As the Gale Breaker surfaced, Shamrock didn't launch any further attacks, almost as if he also intended to face Naruto head-on here.
Unimpeded, the Gale Breaker quickly returned to the sea surface. The bubble dissipated, allowing everyone to see the sunlight again.
Shamrock and the others' ship was currently floating not far from the Gale Breaker, squarely blocking the path between the Gale Breaker and the Gates of Justice.
"Great Sinner, we meet again."
Shamrock stood at the bow, looking at the individual who had shamed him. Though his face showed no anger, the killing intent in his eyes was barely concealed.
Around him stood several figures of various appearances, including Gunko, who had just been intercepting them. Clearly, these were also members of the so-called God's Knights.
"It's you, the guy who looks like Shanks."
Naruto acted as if he couldn't see the menacing God's Knights' members at all, simply sitting cross-legged on the Gale Breaker's second-level deck.
Simultaneously, Karin, Sasuke, and Konohamaru also came over. Combined with the large Jinbei, their side's presence wasn't weaker than the opponent's.
If one ignored the dozen or so Marine Battle-ships now surrounding them, the two sides seemed fairly evenly matched.
On the opposing ship, besides the several God's Knights, there were also many individuals wearing black military uniforms, appearing imposing.
This group was called the [God's Blades], a subordinate organization under the God's Knights. Its members could also be considered reserve members for the God's Knights.
Thirty-eight years ago, during the God Valley Incident, Gunko was one of them.
Hearing Naruto mention his 'brother' who had abandoned the divine bloodline again, the killing intent in Shamrock's eyes intensified.
"Enough talk. Take action. Execute the Great Sinner, Uzumaki Naruto, and those prisoners together."
With Shamrock's order, the God's Knights and God's Blades around him immediately leaped into the air, charging towards the Gale Breaker.
At the same time, the cannons on the surrounding dozen-plus Marine warships all aimed at the Gale Breaker, their crews ready to fire at any moment.
"It seems your reputation is quite significant."
The speaker was Byrnndi World, now fully awake from his coma.
The great pirate, whose horned helmet was lost somewhere, looked somewhat disheveled, but his eyes had become much calmer, lacking the madness from earlier in Impel Down.
Clearly, he had also witnessed everything that just happened.
"Ha... Right? Unknowingly attracted so much attention. I guess I'm quite famous."
Hearing Byrnndi World's words, which could be either sarcastic or self-deprecating, Naruto actually showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.
"...No one was complimenting you."
Perhaps due to the bomb's aftereffects, Byrnndi World's voice sounded somewhat hoarse.
After giving Naruto a sidelong glance, Byrnndi World placed his hands on his knees, his calves tensing as he tried to stand up again.
But the pain from his muscles made the pirate grunt and sit back down.
Seeing this, Karin looked at Naruto. After receiving his nod of approval, she walked over and began applying Medical Ninjutsu to Byrnndi World.
Seeing the young girl treating him, Byrnndi World's eyes swept over the enemies attacking through the air using Geppo, and he opened his mouth again.
However, he didn't ask something like 'Why are you saving me?'
"Any firearms?"
The answer was negative.
No one on this ship currently used such things.
Thinking for a moment, Karin suddenly took out over a dozen kunai from her pouch.
"Will these work?"
"...They'll do."
Everyone present could guess what Byrnndi World intended to do.
They felt the same.
If they didn't want to be imprisoned again, they had to fight for their freedom now.
"Hundredfold... Shot!"
Although he lacked kunai-throwing skill, with his immense strength and the Moa Moa no Mi's multiplication ability, even ordinary stones could cause terrifying destruction.
The kunai, coated in Haki, instantly enlarged and shot towards the surrounding Marine Battleships with a howling sound.
Byrnndi World didn't explain anything with words, he chose to state his position through action.
Seeing this, Bullet and Redfield, sitting on the deck, exchanged a glance, understanding each other's intentions.
"Ha... cough... How interesting."
"Even though we were enemies just now-"
The two weren't injured as severely as Byrnndi World. Naruto had shown some restraint, and he hadn't used heavy force against these two 'seniors' who held no killing intent.
"It's a shame about my umbrella-sword..."
Redfield made a grasping motion with his hand a couple of times, his umbrella had been lost somewhere during the prison escape.
Clatter-
Catching the classically styled long sword thrown to him, Redfield almost instinctively assumed a combat stance with it.
'Good, the length is suitable, the blade width is good too.'
"Make do with it... But are you really in any condition to fight now?"
Naruto watched Redfield casually brandish the reinforced Kusanagi Sword, clicking his tongue.
If he had known about this upcoming battle, he wouldn't have hit them so hard earlier.
"Don't look down on us so much... Uzumaki Naruto, I admit you are strong-"
Sheathing the long sword, Redfield looked at Naruto against the sunlight.
"But we haven't aged enough to need lying in coffins yet."
With that, Redfield quickly flourished his sharp sword, cleaving through a God's Blades' member who had jumped onto the ship.
Perhaps these individuals could gain the upper hand against other pirates, relying on the various rare treasures collected by the Celestial Dragons to suppress their opponents.
But currently, before them stood a legendary pirate, the [Red the Aloof] Patrick Redfield!
Bullet's actions were even more direct.
Several God's Blades' members had their heads grabbed by his hands and smashed together violently, instantly losing consciousness.
At that moment, a masked God's Knights' member wielding dual swords arrived behind him. The dual swords struck silently, instantly carving an X-shaped wound on Bullet's back.
"That hurts, damn it!!"
Conqueror's Haki erupted indiscriminately, causing the surrounding God's Blades' members to stagger, but it didn't affect the God's Knights' member.
The other ducked under Bullet's fist, then prepared to strike Bullet's vitals with his dual swords again.
Bullet's movements were noticeably much slower than before.
It couldn't be helped. Although he had rested and barely had some combat capability, both his physical stamina and the internal injuries from the earlier beating prevented him from performing more vigorous actions.
Because of this, he for a moment actually couldn't handle this agile God's Knights' member, only able to rely on Armament Haki to tough out the other's slashes.
The others also faced their respective opponents.
Karin transformed into a golden light, darting back and forth between several God's Blades' members, before her sharp claws clashed with those of a tall female Holy Knight with two-toned hair and horns on the sides of her head.
"Got you~"
Clang!
Sparks flew fiercely between the claws and the sword blade. The God's Knights' member opened her mouth full of sharp teeth, letting the cigar in her mouth drop.
"I'm the one who caught you!"
Karin could sense the imminent danger, but she showed no fear, leaning back directly to expose the other party's upper body.
Behind her was Sasuke, already poised to strike.
"Lightning Fire Sword!"
Electric light and Calamity Flames merged with Haki, completely turning Sasuke's arm into an indestructible blade, directly beheading the God's Knights' member.
"Good, that's one dealt with-"
Before Karin could finish her sentence, an intense sense of crisis rapidly assailed her.
"Dodge!"
Sasuke delivered a side kick, directly kicking Karin aside, and used the recoil to dodge the point-blank attack himself.
A terrifying laser actually shot out from the mouth of the severed head.
If not for Sasuke's Calamity Sight ability warning him before his Observation Haki, they might have been hit by this move.
Hum-
The laser pierced through Impel Down's sea-level structure, directly slicing off a large portion of the second level's roof.
"Haha, it seemed it didn't trick you."
After the failed strike, the God's Knights' member actually picked up her own head and casually 'reattached' it to her neck.