As Teach set foot in Impel Down, he received a notification: "Quest Complete: Infiltration of Impel Down. Reward: Conqueror's Haki unlocked."
Teach suddenly felt immense power, and in a split second, his Conqueror's Haki struck not only his crew but also the guards, knocking out the latter and shocking the former.
Laffitte: "Ohoho, Captain, what a lovely surprise!"
Augur: "Possessed by less than one in a million... destiny."
Doc Q: "As you say, Augur, destiny."
Teach: "Zehahahaha. One person is still standing. Who are you?"
Shiryu: "I see, it's you, Blackbeard. I'm Shiryu, former head of security at Impel Down."
Teach: "Have you come to stop me?"
Shiryu: "That's the mission I was given. But tell me, what is a pirate doing here? No one comes willingly to this hell."
Teach: "Recruitment."
Shiryu: "Recruitment, you say? I see... you must be truly mad."
Teach: "You know what? You can't hide your desire to kill everything in front of you. Zehahaha, I have a good idea. Destiny has put you on my path, so what do you say to changing sides? The life of a pirate would suit you perfectly."
Shiryu: "The idea is outlandish, but staying here no longer appeals to me. I'll join you if you leave this place alive. Is that acceptable to you?"
Teach: "Perfect, then welcome to the crew! Zehahaha!"
The rest of the crew had smiles on their faces.
Shiryu: "The passage is blocked by poison; you won't be able to reach the lower levels."
Teach: "I'll find a way. Can you cut off all Den Den Mushi signals in the area?"
Shiryu: "I'm not in your crew yet, but fine, I can. The control room is on the second floor."
Teach: "I see. Guys, let's go."
They headed towards the deeper zones and, upon reaching the passage on the second floor, Teach used his power:
Teach: "Black Hole."
He absorbed the poison blocking the passage.
Teach: "There's always a way. I'll leave the surveillance area to you. Hahaha."
Teach: "Let's hurry, guys, the area still has some poison in the air."
Passing to the third floor, they encountered guards fighting prisoners trying to escape. Teach launched an attack:
Teach: "Liberation."
A wave of debris, guards' bodies, and poison emerged from the darkness, striking the guards and prisoners ahead of them.
Teach: "Zehahahaha, clear the passage, lowly pirates."
Prisoner: "Who are you? Why are you attacking us, you bastard? Who do you think you are?"
Although surprised and frightened, the prisoners couldn't help but ask if he was an enemy or ally. The guards, knowing who was in front of them, began to tremble.
Luffy: "I've seen him somewhere before. He's here to help too."
Jinbe: "The person in front of us is absolutely not here to help. He's the one who caused all these problems. He's the one who captured Ace, Marshall D. Teach, aka Blackbeard."
Teach: "Zehahahaha, I'm already becoming famous. To answer your questions, I'm neither an ally nor an enemy. If you're in my way, you'll die."
To affirm his words, his bloodlust mixed with his Conqueror's Haki emanated from his body for a second, making some pirates and guards tremble and faint.
Luffy: "I see, you're the one who captured my brother."
Teach: "Yes, and you could say he saved your life. If it weren't for him, you would have been my target, and in his place, it would be you on the scaffold. By the way, the execution is starting soon, right? I hope you make it in time to see the show. Zehahaha."
Luffy: "Gear Second! Jet Pistol!"
His fist hit Teach, who didn't dodge but used his Black Vortex to pull Luffy into his palm before punching him in the stomach, making him spit blood.
Teach: "Hahah, like brother, like brother, both impatient idiots. Let's go deeper."
Luffy: "Wait, this isn't over!"
Jinbe: "Stop, we have more urgent things to take care of."
Luffy, despite the rage driving him, knew this wasn't the place or time for a fight. He watched Teach move deeper into Impel Down, fists clenched, then continued with the rest of the prisoners in their rush towards the exit.
Less than seven minutes later, Magellan appeared before Teach. Without bothering to learn the reasons for Teach's intrusion, he attacked directly:
Magellan: "Hydra!"
A serpent made of poison attacked Blackbeard's crew. Teach, already on guard, responded with a Black Hole that absorbed the poison.
Teach: "Are you sure you want a fight? I'm heading down while they're heading up. Haha."
Magellan understood and had to make a choice: fight Teach and his crew descending or stop the escaping prisoners, which would make Impel Down, the best-guarded prison, look ridiculous. He chose to continue after the fleeing pirates, but before leaving, he warned Teach:
Magellan: "Once inside, no escape will be granted. You will be imprisoned for life."
These words echoed in Zone 3.
