THE STRONGEST CREATURE OF THE BEAST PIRATES

How could someone like Kaido not be called the strongest?

Even the Five Elders, the highest authority in the World Government, dare not cross him. Perhaps only the enigmatic figure of Im-sama, who has remained in the shadows until now, possesses power that rivals Kaido's.

---

At Impel Down...

Garp, who had come to visit his adoptive grandson Ace for the last time, had already departed.

A naval warship, coming from the direction of Judiciary Island, suddenly entered the outer sea port of Impel Down.

The guards at the first level of the Sea quickly shouted through their loudspeakers:

"Attention, warships from Judiciary Island, please identify yourselves! We have not received any prior notification of your arrival!"

The loudspeaker echoed across the area, yet there was no response. The deck of the ship appeared completely empty, with not a single sailor in sight.

Clearly, something was wrong.

The jailers did not hesitate to report the situation to Deputy Warden Hannibal.

Magellan, the Warden of Impel Down, was still indisposed—he was in the toilet at that moment. Thus, it was Hannibal who took the responsibility.

Hannibal rushed to the first level, bringing a group of jailers with him to investigate the situation on the warship.

They were shocked when they boarded.

Inside the ship, sailors lay unconscious, scattered across the floor, and even a high-ranking naval officer was among the fallen.

Hannibal gasped, stepping back in surprise.

"What... is going on here?!"

One of the guards was equally stunned.

"It looks like the warship was hijacked. But where did the hijackers go?"

Hannibal immediately deduced the answer.

"Since the warship is here, the intruders must have already entered Impel Down!"

He quickly barked orders.

"Get back to the gate immediately and watch for anyone trying to break in!"

As he rushed to the first floor of the Sea in Impel Down, he was met with even worse news. The jailers stationed there had been knocked out as well, and there was a loud commotion coming from deep within the prison.

Hannibal, fuming with rage, stomped through the halls, shouting, "Who dares to break into Impel Down?!"

He took the elevator to the first floor of the Red Lotus Hell, where the most dangerous criminals were held under the sea. There, he was dumbfounded.

The doors to all the cells were open, and prisoners in tattered uniforms were running wild, shouting and celebrating their newfound freedom.

One particular prisoner with a red nose was the loudest.

Hannibal trembled with fury. "Who let you out?!"

A prisoner, noticing the lack of reinforcements, shrugged and answered with a grin, "It was Ivankov, the Shemale King! She's already gone to the next floor!"

The red-nosed prisoner added, "You shouldn't have said that, now there's more chance for us to escape! You idiot!"

Hannibal, now shaking with rage, didn't have the time to deal with these criminals' antics. He immediately contacted the other jailers across the city, giving orders to arrest every escaped prisoner while heading down to the second floor.

It was there that he finally encountered the culprits.

When Ivankov saw him, she winked playfully. "Hey, Brother, would you like to try becoming a woman? Hee-hee!"

Hannibal ground his teeth in anger. "Ivankov, what are you doing here?"

Ivankov twirled and laughed. "Hee-ha! I've been here for a while. If it wasn't for an old friend of mine asking for help, I'd still be relaxing in the Shemale Paradise!"

That old friend, of course, was Sabo.

At that moment, Sabo and Luffy stood beside Ivankov.

Sabo smiled and said, "Thanks to you, Ivankov, we wouldn't have been able to get in so easily."

This was all part of Sabo's plan. Using the Judiciary Island warship to draw the attention of Impel Down's guards, Ivankov had released the prisoners on the first and second levels. If the opportunity presented itself, he would even free the prisoners on the deeper floors.

By creating chaos inside the prison, they ensured that Magellan, the warden with the power of the Doku Doku no Mi (Poison-Poison Fruit), would be too occupied to stop them. This would give them the chance to reach the sixth floor, the most dangerous part of Impel Down.

Ivankov and Sabo were both strong enough to handle the jailers, and Hannibal was no match for them. They easily made their way to the third floor with Luffy.

"Once we rescue Ace, everything will be alright!" Luffy cheered.

Sabo smiled, feeling the same optimism.

But they hadn't anticipated the turn of events. As they continued down, they encountered an unexpected complication.

Ace, who had been escorted through a secret elevator, was about to be sent to the Navy Headquarters.

