How can I become the Pirate King if you don’t work hard?.

Chapter 369 Fierce Battle! Impel Down!
"Less than 24 hours remain until the execution of Fire Fist Ace!"

"Why did that guy leave at a time like this? Was he afraid of Whitebeard's power, or is he plotting something?!"

Zhan Guo frowned, instinctively sensing something was amiss.

At present, almost all of the navy's forces are concentrated in Marineford to prepare for the upcoming war, and there is no spare capacity to care about other things.

After all, their opponent is Whitebeard!

Moreover, just a few days ago, Sengoku had already received intelligence that the Whitebeard Pirates and their more than forty subordinate pirate crews had assembled and were rapidly heading towards the Marine Headquarters.

Such a formidable force required even Sengoku to handle with utmost care, yet the mere thought of the undisguised ambition in Blackbeard's eyes...

Sudden.

A flash of lightning struck Sengoku's mind:
"The Gate of Justice?!"

"Won't that guy just follow the whirlpool and attack Impel Down or Enies Lobby directly?!"

The Warring States period was immediately on edge.

Enies Lobby, Marineford, and Impel Down are located in a triangle within a massive eddy current of the sea.

Within the triangle lies a perpetually rotating ocean current; simply ride it and you can reach any of the three corners at unimaginable speeds.

Beyond the triangle lies an unstable sea area spanning hundreds of nautical miles, teeming with ferocious sea kings, making it utterly impassable.

Therefore, to reach these three sea areas, one must pass through the Gate of Justice.

This is why, for hundreds of years, once pirates are brought into the Gate of Justice, it has been almost impossible for them to leave. The main reason why the outlier, Golden Lion, was able to escape is that he can fly.

Upon realizing this, Sengoku immediately picked up the Den Den Mushi and learned from the vice admiral guarding the Gate of Justice that the Gate of Justice had not been opened. He breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as there is no sign that the Gates of Justice have been opened, it means that Blackbeard could not have reached Impel Down or Enies Lobby through the Gates of Justice.

Neither Impel Down, which holds the most violent criminals on the high seas, nor Enies Lobby, which represents the face of the World Government, can be lost.

In this way, even if Blackbeard causes trouble elsewhere, he can deal with it after executing Fire Fist Ace.

just.

For some reason, Sengoku's unease did not subside. After a slight hesitation, he picked up the Den Den Mushi and dialed the number.

After a while.

A puzzled female voice came from the other end of the receiver:

"Master Zhan Guo?!"

"Gion, put down your current task. I have a new task for you."

The tone was solemn during the Warring States period:

"Blackbeard disappeared before his execution. He's definitely not someone to be trifled with; he's probably plotting something in the shadows."

"You and Jiaji will lead the team and set off immediately to track that guy's movements. Once you find him..."

"No matter life or death!"

Gion paused for a moment:
"If I remember correctly, that guy is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea authorized by the World Government?!"

"Yes."

Warring States responded with a resounding "Yes, sir!", leaving no room for argument.
"But you should also be aware of that guy's danger. After all, Fire Fist Ace was the bargaining chip he used to obtain the position of Shichibukai. It's hard to say that he might be plotting something in secret!"

"I see."

"Take a troop count and set off immediately!"

"Yes!"

……

……

……

Advance outside the city.

The surging currents are completely erratic, like being in countless whirlpools; even warships hundreds of meters long can capsize in an instant.

Even the most skilled navigators would hesitate to venture into such waters.

But for certain special creatures, it can be regarded as nothing!
Phew——!
A piercing cry came from high above.

On a warship that had retreated outside the city, Vice Admiral Huoshaoshan looked up and saw a giant eagle flying across the sky, so he stopped paying attention.

After glancing warily at the cabin, he turned and directed the warship to follow the currents within the whirlpool of the Gate of Justice back to Marine Headquarters.

The turbulent seawater, like countless heavy hammers, struck the bottom of the warship, but also generated an astonishing amount of power.

In just a few breaths, the warship disappeared at the edge of the sea, its speed so fast that even the giant eagles soaring through the sky couldn't keep up.

On the back of the giant eagle, Jabba glanced back in the direction where the warship had disappeared, his brows furrowing slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Luffy beside him made a move in advance!

"Ace, I'm here to save you!"

Luffy's roar echoed through the sky, his eyes filled with the confidence to do anything.

