"...I finished what you asked! Now let me out!"
Catarina's voice echoed in the empty cell, but no response came for a long time.
Seeing this, the expressions on the faces of the people standing opposite varied.
Konohamaru and Jinbei, whose thinking was relatively simpler, both showed expressions as if they were feeling awkward on her behalf.
Karin was already preparing to open her mouth and start mocking.
Perhaps influenced by Killer B, except when dealing with Naruto, she now seemed to have a habit of lashing out at anyone who annoyed her.
In contrast, Naruto and Sasuke, the two strongest in the current group, only thought for a few seconds before their expressions simultaneously turned serious.
"It seems this one has been abandoned."
Sasuke looked at Catarina, who was still shouting something across from them, and said with a furrowed brow.
"Put that way, the other side's methods are really something... Right, that fits the World Government's style of doing things."
Their riddle-like words reached Catarina's ears and seemed to touch upon a possibility she was unwilling to believe.
"...Impossible! They promised me!"
The Crescent Moon Hunter, who initially had a triumphant look, now spoke with less confidence. Large beads of cold sweat seeped out on her ugly face, smudging part of her heavy makeup.
Originally, Catarina's task was to 'impersonate' Ace, stay in the cell as bait, and wait for Naruto to take the hook.
When Naruto arrived at Level 6 and didn't leave immediately, her task was mostly complete.
Perhaps to reassure Catarina, the agent who made the deal with her promised that if she could stab Naruto in the back at a critical moment, she would not only gain her freedom but could also obtain a Warlord position, just like Teach.
Coincidentally, there was a vacancy among the Warlord, so Jinbei's position could be taken by her.
"You actually believed the World Government's words... Are you a rookie who just set sail?"
Hearing Catarina's voice refusing to accept reality, Naruto couldn't help but mock.
She was a vicious pirate who long relied on deceiving others, yet she deeply believed such obvious empty promises.
"...They must be watching! Right! Kill you! As long as I kill you, I can get out!"
Catarina's eyes instantly turned dangerous. She also drew the sword at her waist and charged towards Naruto.
Faced with such an attack, no one present took it seriously.
Clang-
The temporary weapon issued by the World Government was no match for Musoushou. Even coated with Haki, it was easily severed.
A large gash appeared on Catarina's upper body, blood gushing out.
This incompetent female pirate exited the stage just like that, her fate unknown.
After sheathing his sword, Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then found an extremely miniature, super-small surveillance Den Den Mushi in a crack in the wall.
Just as Catarina said, someone had indeed been watching every moment in this cell.
When Naruto picked up the Den Den Mushi, a speaker hanging from the ceiling crackled to life.
A voice all too familiar to Naruto came through.
It was a voice extremely similar to Shanks'. Its owner was the current leader of the God's Knights, Shamrock.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you finally came."
"Surprising. Even those three sinners couldn't deal with you... But that's fine. This way, I can kill you with my own hands."
Even through the speaker, Naruto could imagine the expression on the face of the man who had fought his clone to a standstill on Mary Geoise.
That feeling of gritting teeth wasn't distorted even over such a distance.
"Ah, I remember you. The guy who looks like Shanks."
Naruto raised a hand to signal the others not to act rashly, then spoke naturally to the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
"Speaking of which, you repaired your Holy Land pretty quickly."
"Ah, hope you don't mind. We were in a bit of a hurry this time, so we made another path through your Holy Land."
Poking the bear, Naruto took the lead in saying things that would raise Shamrock's blood pressure.
This indeed hit Shamrock's nerve.
Although Naruto's clone was ultimately destroyed in the last battle, it still caused significant damage to the Holy Land in a short time.
But that wasn't what Shamrock truly cared about. Those lower-ranking Celestial Dragons were, in his eyes, similar to how ordinary civilians were viewed by Celestial Dragons… disposable.
What truly shamed and unsettled him was disappointing That Person.
Sitting in the office on the first sea level, Shamrock took a deep breath, calming his anger, then said coldly,
"Make your jokes while you can, sinner. This time, you have nowhere to run."
After the battle between Naruto and the three legendary pirates, Shamrock confirmed that it was indeed Naruto's main body this time, unlike last time with just clones.
"Tch, talk to me when you can actually catch me."
Giving the Den Den Mushi a rude gesture, Naruto then crushed it.
After crushing it, his expression immediately shifted from mockery to seriousness.
"It seems these guys are very confident their methods can handle me."
"Naruto Aniki, should we just charge up and finish him off?"
Hearing someone dare to speak to Naruto like that, Konohamaru immediately volunteered to be the vanguard and charge up to the first level.
Whap!
Naruto tapped Konohamaru's head, not too lightly, not too heavily.
"Charge what charge? Do you even know your own strength, always talking about charging?"
Although Konohamaru's strength had improved greatly, he was still just an average player on these seas, someone who would struggle to navigate even the first half of the Grand Line.
Who knows how many people are waiting for them on the surface? If the other side really went all out this time, Konohamaru might find it hard just to protect himself in that level of combat.
"We'll just leave directly. Let him come up empty."
Naruto didn't plan to keep engaging with the God's Knights here. Since it was confirmed Ace wasn't here, there was no need to stay in Impel Down.
In three weeks, during Ace's execution, they couldn't possibly use Catarina Devon as a substitute again, right? He would always find a way to save Ace, it was just a matter of time.
Rather than wasting time here, he might as well go to Amazon Lily to see Hancock.
Meanwhile, on the surface, after losing visual contact, Shamrock turned off the full-frequency broadcast speaker.
Then, under Teach's look of someone enjoying the drama, Shamrock spoke to the agent behind him.
"Give Magellan the order. He can start reeling in the net."
After saying this, he walked directly out of the room.
Unaware of what was about to happen, but having a premonition, Teach hurriedly followed, his eyes darting between Shamrock's retreating back and the distant Gates of Justice.
"The plan is accomplished, right? What about my crew?"
Teach's sudden question made Shamrock's steps pause slightly.
He then turned around, a trace of a playful smile on his face.
"They are on Level 3. Go get them yourself. No one will stop you."
After saying this, he turned and left again, leaving Teach standing there, his face shifting through various expressions.