Before the Curtain Rises on Impel Down

Another near-top-tier resource point.

Chaton's Ability Card.

Long was very satisfied.

After shaking off Kizaru, he soon encountered Enel again.

It was Enel who came to find him; Enel's 'sensory field' is now quite astonishing.

"Let them come over."

Standing under a Yarukiman Mangrove, Oboro gave instructions to Enel.

The latter nodded.

Without making any move, he replied after a second or two, "They're all on their way."

"Good."

Oboro praised.

This is a new ability that Enel developed by utilizing the properties of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

Within a certain range, he can directly 'communicate' with other targets via electromagnetic signals. Besides his Devil Fruit ability, this also involves Enel's Observation Haki. It must be said that, at least in terms of Observation Haki, Enel is indeed somewhat monstrous. This eliminates the hassle of using Den Den Mushi for short-range communication. This method is somewhat similar to Geb's Nen, telepathy, which he used when he traveled with him to the Dark Continent in Hunter x Hunter.

However, it has a wider scope and is more convenient. It's simply the release of abilities, without the cumbersome 'restrictions' of Nen.

This is mainly based on the differences in the two world power systems.

In no time at all, Dom and the others gathered together.

Without saying much, Oboro led his crew into the air and disappeared into the Sabaody Archipelago.

Meanwhile, when the Navy dispatched several more warships to the Sabaody Archipelago, Vice Admiral Onigumo and the others from the Marine Headquarters, upon disembarking, saw Kizaru -legged on the ground, with a corpse placed in front of him.

On their way here, they had already received news that Lieutenant General Chaton had died in the line of duty.

Behind Kizaru was Momousagi, her face streaked with tears, trying to appear calm.

As for Sentomaru and the Pacifista, they are still nowhere to be found, presumably still cleaning up the remaining One Piece in Lawless Area.

Looking around, the edge of the outer island was also a 'disaster area' of this battle. Although the soldiers had dealt with the bodies in time, the traces of artillery bombardment, the conspicuous bloodstains and smells all indicated that the operation was more brutal than anyone had expected.

"Where God Slayer?!"

Staring at his comrade's remains, Lieutenant General Doberman, nicknamed "Fighting Dog," his eyes bloodshot, uttered a few cold words through clenched teeth.

"Those guys from the Hell Pirates... are gone."

Kizaru rubbed his temples, closed his eyes, and spoke.

"..."

The lieutenant generals fell silent.

In the end... we were still too late.

"Kizaru, although this operation was ordered from above, you're the one in charge, aren't you?!" Doberman's face darkened, and he glared at Kizaru with an imposing aura, even omitting the title of Admiral.

This is an implicit criticism of the admiral for dereliction of duty and incompetence.

"Doberman."

Lieutenant General Kesha, who had a scar on her left eye, realized that something was wrong and immediately reached out and pressed down on Doberman's shoulder.

Those present Doberman's fiery temper; if he got angry, he would show no mercy to even his closest relatives.

No matter what, Kizaru is an admiral, and nominally... their 'superior'.

If anyone is to criticize, it's not their place.

I understand how you feel.

Kizaru opened his eyes, his eyelids lifting behind his glasses, and calmly stared at Doberman, a cold glint in his eyes. "Although I really want to explain the whole process and events to you... I'm afraid you won't listen. In short, to put it simply... given the Hell Pirates' abilities and level of threat, I alone cannot contain them."

"You..."

Seeing that Kizaru dismissed him with just one sentence.

Doberman was about to step forward, suddenly, the three lieutenant generals Accompany appeared beside him in the blink of an eye and 'pressed down' him.

"Doberman, wake up."

"Kake's death is a fact... your anger now won't change anything."

"We must show some respect to our general, Doberman."

The three of them spoke one after the other.

"It's alright... let him come over. If he wants to teach this admiral a lesson... hehe, I'd be happy to oblige." Kizaru scratched his head and chuckled with a sigh.

"..."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the lieutenant generals changed slightly.

Although on the surface Kizaru still appears carefree and jovial, after working together for so many years, they understand Kizaru, Aokiji, and Akainu quite well. Kizaru's tone has changed... This is a rare sight for him, indicating that Kizaru's anger at this moment is probably no less than theirs.

If Doberman were to provoke trouble under these circumstances, the consequences... are anyone's guess.

