Uchiha's personal opinion

There was only a trident kunai that had fallen from the sky and remained in place for some unknown reason.

Chapter 544 Impel Down

"Why am I the one who gets hurt?!"

Upon learning that Charlotte Linlin had been besieged by the Fleet Admiral and three Admirals, and then successfully escaped with the help of the envoy of the "Remnants of the Great Kingdom," Kaido was initially pleased but then enraged. This was because another "Big Sign," known as "Plague," Queen, had been reduced to ashes by the three enraged Admirals after Minato Namikaze and Big Mom escaped!

If it weren't for King the Wildfire, who was the top of the "Big Bosses," transforming into a Pteranodon form during the battle and being able to fly using his wings, he would probably have been killed on the spot.

Even so, although King managed to escape, he was pursued by the elementalized Kizaru Maiku and was badly injured.

Are you alright?

While making a call through a Den Den Mushi, Minato Namikaze pretended not to understand Kaido's meaning and bluntly replied, "So, when can we send out troops?"

"...Give me the Den Den Mushi!"

Charlotte Linlin, still half-exhausted after diving and soaking in the sea, suddenly spoke.

"..."

Although somewhat confused, Minato Namikaze still handed over the Den Den Mushi.

"Totland's entire fleet will be deployed. You'd better watch out!"

Charlotte Linlin said, "Also, don't forget what happened back then, your Devil Fruit still belongs to me..."

"understood!"

Kaido quickly interrupted Charlotte Linlin: "Tomorrow!"

"My fleet will set sail tomorrow!"

"And what about the white beard?"

Charlotte Linlin asked again.

"Probably the day after tomorrow..."

Kaido answered in a low voice.

"it is good!"

After saying that, Charlotte Linlin hung up the Den Den Mushi communication.

She was once a member of the Rocks Pirates, just like Kaido. On the day the Rocks Pirates were destroyed, Charlotte Linlin gave Kaido the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Azure Dragon form, which indirectly boosted Kaido's growth rate.

Although the two later parted ways due to various issues, and Kaido was extremely dissatisfied with Big Mom's widespread seed-spreading behavior, he never forgot the kindness they had shown each other.

"What terrible luck..."

Despite being deeply dissatisfied with Big Mom's domineering ways and regretting the deaths of two of his top lieutenants, Kaido still urged his subordinates to hurry up and complete preparations for battle.

"...It's confirmed that the old lady has escaped."

Amidst the chaos, X. Drake dialed a Den Den Mushi in a dark alleyway: "The entire Beasts Brigade will set sail tomorrow."

"...Can we buy some time?"

A deep voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

"No, I've already done my best..."

X. Drake let out a slow breath, but still refused his superior's request: "If you cause any more trouble, I'll probably be exposed..."

The reason why the Beasts Pirates were so slow in deploying their forces was undoubtedly due to the efforts of X Drake, a spy from a secret Navy unit. Moreover, as one of the "Flying Six" of the Beasts Pirates, he was a high-ranking pirate officer. Although he might not be able to accomplish anything good, it was very easy for him to stir up trouble without making a sound.

But that's all X Drake can do. After all, Kaido himself is now in charge, and he can no longer find an opportunity to intervene and buy time.

"I understand, be careful!"

The person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi said a few words and then hung up.

"Ugh……"

X. Drake sighed and looked up at the azure sky above the narrow walls of the dark alley.

I don't know how much longer I'll have to live like this, not even knowing whether I'm a human or a ghost...

……

The battle for Impel Down, which is completely besieged, has entered a fierce stage.

After the defending troops withdrew to the underground building floors to hold their ground, the First Army Corps began to attempt a landing operation, but suffered heavy losses in the ensuing counterattack and had no choice but to abandon the beachhead and retreat under the cover of artillery fire.

Upon seeing this, Hanzo the Salamander immediately changed his battle plan and began to utilize Yagura Karatachi, who had been lurking in the sea to kill the giant sea kings.

Subsequently, Hanzo of the Salamander dispatched a cannon fodder force composed entirely of shadow clones and water clones to land again under the cover of artillery fire. Just as the garrisoned marines and Impel Down soldiers stationed underground emerged from the ground to prepare for a melee, he immediately ordered Yagura Karatachi to unleash the Tailed Beast Ball that was already ready!

The ninjas who sent out clones as scapegoats also dispelled their clones the instant the Tailed Beast Ball was launched. The defending troops, who were just about to wreak havoc, were first left bewildered in a cloud of smoke, and then turned to ashes in the violent explosion before they could even react!

As for the garrison, although they did not know why the "Remnant Fleet" would fire on their own people, after seeing this, they no longer took the initiative to leave their underground fortifications to fight.

Yagura, following Hanzo's instructions, began the standard bombardment routine of firing one Tailed Beast Ball per hour.

Although the garrisoned navy quickly figured out the pattern of the Tailed Beast Ball's bombing, they had no choice but to move deeper and deeper into the underground floors as the bombing continued, since there was no strong enough person to oversee it. After all, Director Magellan's ability was highly poisonous and not suitable for such a head-on confrontation.

After the ground structures were completely destroyed, Hanzo the Salamander finally sent his Marines to the devastated Impel Down and began deploying detection equipment.

Magellan, who was carrying out the Five Elders' "Great Prisoner Purge" mission, learned of the news on the ground through his subordinates' reports, but he had no time to spare and was helpless in the face of it.

Although Magellan is a Paramecia-type Venom-Venom Fruit user, his strength is entirely based on his Devil Fruit. Compared to the well-rounded Marine Admirals, while he is not much weaker in battle, he has no way to deal with attacks from pure energy bodies.

