Only three days remained until Portgas D. Ace's public execution. Four days had passed since the monumental clash between Kaido and Red-Haired Shanks. Far away, guided by the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, Straw Hat Luffy's ship pressed onward. They were now only a day away from the great prison; their arrival was expected tomorrow morning.
In the deepest, most secure level of Impel Down—Level 6, the Eternal Hell—the silence was broken by the heavy tread of footsteps and the clanking of chains. The Jailer Beasts dragged the battered form of Jinbe, the "Knight of the Sea," into a cell and shackled him to the wall next to Ace.
"Jinbe... I'm sorry," Ace's voice was raspy with guilt. "This is all my fault."
Jinbe, his blue skin stained dark red with his own blood, shook his massive head. "Don't worry about me, Ace-san," he said, his voice a low rumble. "These wounds are nothing. My only regret is that I couldn't stop this war. Whitebeard-oyaji protected Fish-Man Island. It's a debt I can never repay. The Marines must know what will happen to the seas if a man like him falls."
The news of Whitebeard's impending doom sent a ripple of dark excitement through the other cells. From the shadows, the most infamous criminals in the world began to stir, their malicious laughter echoing in the cavernous prison.
"Did he say Whitebeard is going to die?" "Kuhahaha! That old relic is finally kicking the bucket?" "Let me out of here! I want a piece of that war!" "I'll be the one to take Whitebeard's head!"
"Silence!" Jinbe's voice boomed, cutting through the jeers. "None of you are worthy of even speaking his name!"
"Kuhahaha... Don't be so sensitive, Fish-Man," a dry, rasping laugh echoed from a nearby cell. It was the former Warlord, Crocodile. "This sea is full of 'silver medalists' who lived their lives in the shadows of Roger and that old man. Every last one of them dreams of taking Whitebeard's head."
"Does that include you, Crocodile?" Jinbe retorted.
Crocodile didn't answer, offering only a sinister chuckle in reply.
A tense quiet fell over the level once more. The prisoners here, though spared the physical tortures of the upper floors, knew that conserving energy was the key to survival.
Suddenly, the silence was broken. A small, strange object drifted down from the ceiling. Every prisoner in Level 6, all of them powerful figures in their own right, noticed it instantly. It was a translucent figure, shaped like a child's ghost doll, and it floated eerily in the stale air. It bobbed left and right, peering into each cell as if searching for something.
"What the hell is that?" "Is that... a ghost?"
As the prisoners whispered amongst themselves, the ghost drifted down to the cell holding Ace and Jinbe. A high-pitched, ghostly voice squeaked in surprise.
"Jinbe!? And Ace!!!"
The two shackled prisoners stared in stunned silence. How could this tiny ghost possibly know their names? Jinbe reacted first. Though the voice was distorted, the unique tone was unmistakable.
"That voice..." he said in disbelief. "Yamato-kun!?"
"What!?" Ace's eyes widened in shock.
"It's me!" the ghost chirped excitedly. "I'm here to save you, Ace! And Jinbe, what are you doing locked up in here too?"
A wave of disbelief washed over both of them. Ace, snapping out of his shock, shouted anxiously, "Yamato, what are you doing here?! Get out, it's a trap! This place is too dangerous!"
"What are you talking about, Ace?" the ghost retorted. "Did you forget the promise we made? I came to the Grand Line to find you! I've already made it into Impel Down. I'm in Level 5, right above you!"
A commotion erupted throughout the entire level.
"Don't worry, Ace, Jinbe," the ghost continued hurriedly. "I'm working on a plan right now. As soon as I figure out a way past the surveillance, I'm coming down to get you!"
"Wait! Yamato, you—" Ace started to say, but the ghost had already phased through the ceiling and disappeared.
The prison fell silent again, but the atmosphere had changed completely. The faint glimmers of despair had been replaced by a palpable sense of hope. Even Crocodile's eyes gleamed with a new light.
"Kuhahaha... well now, Fire Fist," he taunted. "Who's your little friend? An old flame, perhaps?"
Ace didn't answer, still reeling from the shock that Yamato had actually come for him.
Jinbe, sensing the dangerous currents stirring in the other cells, spoke slowly. "Watch your mouth, Crocodile. You have no idea who you're talking about."
"Oh? Is that a threat, Jinbe?" Crocodile's grin widened. "The more you say that, the more interested I become."
Jinbe decided to put an end to the speculation. "That's Kaido's daughter."
The name hit Level 6 like a physical blow. A strange, heavy silence descended. Even the most hardened criminals were stunned. Then, Crocodile's laughter erupted, louder and more manic than before.
"Kaido's... daughter?" he rasped. "Kuhahahahaha! This is rich! The daughter of a Yonko, here to save the son of his rival? The world outside has certainly gotten interesting!" He leaned against the bars of his cell. "Listen, Jinbe... even she won't be able to pull this off alone. But with my help..."
His words opened the floodgates. Murmurs and whispers rose from every cell. "Me too..." "Hey, get me out of here too..." "I'll help you take down those damn Marines..."
Ace and Jinbe remained silent. The prisoners of Level 6 knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not wanting to attract the attention of the guards, they quieted down, waiting in the darkness for their chance to escape.
Meanwhile, back in the Freezing Hell of Level 5.
"This is great, Perona! You did it!" Yamato cheered, patting a blushing Perona on the back. "You found Ace and Jinbe!"
This was fantastic news. With Jinbe's power added to their own, their chances of escaping had just increased significantly. While they celebrated, Red and Diaz were already at work, moving from cell to cell and breaking the locks on the frozen prisons.
"Alright," Yamato said, her focus returning to the mission. "Next, we have to find Level 5.5."
While Level 5 was free of surveillance, the environment was brutally harsh, and they had no food. They couldn't survive here for two days.
As they discussed their next move, one of the newly freed prisoners, a giant whose beard was caked with ice, overheard them. "Level 5.5..." he said thoughtfully. "You wouldn't be talking about the 'Demon's Gate,' would you?"
"The Demon's Gate?" everyone repeated, startled.
Another pirate shivered, and not from the cold. "It's a legend down here," he explained. "A place where prisoners just... disappear. Fall in, and you're never seen again."
"That has to be it," Yamato said, her eyes gleaming with determination. "Do you know where it is?"
The freed prisoners looked at each other hesitantly. Finally, the giant nodded. "I'm not sure what it is," he admitted. "But I know a place where people have vanished. Follow me. I'll show you."
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