Impel Down

In the woods, Carlos lay on a patch of grass dappled with tree shadows, a cigarette hanging from his lips as he pondered and weighed a major decision.

Should he rescue Golden Lion or not?

With Kamui's bug-like ability, he was capable of rescuing Golden Lion from Level 6 of Impel Down, Infinite Hell. He was weighing the pros and cons of saving Golden Lion...

If he rescued Golden Lion, the situation in the New World would become unpredictable. With Golden Lion suddenly returning out of nowhere, would the future Four Emperors still be the same people? What kind of impact would it have on the state of the world?

Although Golden Lion had suffered a crushing defeat in the Edowall War and his forces had been greatly diminished, a dying camel was still bigger than a horse. Even now, he remained one of the New World's top powers, surpassed only by Whitebeard's forces.

Even Big Mom and Beast Kaido, who had already begun to rise, were still a notch below Golden Lion in both high-end and low-end strength...

In the original story, after Golden Lion was captured, the members of the Golden Lion Pirates waited and waited for their captain to return. Then news came that Golden Lion had been imprisoned in Impel Down, and the entire Golden Lion Pirates fell apart. Only a very small number of his trusted subordinates remained loyal to him.

After Golden Lion returned having cut off his own legs, those trusted followers gathered under his command again. Yet Golden Lion's own strength had plummeted after losing his legs, and his forces had also declined drastically. He could only barely maintain a foothold in the New World...

However, the worst part was that Golden Lion's mindset had developed serious problems. He no longer possessed his former ambition to swallow the world whole. He became reliant on external things, his obsession with Roger deepened, and he devoted his energy to something as boring as destroying the East Blue. The great hero was gone, and he had fallen completely...

If Carlos rescued Golden Lion now and could best resolve the knot in his heart, the situation would be completely different.

The remaining forces under Golden Lion would not fall apart and become nourishment for other Pirate Crews, especially the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates. The positions of the Four Emperors would not be established so easily, and the chaos in the New World would last much longer.

Chaos was a ladder for advancement. The longer the New World remained chaotic, the more beneficial it seemed for him. Once all the unclaimed cake had been divided up, he would have to seize cake that already had owners, which would be far more troublesome.

Moreover, with Golden Lion's help, it would be much easier for him to enter the New World in the future. Of course, there were uncertainties. A great hero like Golden Lion could not be bound by so-called gratitude, but at least they would have a connection. If not benefactor and beneficiary, then acquaintances.

Right, if he was going to rescue Golden Lion, he needed to gain something from it. No matter what, he could not make a loss...

Although Golden Lion excelled most at Devil Fruit abilities and swordsmanship, someone of his strength and status definitely understood Haki. If Carlos could obtain advanced Haki training methods, it would be an enormous help to his strength.

As for why Golden Lion had not used Haki when facing Luffy, perhaps losing his legs had affected his body too greatly, and perhaps he had underestimated Luffy.

Cough, cough... Of course, the most likely reason was three words—plot armor!

Whether Internal Energy had any effect on Logia types, and what that effect might be, remained unknown. Haki's usefulness was guaranteed, so he had to master methods for Haki training, development, and application.

With that basic return secured, he would at least not lose out. Anything he gained later would be pure profit.

As for the impact on the Marines, the Pirates, and the world order, perhaps he should not think too much about it.

The strong should not fear or be wary of so-called consequences. As long as one was strong enough, there was nothing to fear from any consequence!

Besides, it would still be a long time before he entered the New World. He had not even settled the West Sea yet, so it would not affect him much. Besides, it might not necessarily be a bad influence...

Decision made. He would do it!

Once he had made up his mind, Carlos stopped hesitating. He rose and left at once, heading for Marine Headquarters to search for Golden Lion's whereabouts and prepare to rescue him.

Even if Golden Lion had already been sent to Impel Down, it did not matter. He could go to Impel Down ahead of time and wait for him there. He could rescue him midway as well.

That was why Kamui was such a bug-like ability, especially with the space it came with. As long as he stored enough supplies in that space, Carlos could even wander the seas without a ship.

Having learned Geppo, even if he suddenly appeared above the ocean, he would not need to worry about falling into the sea. It was simply too convenient.

In a secluded corner of Marine Headquarters, a spatial vortex appeared. Carlos's figure emerged swiftly and stylishly from it. His left eye transformed into the Byakugan, piercing through layers of buildings as he searched for a lone Marine officer.

After spending some time, he found a Marine Headquarters officer at Commander rank who was alone. Using his powerful perception, Carlos avoided Marine patrols and chance encounters, hypnotized the Marine Commander, and asked about Golden Lion's whereabouts.

This was no secret. Golden Lion had been sent directly to Impel Down on the day of his arrest, personally escorted by Vice Admiral Garp. After the escort, Garp had immediately headed to Loguetown to attend Roger's execution.

After obtaining the information, Carlos continued hypnotizing the Marine Commander. The man left without noticing anything, as though nothing had happened.

After obtaining the information, Carlos immediately used Kamui to leave Marine Headquarters and headed straight for Impel Down, intending to wait for Golden Lion at the bottom of Infinite Hell.

Since Garp was personally overseeing the escort, Carlos had no intention of taking the huge risk of rescuing Golden Lion from a Marine warship.

He also happened to want to see the famous prison of Impel Down. Going there first was not a bad idea.

As for the special ocean current linking Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and Marine Headquarters, the Calm Belt, the Sea Kings within it, and the warships that outnumbered even a Buster Call, what use were any of them against him?

They could not hinder him in the slightest. Restricting Kamui's ability was no easy task. More importantly, the Marines had no idea someone was secretly watching and plotting against them. A thief in the open was not as frightening as one constantly lurking in the shadows!

Carlos moved through space across the ocean at an unhurried pace, maintaining his Pupil Power and occasionally replenishing himself with food. It did not take long before he arrived at Impel Down ahead of the warship escorting Golden Lion.

At the center of Impel Down, a spatial vortex appeared. Carlos descended soundlessly onto the top of Impel Down and looked around with curiosity.

Impel Down was a massive tower-like structure submerged in the sea. Its foundation rested on the ocean floor, and it contained six levels, all enclosed within an enormous circular fortress. Large warships surrounded the fortress one after another.

Given Impel Down's location and defensive strength, both escaping from it and breaking into it were extremely difficult. Even top-tier powerhouses would find either task difficult, though there were exceptions to everything.

Some users with special abilities could escape or break in, with spatial abilities being the most convenient. Other special abilities might also make it possible, if handled properly.

After curiously examining Impel Down's exterior, Carlos did not rush to enter. Surveillance Den Den Mushi were everywhere inside the prison. Apart from special locations such as the Freezing Hell, Infinite Hell, and the offices of Impel Down's high-ranking officials, every other area had Den Den Mushi.

In truth, Infinite Hell and the Freezing Hell also had surveillance Den Den Mushi, but they were placed along the only routes between floors.

Although Carlos was confident they could not catch him, alerting the enemy and putting Impel Down on high alert would be troublesome. He also did not want to enter the Marines' sights too early. It was better to keep a low profile and quietly make a fortune.

Carlos found a concealed spot outside and hid there, quietly waiting for the warship escorting Golden Lion to arrive. Judging by the time, it should not take much longer.

Hmm... The thought of speaking and interacting with Golden Lion face-to-face was rather exciting.

Nervous? Impossible. Golden Lion was seriously injured, bound in Seastone, and Carlos had Kamui's special ability. He would not boast about anything else, but he was confident in his ability to protect himself!