As for his subordinates...

Including Deputy Commissioner Hannibal, they are all incredibly skilled at bullying prisoners who are worn down by the appalling prison conditions, but in a military battle, it would be better for them to stay in their fortifications and cower like turtles.

Magellan's confidence in his subordinates' fighting spirit was like his belief that the Celestial Dragons would be dutiful and strive for excellence—he had long since given up hope.

"Let's get back to work..."

Magellan sighed slightly, tightened the straps of his gas mask, briefly surveyed the three underground levels of the 'Hunger Hell' where countless people had perished, and after confirming that there were no survivors, continued walking towards the fourth underground level.

In order to prevent the ground battle from collapsing due to manpower shortages, and given that his poison gas was indiscriminate, Magellan did not transfer any of his subordinates to assist him. Even the guards stationed on each floor were sent to the semi-submersible fortifications and trenches under the pretext of reinforcing the ground battle, while he alone used his Devil Fruit powers to carry out the massacre.

But the fourth floor and the lower prison floors were not so easy.

Starting from the fourth underground level, 'Scorching Hell', the prison mainly holds the most vicious pirate criminals. Magellan's office, as well as Impel Down's granary and kitchen, are located on this level.

The 'Burning Hell' was like a giant cauldron of oil, with the entire floor filled with boiling pools of blood and seas of fire. Prisoners had to undergo intense heat sterilization on this floor before entering. Due to the complete redeployment of the guards and Magellan's brutal massacre, some of the more resourceful prisoners from the third basement level managed to slip through the exhaust pipes between the two floors into the fourth floor, which served as a sterilization and storage area.

Logically speaking, Magellan wouldn't casually release his poison gas on this floor. After all, the fourth underground floor is crucial to the supply of the entire Impel Down. If something goes wrong, both the garrison navy and the prison guards will go hungry—since no one except Magellan himself can eat food containing highly poisonous substances.

"call……"

Even Magellan was somewhat unaccustomed to the intense heat of the fourth level. After all, the extremely high temperature was affecting his performance, and the lethality of the poison gas was also reduced due to the temperature.

But as the 'most responsible man in Impel Down,' Magellan still decided to face the challenge head-on.

After taking a deep breath, Magellan suppressed the urge to defecate caused by prolonged use of poison gas and began to investigate the presence of lurking prisoners. After all, it was best not to carry out 'indiscriminate disinfection' on the fourth underground level.

……

"Commander Hanzo, headquarters has now taken control of the entrance area to the Impel Down beachhead!"

After a barrage of bombardments and probing attacks, the strategist ninja finally reported the good news he most wanted to hear to Hanzo the Salamander.

"They didn't retaliate?"

Hanzo, the salamander, found it rather strange.

"They probably want us to go into the underground levels and fight in the streets..."

The ninja advisor guessed.

"Heh~"

Hanzo the Salamander sneered, "What an interesting idea!"

He knew perfectly well that his ninja army lacked close combat skills; only a fool would engage in close-quarters combat with these thick-skinned guys!

Even the ninjas busy on the beach at this moment are just shadow clones.

"Since the enemy remains unmoved, let's continue with the plan."

"Hanzo the Salamander gave the order."

"As ordered!"

The ninja advisor immediately accepted the order and left.

Hanzo the Salamander plans to dismantle the Impel Down layer by layer, starting from the ground and the outer perimeter, to completely flatten it.

The specific method of implementation is to use explosive tags placed on the ground to blow up the soil layer, and then use submarines underwater to launch torpedo attacks to break through the fortress walls and flood the city with seawater.

Meanwhile, in order to prevent the Marines who have not eaten Devil Fruits and are therefore unafraid of seawater from causing unnecessary harm to their side, Yagura Karatachi, in his tailed beast form, will launch a tailed beast ball into the interior of Impel Down after the fortress walls are breached, in order to annihilate any possible ambushes.

"The water ghost squad is ready to move out!"

Not long after, the Shadow Clone Squad, who were setting up explosive tags on the beachhead, signaled that the demolition preparations were complete. Hanzo the Salamander immediately ordered, "Start the demolition in three minutes!"

Just as the water ghost troops entered the designated sea area, the shadow clones on the beachhead of Impel Down immediately activated, detonated after a delay, and turned into smoke and dissipated.

Meanwhile, Hannibal, the deputy warden of Impel Down who was observing from the shadows, was somewhat puzzled and prepared to send a few unlucky guards to find out what was going on.

But before these unlucky guys could even step out of the underground fortifications, a deafening explosion rang out!

"boom!"

First, the soil covering was blown off completely by an explosion, and then three torpedoes hit the fortress wall!

Startled by the loud noise and earthquake, Hannibal had no time to react before he found the navy in complete chaos.

"The wall on the basement level has been breached!"

"what!"

Hannibal was shocked: "Quick! Activate the water-tight mechanism immediately!"

Impel Down, as a fortress island where the World Government imprisons serious criminals, is naturally not a simple cylindrical building. The problem of wall destruction was taken into consideration from the very beginning of its construction, so there are extremely complex mazes and blocking mechanisms inside. However, these arrangements are all to prevent the prisoners inside from causing damage, and the effects of external forces have not been taken into account.

After all, no one expected that an enemy could actually break through Impel Down's fortress from the outer sea, which is teeming with Sea Kings!

However, just as the Impel Down soldiers frantically leaped out of their fortifications to activate the mechanism, they saw a huge orb of light shoot in through a breach in the fortress wall, and then—

"boom!"