Paying no attention to Ace's group's feelings, Diamante chatted while walking, his face showing a touched expression and his tone was full of amazement.
"The Big Mom Pirates are really fierce, actually attacking the Underwater Great Prison directly, it's like the sun rising from the west."
"I've heard that Impel Down is supposedly impregnable, never having such major trouble before."
Trebol heard this and burst into laughter, his former snot bubbles now replaced by two dangling icicles that trembled with his laughter, making one fear they might fall off.
"The Impel Down is airtight, no one has ever escaped from there..."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp gaze sweep over him like a blade.
He instinctively looked up to see Shiki staring coldly at him, his eyes revealing displeasure, that gaze seemingly able to pierce right through him.
Trebol immediately realized he had said the wrong thing, his smile instantly freezing on his face as he quickly corrected himself.
"Ahem... aside from Shiki-sama, no one has ever escaped from the Impel Down! Even a Yonko crew couldn't breach it!
Shiki-sama prison break back then was an unprecedented and unmatched feat!"
Diamante quickly chimed in, a wide smile plastered across his face.
"Exactly, exactly! Shiki-sama is a legend among legends! Escaping from the Underwater Great Prison—that's no small feat!"
Shiki snorted, letting out a puff of heavy breath through his nose.
His expression visibly softened, the previously tense corners of his mouth relaxing slightly.
"Hmph! The Impel Down could never hold the Golden Lion! Ridiculous!"
Seeing this, Diamante swiftly changed the subject.
His eyes swept across the street before he spoke.
"Look, another major upheaval has begun. The Marines will surely send reinforcements to the Impel Down quickly. This battle is likely to escalate. Who knows, the entire sea might be thrown into chaos."
Jozu and Ace exchanged surprised glances.
"When did the Big Mom Pirates start attacking Impel Down? Strange things happen every year, but this year seems especially full of them. I wonder what's really going on over there. It's so intriguing."
…
Just then, A carrier pigeon flew overhead, the flapping of its wings drawing everyone's attention.
The pigeon circled once in the air before dropping dozens of newspapers.
"More news, huh…"
"Quick, grab one."
"Don't rush."
Ace, quick-eyed and nimble-handed, reached out and caught a newspaper.
He casually unfolded it as Jozu and Shiki leaned in, tilting their heads to read the contents.
They hadn't even finished a few lines when all three felt a chill run down their spines!
The information in the newspaper instantly put their nerves on edge.
"This old hag is this fierce now?" Shiki's jaw nearly dropped in disbelief, his mouth hanging wide open.
"This… is really heating up," Ace murmured, his brow tightly furrowed.
Jozu chuckled heartily: "Hahaha, exactly! Things are really heating up now. Sengoku must be furious!"
"Epic Battle: Big Mom Takes on Three Admiral-Level Combatants Alone!"
The headline on the front page struck them like a heavy blow, pounding deep into their hearts.
The bold font announced the outbreak of an earth-shattering conflict.
Ace's eyes quickly scanned the text below, his pupils contracting sharply, his gaze filled with shock.
Admiral Akainu happened to be there!
Big Mom was fiercely battling Akainu, Magellan, and the Marine hero, Vice Admiral Garp!
Beside the text was an illustration of the battle.
In the image, Big Mom's massive frame clashed with Akainu's magma, blazing flames and scorching lava intertwining in a breathtaking spectacle.
Magellan's Poison Dragon circled above the battlefield, its purple toxic mist seeming to devour everything in its path.
Garp's iron fists, carrying world-shattering force, slammed toward Big Mom as if to crush her completely.
The illustration alone was this impactful—who knew how staggering the actual scene must have been.
Ace's breathing suddenly grew rapid, his chest heaving violently.
His fingers unconsciously brushed the edge of the newspaper before abruptly freezing on the most inconspicuous corner of the illustration.
There, a young man wearing Seastone Cuffs lay exhausted on the ground, gasping for breath, his straw hat tilted crookedly on the back of his head.
"Luffy!"
Ace exclaimed sharply, his voice filled with unconcealed shock!
"How did Luffy get captured and taken to the Impel Down!"
Ace clutched the newspaper tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
Hearing Ace's exclamation, Jozu leaned in to examine the newspaper closely, furrowing his brow as he said.
"Luffy? That younger brother you always mention? I don't see him anywhere."
His eyes scanned the illustration several times, clearly missing the detail in the corner.
Shiki puffed on his cigar, blowing out a smoke ring with a blank expression.
"Who's Luffy? Never heard of him."
While speaking, he also glanced over curiously.
Ignoring their confusion, Ace pointed rigidly at the corner of the illustration, his voice trembling.
"Look, right here! The guy wearing Seastone Cuffs—that's Luffy! He's my brother!"
Following Ace's finger, Jozu finally noticed the inconspicuous figure.
He scratched his head, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "It really is him..."
"I have to go save him now! Luffy can't be in danger! I can't lose another brother!" Ace declared, ready to leave immediately—he couldn't stand staying there a second longer.
But the rational Jozu stopped him, reaching out to firmly grasp Ace's arm, his voice calm.
"Of course we need to save him, but Ace, we're currently on a mission for Ron. If we're really going to rescue someone, we should inform Ron first."
Ace took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, his chest heaving violently as he struggled to suppress his anxiety and rage.
He nodded, quickly pulling a Den Den Mushi from his pocket and dialing rapidly.
"Buru—Buru—Buru—"
The Den Den Mushi rang several times, but no one answered.
Ace's frown deepened, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead as his heartbeat quickened.
Gritting his teeth, he dialed the number again.
"Buru—Buru—Buru—"
Still no answer.
Ace's heart raced faster, his fingers nearly crushing the Den Den Mushi's shell, his eyes filled with anxiety and unease.
He dialed a third time, and this time, the call finally connected.
"Hey, Ace, what's up?"