"Someone got to Impel Down before us?"
"There's a marine ship… but whose is the other one?"
Shiryu, the one most familiar with Impel Down's layout, was visibly surprised. Right before the massive gates of Impel Down floated a small marine warship, and alongside it, another vessel—neither a marine ship nor a pirate ship, but something that clearly wasn't ordinary.
Elior narrowed his eyes, intrigued.
"Let's go. Doesn't matter who arrived first. The result won't change."
With that, the group stepped into Impel Down. Along the way, bodies of guards littered the ground—some dead, others unconscious, groaning in pain, or barely clinging to life.
"Well, well… looks like someone else decided to crash the party. I wonder who..." Bullet grinned wickedly, clearly entertained by the mess.
Shiryu adjusted his coat and asked, "Captain, the plan remains the same? Break out those two… and eliminate Blackbeard's crew?"
"Exactly."
Elior had already explained the plan to everyone on the way here.
Urouge laughed, cracking his knuckles. "Blackbeard… what's so special about that bastard? Worth the captain's attention?"
"Is it because of that infamous Logia — the Dark-Dark Fruit?" he added, sneering.
Truthfully, both Urouge, Hawkins, and the others looked down on Blackbeard. After all, the man became a Shichibukai in the most shameless way imaginable.
The others shared the sentiment.
"Seriously, Blackbeard? A dog of the World Government now? Barely any better than their lapdogs. Must've sold his soul for that 'protection.'"
Elior chuckled, but his eyes were sharp. "Blackbeard… has a body unlike any other. His constitution allows him to hold two Devil Fruit powers at once."
"WHAT?!"
Even Bullet, who rarely showed shock, was visibly stunned. The others immediately snapped their heads toward Elior, disbelief painted on their faces.
"Two Devil Fruits? That's impossible!"
"He's breaking the laws of the world!" Hawkins muttered, flipping a tarot card with trembling hands.
Everyone knew what happened if someone tried to eat two Devil Fruits — their body would explode, their soul destroyed. Stories of idiots trying it and dying popped up every year.
Elior continued, voice darkening, "The Dark-Dark Fruit is… special. Not only does it nullify abilities, it can steal Devil Fruits from others."
He walked forward, hands in his pockets. "After recruiting some scum from Impel Down, Blackbeard hides near Marineford, waiting… for the perfect moment to steal Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit once he falls. With both abilities—he plans to enter the New World, replace Whitebeard, and ascend to the top."
"Becoming a Warlord was just his way of using the government. Whitebeard, the Marine, even the World Government… Blackbeard's played all of them like fools."
Elior's tone was matter-of-fact, as though he were reading from a script. After all, he knew how this story played out.
Everyone was stunned. Even Bullet, for all his arrogance, had to admit—this Blackbeard was insane.
One man… manipulating three superpowers at once?
And in the back of Elior's mind, he recalled something else—rumors, theories… that Blackbeard might even gain a third Devil Fruit later. His hands turning into monstrous claws...
If that were true, Elior suspected Blackbeard's ultimate target would be Kaido's Devil Fruit. The durability, the overwhelming power — it fit the type of body Blackbeard needed.
But whether that theory was true or not didn't matter.
Because this time, Blackbeard wasn't leaving Impel Down.
Without Elior in this world, sure, Blackbeard could've climbed to the top. But now that Elior was here... Blackbeard's fate was sealed.
He was staying in Impel Down. Forever.
Led by Shiryu, the group quickly made their way to the third level of the prison.
And ten minutes later...
They ran into someone very unexpected—
Dragon. Leader of the Revolutionary Army.
"So... the Revolutionaries are here too" Elior murmured, his grin widening. It all made sense now—the mysterious ship they'd seen wasn't Blackbeard's. It was the Revolutionaries'.
Given that Luffy had been captured and locked up here, it wasn't surprising Dragon would show up himself.
"Ah... fatherly love. Like father, like son."
Just like Loguetown… Dragon came to save Luffy once again.
Magellan, meanwhile, lay bloodied and unconscious on the ground, his massive frame barely moving. But Elior also noticed Dragon wasn't looking too good either. As expected… beating Magellan wasn't without cost.
Bullet whistled. "Didn't expect to run into this guy… the world's most dangerous criminal."
Elior approached casually, hands in his pockets, with that same mocking smile.
"Dragon. I've heard plenty about you."
Dragon's eyes narrowed.
"You… Elior."
The air between them tightened instantly. Dragon's instincts screamed—this wasn't a coincidence. Elior wasn't an ally.
No matter how many Celestial Dragons Elior had killed, Dragon didn't consider him anything but a pirate — a cancer of the sea like the rest. Worse, Elior had even stopped Kuma from getting Luffy to safety back then. If it weren't for him... Luffy wouldn't be here in the first place.
In Dragon's eyes... Elior was as much an enemy to the Revolution as the World Government itself.
But Elior? He couldn't care less. In his view, Dragon wasn't any saint either. Just another hypocrite pretending to be righteous while the world burned. Elior grinned.
"This world's built on winners and losers. You talk about justice, about freedom… but you're no better than me. You break into Impel Down to free criminals, same as me. The only difference? You pretend you're the good guy. I don't."
"You..." Dragon trembled with rage. His fists clenched so hard they bled. For a moment, it felt like he might snap and attack right there.
On the other side of the corridor...
Luffy and his group finally arrived—just in time to witness the explosive tension.