#404 - Chapter 404: Hold the Line

At the same time.

Holy Land Mary Geoise.

The atmosphere within Pangaea Castle was even more somber and grim than usual, the solemn air seemingly freezing the very air.

The Five Elders were gathered around a massive round table, the atmosphere strained to the breaking point.

Each of them wore an exceptionally stern expression, almost devoid of any emotional flicker, yet a suffocating rage emanated from their deep-set eyes.

An emergency distress signal from Impel Down had just arrived, and the Five Elders' expressions changed instantly.

It all happened too fast, catching them completely off guard. Blackbeard, the pirate they had just accepted into the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, had exploited this privilege to launch an attack on Impel Down.

"Unforgivable," Shepherd Ju Peter Saint uttered in a low voice, suppressing immense anger.

His cane struck the stone floor heavily, producing a dull thud.

As one of the World Government's cornerstones, Impel Down housed the world's most dangerous pirates. If Blackbeard succeeded in freeing them, the scale of the disaster would be almost unimaginable.

"The Royal Seven Warlords system was meant to serve the World Government, yet it has become a weapon in the hands of certain ambitious individuals," Imu Baron V. Nusjuro Saint frowned, speaking coldly.

His brow furrowed like a hill, betraying his extreme tension.

The Five Elders' gazes converged on the window, beyond which the Whitebeard Pirates could be faintly seen beneath the sun-drenched, glaringly white sky.

The appearance of this most powerful pirate crew at Mary Geoise at this moment heightened the tension even further.

"The Whitebeard Pirates..." The eldest of the Five Elders sighed deeply, instantly recognizing that this was no coincidence.

Whitebeard had always disdained cooperation with the government, and his arrival must be part of Blackbeard's plan.

"We must act immediately," Jaygarcia Saturn Saint stated decisively, a hint of resolution and grimness flashing in his eyes.

The situation had spiraled out of control. The Navy, depleted by numerous wars, was clearly unable to respond to the Impel Down riot in time.

The five men turned their gazes to Topman Warcury Saint, one of the Five Elders and also the Legal Affairs Warrior God—the most skilled in combat and special missions among them.

He listened to the discussion in silence, his gaze cold and profound, as if he had already grasped all the implications.

"Topman Warcury Saint, go and resolve this matter," the highest-ranking member of the Five Elders finally spoke slowly, his voice sounding somewhat indistinct, but causing the Five Elders to shudder.

Their eyes met, as if silently conveying a heavy thought.

Topman Warcury Saint nodded slightly and stood up, the pressure on his shoulders instantly becoming heavier, but his expression remained unwavering.

"Since we're worried that the Navy won't be able to handle it, then... it's time for us to take action personally," Topman Warcury Saint said in a low voice, clearly extremely dissatisfied with the loss of control over the current situation.

Faced with the chaotic situation in Impel Down, the Five Elders, though secretly resentful, also knew that the Navy could no longer quickly solve the problem. Now, decisive action had to be taken.

Topman Warcury Saint slowly stood up, his steps steady and firm.

As the Legal Affairs Warrior God, he bore the most important special missions of the World Government, especially at this moment when the world order was at stake. He lightly brushed the dust off his shoulders, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.

"Then I shall make a trip," he said calmly, but with a hint of murderous intent that could not be ignored.

The pirates in Impel Down probably had not yet realized the kind of killing intent and destruction that awaited them.

The Five Elders silently watched him leave, his heavy footsteps echoing in the corridors of Pangaea Castle.

Each step seemed to deeply imprint the city's majesty and pressure upon the ground.

Though the others did not say anything more, their tacit understanding was already self-evident—this was their mistake, and they had to correct it themselves.

The sunlight outside the window was still dazzling, but the air in Mary Geoise was filled with an invisible sense of oppression.

......

Inside Impel Down.

Jin'an and Zephyr's appearance made the jailers feel as if they had grasped a life-saving straw.

Although the riot within Impel Down was still as fierce as a tsunami, they felt a chance to catch their breath.

The battle seemed to be slowly tilting in their favor due to the addition of the two powerhouses, albeit only slightly.

