"That distinguished person is Ivankov," Inazuma said.
"Ivankov...?"
Looking at the several-meter-tall burly man interacting with others nearby, Meiser was utterly speechless.
Seriously? This ridiculous?
"Shihahaha!"
"So you're the ninja boy~" Ivankov laughed heartily as he leaped out from the crowd, landing right in front of Meiser. "We saw your fight—truly spectacular~"
"Saw?"
Meiser, who had just waved away the dust in front of him, looked at Ivankov with surprise. "How did you see it?"
"We have a large Den Den Mushi here that can receive surveillance footage from the Surveillance Transponder Snails," Ivankov explained. "Though we can't monitor every area of Impel Down, we can still see most of it."
It was precisely thanks to this Surveillance Transponder Snail that they could quietly gather supplies and recruit new members here.
"You even have something like this?"
"Indeed."
"Truly a paradise..."
"No, the New Transvestite Kingdom!" Ivankov corrected.
This time, Meiser simply nodded without arguing.
Then, he asked, "I want to know about Luffy's condition."
"The Straw Hat Boy's condition, huh."
At the mention of Luffy, Ivankov's smile faded noticeably.
Seeing this, Meiser's heart sank.
"Don't tell me Luffy is..."
"No, he's not dead," Ivankov shook his head. "But whether he survives depends entirely on his own will."
"What do you mean?"
"Come, I'll take you to see for yourself."
With that, Ivankov strode past Meiser on his long legs, heading toward a side door.
Meiser followed behind, his brow deeply furrowed.
Soon, they arrived at a cave-like tunnel.
"This is the place," Ivankov said, pointing at a tightly sealed door in the distance. "The Straw Hat Boy is inside there."
"AAAHHH!!!"
The moment he finished speaking, Luffy's agonized scream echoed from behind the door.
The cry was so harrowing, as if he were enduring some unspeakable torture.
"Luffy!"
Meiser's expression instantly changed, and he instinctively rushed forward, ready to force the door open to see what was happening.
"Don't act recklessly!" Ivankov quickly stopped him. "If you want him to live, don't open that door!"
Hearing Ivankov's words, Meiser halted immediately.
After a moment of silence, Meiser turned to Ivankov and demanded, "Explain. What's going on?"
"Whew—"
Relieved that Meiser didn't press further, Ivankov exhaled before speaking seriously. "Because the Straw Hat Boy is currently going through the most critical phase."
"The most critical phase?"
"Exactly," Ivankov nodded. "He's been poisoned by several deadly toxins. Relying on antidotes alone is hopeless."
"So, I used Healing Hormones to give the Straw Hat Boy a fighting chance at survival."
After finishing his explanation, Ivankov paused briefly before continuing, "Life Force and Hormones are Vital Forces that can influence the human body."
"In other words, they can activate self-healing abilities."
"I used this power to stimulate the Straw Hat Boy's latent excessive immunity, transforming his constitution to resist the poison so he could survive."
Perhaps worried Meiser wouldn't understand, Ivankov elaborated further: "Through continuous cellular destruction and regeneration, his body will eventually develop specialized cells completely immune to those toxins... rendering Magellan's Mixed Toxin ineffective."
As Ivankov spoke, Meiser's expression darkened.
"Constant cellular destruction and regeneration... How excruciating that must be!"
No wonder even someone like Luffy couldn't stop screaming in agony—he was probably wishing for death right now.
"Though painful, survival is possible if he endures," Ivankov stated.
After a moment of silence, Meiser said, "Thank you, Ivankov."
Despite Luffy's current suffering, at least there was hope for survival.
"No need for gratitude. The Straw Hat Boy earned this himself."
"What do you mean?"
"We're not the type of bleeding hearts who heal every injured person we see." Crossing his arms, Ivankov calmly explained, "Had the Straw Hat Boy not pleaded for us to treat his friends while on death's doorstep himself, I wouldn't have intervened."
Their sheer willpower had moved him—otherwise, he wouldn't have lifted a finger to help.
