"Damn it, Garp! How dare you still eat senbei!" Sengoku exclaimed as he grabbed Garp by the collar, his anger causing him to yell in Garp's face.
"Did you know that your precious grandson has infiltrated Impel Down and is now teaming up with Buggy the Clown? A team from Baroque Works is ready to rescue Ace!" Sengoku continued, his frustration evident.
Not only did Garp show no remorse when faced with Sengoku's anger, but he also laughed proudly while picking his nose. This infuriated Sengoku even more, prompting him to snatch the senbei from Garp's hand and pour it into his mouth.
"Ah! My senbei!!!" Garp exclaimed, putting his hands on his forehead with a heartbroken expression.
"You still want to eat senbei!" Sengoku slammed the table angrily, glaring at Garp.
"Did you know that Buggy the Clown possesses Conqueror's Haki?" Sengoku revealed, his tone serious.
Garp, who had been grinning happily until now, and Crane, who was observing the exchange with his hand resting on his chin, suddenly became serious and turned their attention to Sengoku.
"Hey, Sengoku, are you sure about what you're saying?" Garp asked with a serious expression.
Crane narrowed his eyes and also focused on Sengoku. "You claim that Buggy the Clown possesses Conqueror's Haki. Are you certain?"
Realizing his mistake, Sengoku yelled, "I misspoke! Besides Conqueror's Haki, what else can he do to instantly subdue all the ferocious beasts on the second floor of Impel Down's Wild Beast Hell? With his Chop-Chop Fruit ability?"
"This guy is truly skilled at concealing his true abilities. Why did he hide for ten or twenty years, only to suddenly reveal himself again?" Sengoku wondered aloud.
"It seems none of the individuals who disembarked from Roger's ship are not so ordinary. " Garp fell silent upon hearing Sengoku's words.
Just then, Crane interjected, "Knocking out all the beasts in Starvation Hell, including the Sphinx, instantaneously is not something ordinary Conqueror's Haki can accomplish."
Pausing briefly, Crane continued, "Sengoku, do you think it's possible that Buggy already knew Ace's true identity? After learning that the captain's son was captured, he pretended to be arrested and infiltrated Impel Down, taking advantage of the chaos to rescue Ace."
"..." Everyone fell silent, contemplating Crane's analysis. Sengoku couldn't help but gulp down the remaining senbei residue, his face displaying shock.
"There's a high possibility!" Sengoku admitted. "Considering Buggy's level of tolerance and his possession of Conqueror's Haki, if we aren't careful, he might indeed succeed in freeing Ace from Impel Down. Thankfully, Magellan warned me, allowing us to transfer Ace elsewhere."
"This man has hidden himself too deeply! Such a conspiracy, and a formidable individual. He was almost on the verge of success," Sengoku remarked with a hint of admiration.
Garp, upon hearing these words, briefly showed a trace of disappointment in his eyes before laughing again. "Indeed, someone who could become an intern on Roger's ship, just like the red-haired guy. How could they lack strength? It was a miscalculation on my part. Sometimes even an old man like me can be wrong."
Sengoku glared at Garp, and Garp scratched his head while laughing. Then crane, Tsuru, glanced at the two veterans, shook her head, and said, "However, I see Buggy in a slightly different light. He didn't hesitate to reveal his hidden strength for the sake of Roger's child. If it weren't for this matter, we might have remained oblivious to him. As the saying goes, the deeper you hide, the greater your ambition. Giving up years of hiding for the captain's son shows that he is a man of loyalty and righteousness. It's a pity that they are destined to fail, as Impel Down is guarded by that poisonous man."
Sengoku and Garp didn't refute Tsuru's words but silently agreed.
"Leave everything to Magellan. With him, no one can escape from Impel Down," Sengoku declared.
Meanwhile, in Impel Down on the fifth floor, Freezing Hell, Luffy and his companions found themselves surrounded by dozens of howling wolves as they emerged from the Frost Forest.
Mr. 1, Mr. 2, and Mr. 3, after pulling themselves out of the snowdrifts, assumed fighting stances upon witnessing the scene.
But what happened next shocked them once again.
Buggy took a step forward, facing the grinning and aggressive wolves, and calmly uttered a single word, "Roll!"
In response, the once ferocious wolves whimpered lowly and fled in terror, tails between their legs.
Witnessing this, Luffy and his companions were astonished. Mr. 1, on the other hand, gazed at Buggy's back with admiration. He never expected that a single word from Buggy could drive away the wolves.
"Hiss! It's so cold," Luffy shivered and said, looking at Buggy.
"Uncle Buggy, where are we?" he asked.
"We're on the fifth floor, Freezing Hell," Buggy replied. Using his observation Haki, he quickly located their destination and began running deeper into the forest. As he ran, he continued speaking, "Come on, follow me to meet the legendary man on the 5.5th floor!"
"The legendary 5.5 floors? Is such a place real?" Luffy and the others wore expressions of disbelief.
However, Buggy had never let them down thus far, so they subconsciously chose to follow him.
Soon, they arrived at the edge of a deep chasm within the forest, and Buggy jumped in first.
The rift was only three or four meters deep, just wide enough for a person to pass through.
Without hesitation, Luffy and the others jumped in after Buggy.
As they descended into the chasm, they felt the temperature gradually rise. After walking a few ten of meters, they entered a narrow cave tunnel.
They continued forward for a few minutes until suddenly the tunnel opened up, revealing a well-lit space.
Just as Luffy and the others emerged from behind Buggy, they noticed a massive sign at the entrance that read "Okama Paradise."
Before they could express their surprise, a group of Okamas in peculiar outfits stared silently at Buggy and the others from a distance of tens of meters.
Tension filled the air.
Then, a deep and slightly hoarse male voice sounded from behind the crowd.
"Buggy the Clown, Straw Hat Kid, and Baroque Works, I've observed your actions and admire your intentions. However, I can't assist you in rescuing Fire Fist Ace. Besides, it's too late! Ace was transferred away by Vice Admiral Momonga and Magellan more than ten minutes ago. Everything you just said is correct, Buggy. Alright, I've said my piece. You can leave now. This is Okama Paradise, and outsiders are not welcome."
Upon hearing this, a smirk formed on the corner of Buggy's mouth as he calmly replied, "If that's the case, why don't we all leave right here?"
The atmosphere in the 5.5-floor space instantly grew tense.
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