"There are too many pirates!"

A jailer gripped his spear tightly, shouting breathlessly. The enemies surged towards him like a tide, giving him the illusion that for every one he knocked down, several more would appear.

His heart beat faster, and his palms became slippery with sweat, making it difficult to hold his weapon.

"These Marines are so strong!"

Another jailer exclaimed in a low voice, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the center of the battlefield—where Jin'an and Zephyr were fighting fiercely. Each swing of their swords and each heavy punch brought with it screams and falling figures.

Their figures were almost reduced to afterimages, their movements fluid and swift, like unparalleled war machines.

The jailers were veterans of Impel Down, but most of them had never truly seen a Marine Admiral like Jin'an in action.

They had heard the rumors, but could not connect the reality before their eyes with those exaggerated stories.

Now, witnessing the battle of the two powerhouses, they truly understood what it meant to stand at the top of the Navy.

"Those two leading the charge are both at Admiral level, right!"

A jailer gasped for breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead, his voice filled with awe and a hint of anticipation.

"You guessed right, that's an Admiral and a former Admiral!"

An older jailer standing next to him replied calmly, his tone full of pride and determination.

Although they were facing countless ferocious pirates, with the addition of Jin'an and Zephyr, they felt that Impel Down was not without a chance of winning.

Jin'an stood at the exit of Impel Down, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

His Observation Haki had already spread out, clearly perceiving the movements of every corner and every enemy.

There was no fluctuation in his heart. Facing the surging enemies before him, he was like an unmoving mountain, calm and composed.

"Impel Down will be defended," the jailers thought silently.

They did not doubt their own strength, but the pirates opposite them were not to be underestimated.

Their gazes occasionally swept towards Zephyr, whose movements were still full of power and killing intent, wielding his weapon like a fierce tiger, violent and ruthless.

Each of Zephyr's attacks was accompanied by deafening roars. The wrinkles on his face were deeper in the battle, and his eyes revealed an irrepressible fighting spirit.

His movements were no longer as sharp as when he was young, but each strike contained immense power and rich combat experience.

His anger and pain were mixed between his fists and feet, and each attack was to protect this prison, and also to prove that he had not aged.

Behind them, the jailers began to regain their morale, and their eyes were filled with the fire of hope.

Although the pirates were numerous, with two powerhouses blocking them in front, their momentum was gradually suppressed. The jailers gripped their weapons tightly, ready to respond to Jin'an and Zephyr's orders at any time.

But the pirates did not retreat, but became even more frenzied.

Whenever they saw their comrades fall, the violence in their eyes became more intense, like a group of bloodthirsty beasts, and the momentum of their impact became even more fierce.

"Kill them all! Impel Down will surely be destroyed by our hands!"

A pirate wielding a giant sword rushed forward with a laugh, the weapon in his hand drawing a long arc, heading straight for Jin'an.

Jin'an's eyes narrowed, his body quickly sidestepping, and the blade in his hand flashed like lightning. The next moment, the pirate's head flew up, and blood splattered in the air.

The battle continued, the air filled with the smell of blood and gunpowder, and the sounds of the pirates' mad roars and the jailers' fierce shouts echoed in their ears.

Although the situation had eased slightly, the pirates' fierce impact still made the jailers nervous.

"With them and Warden Magellan, Impel Down will definitely be defended!"

At this moment, the jailers felt as secure as if they were backed by a giant mountain, but no one dared to relax.

Although Jin'an's presence gave them confidence, the enemies in front of them were still like a raging tide, wave after wave. They had to go all out to defend every inch of Impel Down.

Jin'an's expression was still cold, and his heart was always on high alert.

For him, this battle was far from over, and it could even be said that the real crisis had not yet arrived.

"Blackbeard..."

Jin'an whispered in his heart, knowing that this man was the real mastermind behind the entire riot.

And Jin'an already had a faint premonition about who Blackbeard had released in the depths of Impel Down.

But he had no time to hesitate. The battle in front of him was still going on, and he had to defend this line of defense first before he could have the strength to deal with the dangers behind him.

...