Someone stepped forward to unlock the shackles. With a clatter, the Seastone Shackles fell to the ground, and a gleam appeared in Whitebeard's eyes.
He gazed at Xia Le, a smile tugging at his lips. "You're the most unusual Marine I've ever met!"
"That's an honor!"
Xia Le smiled.
"Those sons of mine..."
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke again.
"We'll need their strength in this war too!"
Xia Le said.
"Interesting. Very interesting!"
Whitebeard burst into laughter.
"What does the outside world look like now?"
"You brat, you must have thrown everything out there into chaos by now, haven't you?"
Faced with Whitebeard's questions, Xia Le merely answered with a smile.
"It's been over two years since you entered Impel Down!"
"The outside world..."
"Hmm..."
He paused, then smiled again.
"I suppose you could indeed call it chaos!"
All of the Four Emperors had fallen, and the age of pirates had ended. Even the Revolutionary Army had vanished from the stage of history and was now being reorganized by the Marines into a specialized force.
One could imagine how utterly shocked Whitebeard would be once he left this place and heard the news.
What followed was much simpler.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates captured during the Summit War were all released.
When Xia Le walked out of Impel Down again, an imposing crowd followed behind him.
Clack!
The shaft of the Naginata struck a step with a crisp sound.
Whitebeard strode forward, his eyes slightly narrowed, his expression filled with an indescribable mix of emotions and excitement.
He had thought he would spend his twilight years in this prison. Yet the world had changed, and after just two years, he was walking out again.
Clack!
The sound of the Naginata's shaft striking the ground rang out loudly.