Blackbeard

"Bang!"

With a thunderous sound, the jailers blocking Chen Qiang's path were sent flying, their bodies instantly covered in countless wounds of varying sizes.

"You brat, that's enough!"

Hannyabal, having just scrambled to his feet, saw his men sent airborne and roared in fury.

"Tch! Do you really think I'm still the same kid from two months ago, someone you can just push around?" Chen Qiang looked at Hannyabal's rage with utter disdain.

"But in terms of strength, I actually owe a debt of gratitude to you and these jailers. It's thanks to you that I've gained this level of power in just two short months!" Chen Qiang clenched his fist, feeling the surge of strength within, his eyes glinting with intense killing intent.

"However, as for you, Hannyabal! I will never forget the inhuman torture you inflicted upon me!" Halfway through his sentence, Chen Qiang's demeanor shifted, his expression turning dark and ominous.

"Just lie down obediently. I don't have time to play games with you!" Hannyabal paid no mind to Chen Qiang's words; instead, he charged forward to launch an attack the moment he stood up.

"Heh! Being underestimated, are we?"

Watching Hannyabal rush toward him, Chen Qiang chuckled, tightened his grip on his long blade, and swung it directly as his opponent closed the distance.

The sheer force of the blow sent Hannyabal stumbling back several paces.

"How is this possible? How could he be this strong?"

Hannyabal stared at Chen Qiang in disbelief, unable to fathom how the man he had been able to toy with at will just two months ago could now force him back with a single strike.

"On this vast sea, anything is possible!"

Chen Qiang's smile deepened at Hannyabal's shock. As he spoke, he retracted his blade and held it horizontally before him.

"Tiger Roar!"

"ROAR!"

Chen Qiang flipped his blade and swung it downward at Hannyabal. A massive, blood-red tiger head manifested over the steel, letting out a deafening, bestial roar.

Blades of blood-colored wind erupted from the giant tiger's maw, slashing rapidly toward Hannyabal.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Seeing the incoming attack, Hannyabal spun his double-bladed staff like a windmill, creating a defensive barrier. The wind blades were blocked, failing to break through his guard.

"It's not over yet!"

Just as Hannyabal struggled to defend against the frontal assault, Chen Qiang appeared behind him, his blade raised once more.

"When did he—!" Hearing Chen Qiang's voice behind him, Hannyabal froze in shock.

"Tiger Bite!"

While Hannyabal hesitated, Chen Qiang did not. A blood-red light surged over his blade as he swung it in a rising arc.

The blade transformed into a colossal tiger, jaws wide, swallowing Hannyabal whole from below.

Trapped within the tiger's maw, Hannyabal found himself surrounded by blood-red wind blades, which began to slice into him with frantic speed.

"Ah!" "Bang!"

Hannyabal was sent flying once again, but this time he did not rise. His body was covered in lacerations, blood pouring from his wounds. As his life force drained away, he collapsed to the ground, utterly unable to move.

"As expected! Nothing feels better than taking revenge with your own hands!" Looking down at the fallen Hannyabal, Chen Qiang wiped his long, unkempt hair—which he hadn't trimmed in two months—and felt refreshed.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the upward corridor, growing louder and closer by the second.

"So it's Blackbeard, after all!"

As the footsteps drew near, Chen Qiang finally saw the group rounding the corner: a burly man with a thick head of black hair and three pistols tucked into his waist—Blackbeard—followed by several of his recruited crewmates.

"Ze-hahahaha! What a capable little brat!" Blackbeard arrived, spotted Chen Qiang standing amidst the fallen jailers, and laughed loudly.

"Blackbeard! I almost forgot you'd be coming to Impel Down at this time!" Seeing him, Chen Qiang didn't attack; instead, he patted his head in resignation.

It had been two months since he transmigrated. During that time, he had been constantly tortured and forced to flee, nearly forgetting the anime's plot. Seeing Blackbeard now, he recalled that the man had indeed appeared in Impel Down before heading to the Summit War to claim Whitebeard's power.

"Ze-hahahaha! I didn't expect to meet someone here who knows my name!" Hearing Chen Qiang call him out, Blackbeard laughed again.

"Little brother, have you ever thought about joining us to go find the legendary One Piece?" Blackbeard suddenly found Chen Qiang quite agreeable and extended an invitation.

"One Piece, huh? I'm certainly interested, but I don't think we're compatible. I'd rather find it on my own!" Chen Qiang rejected the offer outright.

