After Whitebeard left, the sea was calm, with only the sea breeze gently blowing, stirring up layers of ripples.
Jin An stood by the ship's rail, his eyes fixed on the boundless sea in the distance, but his heart could not be calm.
The journey had been smooth and calm, without even a hint of hostility, which made him feel somewhat unreal.
"Blackbeard didn't make a move?"
Jin An murmured to himself, his brow furrowed slightly, a trace of doubt and unease flashing in his eyes.
He originally thought that Blackbeard would launch a surprise attack on their escort team, quietly eliminate the two captains, and then frame the Navy, in order to completely detonate the conflict between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates.
But now, the sea was surprisingly calm, which made him suspect what Blackbeard was planning.
"Or is he planning something big?" Jin An felt a faint sense of unease in his heart.
Blackbeard has always been insidious and cunning, with a deep mind, and would not easily let go of any opportunity to provoke conflict.
Now, this tranquility made Jin An even more vigilant.
He laughed self-deprecatingly, "Could it be that guy is in the atmosphere, and I'm still on the first floor?"
He secretly reminded himself not to underestimate this enemy.
Blackbeard's conspiracy was obviously not just to create a simple conflict.
His real purpose may be to plant a time bomb between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates through these two captains. Although it has not caused a major conflict yet, this matter has always left a thorn in the hearts of both parties.
This thorn may, at some point in the future, cause both sides to fight each other desperately.
Jin An took a deep breath and tried to keep himself calm.
He knew that what he had to do next was to pay close attention to Blackbeard's movements and see how he planned to use this thorn.
The warship was still sailing on the sea, the huge hull splitting the sea, making bursts of low rumbling.
Jin An stood at the bow of the ship, letting the sea breeze blow on his face, but the doubts in his heart did not diminish.
Every second of calm may be the prelude to a storm, and he must prepare for the coming storm.
......
Jin An had just arrived at Impel Down when he heard a burst of noise.
From afar, he saw a large group of prison guards, under the command of Hannyabal, busily arranging their ranks and organizing their equipment.
Hannyabal, with his conspicuous big belly, was shouting loudly, "All of you, cheer up! This mission is very important to us! Be sure to leave a good impression on Rear Admiral Jin An!"
Hearing this, Jin An couldn't help but have a few black lines appear on his forehead.
He was no stranger to this deputy warden, who was always exaggerated and liked to show off, and thought to himself: This guy Hannyabal is doing these formalistic things again.
He took his men and strode behind Hannyabal, raised his hand and gently patted him on the shoulder: "I said Hannyabal, you clearly saw me coming, why are you still doing these formalistic things?"
Hannyabal was suddenly startled, turned around and saw Jin An, his face immediately filled with a flattering smile: "Ah, Rear Admiral Jin An, you're here! I'm just thinking of leaving you with a few more good impressions."
As soon as he finished speaking, he muttered to himself in a low voice, "As long as I hug the thigh well, the warden's position is guaranteed."
Jin An heard clearly, and felt helpless towards this old scoundrel. What little calculations he was making every day were almost written on his face, and he even said his inner thoughts without any scruples.
However, Jin An did not intend to expose Hannyabal's little thoughts, just smiled lightly, and said: "The prisoners have been escorted, and the rest is up to you."
Hannyabal immediately put on a serious and earnest look. Although he was still thinking about the position of warden in his heart, he knew that he had to appear professional in front of Jin An.
He straightened his body slightly and quickly responded: "Of course, Rear Admiral Jin An, please rest assured and leave it to us."
After speaking, Hannyabal quickly added, "Of course, in order to ensure the successful completion of the mission, if you need, I can personally take you in for an inspection."
Jin An nodded, "Well, I need to go in with you to ensure everything goes smoothly."
Hannyabal quickly led the way, continuing to talk about his expectations for the position of warden as he walked.
Jin An followed behind, but couldn't help but laugh in his heart.
He didn't dislike Hannyabal, and even found his excessive caution and prudence sometimes quite interesting.
Perhaps, precisely because of Hannyabal's respect and reliance on Jin An, Impel Down, which makes countless notorious pirates terrified, can be maintained in such good order.
At the end of the corridor, a heavy iron door came into view, and the air was filled with a cold sense of oppression.
This was not Jin An's first time here, but he still had respect for this place and for the people stationed here.
He took a deep breath and followed Hannyabal into the darkness with firm steps.
......
Impel Down, Level 6, a sunless hell.
The air here was stuffy, as if it had solidified. Every step you took, you could feel the heavy sense of oppression.
Jin An stood in the shadows, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
He couldn't say he was unfamiliar with this place, but he couldn't say he was very familiar with it either.
After all, those imprisoned here were all vicious criminals, and it was not Jin An's first time dealing with them.
Sure enough, as soon as he stepped into this place, several familiar faces poked their heads out of the dark cells.
A sharp voice rang out first: "Isn't this Jin An the little brat! Who did you bring in this time?"
The tone was full of sarcasm and hostility.
Another person sneered: "You were in the limelight here last time, what kind of tricks are you going to play this time?"
"......"
Their voices echoed in the empty corridor, as if trying to stir up Jin An's emotions.
But Jin An just glanced at them lightly, without a trace of fluctuation on his face.
For these desperate people imprisoned in the depths of hell, he never took their provocations to heart.
Hannyabal next to him was so angry that his face turned red, and he roared: "All of you, be quiet!!"
Jin An shook his head slightly, his voice calm but with an unquestionable coldness: "There's no need to pay attention to these stray dogs, let's do our job first."
Hannyabal nodded and led Jin An forward.
At the end of the corridor, a heavy iron door slowly opened, and behind the door was Jozu and Thatch's new cell.
Jin An looked at them with deep eyes. These two captains of the Whitebeard Pirates, who were once powerful figures on the sea, had now come to such an end.
Jozu and Thatch looked at Jin An with complicated expressions through the thick iron bars.
Jozu's voice was steady and powerful, with an undisguised self-blame and helplessness: "Our appearance here is due to our own lack of strength, and we can't blame others."
His eyes were firm, as if he had accepted his fate, but the pride and unwillingness in his heart had not been erased.
Thatch also added in a low voice: "However, you must be careful of that Blackbeard guy, his ambition is much greater than you think."
His voice carried a deep sense of worry, as if he foresaw some greater conspiracy was brewing, and he was even more worried about the other brothers in the Whitebeard Pirates.
Jin An nodded, indicating that he understood.
He knew Blackbeard's danger, and he also knew that this man would not easily let go of any opportunity he could use.
However, at this moment, he didn't say anything more and turned to leave the prison.
Behind him, the iron door closed heavily again, isolating everything in that endless darkness.
Jin An's footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, his face still calm and unwavering, but a faint unease surged in his heart.
Each level of Impel Down made him feel a malice from the abyss, and although this mission had been completed, he knew that things were far from over.
Blackbeard's shadow seemed to be looming over the entire world, ready to devour everything.
...
