Prison Island.
As elite members transferred from various branches spread out across the island, planning for the evacuation began.
All sixty-four transport helicopters were in position. Team Rocket had gone all in this time, determined to withdraw by air.
Gathering over a hundred elite members from every branch for escort, it was clear how much Team Rocket valued the personnel and equipment stationed on prison island.
"Boss Giovanni."
When Giovanni, dressed in a black suit with a cold expression, appeared on prison island, all the executives breathed a sigh of relief, as though they had finally found their pillar of support.
"Bring out the people listed on this document separately."
The moment Giovanni arrived on the island, he gave a direct order. Among the prisoners held on prison island, there were a few particularly important individuals. Giovanni intended to personally oversee their transfer.
If these people were to be rescued, it would be utterly unacceptable for Team Rocket.
While the League's fleet was scouting the surrounding waters, the island's surveillance systems were likewise monitoring the seas nearby.
For a while, the area around Prison Island had been relatively calm, without the slightest disturbance. However, not long after the helicopters from headquarters landed, colossal waves suddenly rose up around the island!
It was as if tsunamis had erupted on all sides, threatening to swallow the entire prison island. Then, something even more unbelievable happened. The colossal waves seemed to be frozen by the power of ice. In the blink of an eye, these nearly ten-meter-tall waves transformed into ice walls, encircling the whole island.
"This is—?" The Team Rocket scouts responsible for monitoring the area around the island stared in shock, feeling a chill down their spine, utterly unable to comprehend what was happening.
Though the prison island wasn't large, it was still once a habitable island. For such a place to be surrounded by towering waves that then formed impenetrable ice walls. It was truly unbelievable.
Atop the ice wall, a mature woman stood, gazing dreamily at her handiwork before revealing a knowing smile.
…
"How could this happen?"
"Is the League launching a direct assault? Don't they fear we'll harm the hostages?"
"This wall… it's terrifying! Can a Pokémon even possess such power?!"
Team Rocket members were all shocked and horrified. Those transferred from other branches were especially bewildered, their faces turning pale.
Even the most composed among them were shaken by the sight before their eyes.
"Elite Four, Lorelei."
In the prison island meeting room, Giovanni watched the figure standing atop the ice wall through the surveillance system, his expression icy. He hadn't expected the League to play such a hand.
Now, other than escaping by air, there was no way out of prison island.
It seemed the League intended to capture them all in one sweep. Their appetite was anything but small.
"Hurry and bring those people I mentioned!" Giovanni ordered his subordinates, sensing that something was wrong.
"No, take me there immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
But just then, feeling the pressure mounting from all directions, Giovanni's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Sure enough, before he even left the meeting room, chaotic noises erupted throughout the entire island. This sudden turn of events caused Giovanni's face to darken, and he quickened his pace even more.
At this time, in a restricted area of the island, some Team Rocket members began attacking their own comrades with bloodshot eyes. These were the members assigned to guard the elites from various fields, and now this bizarre disturbance was causing panic to rise within them.
Their comrades, who had been perfectly fine moments ago, suddenly became like this. It was as if they had seen a ghost. A chill ran through their bodies, as if they had been plunged into an icy abyss.
At the same time as the chaos erupted among them, over a dozen individuals wearing League inspector uniforms and special masks emerged as if from another dimension, swiftly delivering fatal blows to these Team Rocket members from the shadows.
Almost effortlessly, the elite Team Rocket members who were guarding the talents from various fields were wiped out in one fell swoop.
The ones who made the move were the ghost army of Elite Four Agatha.
All those Team Rocket members had been possessed by Agatha's ghost army's Gengar, losing their minds and starting an internal riot. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the investigators who had been hiding in another dimension within the Gengar all struck at the same time, completely crushing these Team Rocket members.
This entire infiltration tactic relied on Agatha's special method of training her ghost army, which allowed living people to remain in Gengar's internal dimension for extended periods.
It was even possible to overlap entry into this another dimension—a single Gengar could form an entire legion.
Naturally, the commotion here didn't remain hidden for long.
Not long after, Team Rocket members from various areas received the order and hurried over. Facing the overwhelming numbers of Team Rocket members, these dozen or so investigators were soon surrounded.
Clap clap clap clap!
Giovanni began clapping, stepping out from the ranks of Team Rocket with a smile, looking appreciatively at the investigators and saying, "So it's Agatha's ghost army. No wonder you could infiltrate so quietly. To think the League would dispatch two Elite Four members just for a small base, the League has really gone all out."
Ignoring Giovanni's taunts, the investigators and the Gengar paid him no attention. The Gengar army continued to absorb the hostages who had been knocked unconscious by Team Rocket into their bodies, while the investigators watched Giovanni warily.
Their instincts told them that this man was extremely dangerous.
"Giovanni, I advise you to surrender. Team Rocket's kidnapping of elites from various fields and subjecting them to inhumane torment is intolerable. Even if you have a chance to escape, once the truth gets out, Team Rocket's days are numbered."
One investigator stepped forward and shouted loudly.
"Right now, countless warships outside the ice wall have already sealed off this island. Elite Four Lorelei and Elite Four Agatha are both on their way here. It's impossible for you to escape!"
At these words, countless Team Rocket members looked toward Giovanni. Although the situation was dire, as long as Giovanni was here, they had no reason to give up.
At this moment, Giovanni's gaze flickered as he considered how to break the deadlock. With two Elite Four personally involved, one of them being the troublesome Agatha, the situation was truly unfavorable for their side. Even he wasn't confident about facing two Elite Four at once.
But for now, stopping the Gengars from rescuing the hostages was the top priority. Giovanni immediately made his decision, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"All Team Rocket members, heed my order—"
"Attack!"
As soon as the words fell, a yellow flash shot out from behind Giovanni, unleashing a Dark-type move that instantly struck down two Gengar. At the same time, the hostages that had been inside those two Gengar immediately separated and collapsed back onto the ground.
TN: Hey guys, I've picked up a new One Piece novel. You can search it: One Piece: The Undying King.
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