Good news: Ace's figure appeared within Naruto's perception range, and he was currently shackled to the wall with Seastone handcuffs, unable to move.
Bad news: The Level 6 criminals alerted by Naruto's Observation Haki were now swarming towards the four of them like a hornet's nest.
"Haha! I'll be the first to kill him! Freedom! Freedom!"
An unknown old pirate brandished two scimitars, his bare feet moving swiftly as he charged towards them like a phantom.
It was clear that any pirate imprisoned here for so many years had some strength to speak of. While they might not be as powerful as the likes of the Four Emperors or Golden Lion, they were definitely not ordinary, run-of-the-mill pirates to be trifled with.
Just then, another tall, burly old pirate came stomping over with thunderous steps.
The moment he saw the barefoot old pirate, he instinctively wanted to take action and eliminate this potential 'competitor'.
But his movement stopped abruptly after just beginning.
The tall pirate touched a barely perceptible wound on his neck and ultimately refrained from attacking the barefoot pirate.
An identical wound existed on the barefoot old pirate's neck as well. Not just the two of them… everyone currently able to freely leave their cells had a similar wound.
Inside that wound, a not-too-powerful explosive had been implanted.
The World Government's officials naturally couldn't trust this group of individuals, who were among the most vicious even among pirates.
And that explosive was the countermeasure.
An explosive of this size would find it difficult to break through the defenses of someone proficient in Armament Haki, but destroying the trachea, throat, or even the brain from the inside was quite easy.
The inspiration for these explosives came from the explosive collars the Celestial Dragons used on slaves, but these were superior in terms of concealment and sensitivity… another masterpiece from the Marine Science Division.
Trying to destroy its structure or remove it from the flesh using something like [Ryuo] was almost impossible.
At the very least, this group deemed 'cannon fodder' couldn't do it.
After being implanted with the bomb, if they tried to attack someone else who also had a bomb implanted, the bomb inside them would automatically trigger and detonate.
The same would happen if they left the confines of Level 6 without permission.
Countless individuals were in the same situation as these two old pirates, including the former Chief Guard of Impel Down, Shiryu of the Rain.
His face also shone with a bloodthirsty gleam.
Shiryu of the Rain enjoyed killing.
Whether it was killing in a fair fight, whether the target could fight back, or whether they were innocent… he didn't care about any of that.
He simply enjoyed the thrill of a blade cutting into flesh.
If it weren't for that damned bomb preventing him, he might have started killing other pirates the moment his cell was unlocked.
Charging at the forefront alongside him were other heavy criminals who might have caused plenty of trouble in the future.
For example, [Corrupt King] Avalo Pizarro and [Heavy Drinker] Vasco Shot.
"Hic... Hehe..."
Vasco Shot glanced at the other equally vicious prisoners beside him, let out a disdainful belch, and a hint of bloodthirsty excitement appeared in his seemingly foolish eyes.
Avalo Pizarro, running alongside him, flashed a sinister look in his eyes and subtly slowed his pace.
'Hmph, a bunch of fools, go die first.'
'I'll just wait to take that guy's head at the last moment.'
Quite a few pirates shared similar thoughts.
Among the crowd was even the former Warlord, Sir Crocodile.
At this moment, he wore a prisoner's uniform, blending in with the crowd, none of his former overbearing aura in sight.
But judging by his sinister eyes and the smirk curling his lips, it wasn't hard to see that this guy was scheming something else.
This large group charged over in a mighty torrent from various parts of the Level 6 prison. Not all of them could use Naruto's Observation Haki to vaguely sense his location in return, as most just saw their fellow inmates start running and joined in.
Naruto, who 'saw' all of this clearly, showed no surprise on his face.
"Sasuke, Karin, and Konohamaru, the enemies are coming. You handle them properly."
"Roger!"
Konohamaru was the first to nod, as he had been wanting to test his progress for a long time.
Karin, as usual, nodded in agreement and instantly entered a combat stance.
Only Sasuke tilted his head and glanced sideways at Naruto, asking,
"What about you?"
Hearing this, a smile appeared on Naruto's face.
