Impel Down (12)

"Captain, aren't you afraid that the God Slayer will take all the prisoners from Infinite Hell? After all, their Hell Pirates are currently short-handed..."

The Blackbeard Pirates are hiding in a beast-breeding room in the Lv2 Beast Hell.

Van Augur adjusted his sniper rifle while looking at Marshall D. Teach and asking a question.

"Hahaha... No way. For any One Piece crew, if they gather too many dangerous characters, even if the captain is incredibly strong, the One Piece won't last long. There are too many unstable factors... and a lack of cohesion." Marshall D. Teach chuckled strangely, her eyes now showing a shrewd and wise look. "The Whitebeard Pirates so powerful, besides the fact that our father is strong enough, is because of their strong cohesion. Our father treats everyone like his own son, and that's the most important thing."

"As for us, it's because we share the goal and dream of raising children together."

"And the Hell Pirates... Zhehahaha... those guys don't seem like people with dreams. Simply put, the God Slayer's method is 'might makes right.' He relies on his terrifying strength to make all the crew members obey him. This approach is very effective against newcomers. But it won't work against those veterans who have been imprisoned in the Infinite Hell and have already weathered many storms. They are all ambitious guys... each one of them is an unstable factor. If they really boarded the Hell Pirates' ship, given the slightest opportunity, or if Oboro faces even the slightest crisis, these guys would definitely turn against them."

"Even during normal sailing hours, having such a large group of people on board would be a major headache, and the One Piece crew wouldn't be able to stay calm. For me and Oboro, what we need are stable and strong partners... It's not hard to see from the Hell Pirates' growth path that Oboro's style isn't about taking on everything. To this day, he only truly values about ten people. After all, nobody wants to be stabbed in the back by their own people at a crucial moment."

During the conversation, a figure emerged from the dark doorway.

Lafitte, who went to investigate, returned.

"How about it?"

Marshall D. Teach looked over.

"The God Slayer has gone to Infinite Hell, and the other members of the Hell Pirates are selecting the last survivors from each floor... Their need for personnel seems to be huge; they want to take quite a few people with them."

"In addition, the Straw Hat and Jinbe the Knight of the Sea have arrived at the Beast Hell... and are about to rush out."

Lafitte pinched the brim of his hat and answered.

"This is a good opportunity, should we make a move?"

Lafitte raised her bright red lips slightly and asked Marshall D. Teach for instructions.

His meaning is... to take advantage of the current turmoil and eliminate the scattered members of the Hell Pirates.

They had previously been to the monitoring room and had seen some footage before the signal was cut off... They roughly knew who was left behind by the God Slayer to control the situation in each level of hell.

"Don't joke around, that guy hasn't left yet." Marshall D. Teach grinned, revealing a gap in his teeth.

"It's not what you said."

Van Augur spoke up.

"Hahaha... No, his actions only confirm my suspicions. As for those people who were taken away... they must be of some use. It seems he's planning something big." Marshall D. Teach said with certainty.

Will the Hell Pirates get involved in the battle at Marineford?

Van Augur frowned.

"It's alright, whatever he wants to do won't interfere with our plans... Our target is Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit."

Marshall D. Teach's eyes gleamed in the darkness.

After all, only he could acquire Devil Fruit abilities.

"The Yonko, right..."

Lafitte suddenly spoke up.

"If Whitebeard dies... and you, Captain, don't want to confront them head-on for the time being, then... the resources of the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World will have to be handed over to them. We probably won't be able to eat much, and there won't be much left for us."

"This explains why he recruited so many people onto the ship."

"Don't worry, Whitebeard is dead... When the new Yonko comes to power, and it's a guy like Hagi, the pattern of the new world will definitely undergo earth-shaking changes. The water will become quite turbid. At least for now, our relationship with the Hell Pirates is pretty good... Even if the Hell Pirates become the Yonko, aren't there still three others..."

"Although the New World is the territory of the Yonko, it's not absolute. There are still some big fish that can remain neutral or have their own territory amidst the power struggle among the Yonko... We'll devour these big fish first, and then choose one of the Yonko to overthrow. Once we obtain Uncle's Devil Fruit ability, none of this will be a problem for us. Sometimes, appropriate forbearance is necessary. If you want to achieve great things, you can't be impatient... On this sea, to truly establish yourself, it's not about who is stronger, but who survives the longest."

"The more famous the Hell Pirates become, the better it is for us... because no matter who the opponent is, they will be the first to be targeted."

"Hahaha..."

Marshall D. Teach's laughter echoed throughout the dimly lit room.

Lv5 Freezing Hell.

Crocodile sat on a high cell tower, smoking a cigar, coldly watching the prisoners fighting and killing each other in the snow below.

"It's been going on for a while... Is it still not over?"

The Crocodile pondered to himself.

What is Oboro doing in the Infinite Hell?

Meanwhile, in the Infinite Hell.

Oboro, whose suit was slightly wrinkled and torn, sat on a newly piled-up 'mountain of corpses'.

Beneath his buttocks lay dozens of vibrant lives that had just been lost at his hands.

The game has come to an end at this point.

From one-on-one battles to two-on-one, three-on-one, and multi-person encirclement... he was always the ultimate victor.

No one can change the ending.

What's even more terrifying is the speed at which he resolves battles.

Admittedly, these strong prisoners may experience a decline in physical skills due to years of imprisonment... but that applies to the 'weak'.

A true strong person's strength will not diminish no matter what environment they are in.

Long sat like an emperor on a 'throne' cast from blood and corpses. At this moment, there was not a single voice of doubt in the vast prison.

Even when he asked if there were any more challengers.

He was met with silence.

"Very good... Now you should be able to listen to me obediently. I am personally very satisfied with this." His face, covered with scars and still stained with blood, was covered with blood. He chuckled softly, his fingers interlaced on his knees. "No matter what your identities were before, or what strength you had, being imprisoned in this Impel Down only proves one thing... You have failed. You are utter failures."

"So, when it comes to me... you bunch of trash had better show some respect... I'm much more peaceful now. If it were 'earlier,' I wouldn't mind helping the World Government kill all of you vermin."

Oboro was telling the truth, but he was also provoking.

When he said "earlier," he wasn't referring to his time as One Piece, but rather his Hunter x Hunter.

"Isn't the game... still going on?"

"Even if you're the person in charge, you don't have the right to unilaterally stop it, do you?"

Suddenly, a mocking laugh rang out.

They've taken the bait.

Long's heart stirred, but his expression remained calm and composed as he flicked his finger.

The prison gate where the sound originated was then opened.

A blond, burly man stepped through the gate and finally arrived at the 'mountain of corpses'.

He raised his head, staring excitedly at Long sitting on the mountaintop.

"Hmm... you still have some spirit. I thought you were all scared out of your wits."

Long gave a compliment.

"The Devil's Heir, Douglas Bare, a former member of the Roger Pirates."

Long revealed the other party's identity.

"For you, challenging Roger has always been your belief, but after Roger's death, you were completely lost... How about it? Homeless dog, join the Hell Pirates, and I will take Roger's place and guide you."

As Long spoke, he slowly stood up, and his terrifying Haki was instantly unleashed.

Bare licked his lips, stretched his shoulders, and said eagerly, "Beat me first... don't disappoint me."

"Don't worry, I'll make you feel what defeat is all over again."

Long's eyes turned cold, and the aura he exuded... began to stir with excitement.