"Do you want to launch an attack immediately?"
"Wait a minute. Whitebeard must be nearby. He's planning something. Keep an eye on the sea!"
Just as everyone was scanning the horizon for Whitebeard, a large number of bubbles suddenly appeared under the harbor's surface. Immediately after, four massive, whale-shaped pirate ships burst from the water. They were all members of the Whitebeard Pirates!
"They came from an unexpected place. It seems our formation was wrong," Tsuru said, a worried look on her face.
"Gurararara! It's been almost a decade since we have seen each other, Sengoku," a booming voice said.
With heavy footsteps, Whitebeard, holding his bisento Murakumogiri, slowly stepped onto the bow of the Moby Dick. His tall, muscular frame was like a towering mountain, commanding all attention. Even with 100,000 elite Marines ready for battle and the combined might of the Warlords and Admirals, there wasn't a hint of worry on his face. This was the spirit of the strongest man in the world.
"Gurararara! My beloved son, are you alright?" Whitebeard asked, a fatherly smile on his face.
"Dad!" Ace sobbed on the execution platform. "Father... everyone... I ignored your advice and went after Teach alone! Why did you come to save me?! Things have gotten this bad because of my reckless actions. Why did you still come to save me?" Ace's voice broke.
"No, it was I who told you to get rid of him!" Boom! Whitebeard slammed Murakumogiri into the deck with an unparalleled display of strength. "My foolish son, just wait right there. I'll come pick you up soon."
At the same time, Whitebeard clenched his fists, a white halo forming around them. He swung his arms violently.
Crack!
A crisp, shattering sound filled the air. The space where his fists struck instantly cracked, like a mirror shattering into pieces. In that moment, a massive wave hundreds of meters high surged from the sea, roaring toward Marineford from both sides, carrying with it the power of a world-ending calamity.
At the same time, Adrian and Betty arrived at Level 1, the Crimson Hell, without any trouble. After the chaos caused by the Revolutionary Army and Blackbeard, there were no guards left. Director Magellan had been beaten half to death by Dragon. If the two groups hadn't looked down on the other prisoners and unlocked the cell doors, Impel Down would have been completely empty.
"Huh? Everyone, look! It seems someone else is coming?"
"No way! Why is Impel Down so lively today? Is this the third wave?"
"Who cares? As long as we can get out, this is a once-in-a-century opportunity!"
"That's right! These two brats look like newcomers. They must be easier to deal with than the last two waves. Our chance has come!"
The criminals in the Crimson Hell fell silent for a moment before erupting into a frenzy when they saw Adrian and Betty.
"Hey, kid, go to the guard room and get the keys!."
"That's right, little brother. This is just a small thing for you, but we'll be grateful to you forever!"
"As long as you let us out, we can all be your crew..."
"Or if you want money, that's fine too! I've secretly hidden a lot of treasure!"
"Let us out of here!"
These criminals were shouting like crazy. They had already missed two valuable escape opportunities and didn't want to miss a third.
"Your purpose for coming here is also to recruit subordinates, right?" Betty asked, disgusted by the sight. Before Adrian could answer, she seemed to remember something and added, "In that case, you should go to Level 6 right now. Blackbeard went there when we left Impel Down. If you're lucky, you might be able to find one or two who slipped through the net... but the strongest ones have probably already been taken by him."
Betty had no idea what Adrian meant by "harvesting." She assumed he was here for the same reason as Blackbeard: to recruit some ruthless crew members. But why would he come to Level 1 first? The prisoners here were the weakest in all of Impel Down, most of them only slightly stronger than ordinary civilians. Betty believed that a cunning and picky man like Adrian wouldn't need the help of such weak people. It was completely out of character for him.
"Thank you for the reminder, but I never intended to recruit these trash as my subordinates... they're not worthy," Adrian said, stopping suddenly. He smiled confidently. "And the few people Blackbeard took from Level 6 are nothing more than useless chickens and dogs. A truly ruthless person wouldn't dare to provoke a truly terrifying one."
Adrian wasn't trying to belittle Blackbeard. It was the truth. The Corrupt King- Avalo Pizarro, the Crescent Moon Hunter- Catarina Devon, the Colossal Battleship- Sanjuan Wolf, and the Heavy Drinker- Vasco Shot were all at the level of a Vice Admiral or an elite Vice Admiral. Even in the New World, they were a force to be reckoned with. But it all depended on who you were comparing them to. The Demon heir, Bullet, and the "Redfield the Aloof," who was on par with Roger and Whitebeard, were on a completely different level. Blackbeard didn't have the courage or the strength to control these legendary monsters. But he was different. He had the strength and the will to subdue these rebellious beasts. And if they didn't surrender, they would only face death.
"Hmph! Who... who cares about your thanks," Betty said, her face flushing as she subconsciously tightened her clothes. I'm so angry. Why did I remind this pervert just now? He doesn't even want any talent...
"Although you're all useless trash and don't have any abilities worth looting, a mosquito is still meat. Maybe there will be some unexpected discoveries," Adrian said, his cold gaze sweeping over the shouting criminals. Then, under Betty's puzzled stare, he slowly drew Oto and Kogarashi.
"Lion: Thousand Slice Valley!"