"Me? Of course, I'll be responsible for receiving those 'senior veterans'."
In an area far from the noisy crowd, three figures slowly emerged from their respective cells.
They didn't seem to care at all whether someone else might 'take the prize', leaving them without a chance to get out. Judging by their gazes, they might not even care about the bombs implanted in their bodies.
"Oh? Has such a young powerhouse appeared on the seas again? Such a pure heart-"
A nobleman who still had the privilege of wearing a deep red formal attire even in prison walked forward with steady steps.
His umbrella tapped lightly on the ground, producing a crisp sound.
His slightly reddish white hair was neatly combed, two braids resting smoothly against his chest, not looking out of place at all.
This was a rather dignified old man.
Time had taken his youth but not his elegance and aloofness.
He was a powerhouse from the same era as Roger and Whitebeard, known as the [Red the Aloof] or [Red Count], Patrick Redfield!
This man was extremely solitary. He set sail ten years earlier than Roger, but even after Roger formed his own pirate crew, he remained alone.
The fundamental reason was his innate ability to see through people's hearts, even directly read memories, the Observation Haki used to perfection.
Because of this, no one had secrets before Redfield.
Having witnessed countless human evils since childhood, Redfield grew to distrust anyone.
Because even a saint couldn't guarantee not a single trace of darkness in their heart.
Red Count was a pure powerhouse and a lonely guy.
The other two were also no pushovers.
A giant man wearing a horned helmet emerged from a cell emitting cold air, a strong desire for destruction flashing in his eyes.
"Good, I'll use you as the appetizer before I destroy everything."
"Traitors, everything that stops me, must be eliminated!"
This guy, who looked only in his forties, was actually over seventy years old.
It was only because he was frozen in ice when betrayed by his crew and captured, spending thirty years inside the ice, that he didn't appear so old.
He was the leader of the [World Pirates], known as the [World Destroyer], the legendary pirate Byrnndi World!
Possessing the [Moa Moa no Mi], he could arbitrarily multiply the volume, mass, speed, and other attributes of objects he touched, even living beings or himself. The maximum single attribute enhancement was one hundred times. (T/N: More-More Fruit.)
This ability truly possessed the power to 'destroy the world'.
An ordinary bullet, in Byrnndi World's hands, could instantly become the size of a watermelon, a super shell surpassing the speed of sound.
That wasn't just a simple hundredfold enhancement, the destructive power it could cause was an all-around exponential increase.
Byrnndi World lightly tapped his toes on the ground, using the Marines' common movement technique, Soru.
However, enhanced by the Moa Moa no Mi, his speed had long surpassed the speed of sound, almost instantly covering a great distance.
The last guy, whose physique was no less than Byrnndi World's, also emitted an equally not to be underestimated pressure.
He was a large man wearing headphones and a military uniform.
The number 9 was sewn onto his sleeve, his soldier number from his past.
Incidentally, he had some connection to Naruto.
Both had once belonged to the Roger Pirates.
However, when Naruto joined the Roger Pirates twenty-five years ago, this man had already left the crew for over a year, which was why they never met.
[Demon Heir] Douglas Bullet!
He was a ruthless character even the other members of the Roger Pirates called a 'monster'.
"Uzumaki Naruto... Let me see if you have the qualification."
A battle-hungry smile appeared on Bullet's face.
Unlike the other criminals, during his twenty years of imprisonment, he had maintained intense mental focus on training without a moment's rest, to the point that his current strength might be greater than before he was imprisoned!
His goal was clear: the Great Hero, Uzumaki Naruto, whom the World Government's officials mentioned had once been considered the 'successor to Roger's will'.
As for getting out or the bomb in his throat?
As a user of the [Gasha Gasha no Mi], he didn't care at all. (T/N: Clank-Clank Fruit.)
To be honest, the moment the Seastone shackles were removed, he could have already escaped Impel Down.
If that official hadn't mentioned Naruto, he wouldn't have chosen to stay.
'Come on, let's have a good, hearty fight!'
Three men from the old era, from three different directions, charged towards Naruto's location.