While Luffy was being treated, Ace was restless.
"Why are you so fidgety?"
"Because I couldn't rescue Thatch. I need to tell Father about this."
"I already told him via Den Den Mushi. Don't worry."
"Really? Phew... that's a relief. So what did the Whitebeard Pirates decide to do?"
"What else? It's war. Now that Thatch has been taken to Navy Headquarters, there's no other way."
"So it ends up like that. If we had co a little earlier and rescued Thatch, would it have been different?"
Jinbe, who was resting nearby, answered instead. "No, it wouldn't have changed. From the mont Thatch was imprisoned, guards were always watching him so they could transfer him quickly. If any problem arose in Impel Down, they were to transfer him to Navy Headquarters without delay. I heard it was because of the previous mass breakout."
Hearing Jinbe's explanation, I understood why Magellan had been so angry about Impel Down's reputation hitting rock bottom. Because I had broken out the people from the rchant's Island, the Navy had taken asures to prevent the sa thing from happening again.
'Those guys... they're more thorough than I thought.'
Ace downed the remaining beer in one gulp. "Anyway, I need to rejoin Father quickly."
Just then, a loud shout ca from the room where Luffy was being treated.
"EEEAT!!!!"
Ace smirked. "Luffy's finally awake."
Luffy burst out of the treatnt room and started devouring the food on our table like a madman. After a while, he finally noticed us and was shocked.
"Ah! Ace! Huh? Candy bro! Whoa! Bon-chan! What the... Crocodile!!!???"
Crocodile looked like he was having an existential crisis, wiping his face. "Ha... to think I lost to this guy..."
"Why is Crocodile here... no, wait, where is this?"
"Impel Down, you idiot."
"Impel Down?"
Luffy had been frozen by Kuzan and had no mory of coming here. So I explained everything that had happened so far, starting with Elody flying to the store in Mock Town.
"Damn it! I'm weak... I lost all my comrades..."
Luffy, finally rembering that he had fought Kuzan and been separated from his crew, began eating while crying. It was a little pitiful, watching him scarf down food covered in snot and tears.
"You fought a Navy Admiral. The Admirals are among the strongest in the world — few can match them even in the New World."
"I don't care about that! I just never want to lose again."
I smirked at that. A fitting statent for a shonen protagonist.
"Then there's only one way — get stronger."
"Right. I'll get stronger so I never lose my comrades again. Once is enough."
Crocodile interrupted, ruining the mont. "How long are we going to listen to a loser whine? Don't you plan to leave?"
This guy — calling Luffy a loser, even though he lost to him. Rich.
"Crocodile boy is right. We can't stay here forever, boys. The guards probably know by now that prisoners have disappeared from Level 6. The longer we wait, the more disadvantageous it is for us."
"Right. I'm worried about my crew — I can't wait any longer. Let's go. Sorry, Luffy, but eat on the way."
Ivankov's statent prompted Ace to agree. Ace seed very worried about the Whitebeard Pirates. So I handed Luffy a large leg of at and said, "Can't be helped. Eat on the way."
"Okay."
Ivankov asked the remaining people to handle the aftermath, then moved with the escape group through the secret passage to Level 5.
"Assuming we reach the front entrance on the first floor! The problem is what cos after. Surrounding the prison is the impassable Calm Belt!"
As soon as we reached Level 5, Ivankov explained the problems and his escape plan to the group.
"Don't worry about that. I can solve it. The rchant's Island has flying rchant ships. We can transport everyone."
"That's good to hear, boy. But the guards will be prepared — a lot of ti has passed. What we need is numbers! We need to increase our allies! To be honest, even with this many people, only a handful might reach the first floor without being caught. If you're caught, you'll be brutally tortured. So rember — to increase your chances of survival, it all depends on how many prisoners we can free between Level 5 and Level 1! Steal keys as you run, free them, and cause the greatest chaos Impel Down has ever seen!!!"
WAAAAAH~!!!
The crowd cheered as the plan was explained. We followed the plan, freeing prisoners on Level 5 and moving up to Level 4. The entrance to Level 4 was blocked by a large door, but Crocodile touched it, and the door and its supporting walls turned to sand, allowing us to enter quickly.
"They're here!! The escapees are here!!"
As expected — the guards were waiting, guns aid, blocking our path as soon as we entered Level 4.
"Fire!!!"
Ratatatata!!!
But such clumsy guns couldn't possibly work.
"Crescent Moon Sand Dune!!!"
SHWAA!!
"Gwaaah!!!"
"Gum-Gum Bee!!!"
Popopopop!!
"Guhk!!" "Help!!"
"Fish-Man Karate: On Thrust Punch!!"
THWOOM!!
"Guhack!!"
"Fire Fist!!"
WHOOOOSH!!
"Gyaaah, hot!!"
Crocodile, Luffy, Ace, and Jinbe all rushed forward without hesitation, quickly subduing the guards. The watching prisoners couldn't hide their amazent.
"Wow, amazing! So these are the Level 6 prisoners?"
"Cool!!"
"They live up to being forr Warlords."
Ivankov urged the amazed onlookers. "You don't have ti to stand around, boy! Quickly free the prisoners!!"
"Yes!!"
The people stopped watching and scattered, quickly freeing the prisoners on Level 4. Galdino made keys quickly out of wax, so they could open the cells easily. However, because Ace and Magellan had fought on Level 4, so prisoners were poisoned. Ivankov, not wanting to abandon them, gave each a dose of healing hormone.
Wah wah wah~~!! Long live Captain Buggy!!!
"Puhahahaha!!! Thank Captain Buggy!!!"
