Chapter 99: Assault on Impel Down

According to Li Yuan's perspective, the Rocks Pirates were key to confronting the Navy and forcing the World Government to reveal its strength. Only by understanding how strong the enemy was could they gauge how far they were from their own ambitions!

"Moreover, now is not the best time to leave the Rocks Pirates. Our strengths are rapidly increasing, and we haven't yet reached our peak."

"Even if you left the Rocks Pirates, do you think you could develop in this New World, which has already been mostly taken over by Rocks?"

"Rather than that, it's better to rely on the mighty vessel of the Rocks Pirates, continuously recruit followers, and slowly build our power. When the right opportunity arises, we can soar to greatness!"

Li Yuan continued speaking.

"Gahahaha! Li Yuan, you truly are my kind of person!!"

"Li Yuan, let's join forces! Together, we will be invincible, and when we dominate the world, we'll share it equally!"

Shiki invited Li Yuan once more.

"Shiki, give up. I will never join forces with you. I intend to form my own pirate crew in the future—who knows, we might even be rivals then!"

Li Yuan shook his head; how could he possibly ally with Shiki? That would be an insult!

"What a pity!"

Shiki had long anticipated Li Yuan's refusal. After all, he and Li Yuan were similar; if it weren't for the circumstances, he wouldn't be bowing down within the Rocks Pirates either.

**Marine Headquarters:**

Upon receiving intelligence regarding Hive Island, Blac immediately summoned the high-ranking officials of the Navy for an urgent meeting, utilizing the den-den mushi for those who couldn't attend in person.

"What?! The Rocks Pirates are mobilizing their entire crew and calling upon the pirates of the New World, targeting our Navy forts!"

The high-ranking officials of the Navy looked at the intelligence in shock.

They never expected the Rocks Pirates to take the initiative to declare war on the Navy, aiming for their forts!

"Marshal, I request to be deployed to the New World to defend the forts!"

"Me too! We can't let the Rocks Pirates act so arrogantly; we, the Navy, are not weak!"

"Order us, Marshal! Let us go to the New World!"

"…"

As high-ranking officials of the Navy, none of them were cowards. The Navy forts in the New World represented their authority. If they were completely overrun, it would mean the Navy had lost all control over the New World, plunging them into disgrace!

"This is the latest intelligence regarding the officers of the Rocks Pirates."

"John, Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and Shiki have all consumed top-tier Devil Fruits, significantly enhancing their strength. Each one is comparable to an Admiral."

"Other officers are also formidable, essentially at Admiral level."

"Calculating all this, excluding Rocks himself, the Rocks Pirates possess at least eight Admiral-level powerhouses!"

"Currently, the Navy only has me, Steel Bone, Sengoku, Garp, and Zefa as Admiral-level forces."

"Additionally, not only do we face the Rocks Pirates, but the various pirate crews in the New World are also converging at the front."

"Essentially, in this upcoming war, the Navy stands little chance of winning. We can only hold our ground and request support from the World Government!"

Blac tossed the intelligence on the table, sighing.

The current strength of the Rocks Pirates was overwhelming. Even if Rocks himself didn't engage, the combined might of his officers would be nearly impossible to withstand.

"Marshal, we should request assistance from the World Government. If they don't intervene, we'll have no choice but to abandon the New World!"

Tsuru suggested, emphasizing that abandoning the New World was absolutely unacceptable to the World Government.

After all, the New World's front was close to the Red Line, and the World Government wouldn't allow a territory devoid of Navy presence to become a haven for pirates.

This would pose a significant threat to the World Government and the world nobles residing on the Red Line!

**Holy Land Mariejois:**

"Blac, I understand your Navy's needs. We will dispatch a Marine General and CP0 to support you, ensuring that the forts in the New World are preserved!"

The Scientific Defense Warrior, Saint Satan, responded to Blac's request without any bargaining, granting it outright.

Originally, the Five Elders had been contemplating when to launch a large-scale war to eliminate Rocks.

Now, it seemed Rocks was delivering himself right to them, presenting an excellent opportunity to remove him.

The Navy forts were close to the Red Line, allowing the World Government's support to arrive in a short amount of time.

"How many forces do we need to ensure Rocks' elimination?"

The Legal Defense Warrior, Saint Volguli, inquired.

"Neither Blac, Steel Bone, nor Sora could defeat Rocks."

"Then we add CP0's Commander White Ghost to the mix. I refuse to believe that four Admiral-level powerhouses cannot kill Rocks!"

Saint Satan made his decision.

