Chapter 153: Impel Down's Expansion

The slaves left almost unimpeded, which struck them as odd, but they would likely understand the situation upon reaching the Sabaody Archipelago.

Before departing, Luo Ning's avatar issued a warning.

Luo Ning threatened to return if he discovered slaves in Mariejois again, thoroughly frightening these individuals.

While Luo Ning cannot yet eradicate slavery entirely, he can begin with the Celestial Dragons and their allied countries. The Revolutionary Army employs a similar approach.

He targeted the root of the problem – the Celestial Dragons – not with the intention of eradicating the system entirely, but with the knowledge that suppression would yield significant results.

Meanwhile, Luo Ning's main body captured Celestial Dragons and imprisoned them on the warship.

Upon returning, the Celestial Dragons' dogs were shocked to discover their masters missing.

They swiftly relayed the news, and after tallying, discovered a total of thirty-one Celestial Dragons were unaccounted for.

"What in the world does this fellow think Mariejois is? A Celestial Dragon snatching den?"

Kong, the Marine Marshal, was also perplexed by the situation. Naturally, a sliver of justice remained within him. After assuming the position, he was forced to cooperate with the Celestial Dragons, a source of constant discontent.

Now, with another group of Celestial Dragons captured, he found himself in an uncomfortable predicament.

Though this thought lingered in his heart, Kong dared not express it openly. Speaking out of turn could land him in hot water with the Five Elders. While such a reprimand wouldn't cause him significant harm, it was surely an unnecessary annoyance.

At his advanced age, Kong easily managed his expressions.

He swiftly reported the situation to the Five Elders. Upon hearing the news, the Five Elders were once again stunned. They had assumed Luo Ning's sole purpose was to liberate the slaves. But not only had he freed them, he had also abducted Celestial Dragons.

This was utterly outrageous. In desperation, the Five Elders could only turn to Im, for only Im held the authority to decide this matter. The gravity of the situation demanded their utmost caution.

"There's no need for excessive worry. Simply identify and locate all those who oppose the World Government," Im instructed, his composure far exceeding anyone else's. He seemed utterly indifferent to the matter, as if the Celestial Dragons were nothing more than swine in his eyes.

The Five Elders, after listening, dared not utter another word. They quickly departed, unsure of Im's plan and afraid to inquire further.

News of the Mariejois incident once again detonated the seas. However, due to the continuous barrage of preceding revelations, many were only mildly surprised by this latest development, recovering quickly without excessive shock.

Luo Ning swiftly returned to Impel Down and commenced his second live broadcast. The introduction of the second batch of Celestial Dragons drew a sizable viewership, all immensely excited to witness the torture inflicted upon these so-called nobles.

As for the first batch of Celestial Dragons, all had succumbed to madness. Unable to find solace in death thanks to Luo Ning's intervention, they were subjected to continuous torture, their spirits broken long ago. Arlong, too, had suffered the same fate.

Not everyone could stomach Luo Ning's brand of justice. These individuals were thus executed directly, unable to endure the unending torment.

With another batch of Celestial Dragons entering Impel Down, they likely understood the horrors that awaited them, though experiencing it firsthand would be a different story altogether.

As for Ace, he would remain there to serve his sentence. After all, the seastone shackles remained firmly in place, effectively preventing any escape attempts.

Upon returning and handing the criminals over to Magellan and the others, Luo Ning was met with complaints. The influx of prisoners had severely strained Impel Down's resources. While a large number of criminals could be cycled through the prison in batches, the sheer volume of prisoners had created a critical space shortage.

"If there's no space, expand the prison." Luo Ning proposed, suggesting an expansion of Impel Down.

"We've considered that," Magellan admitted, "but expanding Impel Down is a significant challenge. The prison was constructed by carving out a space beneath the seabed. Unfortunately, the surrounding area is teeming with Sea Kings, and there's no viable landmass nearby. While we could continue digging downwards from the sixth floor, it would take far too long to address the immediate overcrowding issue."

Magellan expressed his helplessness. Expanding downwards would necessitate a large-scale prisoner transfer, consuming not only manpower and resources but also posing significant security risks.

"I see," Luo Ning acknowledged. "Leave this matter to me." He understood Magellan's concerns. Continuing downwards would require a complex and time-consuming operation that simply wasn't feasible in their current situation.

After all, transferring the prisoners from levels five and six would likely cause a significant disturbance.

Following deliberation, Luo Ning reached a decision. His high freedom point reserve granted him the ability to fully materialize building materials.

In essence, these materials wouldn't vanish even after he conjured them.

This mirrored the behavior of previously fantasized food and gold.

While it would consume a substantial amount of freedom points, the long-term benefits of an expanded Impel Down outweighed the cost.

Luo Ning's fantastical power engulfed the entirety of Impel Down. A new outer layer materialized and steadily improved.

In one breath, Luo Ning had expanded Impel Down's capacity tenfold. Not only could it comfortably house the current prisoners, but it had the potential to accommodate several times more.

The expanded area mirrored the existing structure. Once Luo Ning drained the seawater from the new section, he handed the rest over to Magellan and his staff.

While cells were already present, some additional equipment would need to be relocated by Magellan's team. Their existing equipment was perfectly suitable, so there was no need for concern.

"As expected of Mr. Luo Ning! You've effortlessly expanded Impel Down's capacity tenfold! This not only solves our current overcrowding issue, but provides ample space for a significant future influx of prisoners!" Magellan exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement. The unexpected expansion had come as a delightful surprise. He hadn't anticipated Luo Ning's prowess extending to construction work. Not only was the pace phenomenal, but the quality of the new walls even surpassed the existing ones.