Chapter 145: Fully Armed Impel Down

Inside the Warden's office on Level 4, Magellan still had no success interrogating Mr. 1, so he instructed "Betty" to take Mr. 1 to a cell on this level and lock him away. Magellan believed that if Mr. 1 stayed here for a while, he would eventually squeeze some useful information out of him.

In truth, Mr. 1 had not concealed anything at all; his honest answer to Magellan had simply been "I don't know." His only direct confrontation with Bu Feng had ended in an instantaneous defeat, so claiming ignorance was completely reasonable.

At this point, only Magellan, Mr. 3, and "Bu Feng" remained in the office. The reason Magellan kept Mr. 3 for last was presumably because he could tell that this individual had the weakest spine of the three.

Sure enough, after the former boss and former colleague had departed, Mr. 3 didn't even wait for Magellan to question him before blurting out, "That guy Bu Feng is practically a demon! Back on the Primeval Island, the four of us Devil Fruit users were wiped out in the blink of an eye, and later in Alabasta, Mr. 1 and the other four were instantly annihilated just as fast!"

Watching Mr. 3's slightly exaggerated expression, Magellan pondered for a moment and then asked, "Is he a Devil Fruit user?"

Faced with this question, Mr. 3 answered without hesitation, "No! Back at the Rain Dinners casino, he was the one who pulled me out from the bottom of the water..."

"Bu Feng," who was standing nearby and responsible for taking notes, found the whole thing increasingly amusing. He never imagined that he had left such a profound psychological trauma on Mr. 3. While everything Mr. 3 said was technically true, it had been heavily embellished with exaggeration. For example, Mr. 3 hadn't even been present during the battle between Bu Feng and Crocodile, yet according to his account, Bu Feng had directly obliterated Crocodile in an instant. Furthermore, he described the entire battle scene with vivid and colorful detail, leading Bu Feng to conclude that this man's talent for lying was on par with Usopp's.

After listening to Mr. 3's description, Magellan's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally stood up in anger, swept the documents off his desk with a violent motion, and demanded, "Why didn't you mention this when the Marines interrogated you before?"

Mr. 3 clearly had a prepared speech ready and reeled it right off: "The Marines sent to Alabasta to receive us were clearly intent on letting Bu Feng escape. Even if I had reported the truth, they wouldn't necessarily have written it fully into their reports!"

"Nonsense! Are the stance of the Marines and the Gates of Justice something a pirate like you can question?"

In a fit of rage, the concentration of toxic gas exhaled from Magellan's mouth doubled instantly. He reached out and violently ripped the gas mask off Mr. 3's face. Confronted with the toxic fumes and wearing Seastone handcuffs that left him utterly defenseless, Mr. 3 fainted on the spot.

"Take this babbling fool down to Level 1!" With that, Magellan turned and marched straight into the office's private washroom.

Bu Feng knew that the toxic man was probably off to deal with his diarrhea once again. Yet, hearing Magellan's final remark raised his estimation of the Warden by another notch.

"It seems that anyone capable of running Impel Down relies on far more than just combat power!"

Dragging Mr. 3 out of the Warden's office, Bu Feng did not take the elevator directly to Level 1. Instead, he walked slowly up the stairs; he needed to survey the current situation here to formulate his next steps.

By the time he reached Level 1, Bu Feng noticed many differences from his previous visit. While the number of guards stationed from Level 4 up to Level 1 had noticeably increased, he failed to spot a single one of the formidable Warden Beasts. Not only were Sadie-chan and her five awakened Zoan-type Warden Beasts missing from Level 4, but the Sphinx and the Basilisk of Level 2 were also absent, and even the Bluegorillas that used to roam freely all over Level 1 were nowhere to be seen.

"Could they have all been transferred to Level 6 to guard Moria? The World Government certainly thinks highly of me," Bu Feng muttered with a self-deprecating chuckle, tossing Mr. 3 into a vacant cell before turning to leave.

His destination was Level 5. Only in that freezing hell, devoid of Den Den Mushi surveillance, would his group have a chance to communicate properly.

Arriving on Level 5, Bu Feng immediately pulled out several Vivre Cards to search for the others' locations. Unsurprisingly, the first person he located was Bon Clay, who had just returned from Level 6. Bon Clay recounted everything he had witnessed outside the gates of Level 6, which only reinforced Bu Feng's suspicions: Impel Down had indeed fortified Level 6 like an airtight iron barrel, waiting for him to walk right into the trap.

