Super Card System

Chapter 523: Meeting an Old Friend

Although Impel Down is vast and Ian’s group doesn’t have a map of this place, Ian has never worried about getting lost. Because to reach the bottom of Impel Down, there’s only one direction, and that’s downward! Even if they can’t find the entrance to go down for a while, they can just break through the ground and descend. With their strength, this is not an impossible task.

After reaching Level 2, what awaited Ian and his group was a gigantic chicken-snake monster! However, even before Ian and the others could act, the prisoners released from Level 1 were already howling and rushing towards it!

Perhaps, learning about Ian’s reputation as a prison liberator, gave these prisoners immense courage. Faced with such a monster, the prisoners showed no fear. Carrying double-edged axes they snatched from the Blue Gorilla guards, the prisoners directly began to gang up on the chicken-snake monster. Surprisingly, despite the injuries inflicted by the monster, the prisoners managed to kill it in the end!

“Hehe, is this a challenge?” Trafalgar Law said mockingly.

“This suits us just fine!” Ian chuckled. “It saves us some energy.”

Impel Down Level 2 is aptly named Wild Beast Hell. True to its name, the wardens on this level are a group of exceptionally rare and ferocious monsters from the outside world.

Ian walked over to the fallen chicken-snake, crouched down, and inspected it.

The so-called chicken-snake was a gigantic rooster with a peculiar feature – a long snake tail extending from its back.

Obviously, such a creature seemed more like a legendary being. As Ian gazed at the monster, he couldn’t help but stroke his chin, deep in thought.

He couldn’t believe that these creatures grew naturally. In Ian’s opinion, such legendary creatures were either mutated species or artificially engineered.

Thinking along these lines, Ian couldn’t help but consider the role of genetic factors. He suspected that these creatures might be experimental organisms from Vegapunk…

Oh, right! Ian suddenly recalled that there was a dragon on Punk Hazard!

Shaking his head, Ian stood up. For some reason, he always felt that whether it was this chicken-snake or the dragon on Punk Hazard, if these creatures were indeed the result of Vegapunk’s research, there might be some deeper meaning to it.

He believed that scientists like Vegapunk wouldn’t create such things without a purpose. It was possible he intended to develop biological weapons, or perhaps there was another reason.

In any case, Ian kept this matter in mind…

The chicken-snake wasn’t the sole creature on the second level. As Ian and his group delved deeper, more chicken-snake monsters emerged. This further convinced Ian that these creatures were undoubtedly artificially created. Mutations wouldn’t produce so many identical specimens; the quantity of chicken-snakes here was enough to form a population…

Confronted with numerous chicken-snakes, the prisoners from the first level were no match. Consequently, Luffy, Law, and the others took action.

After some time and effort, defeating these chicken-snakes, the prisoners, without Ian’s orders, hurriedly found keys and started unlocking the various cells on the second level.

“Haha, fantastic, brothers! Thank you!”

The liberated second-level prisoners shouted in excitement.

“Hehe!” The ones who freed them chuckled and said, “If you want to express gratitude, thank lord Ian, one of the Seven Warlords! We are his followers now.”

Upon hearing this, the just-released prisoners were taken aback, quickly abandoning their arrogance and respectfully expressing their thanks to Ian.

Ian didn’t say much, only instructing, “Leave some people to clear out the second level’s guards, then try to guard the passageway until we return.”

“No problem, lord Ian!” The newly liberated prisoners, with sinister smiles, said, “We were just thinking of properly ‘thanking’ those guards for their hospitality…”

After saying this, the prisoners immediately dispersed, heading to settle scores with the guards.

Ian’s group continued to move forward. While advancing, Nami quietly asked Ian, “Big Brother Ian, is this really a good idea? Bringing these prisoners out might cause even greater panic!”

Ian had anticipated Nami’s concern. Indeed, those confined in Impel Down were fierce pirates and criminals, each with a minimum bounty of tens of millions. If Ian were to lead them out, it could pose a threat to ordinary civilians.

