With the implementation of real-time broadcasts from multiple locations, the current situation in Impel Down was finally presented in full to the world.
Watching the thrilling battles unfold on screen, many people were captivated, unable to look away.
Several fights in particular drew widespread attention.
For instance, in Level 2's Wild Beast Hell, the Second Kazekage's overwhelming domination of all the guard beasts on that floor left countless viewers in awe.
Then there was the clash in Level 3's Starvation Hell between Asuma and Impel Down's deputy warden, the Blue Gorilla commander Saldeath—it was equally riveting and caught plenty of eyes.
Not to mention the battle in Level 4's Blazing Hell between Kushina and Little Sadi, two formidable women, which also sparked considerable interest.
Of course, some were keeping tabs on Minato Namikaze as well.
After all, his standout performances in the earlier battles at the Sabaody Archipelago and Marineford had made him quite famous in the pirate world.
Meanwhile, in Level 5's Freezing Hell, Kisame Hoshigaki was locked in combat with Shiryu!
He had been acting alongside Itachi Uchiha before, but as soon as the pair entered Freezing Hell, they ran into Magellan and Shiryu.
That's right—Shiryu was still in Impel Down.
Thanks to the Ninja Guild's interference, Blackbeard hadn't broken in and taken anyone away when Luffy and his crew infiltrated the prison earlier, so Shiryu remained the chief guard.
One was a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, known as the Tailless Tailed Beast, with formidable strength even within the Akatsuki.
The other was a Paramecia-type Clear-Clear Fruit user, boasting incredible swordsmanship and standing as one of Impel Down's top aces alongside Magellan—"Shiryu of the Rain"!
Both were incredibly powerful, and with their shared violent tendencies, the fight erupted into something fiercely intense.
At first, Kisame found himself on the back foot against the tricky Clear-Clear Fruit ability, getting suppressed by his opponent's masterful swordplay more than once.
It was a good thing he was in his Edo Tensei form now, or he would've suffered serious injuries long ago.
But Kisame was no slouch. After battling for a while, he gradually adapted to the fighting style.
By the later stages, he didn't even need his eyesight to track Shiryu—he could sense his presence and began turning the tide with a mix of ninjutsu and his own powerful taijutsu.
The fight dragged on, with each side holding advantages at different points, making it hard to call a winner.
However, as the battle wore on, Shiryu's stamina started to wane, while Kisame gained the upper hand and began to overpower him.
In the end, by the time Itachi Uchiha arrived, Kisame had fully defeated Shiryu.
Truth be told, without Samehada as his trusty weapon, Kisame's strength had taken a noticeable hit; otherwise, the fight wouldn't have lasted so long.
Though he'd won, Kisame wasn't in much better shape than Itachi—his energy was heavily depleted too.
At the World Government headquarters.
The Five Elders watched the eerie footage in their minds, seeing Impel Down's guards clearly unable to hold off the Ninja Guild's assault, and they began to grow anxious.
Soon enough, they took action, dispatching a force to reinforce Impel Down, including Kong and Sengoku, along with other strong fighters.
Yet the Five Elders themselves didn't move out.
They gathered in the conference room, their faces grim.
In truth, ever since Lin Xuan had released that newspaper, they'd anticipated this—if they didn't deliver on the hundred Devil Fruits, given Lin Xuan's personality, he wouldn't just swallow his pride; he'd definitely strike back.
They just hadn't known how he'd do it.
They never expected the guy to be so bold as to target Impel Down directly.
Now, the place they viewed as the most fortified, the least likely to fall into trouble, was in chaos.
What baffled them even more was how Lin Xuan had managed to lead so many people into Impel Down in such a short time.
The whole situation left them deeply puzzled.
That's why they'd convened here—to discuss how to handle this. They didn't believe Kong and the others could stop Lin Xuan and his group.
If anything, it might escalate into an even bigger conflict.
As for why they hadn't acted themselves, it was to guard against Lin Xuan pulling the same trick as last time—luring the tiger from the mountain and attacking the holy land of Mariejois.
Now, staring at the inescapable footage before them, their expressions grew even darker.
"How did that guy pull it off?" the bald monk said in a deep voice.
The one with the figure-eight mustache snorted coldly, his aura flaring as his face twisted in anger. "How dare he? I'll make him regret this!"
But amid their fury, the long-bearded one suddenly spoke up. "Actually, this might be our opportunity."
The other four turned to him, puzzled.
"Lin Xuan's off attacking Impel Down right now, and it looks like he's brought a lot of people with him. That means the Ninja Guild is probably down to a skeleton crew—its defenses are at their weakest!" the long-bearded one said with a smile.
The others' eyes lit up at that.
Yeah, all the Ninja Guild's key players are at Impel Down!
Seeing their realization, the long-bearded one stroked his beard and continued. "What do you think would happen if we launched an attack on the Sabaody Archipelago right now?"
Excitement flickered across their faces.
A sneak attack on the Ninja Guild?
It sounded pretty damn good!
Not long ago, when the Five Elders had made their move, they should've crushed their enemies flat, but Lin Xuan had left them humiliated and disgraced.
More recently, he'd publicly demanded payment in the newspaper, costing them even more face.
They might act like it didn't bother them, but deep down, they were seething!
If they could seize back the Sabaody Archipelago now, not only would they reclaim their dignity, but they'd also throw a wrench into the Ninja Guild's plans!
After all, without the Sabaody Archipelago, how could the Ninja Guild possibly host their so-called new world government conference?
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T/N:
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