Silence—absolute, deathly silence—blanketed Level 6, as if there were no prisoners held within at all.
Yet, occasional rustling sounds from the cells betrayed the truth: numerous prisoners were confined here.
Level 6 of Impel Down, the Infinite Hell, housed only the most notorious pirates—those with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries, legends among criminals.
"Where are you… Ace!? I'm coming to save you, Ace!"
Luffy's voice echoed across the empty prison wing. Amidst the stillness, no one responded except for his own shout.
"Stop shouting nonsense. Can you at least tell us where he is?"
Emporio Ivankov casually lifted a prison guard onto his shoulder, smiling as he spoke.
"I… I refuse!"
The guard trembled in terror but still refused to give Mizuchi or the others the answer they sought.
"Leave him to me!"
Mizuchi snatched the guard from Ivankov's hands and slapped him across the face.
"Speak… or your head will stop thinking entirely."
Hard rock began forming in Mizuchi's palms and spread over the guard's entire body.
Feeling his limbs and brain stiffen, the guard finally broke under the pressure and revealed Ace's location to Mizuchi and his companions.
"Thank you!"
Mizuchi whispered his gratitude and charged toward the direction the guard had indicated.
"Ace!"
Luffy's voice continued to ring out along the way, until they arrived in front of a dark, empty cell, where it finally fell silent.
"Damn it! I'm still too late!"
Mizuchi glared at the clearly emptied prison wing, slamming his hand against the cell door in frustration.
"Straw Hat Luffy! And you, that mysterious man—are you the two that Boa Hancock mentioned? Hurry, Ace was just taken to the elevator! If we go now, we might still catch him."
Inside the same wing, a fishman with two sharp fangs, shackled in Seastone, looked excitedly at Luffy's straw hat.
"Jinbe! Thank you!"
As soon as Mizuchi learned from the fishman that Ace had just been moved, he wasted no time and sprinted toward the elevator.
"Already gone?"
Reaching the elevator, Mizuchi looked at the empty shaft, fury flashing across his face as he glanced at the wall above to his left.
"Beep…"
A Den Den Mushi slowly turned its eyes toward Mizuchi.
"Whoosh!"
Mizuchi conjured an ice spear with one hand and hurled it, instantly freezing the surveillance Den Den Mushi in place.
"Act! Seal the elevator!"
In the control room, Hannyabal saw the feed from the surveillance Den Den Mushi go blank and immediately ordered the nearby guards to activate the elevator's trap mechanisms.
"Can we go up here?"
Luffy climbed over Mizuchi's body to the elevator shaft. Just as he poked his head out of the door, a platform studded with thick, sharp spikes dropped rapidly from above.
"Watch out!"
Hearing the warning, Mizuchi quickly spun around and yanked Luffy out of the shaft.
"That was close!"
Luffy clutched his neck in terror; if not for Mizuchi's quick reflexes, his head would have been crushed.
After saving Luffy, Mizuchi turned back to the elevator shaft, peering up at the smooth inner walls—there was nothing to grab onto or climb.
"Clang!"
Soon after the elevator became useless, a sharp impact sound came from nearby.
"No good!"
Mizuchi shouted, preparing to investigate, when a pale green fog surged rapidly from a distance, heading straight toward them.
"No choice! Luffy! We'll go up from here!"
Seeing the advancing gas, Mizuchi initially thought to call Luffy back to the elevator. Instead, he saw Luffy charging straight into the mist.
Luffy barely took a few steps inside before being knocked to the ground by the hypnotic gas.
"Miss Ivankov, Luffy's in your hands. I'll go save Ace first!"
Without hesitation, Mizuchi placed both hands on the inner wall of the elevator shaft. Brilliant white ice spread rapidly from his palms across the walls and beneath his feet.
"Ice Elevator!"
Using thick blocks of ice as a base, Mizuchi propelled himself upward at breakneck speed.
"Ace! Hang on!"
His face etched with urgency, Mizuchi knew that saving Ace here was crucial. If Ace were taken to Marineford, the enemies he would face were unimaginable: Admirals, the Fleet Admiral, Heroes, and the Seven Warlords—none were easy opponents.
Thus, rescuing Ace now was the best chance.
The ice elevator shot upward, quickly reaching the top of Impel Down.
A harsh "crackling" rang overhead as the dark iron doors slammed downward, driven by mechanical force.
"Screech!"
The sound of ice sliding echoed continuously in the elevator shaft.
Mizuchi accelerated, and before the elevator doors on the first floor fully closed, he successfully reached the top level of Impel Down.
"Give up your futile resistance!"
Magellan's voice boomed through the elevator doors. Before they closed, Mizuchi's figure surged out from the shadows of the cold mist, appearing in Ace's hopeful gaze.
"It's you!"
"D!"
Kuzan and Magellan's eyes twitched as they saw the figure emerge from the elevator shaft.
Mizuchi's arrival posed an unprecedented threat to the escort mission. No one knew the limits of his abilities, nor whether he could actually save Ace.
"Luffy!"
Ace, pinned to the ground by Magellan, shouted in relief at the sight of the cold, misty elevator door. He longed for Luffy's arrival—but when he saw Admiral Kuzan standing nearby, he wished it weren't Luffy who had come.
"Director Magellan! This treatment of Ace is… utterly impolite!"
Mizuchi's furious voice rang out through the cold mist. Suddenly, a striking figure surged forward, using the ice path as momentum. He grabbed Magellan by the neck and propelled him high against a wall before finally stopping.
"Do you want to die!?"
Endless fury burned in Mizuchi's eyes. His right hand gripped Magellan's neck as gray-white cracks rapidly spread over his body.
"D!"
Magellan was suspended helplessly by Mizuchi's powerful arm, unable to move. Looking into Mizuchi's eyes, he felt not only shock but also deep fear.
"I'll handle you!"
Seeing Magellan in danger, Kuzan leapt to intervene. Four ice spears shot from his body, aiming at Mizuchi's back.
"Stay still!"
Mizuchi's furious roar spread an invisible wave from his body, stunning all nearby guards.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
Magellan's eyes widened with even more caution at Mizuchi.
"Useless!"
As an Admiral, Kuzan was not easily stopped by a mere display of Conqueror's Haki. He launched a cold blast of air from his hands at Mizuchi.
"You… really… annoy me, Kuzan!"
Mizuchi spun around in anger, using Magellan as a shield against the attack.
"Whoosh!"
The cold air split into two streams to avoid hitting Magellan, then smashed into the wall behind Mizuchi.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The sound of freezing ice echoed from behind Mizuchi. The bone-chilling cold made even Magellan shiver.
"Who… who are you?"
Ace rose in shock, half-kneeling, staring at the figure obscured by cold.
"I'm Kawa D. Mizuchi! I'm Luffy's nakama!"
Mizuchi stepped out of the icy mist with Magellan in tow, smiling at Ace.