Afterward, the two of them found an empty, secluded corner and hid, waiting for the other three to rendezvous.

Before long, Betty appeared, closely followed by Absalom and Baggio. Baggio, usually a man of few words, was unusually talkative this time, offering a thorough analysis based on his understanding of Impel Down.

Bu Feng did not interrupt him; he also wanted to see if Baggio's analysis matched his own. Sure enough, their deductions were remarkably similar, though Baggio laid out every single tactical detail one by one, giving Bu Feng a clear understanding of how to respond.

After a brief discussion, the group decided to first seek out the revolutionary army members hiding in Level 5.5. Once they managed to rendezvous with them, they would discuss the subsequent plan.

Based on Baggio's analysis, Bu Feng wasn't overly concerned about the enemy's combat strength; his primary concern was numbers. If the enemy were to dispatch even one or two individuals to use Moria's life as a hostage, what choice would Bu Feng have? Would he really have to surrender without a fight?

Baggio, who was intimately familiar with Impel Down, was naturally aware of the Newkama Land incident. However, he had never entered it personally and didn't know the exact location of the entrance, leaving Bu Feng to search for it alone.

Leaving the others behind, Bu Feng detached his Door-Door Fruit power and used it to open a doorway right there in Level 5, exactly where he had previously vanished. Sure enough, the other side of the door led straight to the legendary Level 5.5.

Returning here after several years, Bu Feng found that little had changed. After walking only a short distance, he encountered a Newkama. Recognizing this person from his previous visit, Bu Feng had the individual guide him directly to Emporio Ivankov.

At that moment, Ivankov and Inazuma were sipping red wine. The instant they saw Bu Feng appear, the wineglass in Ivankov's hand slipped and shattered on the floor.

"Bu Feng-boy, how on earth did you get in here?"

Faced with Ivankov's interrogation, Bu Feng did not offer a lengthy explanation, opting instead to lay out the current situation directly. Upon hearing that Betty had also arrived, Ivankov immediately instructed Inazuma to carve an opening in the wall, stepping through to search for the hiding group.

Upon seeing Ivankov, Bon Clay burst into tears and cried out, "I can finally see you, Lord Ivankov!"

At the same time, Betty spoke up, "Long time no see, Ivankov. I never would have thought that Morley's old tunnel would become your private paradise inside Impel Down."

Without excessive pleasantries, Ivankov cut straight to the point: "Security in Impel Down has grown much stricter lately, even on Level 5. Let's head inside my paradise first before we talk; it's not safe out here!"

With that, he had Inazuma slice open another hole in the wall, and the group followed Ivankov inside.

Once inside Level 5.5, everyone's minds settled somewhat. After listening to Bu Feng recount the whole story from beginning to end, Ivankov was so shocked that he leaned his giant face right down to the floor.

"Bu Feng-boy, you actually killed a Celestial Dragon? The World Government will never let you go after this. Why don't you join our Revolutionary Army?"

Faced with Ivankov's repeated invitation, Bu Feng remained entirely unmoved. It wasn't that he doubted the Revolutionary Army's strength, but rather that, in his view, their methods were completely out of sync with his own philosophy. Aside from Supreme Leader Dragon and a few commanders, the Revolutionary Army largely relied on inciting local civilian uprisings to resist the World Government. In Bu Feng's eyes, such an unstable style of combat was ultimately destined to fail. Moreover, with Ivankov sitting here "enjoying life," he felt it would be far too difficult for this faction of the Revolutionary Army to accomplish anything significant.

Ivankov was not angered by the refusal. Since Bu Feng shared a common enemy with them, he didn't mind lending a helping hand! Besides, Betty and the others coming along proved that she intended to help Bu Feng as well.

Pondering this for a moment, Ivankov said seriously, "A massive amount of Impel Down's combat strength has recently been transferred to Level 6—who would have thought it was to guard against a fellow like you coming to break people out?"

Seeing that Bu Feng had no reaction, he paused briefly before continuing, "According to the intelligence we've gathered during this period, nearly all of Impel Down's top-tier combatants are currently assembled on Level 6. Furthermore, several external forces have joined them. We've already confirmed the presence of the government's Science Unit. In addition, there are several other factions whose identities we haven't been able to determine yet."

Bu Feng was already aware of the Science Unit, but what caught his interest was the other factions Ivankov mentioned. If even Inazuma, with his elusive abilities, couldn't uncover their identities, it could only mean that those individuals possessed strength capable of utterly crushing Inazuma.