If you calm down and think about it for a moment, you'll understand... Kizaru must be the most furious person to have a top-tier combatant from the Marine Headquarters, or even a future admiral who was being groomed and supported, killed right under his nose.

As time passed, by the second day, the turmoil in the Sabaody Archipelago was nearing its end.

Sengoku, Tsuru, and Garp, all serving as Fleet Admirals, knew every detail about what happened on the island.

I understand it very well.

The Five Elders remained calm regarding Chaton's death.

From their perspective, it might just be the loss of a slightly valuable 'piece'.

Anyone or any force is merely a tool to serve the Celestial Dragons; they are replaceable.

But for the navy, it has a different meaning.

Although it is an agency under the World Government, the Navy's power structure, background, and mechanisms differ from the government's. Moreover, the Navy is somewhat of a "self-contained faction," not entirely under the World Government's control. Therefore, this incident gives the impression that the Five Elders are using their people as mere pawns.

This inadvertently exacerbated the underlying tensions between the two sides. At least many of Chaton's old friends, or high-ranking officers of the headquarters who were also vice admirals, had strong opinions about the Five Elders', or rather, the Celestial Dragons ', reaction.

A few days later.

A special area in Marineford.

Almost all the high-ranking officers from headquarters who were not on emergency missions were present.

Everyone wore a sorrowful and solemn expression. Even the weather seemed to fit the occasion, with no sunshine, making it feel oppressive and gloomy.

This is a cemetery.

They are all here today to attend the funeral of the Chaton.

As the soldiers fired salutes, Chaton's coffin was placed in the ground in full view of the crowd.

"The escort missions for those One Piece... will probably continue for some time, there are just too many of them."

At the very front of the line, Crane and Sengoku stood side by side.

The old woman looked ahead and said softly.

"Those members of the Worst Generation... not a single one was caught. The Hell Pirates' disruption had a huge impact."

Sengoku frowned, his face solemn. "Even that Marshall D. Teach has become a new Shichibukai."

Tsuru glanced at him and understood his unspoken meaning. "Don't think too much about it... You have to understand that the Navy... is ultimately just a 'member' under the World Government."

Are the Hell Pirates powerful?

Of course it's not weak.

God Slayer also exceptionally troublesome.

However, if the Navy were to go all out, it could absolutely wipe the Hell Pirates off the seas. Even if they couldn't kill God Slayer, the other members of his crew would definitely be unable to escape. But the problem is that the situation at sea is too complex, and the Navy needs to send manpower to maintain order in all aspects, especially in the New World... With the Yonko watching closely, the Navy can't possibly withdraw everyone just to deal with a Hell Pirates.

The key point is that even if the Sengoku wanted to do this, it wouldn't have mattered.

Because... the Five Elders don't allow it.

That's the most painful part.

Of course, this was just something Sengoku thought about; he was a wise general and would never act recklessly.

He simply watched Chaton die, and then watched the Hell Pirates led by the God Slayer repeatedly humiliate them and the government.

Suddenly, Sengoku felt... a little tired.

I feel extremely tired.

"Maybe... I really am getting old..."

The Sengoku sighed.

Staring blankly at the sky.

The crane beside me remained silent.

An unnamed island in the first half of the Grand Line.

At this time, the entire Hell Pirates had changed course and arrived at the sea area of another pointer line.

For the next period of time, they will be able to get a period of 'rest'.

Don't rush to the New World yet, because a new story point is about to begin... Impel Down!

With Fire Fist Ace captured, the World Government announced its intention to execute this member of a Yonko One Piece crew. This sense of urgency is probably even more pronounced than in the original story, given that the events at Sabaody Archipelago have left both the Navy and the government quite 'dissatisfied'.

However, in recent newspapers, the Navy has been devoting a large portion of its coverage to articles claiming that it has extinguished the arrogance of the 'new era One Piece '.

Numerically speaking, the 'war' in the Sabaody Archipelago was a victory for the World Government.

Even though none of the Supernova were captured, the number of One Piece imprisoned in Impel Down was substantial.

The government and the navy needed an outlet, and at this juncture, Ace was the most suitable target... plus, given his already highly sensitive identity.

Long lay under a coconut tree, flipping through a newspaper and reading its contents.

From the center of the small island behind them, terrifying auras and strange phenomena frequently erupted.

All the crew members except for him, the captain, were focused on training... and sparring and fighting each other often happened.

