Over the next few minutes, Luo Chen successively released the individuals Blackbeard had recruited in the original story.
First was Catarina Devon, user of the Mythical Zoan, Nine-Tailed Fox form. She was a female prisoner over three meters tall, wearing heavy makeup and bizarre clothes, with a long, pointed nose like a witch. Her appearance had nothing to do with beauty; one could even call her ugly.
Second was Vasco Shot, user of the Paramecia-type Gabu Gabu Fruit. He had a massive physique, a clown-like hat, a drunken face, and a particularly prominent large, sausage-like nose, strongly resembling a circus clown.
Third was Avalo Pizarro, user of the Paramecia-type Shima Shima Fruit. He was a large middle-aged man with long blue hair and a long beard, and two white horn-like decorations on his temples.
Before releasing the three, Luo Chen had confirmed that they all possessed their fruit abilities. They hadn't been granted later by Blackbeard.
Walking to the last one, Sanjuan Wolf's cell, Luo Chen hesitated.
This guy was nearly two hundred meters tall.
Taking him along would be too troublesome; building a ship or a wooden dragon would need to be massive.
Luo Chen looked at the giant lying horizontally in the cell and thought, 'Sorry, you didn't pass the boss's direct recruitment.'
Catarina Devon asked doubtfully, "Captain, aren't you going to release him? Sanjuan Wolf's strength is decent. He once swallowed the population of an entire country."
Luo Chen shook his head. "Forget it. I don't want him."
He looked at Sanjuan Wolf, and a ripple appeared in his left pupil.
Outside, in the cell, a huge spatial vortex enveloped Sanjuan Wolf.
He cried out in alarm, "Damn it, what are you doing?!"
Pain appeared on Sanjuan Wolf's face, but the limited space in the cell, coupled with the chains binding him, made escape impossible.
Splat.
His massive body exploded into a bloody mist amidst the spatial distortion.
His entire torso disappeared.
Only his head and four limbs fell to the ground.
This bizarre scene made even Catarina Devon and the other pirates, who had killed countless people, feel their scalps tingle.
Sanjuan Wolf was no weaker than them.
Yet before Luo Chen, he was killed so easily.
Catarina Devon, Vasco Shot, and Avalo Pizarro looked at Luo Chen warily.
"After we get out, you are not allowed to commit evil deeds. Otherwise, I will kill you," Luo Chen said in a cold tone.
Killing Sanjuan Wolf was meant as a show of force.
Since he was the one bringing these people out, it was necessary to keep them in check.
If anyone truly killed innocent civilians, the sin would fall on his head.
Byrnndi World and Shiryu's eyes flickered slightly... Looking at it this way, they really couldn't act recklessly.
Bullet said impatiently, "Let's hurry up and go. I don't know what use recruiting these small fry is. I'm only interested in killing the strong."
Luo Chen sighed helplessly.
'Isn't this just to fill the ranks?'
Right now, he had himself, Bullet, Shiryu of the Rain, Byrnndi World, Catarina Devon, Vasco Shot, and Avalo Pizarro.
A total of seven people.
Among them, he and Bullet possessed Admiral/Yonko level combat power.
Shiryu of the Rain was at the Yonko Commander level.
The strength of Byrnndi World and the other four was around the level of an elite Marine Vice Admiral or a mid-tier Warlord.
Only now did he have the framework of a Yonko-level pirate crew.
If there were only two or three people, it wouldn't pose much of a deterrent to the Marines.
'Oh right, there's still Enel.'
Luo Chen remembered he had another subordinate back on Skypiea.
Enel's Rumble-Rumble Fruit was very powerful. If he appeared in the Blue Sea, he'd have a bounty of at least 500 million Beli.
Under the guidance of the Wood Style clone, Enel had learned Armament Haki.
Coupled with the Observation Haki he already possessed.
His strength was at least at the elite Vice Admiral or mid-tier Warlord level, no weaker than the post-timeskip Smoker.
