Chapter 545: Objective Achieved
Chopper and Nami had already noticed the situation over here and rushed over anxiously to check on Zoro’s injuries.
“Give him some medicine,” Ian said to Chopper. “With some medicine, he’ll recover faster.”
Chopper nodded and quickly rummaged through his backpack for medicine, starting to prepare it.
Nami saw Ian about to leave and couldn’t help asking, “Ian, what are you going to do?”
“Shiryu is dead, so the remaining ones need to be dealt with quickly,” Ian replied.
“That’s great. This prison is really suffocating me,” Nami said, patting her chest in relief.
Ian smiled and winked at her. “You’ve worked hard, Nami! Oh, right, Empress!”
Nami grinned at that, remembering the identity she’d used to sneak in with Ian.
Ian walked toward the crowd still fighting, then fired a lightning spear that pierced the body of a resisting Level 6 prisoner. The powerful current instantly coursed through the man’s body, electrocuting him. The prisoners from Levels 1 to 4 who had been fighting him immediately swarmed forward, their weapons mercilessly striking him down, killing him outright.
Ian didn’t even glance at the bloody scene as he continued forward, targeting another prisoner.
Crocodile saw Ian clearing the field and realized it was time to end things. His opponent, Big Drunk Joe, had caused him plenty of trouble, but Crocodile had ways to kill him if he really wanted to.
When Crocodile pressed his hand to the ground, the earth beneath Joe’s feet suddenly exploded into countless grains of sand!
Crocodile created a ring of quicksand under Joe, and the man sank into it. This move was deadly for someone with a large build, especially if they couldn’t fly—once trapped, there was no climbing out.
Joe’s drunken expression vanished, replaced by sheer panic. He struggled desperately to crawl out of the sand pit, but only sank deeper. The quicksand, controlled by Crocodile, slowly converged and engulfed him.
“I’ve had it with you since we were in the cell,” Crocodile said, standing at the edge of the pit, chin raised. “Daring to mock me? Don’t think being drunk gives you the right to talk nonsense.”
“I’m sorry, I was wrong!” Joe flailed wildly, trying to climb out, pleading, “Please, spare me!”
But Crocodile said nothing, just watched him until he was completely submerged.
Ian came up beside him and said, “Take it easy, old Sand. We’re at sea here. Don’t accidentally break through the prison floor.”
“I won’t,” Crocodile replied. “I know my limits.”
With that, they both looked over at Sea Knight Jinbe.
Giant Battleship San Juan was an anomaly even bigger than a giant. Ian had no idea what race he belonged to. If he had followed Blackbeard Teach out of Impel Down as in the original history, he might have become a terror like Demon Oars, with his unparalleled size and strength.
But unfortunately for him, he’d run into Sea Knight Jinbe in this prison.
Jinbe was a fish-man, specifically a whale shark fish-man. Fish-men were naturally ten times stronger than humans, and Jinbe’s strength surpassed even ordinary fish-men. Though on land, Jinbe could still unleash formidable power. His Fish-Man Karate was at the pinnacle of mastery, and San Juan, despite his thick hide, was more like a punching bag before him.
Because of his much smaller size, Jinbe was very agile in dodging San Juan’s counterattacks.
In a way, San Juan’s true strength lay in destruction—destroying buildings, ships, even islands. No one could match him in that regard. But he was terrible at single combat.
He wanted to destroy Impel Down itself, since even if the prison collapsed, he could still stand up from the seabed. But Jinbe wouldn’t let him. Every time San Juan showed signs of destruction, Jinbe would ruthlessly suppress him.
Jinbe focused his attacks on San Juan’s lower body. People need their legs for support to exert maximum strength, and San Juan was no exception. Jinbe had no intention of letting him stand.
By the time Ian and Crocodile looked over, Jinbe had already used several Seven-Thousand-Tile Whirlwind Kicks to shatter San Juan’s knees.
San Juan’s huge chestnut-like head tilted, and he began to fall forward. At that moment, Jinbe raised one palm in front of him, his right fist at his hip, and suddenly thrust his palm upward toward San Juan’s descending head.
“Fish-Man Karate Secret Technique: Buraikan!”
The moment Jinbe’s palm struck San Juan’s chin, a powerful shockwave rippled through the air. Ian saw a strong burst of energy pass straight through San Juan’s head.
Blood streamed uncontrollably from San Juan’s nostrils. His entire body went limp, and his massive head was held up by Jinbe’s single palm.
“Is he dead?” Crocodile couldn’t help asking.
“No,” Jinbe replied. “I didn’t kill him, but he’ll likely remain in a vegetative state for a long time.”
“Brother Ian,” Jinbe said, looking at him, “I don’t know why you wanted to kill the Level 6 prisoners, but I assume it’s to keep them from interfering with your plans. Is this enough?”
Ian nodded. That would suffice.
Crocodile was a bit surprised. In his experience, fish-men were cruel and hot-tempered, but this Jinbe seemed reluctant to kill. It was strange.
Jinbe’s victory seemed like a signal. One by one, the others finished their battles.
Urouge and Law, who had been fighting Catarina, finally found an opening after Urouge’s repeated Devil Fruit attacks. Law seized the chance, thrusting his longsword from behind Catarina and piercing her heart out through her chest. Wrapped in some unknown substance like a cube, the heart was still beating even after leaving her body. Catarina, stunned, missed her chance to reclaim it.
Shachi, a member of the Heart Pirates and the slave Law had rescued on Sabaody, leaped over, caught the heart, pulled out a knife, and stabbed it directly into the heart!
Catarina screamed, blood trickling from her mouth, and collapsed.
Pizarro, the Evil King, who had been surrounded by Luffy and Buggy, was also beaten down. Buggy had fired a special Buggy Cannonball from his feet that exploded inside Pizarro’s mouth, knocking him over. After he fell, he couldn’t get back up. Mr. 3 used wax to stick him to the ground, while Alvida and Cabaji surrounded Pizarro and beat him with spiked clubs until he was barely alive.
Finally, Ian walked over and drove a Evil King Flame Slayer Sword down through his mouth, finishing him off.
With that, not a single prisoner from Level 6, the Infinite Hell, remained alive. Of the super-heavyweight criminals who would have become Blackbeard Teach’s companions in the original history, only San Juan survived, and he was now brain-damaged by Jinbe’s palm strike, no longer a threat.
Ian’s two objectives at Impel Down were now fully achieved. All that remained was to leave.
Just then, a *purupuru* sound came from a Den Den Mushi that the prisoners had taken from the guards.
The prisoner in charge of the Den Den Mushi hurried over, holding it out to Ian with both hands. “Boss, it’s probably the brothers left on the upper levels!”
Ian answered, and sure enough, a panicked voice came through. “Captain Ian... boss... it’s bad! The ones we left behind have been driven down. The Marines’ reinforcements have arrived. They’ve taken control of Level 4 and seem to be setting up an ambush there to stop us!”