"Boom!"
A massive shadow was cast upon the sea. The warship in the sky was no longer visible, replaced by a giant hand even larger than the ship itself.
The hand pressed down with a roar, causing the surrounding air currents to become turbulent and violent. The dozens of cannonballs looked incredibly small beneath this giant hand.
In the blink of an eye, the hand collided with the cannonballs. The anticipated terrifying explosion did not occur. Everyone's eyes widened, flickering.
The cannonballs slowly sank into the palm of the giant hand. A few faint gurgling sounds were heard, and the dozens of cannonballs sank deep into the mire, disappearing completely without causing even a ripple.
Silence...
The entire process was unbelievably quiet. Everyone stared blankly at this scene until a massive, booming sound erupted!
The giant hand plummeted from the sky at extreme speed.
"Boom!" The sea exploded in towering waves! The water surged, rippling outwards like heavy fabric. The warships on the surface were rocked violently by this sudden surge.
"How terrifying! What kind of ability is that?!" Sea Knight Jinbe looked gravely at the now murky water, speaking in a deep voice.
"The Natural-type Swamp-Swamp Fruit! That guy is..." Before the pointy-headed Vice Admiral could finish his sentence, his expression changed drastically!
In the sky, the swamp matter on the surface of the bubble began to retract, revealing the film and the warship beneath. The swamp twisted and coalesced, and Wilder's figure reappeared on top of the film.
He raised his hand to his face and slowly peeled off a layer of skin-like material.
A wild, unrestrained smile, a scar stretching from his temple across his face, a sharply defined, sculpted face was revealed.
"The Jailbreak King, Wilder!"
The pointy-headed Vice Admiral's pupils constricted. He instantly understood everything, his sharp voice piercing the sky.
"Nyehehehe... To be remembered by a Vice Admiral, I'm quite honored."
Wilder's face was slightly pale, but his smile grew even more intense.
"Then... it's time to give you all a grand gift."
His low voice rang out. Wilder looked in the direction of Impel Down, then at the Marines and the Straw Hats below, grinning widely.
He took a deep breath, and a booming voice emanated from him, sounding as if it were right next to the ears of those below.
"Blackbeard! Magellan! Shiryu of the Rain! And the monsters of Level Six!" The warship, along with Wilder's booming voice, ascended, reaching the top of the Gates of Justice in the blink of an eye.
Below, it was somewhat quiet. A bad premonition suddenly arose in the pointy-headed Vice Admiral's heart!
Wilder's voice suddenly softened: "Nyehehehe... I hope a few of you manage to survive."
His gaze turned to the warship where the Straw Hat crew was located. A smile appeared on his face, and his voice grew louder again: "Straw Hat!"
"Whoa! Old man! I'm here! You're really amazing! Shishishishi!"
Below, Straw Hat Luffy jumped onto the bow of the ship, waving at Wilder with a goofy grin.
"This is my gift to you. I hope we can be friends in the future," Wilder's smile grew even wider, and then... it suddenly vanished.
"Gurgle!" The swamp matter surged, and a hole opened in his chest. A palm-sized black device was squeezed out by the swamp.
There was a timer counting down on it.
"Nyehehehe... The timing isn't quite right... In that case, I'll have to do it myself." Wilder's shoulders trembled slightly, his face filled with irrepressible excitement and madness.
He pressed a button on the black device.
"Buzz...!" A faint sound.
"BOOM!"
A terrifying shockwave swept out without warning. A deafening roar resonated. On the sea, the warships rocked violently.
"Wh-what happened?!"
The Marines, their bodies swaying with the ship, were unable to maintain their balance. They grabbed onto the masts and railings, their faces filled with terror.
"Crack... Crack..." Strange sounds came from behind. Some of them, after stabilizing themselves, couldn't help but look back. Instantly, their eyes widened, and terror and panic silently crept onto everyone's faces!
"You've got to be kidding me..."
"Someone tell me what's happening!"
"Ah!"
A terrified scream broke the silence. At this point, the others also reacted, turning to look behind them.
"Crack... Crack..."
Behind them, the once magnificent and majestic Impel Down was now engulfed in smoke and dust. This legendary, supposedly impregnable fortress, which had once imprisoned Gold Roger and had stood for hundreds of years, was now slowly sinking into the sea.
Countless towering structures cracked and collapsed, plunging into the sea, creating terrifying waves.
"H-hey... No way!" a Marine cried out, his voice trembling.
Straw Hat's eyes widened, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
Crocodile bit down on his cigar, his brow furrowed.
Ivankov's enormous face became stiff.
Sea Knight Jinbe clenched his fists, his pupils flickering.
The pointy-headed Vice Admiral's hands trembled, his gaze vacant: "Impel Down..."
"Whoosh...!" The sound of rushing water.
A giant wave surged up around Impel Down, heading towards them!
"That guy... What the hell did he do?!" Crocodile looked up at the warship that had already floated to the top of the Gates of Justice, then back at the giant wave, his expression ugly.
"Is this the gift the old man was talking about?" Straw Hat Luffy's face was serious. "In that case... I won't accept it!"
...
Inside Impel Down, amidst the broken debris, Blackbeard was covered in blood, his body pinned beneath a massive boulder. His tall, sturdy frame was covered in wounds.
At the same time, Shiryu of the Rain, Magellan, and Blackbeard's crew, along with the criminals they had released from Level Six, were also pinned under the rubble in various shapes and forms. Blood trickled from the corners of their mouths, but their savage, cold eyes still flickered with a dangerous light.
"Zehahaha! Who is it?... How can I not meet such a character?!" From under the rubble, Blackbeard's ugly mouth opened, and darkness spread silently from his body, covering the boulder that pinned him.
"Bang!" The boulder instantly shattered into countless pieces. Blackbeard slowly stood up, blood flowing from his forehead into his mouth, his smile both hearty and dangerous.
"Cough... cough..." Shiryu of the Rain let out a few muffled coughs. Several red slashes of sword energy flashed from within the rubble, and his body, twisted and distorted, also stood up.
"Zehahaha! This antidote is pretty effective. If it weren't for this explosion... and all this sticky stuff, it would be even better."
Blackbeard laughed, then his face darkened: "Let's go. Let's go meet that guy. If I'm not mistaken, that guy is the rat that was hiding in the shadows when we came in. Zehahaha! I was careless! Turns out it was a beast disguised as a rat!"
"What about this guy?" At this point, the others had also stood up from the rubble. Lafitte glanced at Magellan, who was already buried in the debris.
"Leave him. If we don't escape now, we'll lose our chance." Blackbeard looked at the seawater gushing in from afar. Although the seawater was temporarily blocked by the swamp matter that filled the surroundings, it wouldn't last long. It would collapse in an instant.
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