The prison had gone strangely quiet.
Far away, Sabo suddenly stopped in the corridor.
And somewhere beneath them, the fate of the Straw Hat captain had already begun to change.
Sabo stood in the middle of the corridor, his expression tightening as he listened to the distant sounds of movement.
He felt something was wrong.
Baby-5 looked at him. "What happened?"
Sabo's expression tightened.
"I don't know. I've got a bad feeling." He looked deeper into the prison. "We need to find Luffy. Now."
A moment earlier, the lower levels had been filled with the noise of guards rushing through the corridors. Now, only the faint echo of footsteps and the occasional clang of metal doors remained.
Baby-5 looked at him.
"You think something happened to Luffy?"
"I know something's happened." Sabo moved forward. "We need to find him before the guards do."
They followed the trail through several corridors until the signs of a struggle became impossible to miss. Broken weapons lay scattered across the floor, and several sections of the wall were stained with traces of poison.
Baby-5 stopped.
"Poison…"
Sabo's expression darkened.
"Magellan."
He immediately accelerated.
They reached the end of the corridor and found several guards gathered around a damaged section of the floor.
Sabo pulled Baby-5 behind a wall.
"There."
She looked through the gap.
A figure lay motionless on the ground.
Sabo's heart dropped.
"That idiot…"
He waited until the guards moved away before slipping out. Baby-5 followed closely behind.
When they reached Luffy, Sabo immediately crouched beside him.
"Luffy!"
There was no response.
Sabo turned him over carefully.
Luffy's face was pale, his breathing shallow. Purple marks had begun spreading across his skin, and his body barely reacted when Sabo shook his shoulder.
"Luffy! Can you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Damn it…" Sabo's expression tightened.
Baby-5 crouched beside them. "Is he alive?"
Sabo placed two fingers against Luffy's neck.
A faint pulse.
"He's alive."
Relief crossed Baby-5's face, but it disappeared almost immediately.
"His breathing is getting weaker."
Luffy tried to sit up.
"Ace…"
Sabo looked at Luffy again.
"We have to move."
He carefully lifted Luffy onto his back.
Luffy's head fell against Sabo's shoulder, completely limp.
"Don't die on me, Luffy."
There was no answer.
Sabo clenched his teeth.
"We're getting you out of here."
Baby-5 stepped beside him.
"I can heal his injuries, but I can't clear the poison inside his body."
She released a small amount of Fairy Dust around them.
The faint shimmer spread across their bodies.
Sabo glanced at her.
"How much do you have left?"
"Not much."
Baby-5's expression became serious.
"So we can't waste it."
Sabo nodded.
"Then we move now."
They disappeared into the corridor before the guards returned.
Meanwhile, several levels above them, another prisoner had begun searching for the Straw Hat captain.
Bon Clay had managed to avoid the guards long enough to reach an observation room. He quickly hid behind a corner, then activated his Mane-Mane no Mi.
His appearance changed instantly.
His face, voice, and body became identical to one of the prison guards.
He adjusted the uniform and stepped into the monitoring room with as much confidence as he could manage.
"Anything unusual?" he asked.
The guards barely looked at him.
"Nothing significant."
Bon Clay moved closer to the wall of Den Den Mushi monitors.
One screen after another displayed different sections of Impel Down.
Corridors.
Cells.
Stairways.
Security checkpoints.
Nothing.
He checked another monitor.
Still nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
Bon Clay's expression became increasingly worried.
He knew Luffy had entered the prison.
He also knew Luffy was terrible at staying out of trouble.
But somehow, there was no sign of him anywhere.
"Where are you, Straw Boy…?"
He leaned closer to the monitors.
Then something caught his attention.
"Wait." He looked over the surveillance system again. "There should be another area."
"What are you looking for?" One of the guards glanced at him.
Bon Clay turned casually.
"A prisoner who escaped. I'm checking whether he appears on any of the feeds."
"If he's not on the monitors, he probably isn't moving through the monitored sections." The guard shrugged.
"Are there places without surveillance?" Bon Clay narrowed his eyes.
The guard looked toward him.
"Of course. Some areas are impossible to monitor properly."
"Which ones?"
The guard pointed toward a section of the prison map.
"The deeper levels have blind spots. Especially Level 5."
Bon Clay's eyes widened. "Level 5…"
Everything suddenly made sense.
If Luffy had been taken there, he would never appear on the monitors.
"Thank you." Bon Clay immediately turned toward the exit.
"Where are you going?" The guard frowned.