Seeing Magellan's capabilities, Doc Q felt a huge desire for this power. His gaze passed to his captain's back.
Teach: "There are no more obstacles. Let's hurry. Zeze."
After more than 20 minutes, they arrived at Zone 5, where some prisoners were still there, and 10 distinct cells were still filled. The prisoners screamed to be freed.
Teach: "You want to live? You want freedom? I don't have enough room for everyone on my ship. I'll take one survivor per cell." After these words, he continued on his way, the smile on Blackbeard's and his crew members' faces, especially Laffitte's, was gigantic.
Before reaching Level 6, Shiryu appeared behind them.
Shiryu: "I suppose you're the reason they're killing each other."
Shiryu's smile, for this kind of spectacle, was the same as Laffitte's. He would have liked to stay and watch, but it was just the beginning. The best was yet to come, where the fiercest prisoners were. Doc Q and Augur showed no signs of enjoying the spectacle.
Shiryu: "Everything has been cut, giving us extra time."
Teach: "Perfect."
Entering the sixth circle, all eyes were on them. The prisoners spoke, some asking to be freed in exchange for treasures or power.
Teach: "SHUT UP, YOU SCUM!"
A silence fell before some began to curse. Teach unleashed all his bloodlust and Conqueror's Haki.
Teach: "I SAID SHUT UP!"
This time, there was no noise.
Teach: "I am Marshall D. Teach, captain of the Blackbeard Pirates. I am here to recruit among you, you scoundrels. It's your lucky day. Zehahaha!"
Prisoner: "We'll be free, finally!"
Teach: "You haven't understood one thing. I only need the best on my ship."
His crew, already knowing where he was headed, smiled.
Teach: "FIGHT EACH OTHER. I WILL FREE YOU AND GRANT YOU LIBERTY."
In less time than it took to say, the prisoners began a massacre. In a separate cell was a lone individual.
Doc Q: "We're going to conduct another test for Devil Fruit theft."
Shiryu, pensive, watched Doc Q and Teach open a cell where an individual was.
Teach: "So, do you want to join me, Byrndi World?"
Byrndi looked at Teach with a smile and said: "I serve no one."
Teach responded: "That's too bad, World."
Although weakened, Byrndi prepared for a fight. Teach's entire arm was covered in jet-black Haki as he charged at Byrndi, who, despite his weakened state, managed to gather a faint Armament Haki to counter. Teach's blow pushed Byrndi to the back of the cell; his arm trembled with pain. "Black Vortex," Teach said, pulling Byrndi's body towards him. Byrndi responded with a punch to the stomach that made Teach stagger, but it was already too late. His head was in Teach's palm, who seized it and slammed it into the wall, sliding it down to the floor.
"It's too bad you're weakened, but it's the world of pirates," Teach declared, before delivering a series of Advanced Haki punches that eventually made Byrndi's head explode, spreading blood and brain matter on the floor.
Teach looked at Doc Q, who approached with a basket of fruits. Teach placed the basket on Byrndi's body and used his Black Hole to absorb everything in the area, directing it to the basket. Like magic, an orange transformed into a Devil Fruit, making Teach and Doc Q smile broadly. The crew members, aware of this ability, were thrilled by their captain's power, understanding both the utility and horror of this ability. The newly recruited prisoners watched in awe, realizing that following this madman as their captain meant they would either die trying or achieve glory and power.
Teach: "It seems the winners have already been chosen. Zehahahahaha."
The new recruits, although surprised and delighted, were already eager for the future.
Teach: "Laffitte, did you retrieve the keys?"
Laffitte: "Yes, Captain."
Shiryu: "You had already stolen them," he said, starting to unlock the prisoners' cells before stopping in front of a cell where Teach remained fixed.
"You won't free him," said Shiryu.
Teach stood in front of a cell, looking at the monster inside: Douglas Bullet. "Zehahahaha, he doesn't need a key. If he wanted to leave, he would have done it already."
Teach looked at his new members: Catarina Devon, Avalo Pizarro, Sanjuan Wolf, and Vasco Shot. "Welcome aboard."
the size of the sanjuan wolf was 18m with the marine granite handcuffs even when removed and he could maintain that size perfect otherwise transport will become more difficult in the future
Avalo Pizarro: "Tell me, what stops us from killing you?" he asked with a smile.
Teach: "You can try, but death will be the only redemption I offer."
No one was surprised by his response. "Let's go. We still have a lot to do." They left level 6, which had an intense smell of blood—a carnage that would make even seasoned pirates vomit.
