Chapter 372: Arrival! The Summit War!

"Is that so?!"

Shiryu smiled indifferently.

The wounds Lei Li had inflicted on him still throbbed faintly, and even the slightest movement caused them to split open, oozing fresh blood.

Yet even so, facing the group from CP9, he still possessed absolute confidence in himself.

"I have heard of you."

"Roubo Luqi. Known as the strongest monster in CP9's eight hundred years; it was your doing that arrested Wang Zhi a year ago."

"Originally, I thought that was merely the World Government exaggerating to display its authority, but now it seems there is some possibility it is true."

"However."

"To fight me, CP9 lacks a bit of weight; it would be more appropriate for those few high-ranking members of CP0 to make their move."

"I have no intention of returning to Impel Down."

Luqi said coldly:

"Then you can choose to die standing!"

Swish—!

Before the sound had even faded and while everyone around was still reacting, Luqi moved!

Fast as lightning!

Mighty as thunder!

Zoan-type ability users specialize in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat by nature, and after awakening, they pour nearly all their attributes into physical capabilities.

Coupled with Luqi's peerless mastery of the Six Styles, his speed was pushed to a terrifying degree, not far off from Xiang Keluo two years prior.

Moreover, Luqi possessed a superhuman physique that Xiang Keluo lacked at that time!

Jet-black Armament Haki coiled up his arms!

Going all out, Luqi rushed over in an instant, snow swirling behind him like a dragon, carrying an aura of extreme ferocity as he launched a Shigan strike at Shiryu!

Clang—!

The sound of metal colliding suddenly exploded, and the ground beneath their feet shattered at that very moment!

Shiryu retreated nearly a hundred meters before barely stabilizing his stance; his Hukou tore open, and he nearly couldn't grip the blade in his hand!

When he looked at Luqi again, the shock in his eyes was almost impossible to suppress.

This was absolutely not the level an agent of CP9 should possess.

With combat power like Luqi's, even within the Marines, he would be one of the strongest existences below the Admirals!

Let alone within the CP organization!

Ostensibly, the CP organization exists as an intelligence agency under the World Government, and its members mostly operate worldwide as agents.

Even among the major powers in the New World, the shadow of the CP organization can be found.

But what few people know is that, for the CP organization, a more important task is to cultivate talent for CP0, eventually becoming the so-called Shield of the Celestial Dragons.

Someone like Luqi should be in CP0, not CP9!

Shiryu frowned tightly, feeling pressure bearing down on him.

If he were in his prime, even if he weren't a match for the man before him, escaping would not be a problem.

But now...

This is troublesome!

The surrounding jailers were similarly stunned into silence by the scene before them.

They knew well the extent of Shiryu's strength.

He was a monster capable of rivaling Magellan; although he ultimately fell to Magellan and was imprisoned in Impel Down.

But this alone was enough to prove that his inherent combat power was undeniably formidable.

Even injured, being suppressed in a single exchange was sufficient proof that the CP9 members sent by the World Government this time truly possessed the ability to pacify Impel Down.

Deploying such an existence at this juncture was enough to prove the World Government's seriousness.

Saru Dai Si couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but immediately felt a wave of dizziness hit his brain, collapsing forward as blood spread from his wounds.

"The Chief Jailer has fainted!"

"Doctor, doctor!"

A chorus of shocked cries rose from among the jailers, and the looks everyone cast upon Saru Dai Si were filled with unspeakable gratitude.

If not for this man's persistent stand against the prisoners of Impel Down's Level Five, they could never have held out until now.

Even with those few Jail Beast guards, the defensive line would have collapsed long ago!

This man was short in stature, yet his will was taller than anyone else present!

Very quickly.

Several women dressed as nurses hurried over; after urgently stopping Saru Dai Si's bleeding, they placed him on a stretcher and carried him away, withdrawing from the battlefield.

And with Saru Dai Si's departure, command of the scene was transferred to the members of CP9.

Jabura glanced in Luqi's direction.

Their battle resumed; Luqi, stifling his anger, held nothing back and went all out.

Shiryu's strength was already inferior, and now heavily wounded, he was suppressed by Luqi in merely a single exchange.

Now facing Luqi's storm-like offensive, he was in grave danger; the wounds on his body completely burst open, dyeing his coat red!

Jabura's mouth corners curled slightly with a hint of mockery:

"That guy Luqi is certainly full of motivation."

"No wonder~ Cha-ba-ba~"

Fukurou crossed his arms:

"Earlier on the way, he suffered a heavy loss at Blackbeard's hands."

"If their objective hadn't been the Marine Headquarters but us instead, we might not have managed to escape even now."

"Luqi is seething with anger; he is merely venting it now."

"Enough idle talk."

Kaku interrupted the group, his gaze fixed on the prisoners ahead who, amidst the chaos, had regrouped to charge the jailer's defensive line, and said:

"It's time to get down to business!"

As soon as the words landed,

Kaku took the lead, charging into the dense crowd in the distance, sending countless prisoners flying on the spot!

Jabra and the others followed closely behind, joining the fray, and within moments, they reversed the situation in the Ice Hell.

Two years had passed, and they had not remained stagnant.

Although they had not reached the level of combat power that Luqi possessed when he faced the Straw Hats on Egghead Island two years later in the original timeline, they were still several notches stronger than their counterparts from the same period.

Even Owl and Blueno, the two weakest among them, had attained combat power equivalent to that of a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral.

Boom—!

Boom—!

Boom—!

The roaring sounds continued incessantly.

This battle in the Ice Hell, due to CP9's intervention, concluded in merely ten-odd minutes.

The condemned prisoners present were either dead or injured; the battlefield was completely under control, and the duel between Luqi and Shiryu had long since ended.

At this moment,

in the center of the Ice Hell,

Luqi casually tossed aside Shiryu's sword, Thunder Rain, and stepped on Shiryu's chest with one foot.

The latter had long lost consciousness; both arms were completely twisted, one leg was bent nearly one hundred and eighty degrees, and several obvious dents marred his chest—the marks left by the Six King Gun.

Had Luqi not held back his strength, that single strike of the Six King Gun would have directly cost Shiryu his life.

"Tch—!"

Luqi spat out a mouthful of saliva:

"Your words sounded pretty enough."

He cast a faint glance at the unconscious Shiryu, lost all interest in him, and immediately led the members of CP9 across the glacier, entering the Infinite Hell.

Clatter—!

The door hinges were forced open.

What met Luqi's eyes were row upon row of empty cells; evidently, most of the dangerous criminals imprisoned here had already escaped.

In the center of the Infinite Hell, shattered ice blocks melted, flowing into patches of water.

Luqi frowned tightly:

"What is that thing?"

"That is..."