Garp's extraordinarily rigorous training over the past decade has laid a solid foundation for him.

With the meticulous guidance of Rayleigh and Jabba, he has undergone a complete transformation in just seven days.

He has mastered both types of Haki and has even begun to try to master Conqueror's Haki Entanglement, which symbolizes the qualification of a king. Apart from not having developed Gear Fourth, his combat power is already close to that of the Fishman Island period in the original timeline.

This talent and this speed of growth amazed Rayleigh and Jabba. Even they had taken nearly thirty years to reach Luffy's current level.

In a sense, Luffy didn't make great progress in his training, but rather finally learned how to properly use the power he already possessed.

Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki are all like this.

"Third gear!"

Luffy bit his finger and blew a huge amount of gas into his body. His arm swelled up like a balloon and grew to the size of a house in just a few breaths.

The jet-black Armament Haki wrapped around it, and the invisible Conqueror's Haki spread out. The guards at the gate of Impel Down had just raised their heads when their vision was filled by Luffy's jet-black fist!

"Giant's Spear!"

The giant fist, powered by the third gear, shattered the gates of Impel Down with a single blow.

The warships guarding the side also reacted at this moment and moved to prepare to meet the enemy, but unexpectedly, two figures also descended from the sky at this moment.

With the longsword and double axes working together, they unleashed a massive shockwave powerful enough to tear the sky apart, instantly crushing several warships on the sea!

The waves surged, the wind howled, tearing the sky apart; the world itself changed color at that moment!
"Who are these two...?"

"Pluto Rayleigh and Jabba the Mountain Eater!"

Barely dodging their attacks, the Marines, hovering in the sky using Moonwalk, were terrified, for the names of these two men needed no words to describe them. They were the strongest of their era, having once rivaled Sengoku and Garp, and were living legends, the right-hand men of the Pirate King Roger.

This is not an opponent I can handle. I must send the message back to Naval Headquarters!

The lieutenant general immediately made a judgment, but before he could even take out the Den Den Mushi from his pocket, he was pressed into the sea by a sudden slash of light!
The commotion around them gradually subsided.

boom!
Rayleigh landed on a wooden plank, slowly sheathing his sword. By the time he came to his senses, Luffy had already rushed into Impel Down without a care in the world!

"That brat was too impulsive!"

Jabba rubbed his forehead, quite troubled by Luffy's personality:

"You felt it too, didn't you? Who did that warship take away? If it was Ace, then we're in big trouble. With the speed of that giant eagle from Amazon Lily, there's no way it could catch up."

"This is too reckless!"

Even so, Rayleigh couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile:
"Wasn't Roger the same way?!"

Jabba was taken aback, then spread his hands with a hint of helplessness:
"Whatever you say."

boom!
boom!
boom--!
Several shells landed beside the two men, splashing up seawater and interrupting their conversation.

Jabba glanced back at the several warships that were gathering again in the distance, his gaze sharp:

“That ship just now might not have been Ace. You and Luffy go into Impel Down to check, I’ll go stop the Marines from opening the Gates of Justice.”

"Anyway, the worst outcome is just causing a ruckus at Marine Headquarters, which happens to be where that monster you mentioned is!"

"Hahahaha-!"

"It's been a long time since I've had this, and it's really getting me excited!"

"Ah~"

Rayleigh's lips curled into a smile, and he nodded.
"Then I'll leave this place to you."

The sound fell to the ground.

Rayleigh stomped heavily on his feet, pushing the wreckage of the warship he was standing on into the sea, and sped off towards Impel Down!

at the same time.

Luffy, who has broken into Impel Down, has encountered the attacking guards.

The Jailer Beast, which had once given him a hard time in the original timeline, was no longer a threat and was overthrown in a single exchange!
boom!
boom!
boom!
As the smoke cleared, Luffy moved with unstoppable force, relying on his Gold-level combat power to storm into the fifth level of Impel Down, the Frozen Hell!
The sub-zero temperatures were so intense that even Luffy, with his constitution, couldn't help but sneeze, but that was all.

In the freezing cold, Luffy scratched his head, his eyes filled with confusion:

"How strange~"

"This is the last level of Impel Down. Ace should be here, so why isn't he here?!"

"That's enough, Straw Hat Boy!"

