Chapter 140 – The Impel Down Infiltration Plan
"Uncle, thank you," Ace said sincerely.
"Gu-ra-ra-ra-ra! You little brat, there's no need for thanks between family," Whitebeard laughed, though a sudden glint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes. "Besides, that bastard Teach will be there too, right? I'll take his head with my own hands to honor my dead idiot son, Thatch."
"We definitely won't let him leave alive this time," Ace replied in a deep tone.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Ace stared at it and let out a quiet sigh. "Now I owe you a huge favor…"
He hadn't expected Whitebeard's support to be this strong. To give Ace a legitimate reason to attack Marineford, the old man had even invoked avenging Thatch's death as a pretext. Ace knew full well that Whitebeard's words about killing Teach were partly an excuse — the real reason was to fully help him rescue Sabo.
"Either way, the plan to join forces with Uncle Whitebeard to attack the Navy Headquarters is set," Ace murmured, tucking away the Den Den Mushi. "As for this debt… I'll find a way to repay him someday."
"Now, the next step is to confirm where Sabo's being held." Ace pulled a smaller Den Den Mushi from his pack and dialed.
"Hello, this is Koala," came the voice on the other end. "What's the matter, Ace?"
"Koala, the Revolutionary Army should have intel on Marineford, right? Can you find out where Sabo's being held?"
"Where he's being held? Give me a moment," Koala said before hanging up.
Ace leaned back against the railing, thinking aloud. "The Revolutionary Army's intelligence network should be able to confirm it. If he's in Impel Down, we may have to wait for the day of his public execution to strike… I still don't have a way to break into that place. The 'Great Prison' is called an iron fortress for a reason — there's no record of anyone infiltrating from the outside, and its location makes a frontal assault impossible."
"If he's in Marineford itself, that's much simpler. I could coordinate with Uncle Whitebeard for a direct raid and snatch him away before the Navy can fully prepare. Catch them off guard instead of walking into their defenses."
Buru-buru-buru…
Five minutes later, the Den Den Mushi rang again.
"Ace," Koala's voice came through, "we've confirmed Sabo is imprisoned in the World Government's deep-sea prison — Impel Down." She hesitated before adding, "If you want to try rescuing him there, we might be able to help."
"Oh? You can help me get in?" Ace asked, surprised.
"Not quite — sneaking you in from the outside isn't possible. But if you can get inside, the Revolutionary Army has an ally there who can assist you."
"In Impel Down… you mean the 'Miracle Person' Emporio Ivankov?" Ace immediately thought of the eccentric ruler of Level 5.5, famous for creating a hidden 'Newkama Land' within the prison. "So the rumors are true — he's in contact with you."
"If you can reach him, his help could be invaluable," Koala confirmed.
"I'll see if I can manage to get inside," Ace said. "But before that, I want to meet your leader."
"Alright. I'll report to Dragon as soon as I return to headquarters. Stay in touch."
"Always," Ace replied, and they hung up.
"So Sabo is in Impel Down…" Ace muttered. "If possible, I should try entering directly. Rescuing him before he's transferred or executed would be best."
He flipped open the day's newspaper, scanning for anything useful — and one headline caught his eye.
"Former Warlord Crocodile Captured!"
The article reported that Sir Crocodile had been stripped of his Shichibukai title and arrested following the Alabasta incident. Though the paper didn't say it, Ace knew full well the Straw Hat Pirates had been the ones to defeat him.
"By now, after Alabasta… Luffy and the others should be heading to Skypiea," Ace mused, a grin tugging at his lips. "I wonder if that kid will cross paths with Enel… ho-ho-ho-ho."
After a moment's amusement, his expression sharpened again.
"If you're up on Skypiea, you probably don't know anything about Sabo," he said. "That's fine — you're not ready for this war yet… but…"
His gaze drifted back to Crocodile's photo in the article, and an idea struck him.
"As a high-profile prisoner, Crocodile will be sent straight to Impel Down. The escort ship should still be en route. If I can slip aboard, I'll have my ticket inside — and maybe even get him to work with me."
Ace tapped the paper. "As a former Warlord, Crocodile's strength is undeniable. He's not on my list of desired allies, but under these circumstances, he might agree to cooperate."
"The war between Whitebeard's forces and the Navy is inevitable… Crocodile's lost his position and freedom… if I save him and offer a deal, he's unlikely to refuse."
"That settles it," Ace decided.
"But first…" he looked up toward the sky and smirked, "time to call Enel down from Skypiea. A stage like the war at Marineford would suit him perfectly."
What Ace didn't know was that, even as he thought about contacting him, Enel had already left Skypiea — and with a group Ace would never have expected — and descended to the Blue Sea.
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