Moreover, they were all incredibly ruthless. If it weren't for the rules on the ship, these people would have really gone for the kill. There was absolutely no atmosphere of harmonious coexistence, and they weren't even willing to pretend to be.

This situation reminded Oboro of the legendary Rocks Pirates.

He wasn't sure if Whitebeard and his crew had been like that back then; it seemed that fighting was commonplace in the Rocks Pirates, and even more bloody and brutal. But none of that mattered to Oboro... All he needed was a group of helpers who could threaten the Celestial Dragons, as long as they were strong enough.

As for the stability of the One Piece crew itself, with him around... there won't be any trouble.

Perhaps, Rocks D. Xebec... felt the same way.

Absolute and self-powerful.

"But... that's really your style, showing no mercy to the World Government at all."

Composing herself, Long smiled faintly.

Besides the government's extensive promotion of the victories at Sabaody Archipelago, the newspapers also contained articles about the government's victories at Chambord.

Even more eye-catching are the Supernova of the Worst Generation.

This time, it's not the Hell Pirates themselves who are in the spotlight... but rather Luffy, Zoro, Eustass Kid, and Trafalgar Law. This report was undoubtedly written by Morgans, who seems to be intentionally hyping up the new generation of powerful One Piece besides the God Slayer. With the influence of the news agency, it probably won't be long before the Straw Hat's fame rises to another level, officially making them a hot Supernova group across the entire sea.

Morgans loved to go against the World Government.

Given the current fame and status of Oboro and the Hell Pirates, Morgans felt there was no need to further promote or highlight them with words. Instead, he suggested focusing on Luffy and his crew to create more rivals for the One Piece.

Moreover, this naval deployment was quite large-scale, led by an admiral.

To be able to escape like this is especially remarkable for a One Piece crew that has only recently risen to prominence.

It is commendable, and even regarded as a role model by many One Piece.

In fact, even among the Worst Generation, figures like Trafalgar Law and Basil Hawkins, who set sail and became One Piece long ago, were largely confined to the North Blue. They didn't garner much attention on the Grand Line, and very few people even knew of them. The others merely enjoyed temporary periods of power within their respective seas. In this respect, Oboro and Marshall D. Teach were completely different. He and Blackbeard made their existence known to the world much earlier than the Worst Generation.

Therefore, the general impression from the outside world is that they are also members of the Worst Generation.

But it's also a bit special.

Nearly half a month later, one day, Long was meditating and circulating his qi throughout the body.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

Then look, on the distant sea, a brightly colored One Piece ship is slowly sailing towards us.

Long immediately stopped and stood up, revealing a smile.

It's finally here.

The Blood Pluton! Their flagship, the Hell Pirates.

As the ship drew closer, the 'shape' of the entire One Piece ship became increasingly clear in view.

The ship's exterior was a bright, glossy red, and under the sunlight, it truly looked as if its entire outline had been smeared with blood... making it impossible to ignore while sailing on the sea. Moreover, the hull was densely carved with countless lifelike reliefs of demons, each with a different shape and appearance—some with gaping maws, others with bared fangs. This imbued the entire ship with a chilling sense of dread, even from the outside. Huge instruments of torture and Chain hung from the hull, clanging incessantly with the ship's swaying... complementing the ship's ghostly imagery and creating a truly evocative atmosphere.

This kind of 'noise' can make people even more uneasy.

However, it can also be gathered up and made quiet.

In addition, the top layer of the hull also has many small holes. When strong winds pass through these holes, they will make a sound like a ghostly wail. At first glance, most ordinary people will feel uneasy.

The ventilation holes can also be closed.

At the bow and stern, a sculpture of Pluton' face was erected.

The image of Pluton was also designed by Oboro himself... In contrast to the ferocity and viciousness of the little devil, it gives people a feeling of authority without anger, and a particularly solemn aura.

The ship has three decks and cabins, with the top deck being the smallest area reserved for Oboro.

The middle floor is a private space for the cadres, equipped with various facilities and venues.

At the bottom level, it's about sharing territory.

After just a cursory glance, Long was quite satisfied.

One has to admire the craftsmanship of the shipbuilders in Water 7.

All he gave Iceburg was a blueprint.

But in the end, judging from the 'finished product' that has become a physical entity, it has basically met all the requirements he marked... and even exceeded them.

Oboro noticed some small design details on the hull, which were probably added by the shipbuilder himself.

Although the ship was built under duress, the craftsmen themselves clearly treated every ship they helped create with utmost care.