A suppressed voice of anger came from behind Luffy. Just as he was about to turn around, his Observation Haki sensed a deadly danger!
The purple dragon head lunged at Luffy, ready to bite!

Even the venom that drips from the dragon's body can corrode a large hole in the ground!
brush!
With no time to lose, Luffy decisively activated Gear Second, narrowly avoiding the attack.

“That was a close call~”

Luffy was panting heavily when he turned around and saw a middle-aged man wearing a black coat and a hat with two curved horns staring at him angrily.

The man was none other than Magellan, the warden who had rushed to the scene after learning of the invasion of Impel Down.

At this moment, Magellan was beyond words to describe his rage.

This is because what is happening now is almost the worst case since the establishment of Impel Down.

Impel Down has been established for hundreds of years, and only Shiki the Golden Lion has managed to escape from there, a feat achieved only by severing his own legs and using the power of the Float-Float Fruit.

And not a single one of them successfully infiltrated this place!

Those who are imprisoned in Impel Down are all heinous criminals, including some who have been erased from history by the World Government.

If these people were allowed to escape, countless people around the world would die as a result. This is an intolerable crime that has crossed Magellan's bottom line of tolerance!
Even if I die in battle, as the director, I should not let any criminal escape from hell!

"This is hell for criminals, a link in the chain of justice, and no one is allowed to disrupt it. Now that you're in, you're not leaving!"

As he spoke, a three-headed venomous dragon emerged from behind Magellan, seemingly possessing a soul, and lunged at Luffy!

boom!
boom!
boom--!
The venomous dragon devoured everything in its path, spraying venom that corroded everything it touched. In just one exchange, Luffy was forced to retreat in defeat.

Luffy's excellent Observation Haki allows him to vaguely sense the danger emanating from the poison dragon, while his Armament Haki allows him to project it outwards, scattering the approaching poison dragon.

But in just a few minutes, even though he had mastered all three types of Haki and his combat power had reached the Gold level, he was still forced into a perilous situation by Magellan!

Because if even a trace of venom comes into contact with them, the entire battle will be lost!
In the narrow terrain, Magellan's Venom-Venom Fruit ability was brought to its fullest potential, and even a Yonko-level being could be defeated by him if he wasn't careful!
Even among the vast Paramecia species, it is one of the most dangerous abilities.

Although it suffers from persistent diarrhea, this cost is entirely acceptable compared to its powerful abilities.

boom--!
The poison dragon was defeated by the Armament Haki released by the straw hat, and the poison sprayed out in all directions, turning the entire battlefield into a highly poisonous field!
Luffy was somewhat unwilling, but at this moment he had no choice but to retreat!

He was no match for the monster until he found a way to overcome Magellan's poison. Besides, his purpose in coming here was not to take Impel Down, but to find Ace.

brush--!
Luffy vanished from Magellan's sight in a flash. Just as Magellan was about to give chase, he heard a series of hurried footsteps.

Hey!
Hey!
clatter--!
Hannibal, dressed remarkably like an Egyptian pharaoh, rushed over, looking flustered, and didn't even mention the position of warden he so desperately wanted:

"Chief!"

"The guards at the entrance have sent word!"

"Ghosts of the Pirate King Roger, Rayleigh and Jabba the Mountain Eater, have joined forces to invade and have defeated the Navy fleet guarding outside Impel Down. The only ship they have left has also been hijacked by Jabba the Mountain Eater!"

"They're probably after Fire Fist Ace!"

Magellan's pupils contracted sharply, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from his vest, but his face remained expressionless.
"I understand. After I finish dealing with the battle here, I'll go and confront those two!"

"Are you really okay on your own?!"

Hannibal couldn't help but swallow.

Rayleigh, the Dark Lord, and Jabba the Mountain Eater—no one could remain unmoved upon hearing these two names, not even Magellan, the warden of Impel Down.

That was a legend that spanned an era, almost representing power itself!

"Those two are, after all, the Pirate King's right and left hands. With just us..."

Magellan gave him a reassuring look, but his fist clenched tightly beneath his sleeve. His gaze remained unwavering as he said:
"It won't be a problem."

"Also, go to the sixth floor and tell Shiryu."

"If he is willing to take action this time, his previous mistakes will be forgiven, and from now on, all death row inmates in the city will be at his disposal."

"Shiryu?!"

(End of this chapter)