Though Ivankov was providing support from the inside and Sabo was helping from the outside, getting to the sixth floor wasn't going to be easy for Luffy.

Each floor of Impel Down presented new challenges. The deeper they went, the stronger the enemies they faced. The most dangerous threats were the prison beasts, many of which had awakened Devil Fruit powers.

Although these creatures are all failed Devil Fruit awakenings, their bodies are cursed to remain in a half-human, half-beast form forever. Their intelligence has been reduced to the level of mere beasts, yet their strength and durability should not be underestimated.

"Dragon Claw Fist!"

Sabo delivered a devastating blow to a jailer beast, crushing its skull in a single strike. He then turned to Luffy, who was panting beside him, and said:

"That's just the beginning, Luffy. Hang in there. If we go any deeper, we'll encounter Magellan, the most terrifying figure in this place."

"I know, Sabo," Luffy gritted his teeth, gathering his remaining strength.

His current abilities were still too weak. He wasn't ready to face high-level enemies, and even dealing with the jailer beasts in Impel Down was a challenge for him.

But so what? He was going to become the Pirate King. He wouldn't stop now!

"This spirit is worthy of the son of Dragon, Straw Hat Luffy! Keep going!" Ivankov cheered, laughing.

But Ivankov's laughter quickly faded.

Magellan had received word of their intrusion and was already waiting for them at the entrance of the fourth floor.

---

New World.

The territory of the Whitebeard Pirates.

On the vast sea, dozens of large fleets flew pirate flags.

At the forefront was the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's legendary ship, weathered by countless storms.

Standing majestically at the bow of the Moby Dick was none other than Whitebeard himself, the man known as the "Strongest Man in the World."

Whitebeard looked at the sixteen captains of his fleet—though now there were only fourteen, as both Thatch and Ace were gone—and then toward the forty-three pirate crews under his command.

This was no ordinary pirate fleet. It was a force of unparalleled scale, rivaling even the fleet of the Golden Lion, Shiki, from the past. Even Gol D. Roger never commanded such a massive force.

Whitebeard had no ambition to become the Pirate King or rule the world, but he did have a dream—a dream of family.

During his time with the Rocks Pirates, Whitebeard had never experienced a sense of belonging. Instead, it was filled with betrayal, ambition, and endless fighting.

Tired of this, he stood by and watched as the Rocks Pirates crumbled after the death of Captain Rocks at the Battle of God Valley. Whitebeard left without a word, abandoning the past, and founded his own crew—a family where he could finally feel at home.

Whitebeard's ambitions were never for world domination, but as his crew grew, so did his influence. He eventually became one of the most recognized and respected figures in the world—a symbol of power and freedom, even though he never sought to rule.

"I've had enough of the past," Whitebeard muttered, staring at the horizon. "This is the life I chose. And now, I will save my son."

His thoughts turned to Ace, his beloved son, who was captured by the Marines.

"Let's go, boys!" Whitebeard called out, raising his arms high.

"Let's go! Rescue Ace!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from the 60,000 men in his fleet.

"OH!"

The sound of their voices filled the air, and the wind surged toward Marineford, carrying the Whitebeard Pirates' battle cry with it.

---

Marineford.

"Marshal Sengoku! Emergency report!"

A navy intelligence officer burst into Sengoku's office, sweating profusely.

"Whitebeard's fleet... they're on the move!"

Sengoku remained calm, his expression unreadable as the news reached him. While he had been anxious and suspicious earlier, now he was focused, as if prepared for this moment.

"Have all scout ships in the New World been dispatched?"

"Yes, Marshal!"

"Good. Keep me updated on their movements every hour."

The intelligence officer saluted and was about to leave when Sengoku suddenly added:

"Wait, tell Vergo at G5 to stay alert for the movements of the Beast Pirates."

The G5 branch was infamous for its lawlessness, often likened to pirates themselves. Sengoku had intentionally left them out of the upcoming battle to avoid their chaotic behavior. But now, his mind wandered to the potential threat of the Beast Pirates, led by Kaido, and he feared they might take advantage of the conflict between the Marines and Whitebeard.

"Keep an eye on them," Sengoku ordered, knowing that Kaido's crew was likely waiting for the right moment to strike.

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