrupt King.
Ian’s side not only had numbers but also the crucial advantage that their Seastone shackles had been removed. The sixth-level prisoners, on the other hand, had just come out of their cells and still wore their shackles. Even if they had Devil Fruit abilities, they were useless. It was only a matter of time before they were dealt with. So Ian decided not to intervene, letting his people handle it.
………………………………
While a massive brawl erupted on the sixth level of the prison, Enel, waiting on the Marine ship outside, was amusing himself by toying with the Impel Down guards.
The fleet guarding the prison had already been wiped out by his wide-range lightning strikes. But the prison guards had also noticed Enel’s presence and knew he was waiting there to support Ian and the others who had broken in. Trying to cut off their escape route, a group of guards opened the drawbridge, hauled out cannons and rifles, and began bombarding the ship Enel was on.
This gave Enel some entertainment. Standing at the bow, he used his golden staff to bat away the cannonballs heading for the ship. Whenever he spotted someone he didn’t like, he’d call down a bolt of divine judgment, sending the guards scrambling in panic.
With his power, he could have annihilated the entire guard force in an instant. But he had finally found a way to pass the time, so why end it so quickly?
Just as he was having fun, however, he suddenly sensed something intruding into his Mantra perception range.
“Hmm?” Enel turned his head in confusion, looking behind him. Several Marine warships had appeared on the sea!
Vice Admiral Momousagi had arrived!?