'Enel has a lot of potential. His fruit ability and Observation Haki level are both high. Only his Armament Haki is just at the beginner level.'
'Once his Armament Haki catches up, he'll be at least at the level of Ace or Jinbe.'
Luo Chen glanced at Jinbe, who was following at the very back.
The fish-man looked anxious, desperately wanting to go save Ace, but not daring to rush him.
Clang clang...
The sound of the elevator chain mechanism turning could be heard.
Luo Chen estimated that guards were approaching Level 6.
After all, with so many Surveillance Den Den Mushi knocked out, the prison guards must have noticed something.
All around, in the cages of Eternal Hell, pirates were also shouting.
"Let me out!"
"I'll serve you! Get me out of this hellhole!"
"I have countless treasures! Let me out, and they're all yours!"
"..."
Seeing Luo Chen release pirate after pirate, they became anxious.
Luo Chen couldn't be bothered with them.
The strongest few on Level 6 had all been recruited.
Actually, apart from Bullet and Shiryu of the Rain, he didn't think much of Byrnndi World, Catarina Devon, and the others.
But there was no choice; he had to make do for now.
Luo Chen raised his hand and pointed. Countless wooden strips appeared, quickly weaving together into a Cang Long.
The Cang Long coiled in mid-air, nearly a hundred meters long.
Luo Chen and the others leaped onto the Cang Long.
He looked up at the ceiling, activating the power of his left eye's Kamui.
Space distorted, and the ceiling shattered.
The Cang Long charged into the hole, flying toward the upper levels.
While controlling the wooden dragon, Luo Chen unleashed his Conqueror's Haki at full power.
He wanted to knock out everyone above Level 6 in Impel Down.
Fighting those ordinary jailers was a complete waste of time.
In an instant, thunder boomed, and black-red lightning spread out in all directions with Luo Chen at the center.
The entire undersea prison was enveloped in his Haki.
Black-red lightning erupted on every level.
The terrifying intimidating aura first swept through Level 5.5, Newkama Land.
Except for the Revolutionary Army Grand Line Army Commander, the Okama King Emporio Ivankov, and his deputy Inazuma, all other okama were knocked unconscious.
Inazuma, user of the Snip-Snip Fruit, knelt on the ground, soaked in sweat.
The wine glass beside his hand had shattered, and sweat dripped from his face into the spilled red wine.
The Okama King, Ivankov, supported him, his face filled with shock. "Whose Conqueror's Haki is this? Did a Yonko break in?!"
Inazuma couldn't speak, feeling as if a mountain was pressing down on him, his body trembling.
At the same time, Impel Down Level 5, the Freezing Hell.
The prisoners wandering on this level fainted in the icy snow.
Level 4, the Blazing Hell.
Baroque Works member Daz Bones, user of the Dice-Dice Fruit, rolled his eyes back and fainted in his cell, just like the numerous prisoners around him.
Level 3, Starvation Hell's Bon Kurei.
Level 2, Wild Beast Hell's Mr. 3 Galdino.
Level 1, Crimson Hell, Buggy the Clown, who had successfully escaped his cell by hiding his fruit ability.
And countless prisoners, patrolling jailers... all rolled their eyes back, fainted on the spot, and collapsed.
In the elevator, the jailers rushing toward Level 6, Eternal Hell, were also slumped in disarray, lying sprawled together.
...
Outside, Magellan and the others successfully handed Ace over to the Marines to be escorted to Marine Headquarters.
He had just returned to Impel Down's first level above sea when he sensed a powerful Conqueror's Haki erupting from the bottom level and rushing upward.
Beside him, Vice-Chief Guard Domino's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Sweat beaded on Hannyabal's forehead, but he could still move.
"Warden, something must have happened below!"
Hannyabal said with difficulty, his eyes full of terror.
'Who could possibly emit such terrifying Conqueror's Haki?'
As far as he knew, there should only be one person: Douglas Bullet.
But that man was a user of the Paramecia-type Clank-Clank Fruit. He should have been weakened by the Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs and unable to release Haki.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]