"Given the Navy's estimates, the Rocks Pirates have eight officers, all possessing Admiral-level strength."

"Excluding Blac and Steel Bone, only Sengoku, Garp, and Zefa can hold off three of their officers alone."

"That leaves five officers we need to intercept."

The Agricultural Defense Warrior, Saint Peter, contributed to the discussion.

"Besides Sora, we have two other Army Generals, and we can send out one more CP0 Vice Commander."

"We should also ask the Celestial Dragons to dispatch two or even three Admiral-level forces to support us. This time, we must eliminate Rocks at all costs. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when the next will arise?"

Saint Satan declared.

"Indeed, Rocks is too powerful, far surpassing the Navy, posing a threat to the World Government's rule. We cannot allow him to continue existing."

"This time, sending so many forces to deal with Rocks will significantly weaken the Celestial Dragons' private forces, so let's have the Knights of God enhance their defenses."

Saint Mas, the Environmental Defense Warrior, nodded in agreement.

It was daunting to realize that the Rocks Pirates now possessed eight Admiral-level powerhouses, even without counting Rocks himself.

To eliminate Rocks, they needed to deploy fourteen Admiral-level powers to ensure success.

Admirals were once powerful enough to suppress the seas, and now they were appearing in numbers within the Rocks Pirates.

If they allowed the Rocks Pirates to continue developing, who knew how powerful they might become?

If Rocks ever went mad and led his crew to attack Holy Land Mariejois, the scene would terrify even the Five Elders.

Thus, even if this meant deploying hidden family forces from the Celestial Dragons, they had to eliminate the Rocks Pirates. Otherwise, there was no telling if Rocks would dare to invade the Holy Land in the future.

"In addition to dispatching Admiral-level forces for support, we should also send Army troops."

"Otherwise, the Navy's current numbers won't suffice to hold off the fierce pirates from the Rocks Pirates. If we don't kill Rocks, we might end up losing the Navy forts entirely!"

The Legal Defense Warrior, Saint Volguli, added.

"Exactly. After nurturing the Army for so long, it's time to let them showcase their value."

**Impel Down**, also known as the "Great Prison," is the world's strongest prison.

It was established in the calm belt of the Grand Line, and its structure was a tower partially submerged in the sea, with its foundation lying beneath the water.

Due to its placement in the calm belt, surrounded by sea kings, there was no need for a fleet to protect it.

Inside the prison, nearly every area was monitored in real-time by den-den mushi to prevent any escape attempts.

Additionally, numerous Sea-Prism Stones were embedded in the periphery to fend off sea king attacks.

The extreme level of security and monitoring made it impossible for anyone to escape since its establishment.

However, that was the narrative put forth by the World Government. Who truly knew if anyone had escaped?

After all, history was always written by the victors, and the World Government controlled the narrative.

But today, this largest prison welcomed a few uninvited guests.

Shiki was maneuvering ten pirate ships hovering thousands of meters above Impel Down, concealed by clouds.

"Gahahaha! So this is the so-called impregnable fortress, the strongest prison in the world?"

As Shiki spoke, he had already descended with his ship before Impel Down.

**Sixth Floor of Impel Down:**

A muscular man was bound by Sea-Prism Stone shackles on his limbs and throat, with his arms and legs nailed to the wall with Sea-Prism Stone spikes.

He was Brandon Brandy, the former officer of the Rocks Pirates, a user of the Muscle-Muscle Fruit, known for his unparalleled strength.

"Familiar aura!!"

Suddenly, the previously closed eyes of Brandon snapped open, and he excitedly struggled against his bindings, as if trying to break free from the prison that had confined him for five years.

"Hey! What's he trying to do?"

"Is he attempting to escape?"

"What's wrong with this guy?"

The other prisoners held captive on the sixth floor observed Brandon in astonishment.

After all, those imprisoned here were resigned to die in captivity; who would waste their energy struggling? It was better to get some rest.

"Really looking forward to this!"

Unlike the other prisoners, a frail man, far more severely imprisoned than Brandon, had multiple Sea-Prism Stone spikes driven into his body.

He was also a former officer of the Rocks Pirates, the legendary sharpshooter, Leondona, a user of the Paramecia-type, Pen-Pen Fruit.

His marksmanship was unparalleled, and combined with Haki and his Devil Fruit powers, he had once taken down an Admiral-level powerhouse.

A powerful sharpshooter could present a lethal threat in warfare, as no one knew when a bullet capable of killing them might suddenly fly their way!

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