Buggy was as loud as ever.
anwhile, I spotted a familiar face — Mr. 1, Daz Bonez, who had been imprisoned on Level 4. Crocodile must have freed him.
Bentham, who hadn't known Mr. 1 was imprisoned here, was shocked. "Keh! Why are you here, Mr. 1!!"
Luffy asked, "Huh? Bon-chan, you know him?"
"Ah, he's the guy who got beaten by Zoro in Alabasta!!"
"Oh. I don't know him."
Daz Bonez frowned, clearly annoyed by their conversation. "Because you fought on Level 4, we almost died from the poisonous vapor. We were lucky our cells were on the outskirts — otherwise we'd all be dead. You caused us so much trouble!"
"Well, at least you're escaping easily now because we defeated Magellan. Let's call it even."
Bentham had a point, so Bonez just frowned and didn't argue further.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out near the entrance to Level 3. I looked over — Blue Gorillas were descending from Level 3 to subdue the escapees. Ivankov stepped forward and winked at them.
"Hell Wink!!!"
Popopopop!!
"Kwaaat!!"
When even the trusted Blue Gorillas were taken down in an instant, the guards panicked.
"Th-this can't be... even the Blue Gorilla Corps went down in one hit!"
"What is that monster... I can't make sense of it."
"Damn it, we can't stop them!"
Unlike the original, both Ace and I were here, and Bentham and the others were also fighting alongside us, so we quickly made our way up to Level 3 with almost no casualties. But at the entrance to Level 3, Sadie and the jailer beasts were blocking the way.
This ti, Crocodile, Luffy, and Jinbe quickly subdued them.
"Sandstorm!" "Fish-Man Karate: Five Thousand Tile Punch!" "Gum-Gum Giant Gun!"
Popopop!!!
"Keeeh!!!"
While they did that, I quickly approached Sadie, grabbed her by the neck, and restrained her. I had nothing left to acquire in Impel Down, so I at least wanted to see their faces before leaving — that way I'd feel like I hadn't taken a loss.
"Kyaaa!!! Let go of !! How rude!!!"
I grabbed Sadie's neck and lifted her hair to see her face. She was a beauty with surprisingly cute eyes. It didn't match her image at all.
"Oh~ what an unexpected charm. With such cute eyes, why do you hide them behind your hair?"
"Grr! Whether I hide my eyes or not is none of your business!"
"Because they're cute."
At that, Sadie's face flushed red, and she let out a strange moan.
"Hah!"
For the record, I was just holding her neck — nothing else. Domino and Sadie seed to be cut from the sa cloth.
I quickly tied Sadie up with a reverse arm lock and hung her from the ceiling. Having done this so often, I'd gotten very fast at it.
"What kind of trick is this!!!"
"So you don't interfere with us. Stay there for a while. Other guards will release you."
"Damn it!!!"
With Level 3 cleared, we tried to move up quickly to Level 2, but now Hannyabal was blocking the entrance with a double‑bladed sword.
"You're not going anywhere!!! Impel Down is the last bastion protecting the bright future of the weak and innocent citizens!!!"
Ace stepped forward. "The tide has already turned. Get out of the way!"
"I won't!!! With the warden down, I'm the only one left to protect this place!!!"
Just then, the door to Level 2 opened. Blackbeard Teach suddenly appeared, grabbed Hannyabal's head, and slamd him into the ground.
CRUNCH!!!
"Didn't you hear the commander? The tide has already turned. How pathetic!!!"
Teach wasn't alone. He had brought his entire Blackbeard Pirates crew. I had expected their appearance from the original, but Ace and Jinbe were visibly shocked.
"Teach!! Why are you here!!!"
"Hmm... I didn't expect our forr commander to be here. I didn't co to fight, so relax."
"What nonsense is that? You said you would retire quietly, then ford your own crew and invaded our territory. Not only that, you captured Thatch, who went to resolve things with words, handed him over to the Navy, and you think you can just walk away??!!!"
"Zehehehe, you'll have to let it go, Commander. Whitebeard and the Navy are at war right now. I don't know how long Father can hold out. Don't you think it's better to go there quickly rather than waste ti and energy fighting ?"
Ace ignored that and took his stance. "I know it's urgent! But I have at least one punch for you!"
Ace thrust his fist toward the Blackbeard Pirates without hesitation.
"Fire Fist!!!"
Ace launched a Fire Fist at the Blackbeard Pirates without rcy. Teach's arm suddenly transford into a massive chanical device, unfolding into a shield. He coated the shield with Armant Haki, perfectly blocking the raging flas. Ace was shocked, but Teach seed equally surprised.
"Grr... that's hot... Commander, when did you get the [Flare-Flare Fruit]? If I'd known, maybe I'd have stayed with Whitebeard a little longer."
"So this is why you took over Hand Island and kidnapped the craftsn!"
Hand Island — a hand‑shaped island within Whitebeard's territory, ho to highly skilled craftsn. They excelled in pottery, crafts, weapons, and more. It was also an island we traded with frequently.
"Yes, it was an unavoidable choice to maximize my power. Besides, to beco a Warlord, friction with Father was inevitable. More importantly — why won't you answer my question? When did you get the [Flare-Flare Fruit], Commander?"
But Ace didn't answer so easily. "None of your business."
"How stingy. I didn't expect that from you..."
Teach thought for a mont, then sothing dawned on him. He slapped his fist into his palm and said to Ace, "Ah ha! You got it from the rchant King. Where else could our commander get a Devil Fruit?"
Teach seed to think quickly. Even though I was disguised as Rob, he connected my relationship with Ace and deduced it.
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