They took little time to reach level 5 and recover the ten surviving members: Valdaas, Harris, Le Borgne, Allen Turner, Dédanos, Roxan, Hannaw, Token, Kamatello, and Billy Wood, each being a little monster with a bounty exceeding 100 million berries.
Catarina Devon: "You made selections in each zone?"
Devon's question drew the attention of each new member.
Teach: "Of course not. I only gave a chance to join my ship to the prisoners from levels 6 and 5," said Teach, continuing to walk.
Avalo Pizarro: "You could have recruited only from level 6, we would have been much stronger," said Avalo.
These words made the other ten from level 5 feel underestimated.
Token: "You underestimate us. You think I fear you because you were in a lower level in this prison?" said Token.
Teach: "Shut up and move on. I don't have the luxury of wasting more time. And to answer your question, Avalo, I prefer giving a chance to level 5. Their fate and strength allowed them to live, and I don't think having people in my crew who were in the same cell, ready to kill each other, is a good mix. Hatred is often more durable than peace. Plus, the spectacle was magnificent, right? Zehahahaha!"
These words made them all smile. They agreed with Teach.
After more than 25 minutes, they arrived at level 2, where Magellan was furious about the massive escape under his watch. Seeing Blackbeard accompanied by pirates from levels 6 and 5 worsened his mood, especially when his gaze met Shiryu's.
Magellan: "So that's it. You betray us for pirates. You've sunk low," said Magellan.
Shiryu: "No, actually, I'm rising, Magellan."
Magellan: "Nonsense. You'll perish with them," said Magellan.
Magellan: "I won't let any of you pass. Hydra!" His body emitted a deadly poison as he charged toward Teach and his crew.
Teach countered with the Dark Vortex, touching Magellan's poisoned body and driving his fist into his stomach. Despite the burning pain from the poison, Teach continued to hit and threw Magellan, who responded with poison hydras.
Teach managed to engulf a Hydra attack with his Black Hole and dodged the other. The poison spread like lava on the ground.
Teach placed his hand on the ground and used his Black Hole to absorb all the poison in the area. He focused the darkness on his fist, forming a dark ball, and threw it at Magellan, who countered with Hell's Judgment. A poison figure resembling a demon faced the dark ball, which began to absorb the poison.
Magellan: "That's impossible," said Magellan, having concentrated almost all his reserves into the attack, but it was ultimately consumed by the darkness.
Teach: "Darkness always prevails."
Magellan: "You won't get away with this. You'll be hunted."
Teach: "You're worried about me. That's kind of you, but you should be more worried about your fate. Zehahahaha!"
Magellan attempted a final Hydra to create a distraction and tried to jump into the void to survive, but he was stopped by Shiryu, who stabbed him in the heart with his sword.
Teach: "Doc Q, the basket!"
Teach repeated the process and a pear transformed into a Devil Fruit.
Teach: "Do you want it, Doc Q?"
Doc Q: "Of course," he replied. His illness was linked to the various poisons he had injected himself with. The Poison Fruit would make his life easier, as he would become the poison itself. He kept the fruit close to him, planning to eat it on the ship. Some crew members looked at him with envious eyes, the ten new ones were surprised by Teach's ability, both in combat and his ability to steal Devil Fruits. They understood that following this madman as a captain meant either dying while escaping or achieving glory and power.
Upon reaching the entrance, without a door, the weak signal allowed Teach to contact Burgess.
Purpurpurpur... catcha.
Burgess: "This is Burgess. Are you done already, Captain? It's been 3 hours."
Teach: "Come pick us up, Burgess."
Most of the former prisoners stared at the sun or the sea. Freedom was within their reach; they had dreamed of it every day they stayed in this hell.
In 12 minutes, the ship arrived at the port.
Burgess: "Captain, it seems there are a lot of people, but how will this giant leave?"
Teach look Sanjuan Wolf: you can change your size ?"
Sanjuan Wolf: "Yes, but I've got feet everywhere, just a feeling of weakness, Captain."
Teach: "Perfect, you'll follow us by swimming."
Sanjuan Wolf: "What? Can I hold onto the ship for support?"
The Crew: "No, you'd make us sink," said the crew in unison.
Roxan: "A marine ship is really useful on the Calm Belt," said Roxan, one of the two only women in this new crew.
Once aboard, Doc Q took a bite of the Devil Fruit. Despite the horrible taste, only a smile adorned his face. The toxins in his body were assimilated into the poison, and his body returned to normal. He was cured, although his faithful horse was not.
Teach: "Set sail for Marineford," ordered Teach. "It's time to put on a show, not just for those marines, but for the whole world."