However, Ian wasn’t worried at all. Despite the prisoners now reveling in their numerical advantage, beating down the prison guards, the true might of Impel Down had yet to be unleashed!

It could be said that even if all the guards in Impel Down were defeated, as long as Magellan, the Chief Warden, appeared, he could suppress all the inmates!

At that time, the fate of these released prisoners surviving under Magellan’s deadly poison was uncertain!

For Ian, even though he had released so many prisoners, someone would help him filter through them…

So, he winked at Nami and reassured her, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!”

Hearing Ian’s words, Nami didn’t press further.

Just at that moment, a voice suddenly exclaimed, “Ian!? Is it really you, Ian!?”

Everyone immediately halted, and Ian turned his head in the direction of the voice. Not far away, in a corner cell, a red-nosed guy was staring at him in astonishment.

“Huh!? Buggy!” Ian couldn’t help but exclaim, “What are you doing here!?”

Buggy, dressed in a prisoner’s uniform, gripped the cell bars with both hands, wide-eyed and dumbfounded. A trail of snot flowed down his red nose, a sight to behold.

Things took an unexpected turn. After being captured by Kuina and sent to Impel Down, for some reason, Buggy, who was supposed to be on the first level, found himself on the second level. Due to the stronger guards on the second level, Buggy hadn’t yet found an opportunity to sneak out. Moreover, crucially, it seemed his status as a Devil Fruit user had been discovered, so he was isolated in a cell with seastone shackles on his hands and feet…

In other words, if Ian hadn’t come to Impel Down to liberate the prisoners this time, Buggy might genuinely have had no chance to escape.

“Captain Buggy!?” Even Cabaji and the others saw Buggy and rushed up, reaching Buggy’s cell. Overwhelmed with emotion, Cabaji said, “Captain Buggy, we finally found you! You have no idea how hard we’ve worked to rescue you…”

“You… you guys!” Buggy suddenly saw his old subordinates, who came to rescue him, and his eyes welled up. With the same appearance of tears about to fall, he hugged Cabaji and Mohji through the bars. Then, the three of them burst into loud sobs, creating a scene of deep camaraderie between a captain and his crew.

“Step aside!” Ian walked over, kicked Cabaji and Mohji aside. Standing in front of Buggy, he assessed him from head to toe and clicked his tongue, “Buggy, long time no see, old friend. You seem to have put on some weight!”

“It’s really you!” Buggy rubbed his eyes vigorously, then, pointing at Ian in disbelief, he asked, “Why are you here? And why are you wearing a Marine uniform? Was the commotion just now caused by you guys?”

“I’m just here to rescue someone!” Ian leaned on the hilt of his Senbonzakura, saying, “Of course, I can rescue you on the way. It depends on whether you want to come out or not!”

“Of course, I want to come out!” Buggy exclaimed, hopping in excitement. “Only a fool would want to stay in this place!”

“Alright, step aside a bit!” Ian gestured for him to move back, then drew his sword and sliced open the cell door.

Buggy was finally free. Cabaji quickly found the keys and unlocked the seastone handcuffs on Buggy. As the sensation of weakness left him, Buggy felt relieved.

“Okay, let’s go!” Ian put his arm around Buggy’s shoulder.

“Are we leaving?” Buggy grinned.

“No!” Ian shook his head. “We’re going down further, to Level 5!”

Hearing this, Buggy was suddenly shocked and screamed, “What!? I’m not going there! People really die there!”

Ian’s expression immediately turned serious, “What kind of talk is that? Since we’re old friends, and I released you, so you should help me, right?”

“Who’s your old friend!?” Buggy angrily roared at Ian. “Since I’ve known you, it’s always been you bullying me!! What kind of friendship is that!?”

In that moment, Buggy recalled the fear of being manipulated by Ian, and unable to contain himself, he erupted, recounting every instance of bullying by Ian…