Chapter 519: We Are Going In

Due to a wrong answer to a single question, the members of the Buggy Pirates were abducted by Ian. Cabaji nearly moved to tears in the restroom, faced an unexpected turn of events.

However, when they were brought onto the ship, they suddenly realized that the vessel Ian and his group were on was the military ship they had seen before!

Not only that, but on the ship at the moment, Cabaji and Alvida could tell that these people were definitely not Marines, yet they were all wearing Marine uniforms!

So, they quickly understood that Ian and his group were pretending to be Marines on their way to Impel Down!

Realizing this, Cabaji and Mohji’s minds started working quickly.

Alvida was right before – unless it’s a Marine warship, no one can safely navigate through the Calm Belt. Moreover, both Impel Down and the Gate of Justice would not open to anyone other than the Marines. However, Ian and his crew firmly grasped these two points. Not only did they disguise themselves as Marines, but they also acquired a warship. This made Cabaji and Mohji realize that this plan might actually work!

Admittedly, Cabaji and Mohji are a bunch of cowards. They are pirates, and there’s no expectation for them to uphold any sense of justice. They are following Buggy simply because Buggy has the treasure marker for “Captain John’s treasure”.

Previously, out of fear for their lives, they dared not continue advancing toward Impel Down. But now, after a chance encounter with Ian, they immediately realized they had a big ally!

In the blink of an eye, Cabaji and Mohji silently reached a consensus and decided to follow Ian to rescue Captain Buggy!

However, besides Ian, there were acquaintances of Cabaji and his crew on this warship, and they were none other than the Straw Hat Pirates.

When Luffy suddenly recognized Cabaji and Alvida, he exclaimed, “Ah! It’s you!?”

Zoro immediately drew his sword, and Sanji lit his cigarette. The group stared sternly at Cabaji and the others.

In response, Mohji and Cabaji suddenly knelt down with a thud, crying out, “Sorry, Straw Hat kid, we were wrong before! But Captain Buggy is now locked up in Impel Down. Even if we have to risk our lives, we’ll get him out! If you want revenge, wait until we rescue the captain, and then you can do whatever you want!”

“Is… is that so?” Luffy was taken aback.

Mohji looked up at Luffy and said, “Yes, Captain Buggy is our benefactor. If it weren’t for him, we would still be just a street-performing circus. Even if we have to die, we’ll repay this favor before we go!”

Mohji and Cabaji, with their exceptional acting skills, delivered a moving explanation that touched Luffy deeply.

“Turns out you guys are a bunch of righteous and emotional folks too!” Luffy’s eyes were filled with tears, seemingly on the verge of being moved to tears.

And what’s most absurd is that even the Iron Man, Franky, started wailing along… It seemed like he, too, got caught up in the act…

Ian looked at this scene with a speechless expression, thinking, ‘What a bunch of idiots…’ Then he exchanged a glance with the “Empress” Nami, and both of them seemed quite helpless.

Anyway, the warship continued to advance toward Impel Down along the sea currents. The Buggy Pirates, at this point, had also changed into Marine uniforms. However, no matter how you looked at them, they didn’t resemble Marines.

It didn’t matter, as long as they didn’t reveal their true colors before reaching their destination.

After about forty minutes, Impel Down finally loomed in the distance.

The so-called Impel Down, on the surface of the sea, was just a small circular castle, occupying a relatively small area.

However, those familiar with Impel Down knew that the real Impel Down Prison was a towering structure submerged deep in the sea. The castle protruding above the sea surface was merely the entrance and the top of the tower.

Below the sea surface, countless gigantic sea creatures roamed near the tower of the prison, all fierce carnivorous Sea Kings. Anyone attempting to escape from the sea bottom would perish under the sharp teeth of these Sea Kings.

The entire entrance was surrounded by concentric high walls. Beyond these walls, a large number of Marine warships were anchored year-round. They encircled the entrance, and anyone attempting to escape or intrude would face the merciless attacks from these warships.

It can be said that the defense of Impel Down was like an impenetrable fortress. It’s no wonder that over the years, many pirates attempting to escape have met with a grim fate…

However, when Ian distantly counted the number of warships and found there were only five, and through the observation of the binoculars, he noticed that the Marine soldiers on board were on duty, but their expressions were relatively relaxed, lacking the usual tense demeanor.