"To check another route." Bon Clay smiled.
He hurried out before the guard could question him further.
The descent became increasingly difficult.
Sabo carried Luffy through the corridors while Baby-5 stayed close behind, using what remained of her Fairy Dust whenever they approached a patrol.
The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Luffy remained completely unconscious.
His arms hung loosely over Sabo's shoulders, and his breathing was so faint that Sabo occasionally glanced back just to make sure he was still breathing.
"Come on…" Sabo's voice was barely a whisper. "Stay with us."
Luffy didn't respond.
Baby-5 looked at him anxiously. "He hasn't moved."
"He's still breathing." Sabo's jaw tightened. "But barely."
"Then we can't stop."
They reached a massive door at the end of the corridor.
Sabo looked at the number displayed above the entrance.
He carried Luffy inside.
Baby-5 followed.
Sabo kept one hand against Luffy's chest, feeling the faint rise and fall.
"Come on, Luffy…"
The doors opened.
A freezing wind swept into the chamber.
Snow covered the ground beyond the elevator.
Sabo stepped out carefully with Luffy still on his back.
The doors closed behind them.
Baby-5 followed, pulling her coat tighter around herself.
Baby-5 looked at the indicator.
"It's cold."
"It's freezing." Sabo stared at the descending numbers. "Level 5…"
The doors finally opened.
A freezing wind swept into the elevator.
The three of them stepped out.
Snow covered the ground.
The vast frozen prison stretched into the darkness, filled with towering trees, snow-covered paths, and distant sounds moving through the blizzard.
Baby-5 looked around.
"Where do we go now?"
Sabo stared into the darkness.
"I don't know." He adjusted Luffy's position on his back. "But we can't stay here."
A sudden noise came from somewhere beyond the snow.
Sabo immediately raised his guard.
"Who's there?"
Nothing answered.
Then a familiar voice shouted from the darkness.
"STRAAAAW BOY!"
Sabo turned sharply.
A familiar figure came running through the snow.
"Mr. 2!"
Bon Clay stopped when he saw Luffy.
His expression immediately changed.
"Straw Boy!"
He rushed toward them.
"What happened to him?!"
"Magellan," Sabo answered.
Bon Clay's eyes widened.
"Magellan did this?"
Sabo nodded.
"Baby-5 healed his injuries, but he's still unconscious. The poison is spreading."
Bon Clay knelt beside Luffy and carefully touched his face.
"Straw Boy…"
There was no response.
His usual exaggerated expression disappeared.
"We have to get him somewhere safe."
"You know somewhere?" Sabo looked at him.
Bon Clay nodded. "I've heard rumors about this place."
"What kind of rumors?"
Mr. 2 lowered his voice dramatically.
"Among the prisoners, there's a story about people who suddenly disappear from Level 5."
"Disappear?" Baby-5 frowned.
Mr. 2 nodded.
"They say some prisoners simply vanish without a trace. No records. No bodies. Nothing." He glanced around the strange surroundings. "Some say they died out there in the freezing wasteland."
He paused.
"Others say…" His eyes widened theatrically. "They found the legendary paradise of the okama!"
Sabo stared at him.
"The paradise?"
"The paradise of OKAMA'S!" Mr. 2 repeated enthusiastically. "A secret place hidden somewhere inside Impel Down, where the most fabulous people in the world gather!"
He looked toward the deeper part of the frozen wilderness.
"But we have to move quickly."
"Then lead the way." Sabo tightened his grip around Luffy.
Bon Clay stood. "I won't let my friend die in this place."
"Let's go." Sabo nodded.
The three disappeared into the frozen wilderness of Level 5, carrying the unconscious Straw Hat captain deeper into the prison.
Behind them, the cold wind swept across the snow, erasing their footprints one by one.
The freezing corridors of Level 5 had grown quieter.
Sabo carried Luffy across his back, one arm supporting the unconscious pirate while Baby-5 walked beside them. Mr. 2 followed closely behind, his usual flamboyant expression replaced by genuine concern.
Luffy's body remained frighteningly still.
His skin was pale, his breathing shallow, and every few moments his body trembled from the poison coursing through his veins.
"Hang in there, Luffy." Sabo glanced over his shoulder.
Baby-5 walked beside him, constantly glancing over her shoulder. The distant sounds of the prison had faded, but that did little to ease her concern.
"He's getting colder."
"We need to find somewhere safe." Sabo looked ahead. "If Magellan finds us again, we won't be able to protect him in this condition."