In his previous life, he hadn't held much animosity toward Blackbeard, but Blackbeard was arguably the most "pirate-like" character in the series. Still, having no animosity didn't mean he wanted to join him.

After all, Chen Qiang had been raised with a strong sense of morality. While the two months of torture had changed him, it didn't mean he would become a true villain. He found the path of someone like Luffy much more acceptable.

On his journey, he would simply strike down whatever he found unacceptable—that would be enough.

"Ze-hahahaha! What a pity. So, little brother, what will you do now? Are you going to stop me?" Blackbeard wasn't surprised by the rejection and simply asked.

"No. If you want to pass, go ahead. Our goals don't conflict, and I have no reason to help these jailers stop you!" Chen Qiang raised an eyebrow, stepped aside, and cleared the path.

"Hahahaha! What an interesting little brother. What do you all think?" Seeing Chen Qiang's actions, Blackbeard laughed even harder and turned to ask his crew.

"He is indeed interesting!"

"That's right! That's right!"

"Little brother! Want an apple?"

Upon hearing Blackbeard's words, the others looked at Chen Qiang with smiles on their faces. However, Doc Q, who was riding on his horse, chuckled as he pulled an apple from his cloak and held it out toward Chen Qiang.

"Oh? Is this meant to be a provocation?"

Looking at the apple offered to him, Chen Qiang raised an eyebrow. He did not take it, but instead looked at Blackbeard and his crew with a calm expression, tightening his grip on his long sword.

"Ze-hahahaha! It seems the young man knows us quite well. Don't worry! It really is just an apple!"

Seeing Chen Qiang's reaction, Blackbeard and his crew were stunned for a moment, but they quickly recovered and burst into laughter.

"In that case, then thank you! To be honest, I really am a bit hungry."

Hearing Blackbeard say this, Chen Qiang stopped doubting and took the apple from his hand, offering a word of thanks.

"Then, until we meet again, Blackbeard!" After taking the apple, Chen Qiang naturally took a bite—it was indeed a fresh apple—and spoke to Blackbeard, who had already begun to walk downward.

"Ze-hahahaha!"

Hearing Chen Qiang's words, Blackbeard said nothing more, instead laughing loudly as he led his men toward the fourth level.

After parting ways with Blackbeard, Chen Qiang did not linger, but instead hurried toward the first level of Impel Down.

Soon, Chen Qiang successfully reached the first level. During this time, he did not encounter any resistance, as the naval guards had already been cleared out by Blackbeard's group on their way down.

"This is the place!"

With a few flashes of movement across the first level, Chen Qiang arrived before a tightly shut door and stared at it.

"Bang!"

"It seems this is indeed the place!"

With a single kick, Chen Qiang burst the door open. Seeing the various metal pipes and glowing instruments inside, he realized his memory had not failed him; this was the control room for the Gates of Justice.

"The Immortal Chen Qiang! He actually appeared here!"

"Has he escaped again?"

"What is he doing here?"

"Everyone, grab your weapons! Don't let him in!"

As someone who had broken out of prison dozens of times, there was practically no one in Impel Down who didn't recognize Chen Qiang. As soon as he kicked the door open, the guards inside recognized him and quickly prepared to attack.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Gunfire erupted once more, and bullets streaked through the air, striking Chen Qiang's body.

"Why can't you people understand? These things are completely useless against me!"

Looking at the bullets embedded in his body, Chen Qiang shook his head helplessly.

"Tiger Flash!"

With a low shout, Chen Qiang vanished from the doorway. When he reappeared, he was already behind the guards, his long sword slowly sliding back into its scabbard.

The guards who had been firing stopped in their tracks, expressions of disbelief frozen on their faces. As Chen Qiang's sword clicked fully into its sheath, blood sprayed from their chests, and they collapsed to the ground with their eyes rolling back.

"It should be here!"

Ignoring the fallen guards, Chen Qiang began to search the room. Recalling the switch he had seen in the anime from his past life, he quickly located the control console.

The instrument featured two large buttons, one marked "Open" and the other "Close." Chen Qiang decisively pressed the "Open" button.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter!"

After pressing it, Chen Qiang heard the sound of heavy chains dragging, followed by the massive, booming sound of a gate opening.

"It seems I wasn't wrong."

Hearing these sounds echoing from outside, Chen Qiang nodded in satisfaction.