Chapter 150: The Shocking Prison Alliance
Beepbeep~
Just as Ace and the others stepped out of the gate of Level 6 of Impel Down, all the alarms in the prison suddenly blared.
Ace turned and saw that it was Hannyabal who had triggered the alarm.
"You scum! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you've broken your shackles! No one has ever escaped from here!" Hannyabal, wielding his trident, shouted: "This is the world's greatest underwater prison—Impel Down!"
"You scum, don't underestimate us—the gatekeepers of Hell!" Hannyabal roared as he charged toward them.
Ace, Jinbe, and Crocodile turned simultaneously, facing Hannyabal as he came flying toward them like a falcon. The three attacked together.
"Fire Fist!"
"Shark Brick Fist!"
"Sickle Claw!"
The three attacks struck Hannyabal at once, blasting him into the wall. He lay unconscious, status unknown.
"Sorry. We don't have time to waste on you," Ace said softly, then turned to the others. "Let's go."
"Oh, I almost forgot about them." As he exited the Level 6 cellblock, Ace pulled out a Den Den Mushi with thick eyeliner and dialed.
"Heehee~ This is Ivan-chan! Who's calling?" came the exaggerated voice from the Den Den Mushi.
"Ivankov-senpai, it's Ace. Kerra should've mentioned me."
"Ohhh! Ace-boy! You're Sabo's brother, right? Kerra-chan told me. Fwahaha~" said Emporio Ivankov with joy.
"Great. Then I'll make it quick," Ace said seriously. "I'm in Impel Down. Kerra said if I made it here, I could ask you for help."
"Oh my~! Ace-boy, did you get imprisoned here too? That's simply dreadful!" Ivankov exclaimed.
"No, no—I infiltrated the place to save Sabo. But I was too late. He's already been transferred to Marineford. I'm headed there now and need your help."
The Den Den Mushi's expression turned solemn. "You're going to Marineford to break Sabo out? That's… some real guts, Ace-boy."
"For Sabo, I'll do anything."
"Then count me in! Where are you now?"
"At the gate to Level 6."
"I'll be right there. Sit tight, Ace-boy!" Ivankov said before hanging up.
BOOM!
A few minutes later, the prison shook violently. Then, giant scissor-like arms burst through the ceiling, slicing a hole through the stone like fabric. From above, hundreds of okama warriors in flamboyant outfits poured through.
"HIP!" Emporio Ivankov, the 'Queen of the Kamabakka Kingdom', leapt through the hole in a dramatic pose.
"Ace-boy~!" Ivankov called out, but upon seeing Crocodile beside him, their expression shifted. "Eh? Isn't that... Croco-boy? Long time no see."
"Ivankov!" Crocodile's face darkened immediately. He clearly wanted nothing to do with the Okama Queen and turned to leave.
"Hey, where're you going, Croco-boy?" Ivankov flashed ahead of him. "Not even saying hello to an old friend?"
"Move, Ivankov!" Crocodile growled, ready to attack. "Or I'll silence you before you say a word."
"Heehee~ Scared I'll spill your secret? There are a lot of people here, you know."
Crocodile attacked, but Ivankov blocked with ease. "Still so grumpy, Croco-boy. Did you forget how terrifying I am?"
"You bastard!" Crocodile's body shifted into sand as he launched himself again.
Before they could clash, Ace and Jinbe jumped in and blocked them.
"Enough!" Ace pushed Crocodile back. He turned to Ivankov. "Ivankov-senpai, Crocodile's not our enemy. Not right now."
"Hmm... if you say so..." Ivankov relaxed and whispered into Ace's ear: "He's hiding something big. If he betrays you, I'll spill it."
"Thanks, Ivankov-senpai. But I trust him—for now," Ace replied. "We're almost out of time. Sabo's execution is hours away. We must get to Marineford quickly."
"And there's still a major obstacle," Ace added, glancing at the blaring alarm. "The Deputy Warden already set off the alarm. Magellan could be here any minute."
"Magellan, huh..." Ivankov's expression darkened. He reverted to normal size and stepped beside Ace. "That guy's serious trouble."
"But we've got a scary lineup of our own."
Ace, Jinbe, Crocodile, and Ivankov—all standing together. The visual alone was earth-shaking.