The curtain rises, part four

Plans could not keep up with events. Even if the Marines sent men to Impel Down, they would be too late. There were only five hours left, and who knew when the Whitebeard Pirates would arrive?

The Marines could not spare any fighters for Impel Down now. They could only rely on the prison's own forces and hope Magellan could hold his ground.

The Five Elders were worried as well. They could not send anyone over, either, because there had been movement in the New World.

The Marines had stationed some of their forces in the New World. After all, the Three Admirals and the Fleet Admiral were all at headquarters, and someone had to hold the fort there.

As expected, the ones stationed there were the Marines' two elite Vice Admirals with special epithets, both candidates for Admiral: Peach Rabbit Gion and Chaton Tokikake. Garp was supposed to be there too, but there was no way he would agree to go.

"Blackbeard disappeared?" Rogge asked with a smile.

"Don't tell me he ran away because he was afraid to face Whitebeard," Donquixote Doflamingo said.

"That's possible," Gecko Moria said disdainfully. Running away before the battle even began—did someone like that deserve to stand alongside him?

"There are only five hours until the execution. The Whitebeard Pirates will arrive before then, right? Clever fellow, running away ahead of time," Donquixote Doflamingo said with a grin.

"Who knows whether he actually ran away?" Rogge said, smiling.

Meanwhile, Blackbeard and his men had arrived at Impel Down and swallowed up the prison guards right at the entrance.

A group of people witnessed the scene.

An airship hovered three thousand meters above Impel Down.

"How the hell did Rogge know? That's Blackbeard, right? Everything happened just like Rogge said," Jelly said.

"Blackbeard Teach,