Marianne chuckled at Buggy's question.
Despite her small stature, she was the most crucial element in their infiltration.
Under the influence of her Hint Brush, all the guards at Impel Down believed the three of them were regular staff members, allowing them to pass through without any hindrance.
Moreover, she had learned the main purpose of their mission to Impel Down from Chouchou.
"Ray-sama speculated that, given your personality, you would most likely come to Impel Down once you learned Ace had been captured. But we're not necessarily here just to rescue you. If you weren't here, we would have released a few others instead. The core target is actually someone else."
At this point, Crocodile couldn't help but asked.
"Why not release all the prisoners? Those criminals are very powerful. If we cause a riot in Impel Down, it would surely divert the Marines' attention."
Marianne replied, "According to Ray-sama plan, it's enough to release you and Buggy. As for Jinbe, we didn't expect him to be here either. Our current core objective is to find the Okama King."
Upon hearing the shift in target, Bon Clay's eyes lit up, visibly excited.
The Okama King, Emporio Ivankov, was a figure he had long admired; that person was the acknowledged god of the Okama world!
Ray's reason for seeking Ivankov was to have them contact the Revolutionary Army to guide them in attacking Mary Geoise.
This way, their chances of victory would significantly increase.
Moreover, for the Revolutionary Army, now was the most opportune moment to overthrow the Celestial Dragons.
Ray believed Dragon would make the right judgment.
Subsequently, a riot broke out in Impel Down.
But the instigators weren't Bon Clay and the others—it was the Blackbeard Pirates.
Blackbeard, who had become a Shichibukai by capturing Ace, successfully entered Level 6 of Impel Down after Bon Clay's group left.
Wherever he was, chaos follow.
Unlike in the original storyline, realizing the world was on the brink of chaos, he not only recruited several crew members but also released an even more dangerous figure.
...
Time moved forward.
Today marked the fifth day since Luffy and the others had learned of Ace's impending execution.
The Thousand Sunny had arrived at Amazon Lily on its own the previous day.
Franky had also built numerous large rafts for the other 1,000 members of the Grand Fleet.
These rafts, tethered to Sea Kings, faced no difficulty navigating the Calm Belt.
The entire Straw Hat Crew had also concluded their pre-battle rest.
The massive force of over a thousand people boarded their transports to Marineford in groups.
Just before departure, Luffy stood on the Sunny's lion head and addressed his followers.
"This mission is truly dangerous. I'm urging you one last time—I hope you won't come along."
Today was one of the rare occasions Luffy felt conflicted.
He genuinely wanted to rescue Ace, but he also didn't want his comrades to die because of it.
Yet Mikita and Bartolomeo gave the same response as they had over the past few days.
"Since we've acknowledged you as our captain, we'll follow wherever you lead."
"Don't worry, we won't hold you back."
Luffy understood that these 1,000 people could at least handle some of the Marine soldiers.
Moreover, Bartolomeo and Mikita were indeed very strong and would play significant roles on the battlefield.
Since they had made their stance clear, Luffy set aside his doubts.
He took a deep breath and shouted loudly.
"Captain's orders: Set sail for Marineford!"
"┗|｀O′|┛ YEAHHHH~~"
A thousand voices roared in unison, creating an awe-inspiring momentum.
Rayleigh, Kuma, and Bonney, who had already boarded the Sunny, watched this scene with great delight.
Shakky had been left in Amazon Lily to prevent the Kingdom of Women from suffering unforeseen disasters after the war.
Bonney had insisted on helping Luffy and Ray, and no amount of persuasion from Kuma could change her mind.
Most importantly, she was unwilling to be separated from Kuma, whom she had finally reunited with.
Given the extreme danger of this battle, Bonney feared Kuma might perish on the battlefield.
Thus she declared: 'If Dad dies, I'll kill myself too.'
Hearing these words, Kuma completely lost his resolve to stop Bonney.
He decided to keep her by his side as they repaid their debts together.
...
Only two days remained until the Navy's execution of Ace and their confrontation with the Whitebeard Pirates.
The entire ocean was boiling with anticipation.
From the Grand Line to the New World, whether pirates, marines, or civilians, all had their eyes fixed on the world's developments.
During this period, three major news shook the world.
The first was Ace's execution.
Everyone wondered whether the Navy could defeat Whitebeard, the world's strongest man.
This clash between the Navy Headquarters' strongest forces and the strongest pirate crew captured global attention.
The second news was that Ray, after slaying Yonko Big Mom, he immediately killed Yonko Kaido.
Such achievements led the entire world to define the Straw Hat Pirates as the new Yonko crew.
Pirate circles, the underworld, marines, and civilians all debated: Who was the strongest pirate—Whitebeard or Ray?
But the third news provided everyone with the answer.
[Straw Hat Pirates Annihilated at Sabaody Archipelago]
The newly crowned Yonko crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, had been eliminated by the Celestial Dragons at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Even the Demon God Ray had fallen to the Celestial Dragons' forces.
With this news, all debates ceased.
Since Ray was dead, wasn't Whitebeard undoubtedly the world's strongest pirate?
But the focus had shifted from who was strongest.
The fact that such a powerful fighter like Ray could fall to the World Government made residents worldwide believe the Celestial Dragons were god-like beings.
If even Ray, the Yonko Slayer, was no match for the World Government, then what chance did the mere Whitebeard Pirates stand?
Underground betting pools had already begun taking wagers.
Whitebeard Pirates vs Navy Headquarters—who would emerge victorious?
Those betting on the Navy held an overwhelming advantage.
The odds reached an astonishing 1:1000. Meaning if you bet on the Whitebeard Pirates winning, you would receive a thousand times your wager.
This indicated that nearly everyone in the world believed the Navy would inevitably triumph.
Ray's 'death' exerted extreme pressure throughout pirate circles.
Their proud Yonko-level powerhouse had been completely eradicated by the World Government.
Did this mean the current Navy could completely exterminate the pirates if they so wished?
Panic, fear, anxiety—countless negative emotions erupted among pirates worldwide.
Yet some clever pirates noticed anomalies.
Such as Doflamingo.
He was not only a Shichibukai but also a magnate in the world's underground business, and formerly a Celestial Dragon himself.
With multiple identities, his understanding of this world naturally surpassed that of ignorant ordinary people.
He knew exactly how strong Kaido was.
And since Ray could kill Kaido with ease, his power had undoubtedly reached a level that would make even Doflamingo tremble in fear.
He also had a rough idea of the Celestial Dragons' strength.
To eliminate a powerhouse like Ray, how could the Celestial Dragons not pay a price? And the casualties would undoubtedly be substantial.
The Five Elders were strong and the God's Knights were also strong indeed.
But if they could casually eliminate Yonko, the world's balance would inevitably undergo drastic changes.
Those great pirates who roamed the seas would have long become puppets of the Celestial Dragons.
Doflamingo's perception allowed him to see the truth of this world.
The proliferation of pirates was merely tolerated by the Celestial Dragons.
The world needed the threat of pirates.
Only then would nations across the globe pay protection fees to the World Government—the Heavenly Tribute.
Only then could the Celestial Dragons enjoy their privileged lives above all others.
Only then could the Five Elders control the world more conveniently.
It was nothing but a makeshift stage.
Yet at this moment, Doflamingo had an intuition.
That something had likely gone wrong at the Holy Land.
The foundation supporting the Celestial Dragons' rule might have already been compromised.
Doflamingo had always trusted his instincts.
Now, having arrived at Marineford, he let out a maniacal laugh.
"Fufufufu... Let me see what this world will ultimately become!"
---------
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