"Can I... see him?"
"Go ahead."
Ivankov gestured to the door. "There's a gap above. You can look, but don't open it."
"Understood."
Without another word, Meiser walked over calmly. But when he saw Luffy's condition through the doorway, his pupils constricted violently.
"This—"
The sight of Luffy's wretched state made Meiser clench his fists.
What a horrifying scene.
Drenched in blood, his body looked on the verge of shattering.
Instinctively, Meiser's hand moved toward the door lock—but remembering Ivankov's warning, he forced himself to withdraw.
After a long silence, Meiser returned to Ivankov's side.
"I thought you might open it," Ivankov remarked coolly.
"If I did, Luffy would die."
"Correct." Ivankov smirked. "Any interference from you would doom him. Not even I could save him then."
"Right. I understand."
Nodding, Meiser sat silently on the ground, staring at the distant door.
After another pause, he asked, "How long will this treatment take?"
"About two days." Ivankov's expression turned serious. "If he endures, he'll wrest his life back from death's grip. If not..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but Meiser understood.
Failure meant only one outcome—death.
A shadow crossed Meiser's eyes as he considered this possibility.
Noticing Meiser's expression, Ivankov sighed and asked, "Ninja boy, do you believe in miracles?"
"Miracles?"
After a moment's thought, Meiser nodded. "Yes, I do."
Pausing briefly, he then turned toward the door and added, "And I believe a miracle will happen for Luffy too."
That guy was as tough as a cockroach—Meiser was certain he'd pull through!
Luffy, you're the man who's going to become the Pirate King! You can't fall here!
No... It'd be more accurate to say he absolutely wouldn't fall here!
"YEE-HAW!"
"Well said!"
Ivankov laughed heartily. "Defying fate itself takes tremendous courage, and the Straw Hat Boy doesn't lack that kind of bravery."
"Have faith in him."
"Have faith that the miracle will come!"
He was willing to help those who believed in miracles and refused to give up.
At this moment, Ivankov held these two in even higher regard.
"By the way, is Bon Clay alright?" Meiser asked. "Inazuma mentioned he's still unconscious. Was he injured?"
"Yes, he was covered in blood when he arrived. Probably got attacked by War Wolves while protecting the Straw Hat Boy," Ivankov speculated.
When Inazuma had found them, numerous War Wolves lay defeated around the pair—likely all taken down by Bon Clay.
After all... the Straw Hat Boy hadn't been in any condition to fight at the time.
"To protect Luffy, huh..."
That guy truly lived by the word "friend." He was someone worth befriending.
With that thought, Meiser said, "Lady Ivan, there's something I should tell you."
"What is it?"
"Bon-chan mentioned earlier that he came here to see you—to rescue you."
"What?!"
Ivankov's pupils contracted. "Bon Boy actually..."
He hadn't expected the Candy Boy to come straight down to save him after breaking out. It was genuinely touching.
After a brief silence, Ivankov smiled. "What a sweet Candy Boy~"
"Don't worry, that Candy Boy will be fine. He just needs some rest to recover."
"That's good."
Meiser nodded, then stood up and began walking away.
"Where are you going?"
Frowning at Meiser's retreating back, Ivankov sensed something amiss.
The kid's expression wasn't right...
Could he be planning revenge against Magellan?
Recalling the earlier battle scenes, that seemed entirely possible.
"I'm going to save Fire Fist Ace!" Meiser stopped but didn't turn back. "That's why we infiltrated Impel Down in the first place."
Ivankov had said Luffy needed two days to recover.
But the problem was—Fire Fist Ace's public execution was scheduled for tomorrow!!
Waiting two days here would guarantee Ace's death.
So he had to rescue Fire Fist Ace during this time.
Otherwise... even if Luffy recovered, he'd be utterly devastated.
After all... that was his brother.
Upon hearing Meiser's words, Ivankov's pupils instantly contracted.
