Jiang Lin could never have imagined that a single decision of his would cause the original course of events to change so drastically.
"Yo! Jiang Lin, we meet again!"
As Jiang Lin advanced smoothly from the first level toward the second, Luffy and Buggy came running his way, leading a group of Blugori.
"Luffy? Why are you running? Don't tell me you can't beat them?"
Jiang Lin was speechless. Luffy could handle the Blugori, so why was he running together with Buggy?
"Ah! I forgot!"
Scratching his head in embarrassment, Luffy realized he hadn't even thought of fighting back. When he saw Buggy running away, he instinctively followed along without question.
"Then let's take them down together!"
At Jiang Lin's words, Luffy and Buggy immediately stopped, spun around, and assumed fighting stances against the Blugori charging their way.
"Luffy! A real man should fight one-on-one. As for this brother, Buggy—his bones are unique, a rare martial arts talent! I've decided to teach him a little kung fu."
Throwing an arm warmly around Buggy's shoulder, Jiang Lin shoved Luffy into the pack of Blugori. Buggy's current fighting strength wasn't impressive anyway—keeping him close was better than letting him get in Luffy's way.
"Luffy! You've got this! Believe in yourself!"
While cheering Luffy on, Jiang Lin stole glances at the countdown timer on his system interface. The moment he put his arm around Buggy, the timer had already started.
"Oh… I'm going in!"
With a loud shout, Luffy stretched his arms and charged forward.
"You're one of Luffy's underlings?"
Buggy looked at Jiang Lin with a mocking expression.
"Are you thinking of making a move against me?"
Smiling, Jiang Lin glanced back at Buggy. He knew Buggy wasn't easy to deal with. The only reason Buggy was obediently staying by his side now was because he was waiting to see the outcome of Luffy's fight. If Luffy defeated the Blugori—or was defeated himself—Buggy would be the first to bolt.
"N-No, not at all!"
Feeling a chill under Jiang Lin's gaze, Buggy frantically waved his hands, denying the thought.
"One minute has passed. Chop-Chop Fruit has been successfully copied."
As the system notification popped up, Jiang Lin finally released Buggy's shoulder, smiling as he patted the dust off him. "Good work!"
"Eh? Should I be saying good work… or not good work?"
Buggy was utterly confused. Though he hadn't fought Jiang Lin, his instincts told him that if he ever dared to raise a hand against this man, the outcome would be disastrous.
"In any case…" Jiang Lin glanced at the cuffs around Luffy's forearms, then shook his head with a smile. "I'll head down first. Luffy, this one's all yours!"
"Okay! Jiang Lin, Ace is on Level Five! Let's meet up there!"
Even while fighting the Blugori, Luffy shouted back at him.
"Level Five, huh? My strength still isn't enough. Even with the Empress's and Buggy's abilities, I'm nowhere near ready to take on Blackbeard and that terrifying Chief Warden."
Resolving himself, Jiang Lin decided to go on ahead. He needed more Devil Fruits. To do that, he had to reach deeper levels before a larger commotion broke out.
Level One of Impel Down didn't hold any "important" prisoners. If Buggy weren't still weak at this stage, he probably wouldn't have been locked there.
After parting ways with Luffy and the others, Jiang Lin transformed into lightning and shot straight toward Level Two.
Along the way, countless guards and Blugori rushed at him, trying to block his path. But with the fastest speed in the world, how could Jiang Lin ever be cornered? Rampaging through Level One, he eventually reached the entrance to Level Two.
The atmosphere there was far more sinister than the first. Ruthless prisoners filled the cells, their chilling eyes fixed on Jiang Lin.
"This floor should have that guy… If I can get his ability, it'll be a huge help for my plans later."
Jiang Lin wandered forward, thinking about the whereabouts of Galdino (Mr. 3).
"He's already entered Level Two? Who the hell is he?"
In the monitoring room, the staff stared at Jiang Lin on the screen, their faces full of doubt.
At this point, Jiang Lin's wanted poster hadn't even been issued, so nobody knew who he was. That anonymity made his movements much easier.
"A hippo?"
Looking at the small, pinkish hippo before him, Jiang Lin couldn't help shaking his head. A hippo like this was no threat to him.
"Go!"
As the creature rushed him, its short but powerful legs propelling it forward, Jiang Lin barely moved. With a slight twist of his left foot, he tapped its body lightly—yet the impact blasted the hippo away like a cannonball, slamming it deep into the wall.
"Looks like the beasts on this floor are much more troublesome than the first."
As he pressed onward, Jiang Lin faced all kinds of demonic beasts—birds, mantises, lions—appearing one after another in his path.
"Aiya, what a hassle…"
Casually dispatching enemies, Jiang Lin peered into the cells on either side, searching for Galdino to copy his Devil Fruit.
But with Level Two's maze-like structure, plus constant interference from guards and beasts, he wasted time. By the time he reached Galdino's cell, it was already empty.
"Forget it. I'll move on first."
Glancing at the terrified prisoners cowering inside their cells, Jiang Lin dashed straight toward the entrance of Level Three.
There, a massive beast blocked the way, glaring down at him in irritation.
Standing over ten meters tall, this monster was none other than the guardian of the stairway—Sphinx!
"Ramen!"
The moment it saw Jiang Lin, the Sphinx raised a huge paw and slammed it down at him.
Whoosh!
A flash of light—Jiang Lin easily dodged.
"Ramen!"
Failing once, the Sphinx raised its paw again for another strike.
"Soup noodles!"
"Char siu noodles!"
"Dandan noodles!"
"Ikeman noodles!"
"…"
Like a starving madman, the Sphinx roared out the names of noodle dishes as it attacked Jiang Lin relentlessly.