"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
A bone-chilling cold radiated from Mizuchi's body, freezing every cannonball that had been fired and the entire surface of the sea. The sheer force of his attack left every Marine soldier staring in shock, completely forgetting to continue their assault.
"Ace! I'll ask you one more time—do you wish to soar freely over the seas like a seagull in the sky?"
Mizuchi's voice cut through the warships, pierced through Impel Down itself, and even echoed across the frozen ocean, reaching every corner of the prison.
"I… I…"
Ace's gaze swept over the surrounding Marine ships and the nearby Marine Admiral, Aokiji. In the end, his eyes dimmed with sorrow.
"I will stick to my choice. Mizuchi… please take care of Luffy for me. Thank you."
Ace had chosen a path of utter darkness. He knew hope was within reach, but he could not allow his own desire to drag Mizuchi into an endless abyss.
"I understand! Leave Luffy to me!"
Mizuchi ultimately decided not to take Ace with him. His cold eyes scanned the imposing Aokiji and the surrounding warships before he slowly turned toward the entrance of Impel Down.
"Attack!"
On the warships, the Marines prepared to fire again, but Aokiji, who had been silently observing everything, stepped in to halt the assault.
"Stop! It's enough to take Ace back!"
Aokiji's commanding gaze made every Marine's heart tremble, and they immediately ceased firing.
"Admiral Kuzan, will you be coming back with us?"
After handing Ace over to his subordinates, Vice Admiral Momonga addressed Aokiji with an invitation.
"I'll return on my own. You should leave immediately."
Aokiji gestured slightly with his hands and walked toward Impel Down's main gate without looking back. Mizuchi moved at the same time. Neither glanced at the other, but in their hearts, they regarded each other as adversaries.
The battle at Marineford was inevitable.
Inside Impel Down, once Ace was removed, Magellan immediately began a crackdown, sending countless jailers and prison beasts rushing toward Level 6 under his command.
Yet when they arrived at Level 6, the place was already empty.
Luffy and his crew had long since escaped Level 6 through a spiral passage, entering Level 5.5.
"Luffy, I'm coming for you… right now!"
Mizuchi descended through Impel Down from the top floor, freezing or petrifying every enemy he encountered along the way. Slowly, from the top down, the entire prison fell into silence.
"Vice Warden! The pirate D has crossed the top floor and is heading toward Level 1! We… we can't possibly stop them!"
In the monitoring room, the jailers trembled as alarms blared. They reported the horrifying scenes of chaos to Hannyabal, who was coordinating operations within the prison.
"Now… Level 4 and Level 2 are experiencing prisoner riots. Level 4 has a large number of inmates who disappeared during the 'Ghost Sleeve' incident, and in Level 2, thanks to Buggy and Gal Dino's actions, all prisoners have been released from their cells again."
Through the Den Den Mushi, information about the chaos in Impel Down flowed endlessly to Hannyabal.
Faced with overwhelming reports, Hannyabal's face drained of color. Magellan had yet to arrive, making him the highest authority in Impel Down—but even he didn't know how to respond to the escalating disaster.
"Crescent Dunes!"
"Rubber… Rain!"
"Karasugawara Fist!"
In Level 4, Luffy and his crew blasted upward with absolute force, shattering Impel Down's defenses.
Meanwhile, in Level 1, the original prison cells were now completely covered in white ice. Wherever Mizuchi stepped—cells, walls, floors, or even jailers and pirates—everything froze instantly.
Anything that obstructed him turned to ice.
Amidst the chaos, a Marine warship suddenly breached Impel Down. Once docked, five figures stormed the main gate, destroying it with sheer force and ignoring every obstruction as they advanced boldly into the prison.
"Don't be so polite! We're representatives of the World Government!"
Blackbeard's deep voice echoed at the entrance. He and his four subordinates had successfully landed at Impel Down, their presence radiating undeniable authority.
"Report! All Marines on Blackbeard's ship have been annihilated!"
Once the Navy confirmed the situation, their commanders immediately ordered a counterattack.
"Stop right there!"
Numerous Marines raised their rifles, shouting to halt Blackbeard.
"Liberate!"
Blackbeard laughed and unleashed his power.
Dense black fog emanated from his body. The items and personnel he had absorbed during his landing were all released in an instant, creating chaos among the Marines aiming their guns at him.
"Intruder detected! One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Marshall D. Teach!"
Despair echoed through Impel Down. Blackbeard's arrival intensified the already unpredictable turmoil.
Hannyabal, overwhelmed by reports from the top-floor jailers, offered no instructions. Darkness soon swallowed the entrance to Level 1.
"Hannyabal, can you hear me?"
At Hannyabal's moment of panic, Magellan's voice came through a Den Den Mushi.
"D-Director Magellan? Where are you now?"
Grasping at a lifeline, Hannyabal snatched the Den Den Mushi from a jailer.
"I'm at Level 2, just finished dealing with these rioting fools!"
Magellan had sealed off all Level 2 passages with poison.
"Poison, huh?"
Mizuchi arrived at the Level 2 passage from Level 1. Before him was a pale purple liquid, sticky like giant chewing gum, completely sealing the gate.
Ignoring the toxic barrier, Mizuchi stepped directly into the poison. On the other side, he saw Level 2 prisoners' bodies coated in the deadly substance.
"Has Magellan already handled this place?"
Mizuchi muttered quietly, ignoring the prisoners entirely, and pressed forward.
Toxic liquid splashed at his feet, yet he strode on as if oblivious, stepping over prisoners to reach the lower entrance.
"Shiryu… Blackbeard is yours!"
Meanwhile, in Level 6, as chaos engulfed Impel Down, a prisoner wearing a white cloak with the bold kanji for "Prison" released by Magellan appeared.
"Kill… without mercy!"
A flash of blood streaked through Level 6's eerie silence. Shiryu of the Rain drew his blade, effortlessly slaying all jailers sent to escort him.
From Level 1 to Level 6, almost every floor of Impel Down simultaneously faced unexpected calamities.