On the sea outside Impel Down, the five warships brought by Vice-Admiral Gion were now arranged in a line, their cannons aimed at the entrance of Impel Down.
The warships were positioned away from Impel Down but still within range of the cannons…
Ian and the others guessed correctly. When Gion saw through the Den Den Mushi surveillance that Ian had breached the prison walls, causing seawater to flood in, she immediately realized that continuing to set up ambushes inside Impel Down was futile. So, she acted decisively, contacting the warships stationed on the surface to pick her up at the entrance and ordering all Marines and prison guards to board the ships.
With three Warlords, a group of Revolutionaries, four of the Worst Generation Pirates, plus a group of prisoners with bounties generally in the tens of millions, Gion herself wasn’t confident she could stop them.
So, she chose another approach: relying on the Navy’s artillery firepower to deal with Ian and the others.
While this approach didn’t rule out the possibility of Ian and the other powerhouses flying over, there would be fewer of them, and Gion only needed to deal with a limited number of individuals. Conversely, the Navy’s bombardment could bring catastrophic consequences to the prisoners confined to the entrance layer!
Things had reached this point, and Gion could only do her best to make up for it and salvage the situation. She couldn’t let too many prisoners escape.
On the warships, Navy soldiers were loading cannonballs, readying themselves, while Enel was handcuffed with Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs, left on the deck, always within Gion’s sight.
“Hmph, foolish woman!” Despite being shackled, Enel’s mouth didn’t spare anyone as he sneered at Gion. “Do you think this kind of bombardment will be of any use?”
Gion glanced at him but didn’t bother to respond.Enel felt bored and couldn’t help but sneer.
“Vice-Admiral!” A Navy soldier stationed at the top of the mast, observing the situation of Impel Down with a telescope, suddenly shouted, “There are figures appearing at the entrance. The prisoners have emerged!”
After hearing this, Gion also raised her telescope and took a look, indeed spotting numerous figures at the entrance bridge.
However, at this moment, the sea around Impel Down was empty, so when these figures appeared, they looked quite panicked.
Gion smiled faintly and waved her hand. “Begin the bombardment!”
Boom! With her command, the five warships once again opened fire in unison!
Perhaps for many powerhouses, such cannon bombardment was ineffective. However, in reality, the Navy’s cannons were the most powerful weapons for combating pirates across the seas. After all, the number of powerhouses was limited, and most pirates were just ordinary people with physical strength. Faced with powerful cannon fire, they would also be blasted away or killed, unable to resist.
The Navy’s artillery had always been known for its precision. Dozens of cannonballs continuously bombarded Impel Down, causing a large number of fireballs and smoke to rise from the castle protruding above the sea surface. Rocks shattered and flew in all directions, creating a spectacular scene.
If the Navy continues to bombard like this, the castle on the sea surface of Impel Down will soon be destroyed. By then, even if the escaped prisoners didn’t die in the bombardment, they would fall into the sea. This area is a Calm Belt, and Impel Down is built on the nest of Sea Kings. Those who fall into the water would likely be devoured by the huge Sea Kings soon after.
However, Gion saw two figures suddenly flying into the sky. One of them, flaunting wings of black flames, was naturally Ian, while the other was Crocodile. His lower body transformed into sand, following Ian as they flew towards the Navy’s warships.
“Prepare the Sea Prism Stone Nets!” Gion immediately ordered, “Once they get close to the warships, launch them immediately!”
After hearing the command, several soldiers carrying rocket launchers appeared on each warship, crouching down with their shoulders, aiming the muzzle at the sky.
Gion worked in the Navy’s staff department, not a frontline combat unit. Therefore, she didn’t like direct confrontations. She excelled in tactical maneuvers based on her own advantages. Now, she was fully prepared, so even though she knew that two Warlords were approaching, she wasn’t worried.
However, when Ian and the others approached, Gion saw clearly what Ian was holding, and she was suddenly shocked. She quickly raised her fist to gesture, signaling the Navy soldiers to hold their fire.
Because she saw that Ian had actually brought Magellan!
At this moment, Magellan’s huge body was being carried by Ian with one hand, twisted by his waist belt, flying over. Magellan’s wrist was shackled with a pair of Sea Prism Stone handcuffs.
If the Navy’s Sea Prism Stone Nets were launched, not only would Ian and Crocodile be knocked down, but Magellan would likely also fall into the sea…
It was precisely because Magellan bought time for Gion on the third level before, that allowed her to retreat with the Navy and the prison guards to the warship. Gion was well aware of this. Now that Magellan is defeated and falls into Ian’s hands, Gion must find a way to rescue him.
If they were all thrown into the sea, and soldiers jumped into the water to rescue Magellan, would it work? Gion thought so, but she wasn’t certain. What if the three of them ended up in the water and encountered Sea Kings? Those soldiers might not be able to deal with Sea Kings…
Before she could figure it out, Ian seemed to have guessed her thoughts and spoke up, “Don’t worry, you won’t be able to save Magellan! If we end up in the water, I’ll drag Magellan down to the bottom first!”
“You better let go of Chief Warden Magellan!” Gion looked at Ian and said, “Otherwise…”
However, before she could finish her sentence, Ian waved his hand to interrupt her, saying, “Are these threats useful? If I were afraid of your Navy, I wouldn’t have come to Impel Down. So let’s talk!”
“How do you want to negotiate?” Gion couldn’t help but feel angry and asked coldly.
“It’s simple. I can return Magellan, but my crewmate, you also have to return him!” Ian pointed behind Gion to Enel and said, “Although that guy is arrogant, he’s still my helmsman. You can’t just take him away like that!”
“Hmph!” Enel, upon hearing Ian’s words, turned his head away.
“…” Gion pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, “Fine, you can release him first!”
However, Ian shook his head and said, “Not now, but in one hour!”
“What do you mean?” Gion was a bit puzzled.
“It means exactly what it says. In one hour, I’ll come back to exchange hostages with you!” Ian said. “But within this hour, your warships are not allowed to fire at us, understood?”
No firing within one hour? Gion looked at Ian with a flicker in her eyes, wondering what he meant. Could it be…
She realized a situation: Ian seemed to have no intention of seizing the warships. Under normal circumstances, besides exchanging prisoners, Ian should also demand a warship from the Navy. However, he specifically did not ask for a warship but requested one hour of time!
What did this imply? It meant Ian had a backup plan! He likely had another ship waiting, and maybe it was lagging behind, requiring an additional hour to arrive!
Once she understood, Gion immediately nodded without hesitation and said, “Okay! According to your request, within one hour, the Navy will not attack Impel Down. You can come for the exchange hostages then!”
Satisfied, Ian nodded and flew back with Crocodile and Magellan.
After they flew away, a Navy rear admiral approached Gion with some concern and asked, “Vice Admiral, are we really giving them one hour to wait for the backup ship?”
“Of course not!” Gion shook her head firmly and decisively said, “Spread the word, all warships should closely monitor the surrounding waters. Once any ships approach, lock onto them. After the prisoner exchange is completed, sink their ships immediately!”
The rear admiral’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately saluted with excitement, saying, “Understood!”
A smile appeared on Gion’s face, showing a confident expression.
Giving them an hour’s time wasn’t a big deal. As long as they waited for the arrival of the backup ship and destroyed their last hope, they wouldn’t be able to escape. Even if they attempted to seize the warships, Gion had a final solution: scuttle the warships. Then, with neither side having a ship to leave, they could trap each other in the Calm Belt!
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