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His former cellmates knew Arthur's strength. They also knew he was the only one who had managed to escape Impel Down.
The pirates he had crushed now had a crystal-clear understanding of his power... which made the possibility of recruiting them extremely high.
This was also the only way to quickly gather a group of powerful subordinates.
Although Arthur's fame was currently sky-high worldwide, and followers would surely flock to him if he put out the call...
"Hahahaha, Vegapunk, so you have more than just a head for research!" Arthur was overjoyed. He had always thought the man's genius was confined to science.
But thinking about it, his emotional intelligence was just as high—it was simply overshadowed by his intellect.
One person's strategic thinking could never match a group's.
Vegapunk's suggestion drove this point home for Arthur. It was easy to imagine how much time a pirate crew could save with a true strategist.
The Marines had Chief of Staff Tsuru and Sengoku. The future Shanks would have Ben Beckman. Even Roger had his left and right hands, Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban.
"Set a course for Impel Down. I'm going to march into the New World with an army!" Arthur licked his lips, a sense of urgency building within him.
He felt he now had the air of a true captain as he ordered Vegapunk to pilot the [Thor].
Vegapunk, exceptionally curious about the [Thor], eagerly agreed. As he flew it towards Impel Down, he meticulously studied every single control component.
The sky was heavy and overcast, as if it were about to collapse.
It was as if the world was mourning the impending end of a great legend of the seas.
Marineford, Enies Lobby, and Impel Down formed a defensive triangle.
Impel Down was built in the Calm Belt—the territory of rampant Sea Kings.
The [Thor] flew at high altitude, passing through the Whirlpool Triangle, and descended upon the place that had once imprisoned Arthur.
"Arthur, what's wrong?" Vegapunk asked, noticing Arthur silently staring down at the prison.
"Nothing. I was just thinking... if it weren't for your help, how many years would I have wasted in there before I could have escaped?" Returning to this place, Arthur felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
"Actually, it was luck for both of us," Vegapunk said, equally wistful.
"Ever since I was recruited by the World Government, I have been requesting the Rumble-Rumble Fruit from them. This fruit would be like giving wings for my experimental research! The World Government promised me that if they ever got news of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, they would notify me immediately—"
"And then, your name and your fruit's ability became known and reached my ears. I had my bodyguard at the time, Sado Nath, try to recruit you, but he failed..."
"—After that, a series of events allowed me to deduce your personality. At the same time, I had a deeper realization... the World Government would never let me obtain a power that could resist them... Once I had it, my death would not be far off."
"Then... you were captured. I proposed the idea of meeting you, and they agreed."
"With your personality, you would never give up on escaping Impel Down. So I gave you a push. If you remembered the favor, you would definitely come back to pull me out."
"Now... it seems I was successful," Vegapunk said with a faint smile.
"Hahahaha, so you were gambling on luck too?" Arthur burst out laughing.
Vegapunk also had the heart of a gambler, but he was different from Arthur.
Whether he succeeded or failed, he would be fine. Success was great, but failure meant no loss; he would just continue to be monitored by the World Government.
Arthur's gamble was with his life. He had no way out. The only consequence was death.
Personality determines actions. As for the price? That was never a consideration. He had said it countless times: the worst price was death. There was no more terrifying consequence than that.
"You wait for me on the [Thor]. When the time comes... I will return with a group of subordinates!" Arthur swirled his greatcoat and leaped from the sky.
"THEN I SHALL WISH THE CAPTAIN A TRIUMPHANT RETURN!" Vegapunk nodded calmly.
Arthur had considered it. Vegapunk would not pilot the [Thor] and leave alone.
He had just been rescued from the World Government and had nowhere to go. Without protection, the chances of him being recaptured were far too high.
Furthermore, without a power base to provide him with research materials, he could never gather them on his own.
In the past, he had only cooperated with the Vinsmoke Family...
Vegapunk was a smart man. He wouldn't do something as foolish as escaping alone. So Arthur felt very confident leaving him to watch over the [Thor].
His speed of descent was terrifying. Arthur didn't elementalize, falling from the sky with the full force of his physical body.
With a deafening roar, the ground of the great prison was smashed into a massive crater. Spiderweb-like cracks spread out in all directions, and dust instantly filled the air.
"WHO IS IT?? HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS IN THE GREAT UNDERWATER PRISON!!"
The violent landing immediately alerted the prison guards. From the gates of the first level, a large group of men armed with firearms quickly swarmed out.
The well-trained soldiers all aimed their guns at Arthur.
The dust gradually settled, and Arthur's spotless figure walked out of the crater.
"Being held at gunpoint... it's always a bit unpleasant," he said calmly, and a domineering aura radiated from him without restraint.
Guns fell to the ground as the dozens of soldiers, overwhelmed by his Haki, foamed at the mouth and fell into a dead faint.
Arthur's use of Conqueror's Haki was becoming more and more proficient. Clearing out these not-so-strong individuals was incredibly easy, he didn't even have to lift a hand.
Impel Down, Surveillance Room.
"What's going on?? Someone broke into Impel Down??" The tall, demonically-clad Magellan clutched his stomach, his face grim.
"Impel Down has been invaded! Deputy Warden Magellan has been derelict in his duties! It won't be long before I get another promotion!" The new Head Jailer, Hannyabal, who wore an Egyptian pharaoh-style headdress and had a round, bulging stomach, held a common iron trident and grinned slyly, speaking his inner thoughts aloud.
The Head Jailer position that had once belonged to Shiryu was now occupied by Hannyabal, and Shiryu himself was nowhere to be found.
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