'Boom—Boom—'
Far in the Calm Belt, at the Impel Down prison,
The massive Gate of Justice slowly creaked open.
A Navy battleship entered, its movement deliberate and foreboding.
"Damn it…"
"All these prisoners… dead?"
"That guy didn't even bother releasing them?"
"What exactly is he planning?"
Inside the sixth level, Eternal Hell,
Hammons William, Steel Bone Kong, Saint Denis of the Holy Knights, and others, freshly returned from Marineford, stood frozen in shock.
The once-packed cells were now either completely empty or littered with piles of lifeless bodies.
Despite the grim scene, a faint sense of relief crossed their faces.
For the World Government, it was far better for the prisoners to be killed than for them to be freed—or worse, recruited by the Fallen Angel Pirates.
"It seems he took their souls… to create a Homies army," muttered Steel Bone Kong, clenching his fist.
The heavily scarred Marine Admiral, still wrapped in bandages, spoke gravely:
"We've already heard reports of the Fallen Angel Pirates using souls to build a massive Homies army—including that flying giant Homie, the size of an island. This was clearly their intent here."
"A silver lining," Hammons William said darkly, his expression grim. "At least he didn't outright free or recruit the prisoners. But the real danger lies in what he's taken."
"The thousands of souls from these dangerous criminals could be used to forge an army of Homies—each potentially as strong as a Vice Admiral or worse. This is a severe threat to the World Government."
The Navy Fleet Admiral felt a chill run down his spine as he considered the implications.
With such a large and powerful Homies force, the Fallen Angel Pirates were becoming an existential threat.
Steel Bone Kong's face twisted with distrust. "I don't believe that Lunarian bastard would ignore the stronger prisoners in Eternal Hell."
Pressing his hand against his still-healing wound, the Admiral's voice brimmed with both fear and hatred:
"El is ambitious. Building his forces like this means he's preparing for something monumental. He won't stay quiet for long."
A CP0 officer examined the scene, noting the empty cells nearest the entrance. He turned to Hammons William.
"Fleet Admiral William, we need a detailed report of how many prisoners were taken, especially from Eternal Hell."
"These weren't ordinary criminals. Most of them were erased from public records because of their extreme danger and heinous crimes."
"Some of them could rival Admirals in strength. This cannot be ignored."
Hammons nodded firmly. "We'll begin the tally immediately."
'Riiing… Riiing…'
Before they could continue, the transponder snail in Saint Denis's possession began ringing.
He answered swiftly.
"Denis, what's the situation?"
The stern voice of the Five Elders echoed through the line.
Saint Denis's face darkened. "Five Elders, the situation is grim. Every guard and prisoner in Impel Down has had their soul stolen by the Fallen Angel Pirates. No survivors remain."
"It's clear their true goal was to amass powerful souls to create a vast, combat-capable Homies army."
"What!?"
The Five Elders erupted in rage.
"Damn that Lunarian boy!"
They hadn't expected the Fallen Angel Pirates to act with such ruthlessness—slaughtering tens of thousands of prisoners in Impel Down and stealing their souls.
If the pirates successfully created an unprecedented army of Homies, it would be an unimaginable threat.
With their mobile island Homie, capable of freely moving through the sky, El and his crew could launch devastating aerial assaults.
The Five Elders' faces darkened.
"Given El's audacious nature, it wouldn't be surprising if he suddenly launched an attack on Marineford or even Mary Geoise."
Although the possibility of an attack on the Holy Land was slim, it couldn't be dismissed.
Even if the World Government was confident in repelling the pirates, such an attack could result in significant casualties and potentially damage the sacred "Land of the Gods."
The loss of Celestial Dragons—sacred descendants of the creators—was unthinkable.
Such an assault would undermine the authority of the World Government and embolden others to challenge their rule.
"And we still don't know how many of the prisoners from Eternal Hell he might have taken."
Denis hesitated before adding grimly, "I fear El may have escaped with some of the most dangerous and powerful criminals."
"Damn that wretched boy!"
"He cannot be forgiven!"
...
Meanwhile…
A certain sea in the New World, 10,000 meters above the ground.
A massive island of clouds drifted toward its destination.
"Tsk… almost fifty thousand now?"
In a corner of Atlantis, El surveyed the rows upon rows of armored warrior statues.
The figures stretched endlessly, forming an imposing army.
El nodded in satisfaction, estimating there were roughly 50,000 statues.
Turning to the exhausted Sak, who appeared pale and drained, El smiled and praised him:
"You've done well, Sak. Impressive work."
Although visibly tired, Sak perked up at the praise, grinning.
"Are these enough, El-sama?"
"More than enough. From now on, only create a few during your free time. There's no need to overexert yourself anymore."
El's tone was lighthearted, but his words carried authority.
The Fallen Angel Pirates had amassed a Homies army of terrifying scale:
- Over 20,000 angelic Homies crafted from the souls of Impel Down's prisoners.
- Thousands of Bladed Tree and Wild Beast Homies made from materials within Impel Down.
- A battalion of Blue Gorilla Homies and other creations.
- 10,000 wax Homies already aboard Atlantis.
- And now, with Sak's help, 50,000 soldier statues awaiting conversion.
When fully operational, their total force would reach 80,000 Homies—nearly indestructible and requiring neither rest nor sustenance.
Turning to Ryan, the Munch-Munch Fruit user, El issued his next order:
"Ryan, strengthen these statues with metal or heat-resistant materials using your fruit. They don't need to be as advanced as memory-shaped alloys, but they mustn't melt under basic fire attacks."
El's tone sharpened. "Otherwise, they'll be too easily countered by fire abilities."
He motioned to Barry, the Mirror-Mirror Fruit user.
"Barry will assist you through the Mirror World. Gather whatever materials you need from nearby islands."
Ryan chuckled confidently, slapping his chest. "No problem! As long as I've got materials, I can get it done quickly!"
Satisfied, El turned to Gerd, the towering giantess who wielded the Soul-Soul Fruit.
"Gerd, the statues are yours to animate."
Gerd sighed, glancing at the sea of statues.
"Fifty thousand? That's no small task…"
Shaking her head with a wry smile, she added, "Even for me, it'll take three full days to finish."
Using a one-to-two or one-to-three soul ratio, they could stretch the souls from Impel Down, reserving enough to create specialized Homies like arrows, bullets, and explosives.
"Perfect. Three days is just enough time to reach the New World."
El smirked, his mind already plotting the battles ahead.
~~~
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