At the same time, the Shadow had arrived above Impel Down.
Eneru stood at the bow, and with a wave of his hand, a thick bolt of lightning descended from the sky, instantly incinerating the guards at Impel Down's entrance.
"Luffy, go in. Your good brother is waiting for you," Eneru said with disdain.
Luffy looked at Eneru gratefully, said nothing more, and jumped directly into Impel Down's gate.
"What a troublesome guy." Eneru shook his head, took out his Den Den Mushi, and called Cheng Xiaoyu.
"Captain, I've sent Luffy into Impel Down. What should I do next?"
"Come pick me up."
"It's time for this world to experience the power of the Shadow."
…
Two days later, outside Impel Down.
The storm came unexpectedly, with black clouds pressing extremely low, as if they could fall into the sea at any moment.
Lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the massive prison.
Cheng Xiaoyu stood in the heavy rain, his black trench coat billowing without wind, surrounded by an eerie black mist.
He coldly observed the building, known as "Impel Down," a sneer playing on his lips.
Just then, a wild laugh came from not far away.
"Zehahahahaha!"
Blackbeard Teach swaggered over with his subordinates, paused slightly when he saw Cheng Xiaoyu, then showed his characteristic sinister smile.
"Zehahaha! Impel Down, I'm here!"
His deafening laughter echoed through the sky as Blackbeard Teach spread his arms, as if to embrace the entire Impel Down.
The Blackbeard Pirates members behind him, one by one, looked fierce and eager to act.
Cheng Xiaoyu didn't even glance at him, his gaze remaining fixed on Impel Down's gate.
At this moment, several guards were nervously pointing their weapons at them.
"Stop! This is Impel Down! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach!"
"Shut up! I'm a Shichibukai now!"
Blackbeard grinned and raised his hand, and the power of darkness instantly swallowed the guards.
Cheng Xiaoyu seized the opportunity to step forward but was blocked by Van Auger.
The man in the hat shouted discontentedly, "Hey, hey, are you being polite?"
Cheng Xiaoyu stopped, turned, and looked at him.
His eyes were so cold they could freeze a person...
"Something wrong?"
"We defeated them. You didn't even say thank you, and you're walking in front of us?"
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
The air suddenly grew heavy, and countless eyes seemed to be peering from the darkness.
Cheng Xiaoyu slowly spoke, his voice as cold as if from hell: "Cheng Xiaoyu."
As these three words came out, Van Auger's imposing aura immediately weakened by three points.
As the saying goes, "a man's name, a tree's Shadow." They had naturally heard of Cheng Xiaoyu of the Shadow Pirates.
After all, he was the hottest Supernova, a person with an 800 million bounty after only a few months at sea!
If Cheng Xiaoyu hadn't killed a Celestial Dragon, the Shichibukai position wouldn't have been Blackbeard's turn!
Blackbeard laughed loudly: "Zehahahahaha! Forget it, Van Auger, don't worry about it. Let him go first."
"Did you hear that, you scum."
Blackbeard Teach laughed wildly, "Zehahaha," his rotten teeth particularly conspicuous in the lightning's glare.
"Cheng Xiaoyu, why don't we team up! Let's turn this Impel Down upside down together!"
Cheng Xiaoyu didn't even lift an eyelid, walking straight towards Impel Down's gate, black mist swirling at his feet like a group of venomous snakes poised to strike.
"Hey! Are you deaf?! Our Captain is talking to you!"
Van Auger jumped out again, his sniper rifle held steady in his right hand, the muzzle pointed directly at the back of Cheng Xiaoyu's head.
Cheng Xiaoyu remained with his back to him, unmoving and silent.
The heavy rain slid down Cheng Xiaoyu's shoulders, washing over the black mist at his feet, but the mist did not dissipate; instead, it grew denser.
"You dare to ignore me? I'm a man who never jokes..." Van Auger's finger slowly tightened on the trigger.
"Pointing a gun at me?" Cheng Xiaoyu's voice rang out in the rain, "Who gave you the guts?!"
The next moment, he waved his right hand, and black mist spread out like ripples, a jet-black sniper rifle already in his hand.
It was understated and chilling, yet it sent shivers down one's spine.
"Bang!"
A crisp gunshot pierced the rain.
Van Auger still maintained his posture of holding the gun, but a bloody hole had appeared on his forehead, and his body stiffly fell backward.
Dead silence.
The entire scene instantly became terrifyingly quiet, with only the sound of rain hitting the ground echoing.
This happened so quickly that the rest of the Blackbeard Pirates were stunned, their mouths agape.
Blackbeard Teach was completely numb.
He never expected Cheng Xiaoyu to be so decisive, opening fire and killing someone without a word.
Moreover, the speed and accuracy were simply horrifying!
Van Auger was a sniper he had found with great difficulty, and he was shot in the head before he even had a chance to act.
"This... this is impossible!"
Laffitte instinctively took a step back, cold sweat dripping from his chin.
Van Auger, dead!
Blackbeard Teach's smile froze on his face. He stared intently at the sniper rifle in Cheng Xiaoyu's hand.
The gun seemed alive, and amidst the swirling black mist, one could almost hear the wails of countless souls.
"You!"
Blackbeard was about to erupt but saw Cheng Xiaoyu slowly aim the gun at him.
Within the cold barrel, endless darkness seemed to be contained.
At this point, Laffitte and Burgess, among others, could no longer hold back and revealed their weapons, ready to act.
"Wait! Everyone, stop!" Blackbeard Teach suddenly came to his senses and forcefully restrained his restless crew members.
He knew in his heart that if they acted now, his pirate crew would likely suffer heavy losses.
This Cheng Xiaoyu was far more dangerous than he had imagined!
"Zehaha... haha..." Blackbeard let out two dry laughs, trying to hide his inner shock and anger, but his trembling hands betrayed his true emotions.
He quickly restrained the eager Laffitte and Burgess, forcing out a smile that was uglier than a cry:
"Cheng Xiaoyu! Don't! Don't! Since you don't want to team up, then let's go our separate ways and not hinder each other, alright...?"
After all, Blackbeard was a man who knew when to adapt.
At critical moments, he knew how to show weakness.
Cheng Xiaoyu had no interest in Blackbeard's crew for the time being. He put away his Shadow Raid Sniper and turned to walk into Impel Down.
Watching Cheng Xiaoyu's departing back, Blackbeard Teach's face was terrifyingly grim.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, but he dared not make a sound.
Inside Impel Down, it was gloomy and damp, the air filled with a nauseating smell of blood and decay.
Cheng Xiaoyu descended, moving as if through an uninhabited land.
The weak guards were like paper in front of him, completely unable to withstand a single blow.
However, this time, his goal was clear—the Sixth Level, Infinite Hell.
There were two Shadows he had coveted for a long time.