With a little thought, Ian immediately understood. This time, there wasn’t the matter of Ace being captured and imprisoned in Impel Down, no vital figure like him being detained; naturally, Impel Down wasn’t as heavily guarded.

Perhaps, it was just a routine vigilance. After all, the last prison escape incident was more than twenty years ago when Shiki escaped. Since Shiki’s escape, more than two decades had passed without any significant incidents in Impel Down. The relaxed demeanor of the Marine soldiers on these vigilant warships was to be expected.

Moreover, this time, even Marine Headquarters probably wouldn’t have anticipated Ian launching an assault on Impel Down, right?

This is even better; the control of the situation is even more substantial!

With these thoughts, Ian reminded everyone, “It’s about to begin! Everyone, get ready!”

Upon hearing his words, everyone on the ship immediately adopted serious expressions. Members of the Red Heart Pirates and the Mad Monk Pirates straightened their postures, gripping their guns, trying to mimic the appearance of elite Marine soldiers.

Luffy, Law, and the others entered the cabin, pulling their hats down and lowering their heads as much as possible to minimize their exposure.

As for the central figures this time, Bentham and Nami, they took a deep breath, preparing for the performance.

When Ian’s warship appeared on the sea surface, Impel Down had already spotted them. As their ship approached, a call was made to Ian’s vessel.

“I am Vice-Admiral Momonga!” Bentham answered the Den Den Mushi seriously, using a voice identical to Vice-Admiral Momonga’s: “I’ve been ordered to bring the Shichibukai Hancock for a visit. I believe you’ve received the notice from Marine Headquarters, right?”

“Yes, Vice-Admiral!” The personnel from Impel Down quickly responded, “We’ve received the notice. We’ll open the drawbridge for you!”

As Ian’s warship approached Impel Down, the drawbridge was lowered simultaneously, and the warship docked beside it.

“Let’s go! Stick to the plan, disembark in formation!”

Ian also pulled down the brim of his Marine cap. At this moment, he was playing the role of a Rear Admiral, originally Vice-Admiral Momonga’s deputy. So, he followed closely behind Bentham. Nami walked beside Bentham, both walking with grace.

After they disembarked, the others disguised as Marine soldiers also followed suit, walking on the drawbridge alongside Ian and Bentham, heading towards the main gate.

At the top of Impel Down’s castle, there was a unique flag – the special insignia of Impel Down’s prison forces.

The prison guards who came out to welcome them had symbols on the brims of their hats and arms identical to that flag. The attire of these guard forces, different from the white of the Marine uniforms, leaned towards dark gray and black, representing the unique nature of this prison.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Vice-Admiral Momonga!” A peculiar man holding a huge fork appeared in front of them and greeted Bentham, “Welcome to my Impel Down Prison…”

Just as he finished speaking, he immediately corrected himself, “Ah, my apologies, I might have revealed my ambition a bit… I am temporarily serving as the Vice Warden, Hannyabal!”

This eccentric man was Hannyabal, the Vice Warden of Impel Down Prison. Behind him stood several prison guards, all gazing with shining eyes at Nami, the “Pirate Empress.”

“So… is this Boa Hancock?”

“She’s truly beautiful! Just as the legends say, a stunning beauty!”

The guards whispered among themselves, but Ian noticed that while they were fascinated by Nami’s portrayal of Boa Hancock, it hadn’t reached the point of being utterly captivated.

It was inevitable. Boa Hancock’s allure was closely tied to the Devil Fruit she had consumed. The Love-Love Fruit could be considered a seduction-type Devil Fruit, seemingly having a unique bonus to her female charm. While Nami looked a lot like Boa Hancock, she lacked the additional allure brought by the Devil Fruit.

“Vice-Admiral, sir, Warden Magellan is waiting for you in the Chief Warden’s office on the fourth level!” Hannyabal gestured, addressing Bentham and Nami, “The two of you will undergo inspection in separate rooms before gaining permission to enter the prison… I apologize, but it’s a protocol. Also, your subordinates and soldiers will have to wait outside!”

It meant Ian and the others couldn’t go in…

However, Ian had anticipated this situation. If only Bentham and Nami were allowed in, it wouldn’t serve much purpose. At most, they could deceive Magellan, catch a glimpse of Jinbe, and then come back.

So, Ian suddenly spoke from behind, “What if we insist on going in?”

As soon as these words were uttered, Law, Luffy, and the others behind Ian tensed up. They knew it was time to act…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read