The hearts of many crew members gradually tightened, their expressions growing anxious.
Marco clenched his fists, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Just as doubts began to rise among everyone, a dazzling white light suddenly erupted from Whitebeard's body!
The gentle light instantly enveloped his entire figure, illuminating the entire deck.
A moment later, the white light slowly faded.
The Whitebeard who appeared before everyone left them frozen in place.
Whitebeard's originally graying beard and hair had turned back into a brilliant gold.
His body was no longer hunched but stood tall and imposing like a mountain, brimming with explosive strength.
The aura of decay that had long lingered around him had completely vanished, replaced by an overwhelming, world-shaking presence.
At this moment, Whitebeard seemed to have regained twenty years of youth, returning directly to his peak middle-aged state!
"The Old Man has truly recovered!"
"Wonderful, truly wonderful!"
"This is our Old Man, the world's strongest man!"
Unable to contain their emotions any longer, the crew members burst into tears, then laughed heartily.
Whitebeard slowly clenched his fists, feeling the power within his body and a long-lost sense of ease.
He took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked solemnly at Ivan, speaking sincerely:
"Today's kindness, the Whitebeard Pirates will never forget.
From now on, the Whitebeard Pirates will forever be friends of the Shadow Garden."
Upon hearing this, Ivan remarked dryly:
"Is that so? But I think I just heard Marco cursing me earlier."
Marco immediately froze in place, an unmistakable look of embarrassment on his face as he scratched his head.
Ivan stopped teasing and swept his gaze over everyone, speaking slowly:
"Since we are friends, this time, the Shadow Garden naturally will not stand idly by."
As his words fell, two figures emerged from the void like ghosts, walking forward slowly.
One wore a swirling mask, while the other wore a mask crackling with electricity.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates immediately recognized the former.
"It's the man who appeared at Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Uchiha Madara!"
"Who is the other one with the lightning mask? Never seen him before, and his aura is terrifying..."
Ivan calmly introduced them:
"The one with the swirling mask, you are likely familiar with—he is Uchiha Madara.
This one with the lightning mask is named Misaka Mikoto.
For this battle, these two will serve as reinforcements from the Shadow Garden, joining you in the assault on Marineford."
...
Impel Down, this massive prison directly under the World Government and not subject to navy oversight, is truly the world's largest prison.
Surrounded by countless Sea Kings, the turbulent, dark waters hide deadly dangers.
Thanks to its unique geographical location and the defense of top-tier powerhouses like Magellan, Impel Down has been considered a forbidden zone for pirates since its establishment, with almost no one ever successfully escaping.
Even pirates with bounties exceeding hundreds of millions, once thrown into this place, could only spend the rest of their lives in endless darkness.
However, today, this usually silent prison completely shattered its usual tranquility, becoming unusually lively.
The passionate shouts of a certain hot-blooded fool pierced through layer after layer of walls, echoing throughout the underwater prison.
Even though the worldline had undergone significant shifts due to Ivan's intervention, certain threads of fate continued to quietly weave their course.
Monkey D. Luffy, for reasons unknown, had formed an alliance with Trafalgar Law. Using Law's submarine, he successfully infiltrated Impel Down.
Now was the moment he was wreaking havoc within the prison, desperately searching for his brother Ace!
"Ace, wait for me! I'm coming to save you!"
A shout echoed from the direction of the Crimson Hell on the upper floors of Impel Down, piercing through the layers of corridors and reaching the deeper levels.
"Ahhh! It's a pirate from the outside! Someone's broken into Impel Down!"
All the prisoners shouted excitedly, for life inside Impel Down was nothing short of hell. The arrival of new excitement naturally stirred them up.
At the same time, they held onto a nearly impossible hope: if this intruder could truly turn the prison upside down, perhaps they might have a chance to escape.
Not long after the shout faded, the alarms of Impel Down blared abruptly. The piercing sirens shattered the dead silence, reverberating through every corridor on each floor.
A flood of guards surged toward the upper levels, all with a single goal: to capture the audacious intruder who knew no fear.
Meanwhile, in Level 5.5 Newkama Land—a secret floor never recorded on Impel Down's official blueprints and unknown to the World Government—Emporio Ivankov keenly picked up on the commotion and alarms from outside.
This hollowed-out layer, created by Revolutionary Army West Army Commander Morley using the Push-Push Fruit, served as a sanctuary for prisoners. Now, the disturbance from outside had clearly disrupted the peace here.
Ivankov raised an eyebrow, a look of confusion crossing his face as he asked a subordinate standing nearby, "What's happening out there? The alarms are so loud, and that shout earlier didn't sound like a guard's voice."
The subordinate quickly bowed and replied with uncertainty, "Lord Iva, the specifics aren't clear yet, but Lady Inazuma has already noticed the anomaly and has gone to investigate the upper levels personally."
Ivankov nodded and asked no further questions. Inazuma would soon bring back accurate information.
Sure enough, before long, a soft sound echoed as a neat gap was cut through the solid rock at the entrance to Newkama Land. A slender figure stepped through the opening—it was Inazuma.
"Inazuma!" Ivankov immediately stood up. "What exactly is happening outside? Has there been some kind of disturbance in the prison?"
Inazuma's expression was peculiar. After a pause, she slowly spoke, "Someone has invaded Impel Down... and that person... you know him too."
"Oh? I know him?" Ivankov's eyes lit up, curiosity instantly piqued. "Who is it, daring enough to break into Impel Down? Could it be some old friend who's grown tired of living?"
Inazuma took a deep breath and slowly uttered the name: "Dragon's son, Garp's grandson—Monkey D. Luffy!"
"What?!"
Ivankov's eyes widened in shock, and he couldn't help raising his voice. "That brat! Does he have a death wish? This is Impel Down! We have to go help him!"
As a longtime close friend of Dragon's, he couldn't possibly stand by and do nothing while Dragon's son was in danger.
With that, Ivankov eagerly turned around, ready to gather the members of Newkama Land and head to the upper levels immediately to find Luffy and lend him a hand.
But just as he took a step, an unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out behind them:
"Huh, this place seems quite unique. Could this be the legendary Newkama Kingdom of Impel Down's Level 5.5?"
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