"He's still alive," Baby-5 said quietly. "That's all that matters."
Mr. 2 clenched his fists.
"Straw-chan…" He looked at the unconscious boy. "You'd better not die on me."
Sabo looked at him. "You really care about him."
Mr. 2's expression softened.
"He's my friend." His voice became firmer. "And I don't abandon my friends."
They continued through the freezing corridors, searching for any sign of shelter. The deeper they went, the more unnatural the prison became. Snow and ice covered the surroundings, while the screams of prisoners echoed faintly through the darkness.
Then Sabo noticed something strange.
Footsteps.
Several figures emerged from the darkness.
Sabo immediately stopped.
Mr. 2 stepped forward instinctively, placing himself between them and Luffy.
"Stay back."
Sabo immediately lowered his stance, ready to fight, but one of them raised his hands.
"Relax. We're not here to attack you."
A tall figure stepped forward, dressed in a flamboyant outfit despite the freezing temperature. His presence alone was enough to change the atmosphere around them.
He looked directly at Luffy. "Straw Hat Boy!"
"You know him?" Mr. 2's eyes widened.
The stranger looked at him.
Then at Luffy.
Then shifted his gaze to Sabo.
"Of course I do! And you're Sabo-Boy and Baby-Chan from the ART Pirates!"
"And who are you?" Sabo remained cautious.
"I am Emporio Ivankov!"
Mr. 2 suddenly froze.
His eyes widened.
His jaw dropped.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
Then—
"EEEEEEEEH?!"
Everyone turned toward him.
Mr. 2 pointed at Ivankov with trembling hands.
"EMPORIO IVANKOV?!"
Ivankov blinked.
"Hmm?"
Mr. 2 rushed forward. "You're the Revolutionary Army's Okama Queen!"
"And?" Ivankov raised an eyebrow.
"You're real!" Mr. 2's eyes began to sparkle.
Sabo stared at him.
"Bon Clay…"
But Mr. 2 wasn't listening.
He clasped his hands together, practically vibrating with excitement.
"I've heard so many stories about you! Your courage! Your style! Your way of living without ever hiding who you are!" He leaned closer, his eyes shining with admiration. "You're my idol!"
"Fufufu! Is that so?" Ivankov laughed loudly.
Mr. 2 immediately struck a dramatic pose.
"I never thought I'd meet the legendary Okama Queen in a place like this!"
"Well, now you have." Ivankov placed one hand on his hip.
Mr. 2 looked as though he might faint.
Sabo sighed. "We're in the middle of an emergency."
Mr. 2 snapped back to reality.
"Right!" He immediately pointed toward Luffy. "Straw-chan is dying!"
Ivankov's expression changed.
The playful atmosphere vanished instantly.
He crouched beside Luffy and examined him carefully.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He was poisoned by Magellan," Sabo answered. "We barely managed to get him out."
Ivankov's eyes widened.
"Magellan's poison?" He immediately crouched beside Luffy. "That boy should already be dead."
Mr. 2's excitement disappeared completely.
He knelt beside Luffy. "Can you save him?"
"I can try." Ivankov looked up.
"Do it." Sabo didn't hesitate.
Ivankov examined Luffy's condition.
"Listen carefully. I can use my Horm-Horm Fruit to stimulate his body and force his natural defenses to fight the poison."
Sabo watched him carefully.
"But?" Ivankov's expression became grim. "It won't be painless. And there's no guarantee he'll survive."
Baby-5's eyes widened. "How bad is it?"
"Normally, a person in this condition wouldn't have much time left." Ivankov looked toward Luffy. "His body will have to endure an extreme battle against the poison. Even if he survives, he'll need an enormous amount of rest afterward."
Baby-5 frowned. "Will it work?"
"That depends on how strong his will to live is." Ivankov glanced toward Luffy.
"And judging by the people who came this far for him, I'd say this brat has plenty of reasons to keep breathing."
"What are you waiting for?! Save him!" Sabo looked down at his unconscious brother.
"Then save him!" Mr. 2 stepped closer.
Ivankov smiled.
"You really love this kid, don't you?"
Mr. 2's eyes became emotional.
"He's my friend." He lowered his head. "So please… save him."
Ivankov nodded.
"All right," he said. "I'll use my Horm-Horm Fruit on him."
Sabo's expression tightened with concern. "What do you need?"
"First, we get him somewhere safe. I don't want anyone disturbing the treatment once it begins."
Ivankov turned toward the hidden passage behind them.
"Follow me."