"Fire Fist Ace?" Ivankov exclaimed in shock. "You and Straw Hat Boy came here to save Fire Fist Ace?"
"Exactly!"
"We heard about his public execution, so we came to rescue him," Meiser explained.
After a brief silence, Ivankov asked, "What's your relationship with him?"
"He's Luffy's brother."
"Straw Hat Boy's brother, huh..."
Glancing back toward the gate, Ivankov thought to himself, "So they invaded Impel Down from the outside just to save Straw Hat Boy's brother!"
Frankly, their actions had truly shaken him.
After all... this was Impel Down, the hell for pirates!
"By the way, do you know where Fire Fist Ace is?" Meiser turned back to Ivankov.
"I do. He's on Level 6."
"I see."
So the rumors weren't false—Level 6 did exist.
It was just that ordinary guards couldn't access such high-level secrets.
Now that they'd confirmed Ace's location, things would be easier.
The next step was figuring out how to rescue him.
"Thanks for the intel, Ivankov."
After a pause, Meiser added, "Once everything here is settled, come with us and leave Impel Down."
Not only had Ivankov provided them with so much help, but he was also someone Bon Clay wanted to save.
So... Meiser didn't mind helping him escape when the time came.
"I appreciate the offer," Ivankov shook his head, "but I don't wish to leave."
"Why?"
Meiser looked at Ivankov in confusion. "Don't tell me you're attached to this place?"
It might seem like a paradise with no shortage of food or clothing, but the problem was... it wasn't free!
Was staying in such an unfree place really okay?
"That's not it," Ivankov shook his head again. "It's just not the right time yet."
"Not the right time?"
"Correct," Ivankov explained. "The world is about to undergo massive changes because of Fire Fist Ace. Anything could happen then."
"But since my comrade, Revolutionary Dragon, hasn't made a move yet, I can't leave here."
"Otherwise, even if I escaped, I'd just be hunted by the World Government. There wouldn't be much point, so I won't go with you."
At the end, Ivankov spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
"So you have that kind of background."
Meiser gave Ivankov a strange look. "In that case, you must be very close with Luffy's father."
Who would've thought they'd run into one of Luffy's father's comrades here? What a... coincidence.
"Indeed, I'm very familiar with Straw Hat Boy's father," Ivankov nodded. "After all, we're comrades who've walked this path together. We—"
"Hmm?"
As he spoke, Ivankov suddenly realized something was off. He looked at Meiser with disbelief and asked, "Who did you say?"
"Luffy's father," Meiser replied, puzzled. "Didn't you say you were Dragon's comrade?"
"That's Luffy's dad?!"
"NANI?!"
Ivankov stared at Meiser in shock, so startled that he was sent flying backward, crashing straight into the nearby wall.
"BAM!!"
A sharp pain shot through the back of his head, but Ivankov paid it no mind. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Meiser and asked, "Are you saying... Dragon is the Straw Hat Boy's father?"
"Yes," Meiser answered.
Then, with a hint of suspicion, he added, "As Dragon's comrade, how could you not know this? Unless... you're an impostor?"
At this, a trace of doubt flickered in Meiser's eyes.
"No, I really am Dragon's comrade, but... I've never heard that man had a child."
After saying this, Ivankov pried himself out of the wall and stood there, deep in thought.
'This man dared to kill a Celestial Dragon... so there's no way he's connected to the World Government! And his expression doesn't seem like he's lying. Then... could what he's saying actually be true?!'
With this in mind, Ivankov asked, "Where is the Straw Hat Boy's hometown?"
"The East Blue."
At these words, Ivankov's pupils constricted sharply.
The East Blue...
If he recalled correctly, Dragon would often gaze in that direction. Back then, Ivankov had even teased him about it.
("Is that your animal homing instinct? Is your hometown over there?")
Dragon had brushed it off, telling him not to pry into his past—but his reaction had been telling.
So... the Straw Hat Boy might really be Dragon's son!
The realization sent a shockwave through Ivankov's heart!
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