"Using Inazuma's abilities, can you send me directly to the sixth level?"

Faced with this idea, a troubled expression appeared on Ivankov's face. Such a feat wouldn't be difficult for Inazuma, but executing it with Level 6 currently fortified like an iron barrel would likely expose Level 5.5 entirely. Once completely exposed, they would be left with only one path: a full-scale prison break. While a few officers might manage to escape, the remaining Newkamas might not survive the attempt.

Seeing that Ivankov remained silent, Betty, who had spent some time with Bu Feng, spoke up directly, "If we create a massive riot among the prisoners on Level 5, I believe we'll have a chance of success."

Hearing Betty's suggestion, Ivankov weighed the options for a moment before replying seriously, "A riot on Level 5 alone might not be enough. Given the current number of guards in Impel Down, even if we launch a collective uprising, without releasing those monsters on Level 6, the moment Magellan makes a move, he will suppress it instantly."

Seeing that Ivankov's stance had softened, Bu Feng stated firmly, "Leave Magellan to me. Once the chaos is created, take advantage of the confusion for Absalom to rescue Moria. At the same time, release the inmates on Level 6. That way, no matter how many powerful fighters Impel Down has, they'll be spread too thin, and we'll have our opening."

After thinking it over, Ivankov nodded and continued, "Alright. Even if we manage to temporarily escape to the first level, with so many Devil Fruit users among us—plus that damned Calm Belt—how do we plan to get away?"

Bu Feng had already considered the question of escape before coming here. Prompted by Ivankov's inquiry, he laid out his plan directly.

"If everything goes smoothly, my two Millennium Dragons will come to meet us. Laboon will be waiting in the nearby waters to rendezvous. Once we board Laboon, the Marines won't be able to do a thing to us."

Hearing of an evacuation plan involving both "air support" and a "submarine," Ivankov was shocked once more. He couldn't possibly imagine what Bu Feng had experienced over the past few years to have accumulated such vast resources. What he didn't know, however, was that both the Millennium Dragons and Laboon had been secured by Bu Feng within the span of a single month.

Faced with such a meticulous plan, Ivankov could find no reason to refuse. After a brief consideration, he decided, "Bu Feng-boy, then our Revolutionary Army will accompany you on this madness! Hurry and have your stealthy subordinate go steal the cell keys. With Betty here, inciting these prisoners into an uprising won't be difficult at all."

Just as Ivankov finished speaking, Baggio pulled out a large ring of keys from beneath his cloak and tossed them onto the floor.

"These are the master keys to every cell in Impel Down!"

Baggio's earth-shattering statement left Ivankov utterly speechless. Regaining his composure after the shock, Ivankov immediately began issuing orders.

First, Inazuma would lead a team to release every single prisoner on Level 5 as quickly as possible, and then use Betty's Horm-Horm Fruit—or rather, her cheering encouragement—to incite a full-scale riot. As long as Bu Feng showed himself and kept Magellan firmly pinned down on Level 4, a portion of the forces redeployed to Level 6 would inevitably have to return to suppress the rebellion, giving them their chance to infiltrate. They would then repeat the strategy used on Level 5 inside Level 6.

As for the inmates on Level 6, every single one of them was a heinous, vicious pirate who longed to escape the sunless depths of Impel Down. Once their Seastone handcuffs were removed, they wouldn't even need Betty's encouragement; they would actively seek out any opportunity to break out.

Provided the chaos was large enough to distract the guards, Absalom would have the window he needed to rescue Moria.

Acting out of caution, Bu Feng added a final instruction: "Have Inazuma send Absalom into Level 6 first to scout. Let's confirm the identities of those mysterious factions before we make our move!"

Faced with this suggestion, Ivankov nodded in agreement. "Very well. Inazuma, you and Absalom go take a trip down there. Quickly figure out the situation and report back while we make our preparations here!"

After the two departed, Ivankov still felt something was slightly amiss. Once he figured it out, he turned to Bu Feng and asked, "Bu Feng-boy, were you serious about holding off Magellan all by yourself?"

Before Bu Feng could answer, Betty stated calmly, "I saw with my own eyes when he fought Shanks to a standstill. And that CP0 agent named Kamitsuru no Kisaragi was also defeated by Bu Feng."

Bu Feng had no idea whether Betty had used her Inspiring Fruit's power while uttering those words, but at that moment, even Ivankov and all the surrounding Newkamas turned their gazes toward him filled with reverence!